"Olya, my love," I whispered, clutching the phone in my left hand. The ward's fluorescent lights flickered on, humming like distant shells. Silence was heavy and ash-like. "Sasha, stay strong," she said, her voice distant like a winter breeze. "But I can't pretend anymore. Our love is gone. I'm better off here. I've found someone who loves me." The phone slipped from her hand, crashing to the floor. A blade, merciless, plunged into my chest, slicing between two ribs and catch