Chapter 109

Aiden and Caverion knelt down beside Raylenne, one knee on the ground. Aiden placed his fingers under Raylenne’s nose.

“She’s breathing.”

Caverion closed his eyes tightly and let out a long breath. “Thank goodness…”

Realizing there was no time to be relieved, Caverion hurriedly examined Raylenne. Blood was pouring from her side, pooling on the floor, and for some reason, her hands were also covered in blood. Her face had turned deathly pale from the blood loss. Caverion fought back the panic squeezing his heart and forced himself to speak calmly.

“We need to get her to a healer immediately.”

Aiden shook his head. “No, we can’t.”

His gaze was fixed on Raylenne’s side. “She’s lost too much blood already. Moving her to a healer could make things worse.”

Caverion’s face fell. He realized Aiden was right. He didn’t know where the healer was in the palace, and Raylenne’s condition was too severe to move her indiscriminately. Using his awakened powers to move quickly might not help either; in her current state, Raylenne wouldn’t survive the speed. Even if they called a healer, Raylenne might not survive the wait.

As Caverion looked down at Raylenne with trembling eyes, Aiden stepped forward.

“I’ll stop the bleeding.”

“How?”

“With my awakened powers. I’ll use them to temporarily seal the wound.”

Caverion understood what Aiden intended but knew it was incredibly risky.

“If your control slips even a little, Raylenne won’t survive in her current condition.”

What Aiden was attempting required extremely precise control, akin to sewing a wound with a needle. A slight misstep would worsen the injury, and Raylenne was already in a fragile state. The chances of her surviving such a shock were slim.

“I can do it.”

But Aiden seemed determined. Caverion glanced between Raylenne, barely breathing, and the resolute Aiden. Could Aiden, who had been an awakened one for less than a year, manage this delicate task? He had only recently learned to control his powers.

Yet, if left as she was, Raylenne would surely die. Caverion’s throat tightened. He had to make a decision quickly.

After what felt like an eternity, Caverion spoke. “Do it.”

“…”

“Stop the bleeding, no matter what.”

As soon as he gave permission, a black aura flowed from Aiden’s hands. His movements were unhesitating. Caverion watched closely.

‘That guy…’

So far, Aiden had seemed remarkably calm. He had been composed since discovering Raylenne was missing and even when he confidently said he could stop the bleeding. Only now did Caverion notice Aiden’s hands trembling slightly. Aiden had been trying his best to stay calm.

‘He’s putting on a brave face, but he’s just as scared.’

Caverion knew how Aiden felt about Raylenne. Sometimes, the depth of his emotions seemed unfathomable. Whenever Aiden looked at Raylenne, his gaze was intense and passionate. But that emotion wasn’t helping now.

“Don’t shake. Raylenne’s life depends on you,” Caverion said coldly. Aiden took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Despite the urgency, Caverion didn’t rush him. Aiden needed a moment to calm himself. What he was about to do required immense concentration.

When Aiden opened his eyes again, the trembling had stopped. He carefully placed his hand on Raylenne’s wound. A blue light emerged from under the black aura. Caverion was slightly taken aback. He was also an awakened one, but he had never seen such a light before. He knew powers manifested differently for each person, but this light was unfamiliar.

‘Is this the chosen one?’

Caverion felt a tinge of bitterness at Aiden’s superior abilities, but he was grateful that those abilities might save Raylenne. The light danced delicately around the wound. Raylenne’s body flinched in response to the light. Soon, a groan escaped her lips.

“Ugh…”

Raylenne instinctively tried to clench her bloody hands in pain, but Caverion placed his own hand over hers.

“Hold my hand instead.”

Unconsciously, Raylenne gripped his hand tightly, her nails digging deep into his skin. Caverion let her, gently stroking her head.

“Raylenne… Just a little longer.”

As the blue light from Aiden’s hand grew stronger, Raylenne twisted in pain. Despite her discomfort, the amount of blood flowing from her wound decreased noticeably. Sweat beaded on Aiden’s forehead. His eyes were bloodshot from never looking away from Raylenne’s wound.

“Just a bit more…”

Aiden murmured desperately. Whether his plea was answered, the blood from Raylenne’s wound finally stopped flowing.

“It worked…!”

But as Caverion exhaled in relief, Raylenne’s groans ceased. Her hand, which had been gripping his, gradually loosened and fell limply to the floor. The sudden change in her condition made Caverion feel a chilling sense of dread. It was a fear unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Caverion slowly lowered the hand that was stroking Raylenne’s head to beneath her nose. He couldn’t feel the faint breath anymore.

