Chapter Eighteen
I woke up to the feeling of someone lightly shaking my shoulder.
I wanted to protest against the touch, refuse to open my eyes, but the shaking was insistent.
“Aria?” a voice called to me.
It was familiar and warm. It sounded like home.
I managed to open my eyes a bit, fighting against the bright artificial light that assaulted me as I did so. But after several seconds of adjusting, I managed to make out the face of my mother.
“Aria?” she called again.
“I‘m alive…?” I said, my throat dry and sore.
She quickly brought some water to my lips and I began to sip on it, enjoying the refreshing feeling that came with it.
“How are you feeling?” she asked as she began to look over my body, making several notes in a chart by the bed.
How was I feeling? I was sure I had died again. I was in the Abyss, I saw the memory. It was just like how i t had felt last time.
…So, how was I feeling?
I felt confused by the entire situation right now.
“I should be dead,” I replied.
She instantly turned to look at me, a little shocked by my blunt response.
“Don‘t say such an awful thing,” my mother said, her eyes full of concern. “You‘ve fully recovered, there‘s n o need to say something like that.”
Did this mean I was never in the Abyss? Had it just been a nightmare the entire time?
My mother looked like she wanted to say something else, but she was debating internally.
“You know…as a doctor, I‘m happy to see that you‘ve healed so well, but…as a mother, I want to scold you for stupidly running into danger like you did. What were you thinking, Aria?”
| already realised it was dumb the second I came face–to–face with the sandy wolf. She didn‘t really need t o scold me further. On the other hand though, if I hadn‘t been there then there was a good chance Cai would have died fighting off all four wolves, or Myra would have been killed.
my life to him for saving me. I was sure I was only still alive because of
how
then that Cai
okay?”
face changed to one of
he was able to walk around again. I‘ve instructed for him to take it easy over the
hear he was going to be fine but I was
Chapter Eighteet
you say ‘day‘? How long have
unconscious for three days
really was uncertain when inside the Abyss. Even
hard to come up with other explanations for it but I‘m at a loss. The entire upper–rank council
serious that it would make the council become so
“...What is it?”
your body… It looks like you‘ve been
could have hit the floor, then I‘m sure it would have. What she was saying was
possible? I haven‘t even been close to any
that sort of
to be going around with a mate‘s marko n me. Not only that, but sure Aleric would have had a field day using it against me
have been marked on your back… with a double
And, internally, I cringed.
own fate. She seemed to have plans o f forcing
had now marked me as her own.
what that means,
expect a fourteen year old to know. No one had seen the Goddess‘ mark in over a millennium and even then, the accounts were iffy at best. I learnt about it
head at her. My life was about to become infinitely more
you know why you were
imagine what she must have gone through finding this out. All the ranked members and elders would
to be normal between us. I wanted her to care for me in the same
of my cheek and shrugged my shoulder,
but, thankfully, didn‘t push
physically healed fine, but I was worried
want to meet with him?
Chapter Eighteen
I felt completely fine other than the
can meet with
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!