Kathleen’s ears were filled with the rhythmic pounding of her own footsteps echoing through the sterile, hollow corridors of the hospital.
The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly before her, an oppressive tunnel of fluorescent light and pristine walls that only heightened the knot of anxiety twisting in her chest. Her breathing was labored, shallow, as if the very air around her had thickened, and with each passing second, the walls seemed to inch closer.
Her eyes locked onto the number of the room she sought, and adrenaline surged as she pushed the door open, her pulse roaring in her ears.
But the sight before her stopped her dead in her tracks.
The bed was empty.
Sheets lay untouched, meticulously arranged as if no one had been there at all. Her heart sank, a leaden weight dragging her spirit into a void of dread.
“L-Love?” The word barely escaped her lips, trembling, as she hovered in the doorway, unable to fully step inside. It felt like crossing an invisible threshold she wasn’t ready to face.
She took a hesitant step forward, her voice rising with growing desperation. “Christian? Love, where are you?”
Her gaze darted around the room, as if expecting him to emerge from some hidden corner. But there was nothing—no sign of him, no presence to fill the unnerving emptiness. Panic began to rise, an icy grip that clawed at her throat.
Kathleen staggered toward the bed, her trembling hand brushing over the cold, sterile sheets. They felt so alien, so devoid of warmth—like the room itself had been abandoned long before her arrival.
Her mind raced with possibilities, each more dreadful than the last. Had she misunderstood? Was she too late again? Has something happened to him in her absence?
Her knees buckled slightly, but she steadied herself on the edge of the bed, staring down at the polished floor as if it might offer answers. The silence in the room was deafening, punctuated only by the faint hum of machinery beyond the door.
"Ma'am?"
A nurse's voice sliced through Kathleen's spiraling thoughts, pulling her back into the present.
"Where's the man occupying this room?" Kathleen demanded without hesitation as she turned to face her.
"He's outside at billing, ma'am—" the nurse began, but Kathleen was already running past her before the sentence could be completed.
Her frantic steps echoed through the hallways until she reached the billing area. Relief washed over her like a tidal wave when her eyes found Christian standing there, alive and well.
"Love!" she cried, her voice breaking as she ran toward him and threw her arms around his neck.
"Hey!" Christian exclaimed in surprise, momentarily taken aback before recognizing her. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her close.
"Where have you been?! I was so worried!" Kathleen pulled back just enough to look at his face, her tears streaming uncontrollably.
"What do you mean where have I been? Where have you been?" he countered gently, brushing her hair away from her tear-streaked face.
"J-Just outside," she stammered, attempting to compose herself. Her eyes darted over him, inspecting him for any signs of harm. "What are you doing here? You should get back to your room."
Christian chuckled softly. "Oh, I was already discharged. The doctors said I'm as strong as a horse now—" He stopped abruptly, his expression shifting into one of deep concern. His brows knitted tightly, and Kathleen felt her heart skip a beat.
"Why? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Did something happen last night?" His question was direct, his gaze sharp and unyielding. It was as if he already knew the answer but needed her to confirm it.
"What do you mean?" Kathleen replied, trying to sound composed, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.
Christian didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he held up a finger, signaling her to wait while he completed paying his bills. Once he was done, he returned to her side, took her hand in his, and guided her outside.
"We're leaving now? What about your things?" Kathleen asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"Mom just arrived," Christian replied with a sheepish look, scratching the back of his head. "And she's furious you didn’t inform anyone about my condition."
Kathleen froze for a moment, as if the words had struck her physically. Right. She hadn’t told anyone. How could she have forgotten?
Suddenly, the dam broke, and fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks. The emotional weight of the past hours—Christian’s condition, Samantha’s soulless body, and everything else—came crashing down at once.
"H-Hey! Shhh, shhh!" Christian panicked, pulling her into his arms again. "I'm not mad, okay? I'm just glad you're here now."
He quickly flagged down a cab, eager to get her out of the hospital before she caused more of a scene. As he guided her toward the car, Kathleen gripped his arm tightly.
"Wait," she said, her voice trembling but resolute. "Can we stop by somewhere first?"
"Where?" Christian asked, confusion flashing across his face.
Kathleen took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Takumi's house."
Christian hesitated, his brows furrowing in a mixture of curiosity and concern, but he nodded. He, too, have something to discuss with them.
He stared out the window, his expression growing increasingly grim as the cab passed through the city streets. The aftermath of the previous night's earthquake unfolded before his eyes—cracked walls, shattered windows, and debris strewn across sidewalks. Entire blocks bore the scars of destruction, and yet, strangely, there seemed to be no reports of casualties.
His hands tightened into fists on his lap as a cold realization settled over him. He had only heard bits and pieces about what had happened—whispers of chaos and panic while he had been confined to his hospital bed. The earthquake’s timing was far too coincidental, aligning perfectly with the moment Kathleen had been carrying out her reckless plan.
Christian closed his eyes for a brief moment, recalling the hours before everything unraveled. He had been tranquilized—forcefully sedated—after a desperate attempt to stop Kathleen from doing what she had been so determined to do. The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth. It wasn’t anger he felt, but frustration and helplessness. He had only wanted to protect her from the unknown dangers she was diving headfirst into.
His relief at seeing her alive and unharmed earlier had been palpable, but now a deeper unease gnawed at him. Could it really be that simple? That the earthquake was just a freak coincidence, a natural disaster unrelated to the events she had been part of?