“…Raylenne isn’t breathing.”

Caverion managed to speak through his parched throat. Aiden slowly raised his head.

“…That can’t be.”

Aiden placed his hand near Raylenne’s heart, his hand trembling again. Caverion realized that Raylenne’s heart wasn’t beating. Tears streamed down Caverion’s face.

“In the end… in the end…”

He felt the kind of heartbreak he had never known before. Overwhelmed by grief, he felt like he might lose his mind, wanting to give up on everything and escape reality. As Caverion covered his face with his hands and struggled with the torment, Aiden pressed both his hands firmly on Raylenne’s chest as if trying to restart her heart. A black aura surged from Aiden’s body, spreading so intensely that it made it hard for Caverion to breathe.

If Aiden continued pressing down on Raylenne like this, her body might break. 

“Stop,” Caverion said, barely enduring Aiden’s menacing aura and grabbing his wrist.

But Aiden didn’t stop. Caverion finally shouted, “I said stop!”

Aiden fiercely shrugged him off. “Let go! She’s not dead yet!”

Aiden continued to press on Raylenne’s heart like a madman. Caverion watched in a daze. Transparent tears glistened in Aiden’s bloodshot eyes.

“Please…”

Despite his desperate attempts, Raylenne lay still with a cold face. Aiden stopped his actions and hugged her tightly.

“Please, don’t die…”

Aiden’s desperate appearance made Caverion feel as if his own sadness had been stolen, and he stopped crying.

Then, Raylenne’s eyelashes fluttered. Her fingers twitched slightly.

“Cough…!”

Finally, a cough erupted from Raylenne’s lips. Aiden quickly pulled away and examined her face. Caverion also brought his face closer to Raylenne. They could hear her faint breathing. Her fluttering eyelashes slowly opened, revealing her blue eyes.

“Raylenne?”

Aiden’s voice trembled as he called her name. As her blue eyes moved slightly, both Aiden and Caverion widened their eyes.

“Raylenne!”

“Raylenne!”

However, Raylenne still seemed disoriented. Her eyes wandered without focus for a while. It took some time for her eyes to regain their focus.

When she finally spoke, her voice was weak and cracked.

“Aiden…? Brother…?”

“Yes, it’s me. Are you coming to your senses?”

Raylenne nodded, her movements weak like those of a sick bird.

“It hurts…”

She groaned hoarsely in pain, prompting Aiden to slide his hands under her neck and knees and lift her up.

“We need to get her to a healer now that the bleeding has stopped.”

Caverion nodded. “Let’s hurry.”

* * *

Raylenne faded in and out of consciousness several times after that. Each time she woke, she found Aiden and Caverion by her side. It seemed like the world had ended, with shadows darkening their faces. Finally, when she regained enough strength to fully wake up, their long-lasting worried expressions lifted.

Raylenne tried to get up from bed, but a sharp pain in her side made her collapse back onto the bed.

“You won’t be able to get up on your own for a while because of your injury,” Caverion explained, helping her sit up. With his assistance, she finally managed to sit upright.

“How long have I been lying here?”

“Two days.”

Raylenne nodded. It felt like a week, but she was relieved it hadn’t been that long.

“You must be hungry. Here, eat some of this.”

Caverion offered a bowl of soup from the bedside table. The warm smell of the soup made her stomach growl. Embarrassed, Raylenne’s face turned slightly red, but Aiden and Caverion’s expressions remained serious. They seemed eager for her to eat the soup.

Raylenne reached out to grab the spoon.

“Ouch…”

A sharp pain in her palm made her drop the spoon. Caverion ordered a maid to bring a new spoon. When the maid returned, Caverion took the spoon himself and offered the soup to Raylenne. Embarrassed, Raylenne tried to refuse.

“It’s okay, Brother. I can eat it myself.”

“When you were very young, I used to feed you like this instead of Mother. Don’t be embarrassed.”

That was when I was very young…

Raylenne glanced at Aiden. Normally, he would frown at Caverion’s affectionate behavior, but today he was silent. Aiden seemed only concerned that she eat the soup quickly, regardless of the method.

‘Fine…’

Realizing she might spill the soup if she tried to eat on her own, Raylenne opened her mouth and accepted the spoonful Caverion offered. After days without eating, the soup tasted incredibly good.

As she savored the soup, Caverion spoke in a somber tone.

“Raylenne, about the person who did this to you…”