CHAPTER 50
(Lyria POV)
Lyria woke slowly.
At first, there was nothing but warmth beneath her body.
Softness.
Stillness.
Then awareness came in pieces.
The ceiling above her was wooden.
Not marble.
Not carved stone from the palace.
Her breath caught instantly.
"…Kael?" she whispered, her voice weak but urgent.
She pushed herself up too quickly, and a wave of dizziness hit her immediately. Her hand shot to her head.
"No… no, no—"
The door creaked open.
A woman stepped in.
Calm.
Careful.
"You're awake," the woman said gently.
Lyria didn't respond. Her eyes were already searching the room, scanning every corner like her life depended on it.
Because it did.
"Where is he?" she asked immediately.
The woman paused. "He?"
"The man with me," Lyria said quickly, her voice rising. "Kael. Where is he?"
A brief silence.
Then the woman nodded once. "He is alive."
That word hit Lyria like air returning to her lungs.
"Take me to him," she said instantly, already trying to stand.
"You should rest," the woman replied.
Lyria's eyes hardened. "I didn't ask what I should do."
That silence was enough.
The woman studied her for a moment, then finally stepped aside.
"Follow me."
---
The house was not large.
Simple wood.
Natural light.
The kind of place Lyria had never lived in before.
As they walked, Lyria noticed movement outside.
People.
Many of them.
Watching.
Observing.
But something about them felt different.
Stronger.
Quieter.
More alert.
She didn't have time to think about it properly.
Because she saw him.
Kael.
Lying on a bed in another room.
Unmoving.
His face was pale.
Too still.
Lyria froze.
"…Kael," she whispered.
Then she ran.
She dropped beside him instantly, taking his hand in both of hers.
"Kael… I'm here. I'm here."
No response.
Her hands trembled as she touched his face. "Wake up… please wake up."
Footsteps approached behind her.
The woman spoke softly.
"We found you both deep in the forest. You were barely alive."
Lyria didn't turn. "How long?"
"A few days since we brought you here."
Lyria swallowed hard. "And him?"
The woman hesitated slightly. "He was worse."
That made Lyria's chest tighten.
"Will he wake up?" she asked quickly.
The woman paused again.
"I don't know."
That honesty almost broke her.
---
Lyria refused to move from his side.
The woman introduced herself properly later.
"My name is Mara," she said.
Lyria only nodded once.
She didn't care about names right now.
Only Kael.
Only breathing.
Only survival.
---
Hours passed.
Then days began blending into each other.
Lyria barely slept.
When she did, it was sitting beside him, holding his hand.
She learned the village slowly.
It was peaceful.
But strange.
Strong people.
Quiet eyes.
Always watching.
Rina appeared one day.
Young.
Gentle voice.
Careful steps.
"I'm Rina," she said softly.
Lyria only gave a small nod.
"Does he belong to your family?" Rina asked, glancing at Kael.
Lyria paused.
"…Something like that," she said carefully.
Not a lie.
Not the truth either.
Just enough.
Rina smiled faintly. "You care for him a lot."
Lyria looked back at Kael. "Yes."
No hesitation.
---
That night, Lyria stayed alone with him.
The room was quiet except for his faint breathing.
She leaned closer, resting her forehead near his hand.
"If you can hear me," she whispered, "you are not allowed to leave me here."
Silence.
Then—
A faint movement.
So small she almost missed it.
Kael's fingers twitched slightly.
Lyria froze instantly.
"…Kael?" she whispered.
No response.
But hope—small, fragile, painful—finally appeared again.
And for the first time since the forest…
She didn't feel completely alone.