The thought was comforting, but something about it didn’t sit right. His gaze flickered toward Kathleen, who sat beside him, her face pale and silent. He knew her well enough to see that she was barely holding herself together.
Christian’s thoughts shifted to the last coherent memory he had before being sedated—the words Samantha had whispered to him. A warning. A plea. It had been cryptic, almost nonsensical at the time, but now it carried an unbearable weight.
"You've been dragged inside here, I had to cover you with my remaining light, so they couldn't completely devour you. You have to leave now! You have to stop Kathleen from meddling with the two realms."
What had she meant by remaining light? Does she mean she's still existing but barely? He had no answers, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the message wasn’t meant for him alone. It was something he was meant to deliver, something that needed to be shared with Kathleen and the others.
His jaw tightened as he watched the cityscape morph into quieter suburbs. The sight of Takumi’s massive gates in the distance snapped him out of his thoughts. The answers—if they existed—may lay beyond that house.
"Kath? You're back already?" Tomoya greeted, his voice laced with uncertainty as he opened the door. His eyes flickered to Christian, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "And you brought Christian with you." He almost covered his mouth in mock shock. "Goodness! Please, come in."
Kathleen stepped inside with a raised brow, sensing Tomoya's lingering presence behind the door. "Something tells me you've been standing here since I left," she quipped, an unusual lightness in her tone.
Tomoya smirked, catching the rare jest. "Oh, so you’re half less grumpy now that your man’s back."
"Kinda," Kathleen shrugged, "but I still don’t like you, though." Her words were sharp, but the faint twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her amusement.
"Oh, please, let it stay that way," Tomoya shot back with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, which earned a chuckle from Christian as they made their way to the living room.
As they settled onto the couch, Christian’s hand instinctively rested on Kathleen’s shoulder, grounding her in the space. Tomoya leaned against the doorframe with a casual air, his arms crossed.
"So, anything you want to eat?" he asked, his tone conversational but with a teasing edge. "Nii-san’s still busy talking with Jay and Ruby—discussing things that us mere mortals wouldn’t dare try to decipher."
Tomoya’s casual familiarity made Christian chuckle again, the tension between them dissolving somewhat. "You talk like we’ve been friends for years," Christian remarked with a grin.
Tomoya tilted his head, smirking. "Why not? You’re dating Kath, and she's my "woman's" best friend, and since I’m practically family to her... you’re stuck with me too." He winked at Kathleen, who immediately rolled her eyes.
"I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you," Kathleen retorted, folding her arms. "You’re still on probation."
Tomoya feigned a gasp. "Probation? Oh, the audacity! I’ll have to work harder to win your favor, huh?"
Christian chuckled quietly, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease. The lighthearted exchange provided a brief reprieve from the weight of the situation. However, something about Tomoya’s words nagged at him—a subtle hint that there was more being discussed beneath the surface, something he hadn’t been made aware of yet.
Tomoya raised a brow, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the edge of the coffee table. "So? Cookies, juice, soda?" he listed, counting off each option on his fingers.
"You have cola?" Kathleen asked, glancing at him.
Tomoya nodded. "Always stocked for someone as grumpy as you," he teased.
"And for you, Christian?" he asked, shifting his attention.
"Just water, thanks," Christian replied with a polite smile. Tomoya gestured toward one of Takumi's maids, relaying their requests. While waiting, the room fell into a lull of casual chatter, though an unspoken tension lingered beneath the surface.
Minutes later, Takumi entered, his presence commanding yet calm. He moved with purpose, seating himself beside Tomoya on the sofa opposite Christian and Kathleen.
"Oh, you're up and about already?" Takumi asked, his gaze flickering to Christian.
"More or less," Christian replied. "I hope you don’t mind us coming by unannounced. I have something important to discuss with all of you."
"Something important?" Kathleen’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t expected Christian’s resolve to meet Takumi and the others. A sliver of unease slipped into her thoughts.
Christian opened his mouth to respond, but their conversation was abruptly cut off when one of Takumi's house doctors stepped out of the adjacent room, looking somber. The urgency in his demeanor caused Kathleen to immediately rise, her concern palpable. She hurried toward the doctor, leaving Christian to trail behind with mounting questions.
Why is there a doctor in this house? Why did Kathleen insist on coming here first? And why does this place feel so heavy, so unnervingly quiet?
The questions circled Christian's mind, refusing to settle as he joined the others in front of the doctor.
"I’ll be honest with you," the doctor began, his voice even but grave. "Your friend—she won’t survive if she remains here. She needs to be transferred to a hospital immediately. The sooner, the better."
"Friend?" Christian repeated, his tone tinged with confusion. His gaze darted to Kathleen, then to Takumi and Tomoya, searching for clarity. "Who are you talking about?"
Kathleen faltered, her mouth opening as if to explain, but no words came out. Takumi intervened, raising a hand to stop her.
"We understand, doctor," Takumi said, his voice steady. "But we need a little more time to arrange this."
The doctor frowned but nodded. "Time is critical, Dr. Takahashi," he warned before bowing slightly and taking his leave.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Takumi turned to Christian. His expression was calm, but his words carried a weight that seemed to crush the air around them.
"She’s back," Takumi said quietly, as though testing the waters of Christian’s composure.
Christian’s eyes widened, and the color drained from his face. "N-No," he stammered, his voice shaking. "That’s impossible."
For a moment, the room seemed to tilt, the revelation reverberating like an earthquake. What should have been a moment of relief felt instead like a harbinger of dread.