Uriel's throat tightened. "Is she going to be alright?"
"She is stable now and the baby is fine.The fever has begun to come down and her vitals are improving." The physician hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. "But my prince, we had to resort to this because we could not reach you in time. Her pain was unbearable. She was crying out for you before she lost consciousness."
Uriel felt those words like a physical blow to his chest.
He walked closer to the tank and placed his palm against the cool surface. He stared at the woman floating inside,so peaceful now, so unaware of his presence.
She looked beautiful in a way that made his chest ache.
But he could also see the lingering traces of pain in the lines of her face and the redness around her eyes from crying.
Even in unconsciousness, her hands were still curled slightly, as if bracing for more suffering.
He had arrived too late.
"We will keep her in the chamber for several more hours.." the physician continued, "until the fever breaks completely. After that, she should be stable and the pain should subside. However, I must warn you that the next growth phase begins tomorrow. She will progress from six to nine months over the course of the day. If she reacts this strongly to the second trimester, the third could be even more difficult."
Uriel did not respond.
He could not take his eyes off Lin Yue.
Magus appeared at his elbow, slightly out of breath from running. "My prince, there was no way to know this would happen. You cannot blame yourself for.."
"I should have been here." Uriel's voice was low and rough. "She is carrying my child and I was not here when she needed me."
"You had duties to attend to. Training exercises are mandatory for..."
"I said do not." The words were sharp and final.
Magus fell silent and stepped back.
Uriel stood there for a long time with his hand pressed against the tank, watching Lin Yue float in the liquid.
She was beautiful and she was strong.
She had faced down his cousin with more courage than half the warriors he commanded.
She had adapted to an alien world with no complaints and no self-pity.
And when she needed him most, he had not been there.
"I will stay.." he said quietly. "Until she wakes up."
The physician nodded and withdrew to give him space. Magus hesitated, then followed her out, leaving Uriel alone with the woman in the tank.
He pulled a chair close to the tank and sat down, close enough to see her clearly through the glass.
He would wait as long as it took.
For the first time since that night in the car, he was not going anywhere.
Lin Yue dreamed she was floating in darkness, warm and weightless all together.
The pain that had consumed her was gone.
The fever that had burned through her body had faded to nothing.
Everything was quiet, peaceful and still, like floating in the warmest ocean on the calmest day.
She did not know how long she floated there. Time did not seem to exist in this place. There was only darkness, warmth and the feeling of being completely at peace.
Then a light appeared in the distance.
It was small at first, just a faint glow on the horizon of her consciousness. But as she watched, it grew brighter and began to drift toward her. It did not walk or fly. It simply moved, like it belonged here in this space between waking and sleeping, like it had always been here and was only now choosing to reveal itself.
As it came closer, she realized it was not just a light.
It was alive.
It had warmth, presence and something that felt like recognition.
It pulsed gently as it approached, a rhythm that reminded her of heartbeats, of breathing, of life itself.
The light circled her slowly, playfully, like a child showing off for a parent. It darted away and then rushed back, nudging against her hand. When it touched her, she felt a rush of love so powerful and so pure that it brought tears to her eyes even in sleep.
"You're my baby.." she whispered. "Aren't you?"
The light pulsed brighter in response, almost like it was happy she understood. It circled her again, faster this time, leaving trails of warmth in its wake.
Then it moved away, drifting toward a larger light in the distance.
Lin Yue hesitated.
The darkness was comfortable.
The warmth was soothing.
She did not want to leave.
But the light waited for her, pulsing gently, encouraging her to follow.
So she did.
The light led her through darkness that slowly gave way to brightness.
She could feel herself rising, surfacing, coming back to her body.
The light stayed with her the whole time, a comforting presence that wrapped around her like an embrace, promising her that she was not alone and would never be alone again.
When she opened her eyes, she was looking at a man.
He was sitting on the other side of the glass.
The first thing she noticed was how tired he looked.
There were shadows under his eyes, dark enough to suggest he had not slept in days.
His white hair was messy, falling across his forehead in a way that looked less like style and more like he had been running his hands through it repeatedly.
His clothes were dishevelled too, a training uniform that had clearly been thrown on in haste, with dirt smudged on one sleeve and a small tear near the collar.
He was beautiful.
That much was undeniable.
Even exhausted and dishevelled, his features were striking enough to make her chest ache.
High cheekbones.
A strong jaw.
Lips that were pressed together in a tight line of worry.
And ears, white furred with darker tips, that were currently flattened against his head in an expression she recognized as distress.
But it was his eyes that held her.
Gold.
Not the pale gold of the cousin who had insulted her, but something richer.
Deeper.
They caught the dim light of the medical room and seemed to glow with it, warm and alive and filled with an emotion she could not quite name.
Relief?
Fear?
Hope?
He was staring at her like she was something precious he had almost lost.