CHAPTER 456: HE’S GONE

Evaline:

Everything blurred after that moment when River said, "We’ll take you to Draven."

I hardly remembered the part where I tried to walk. I think I made it two steps before my knees gave out and the floor tilted dangerously. The next thing I knew, I was in River’s arms - his heartbeat loud against my ear, his grip firm yet trembling slightly as if even he was fighting to stay steady.

No one spoke while he carried me out of the room. Not Kieran, not Oscar, not even River. The silence was unbearable, stretching between us like a thick fog that refused to lift.

Outside, the world looked dim. Maybe it was late evening, or maybe it was just my vision that had dulled, drained of color and light. The cold wind brushed against my skin as River settled me into the backseat of the car. Kieran took the driver’s seat, Oscar climbed in beside him, and River stayed in the back with me - his hand on my shoulder the whole time, like he knew I’d break apart if he let go.

The car started moving.

I couldn’t tell if the drive lasted for hours or mere minutes. My thoughts were too loud, and yet too empty at the same time. Every heartbeat echoed with the same desperate question - where are you, Draven?

I pressed on our bond again and again, calling out to him silently.

Once.

Twice.

A hundred times.

But there was nothing.

Not even the faintest whisper. Not even the tiniest flicker of warmth.

It was like screaming into a void.

By the time the car slowed to a stop, my heart felt heavy enough to crush me.

We were parked in front of a house tucked so deep in the mountains that the trees seemed to guard it. The sky above was an endless grey, heavy with clouds. I climbed out of the car, my legs wobbling slightly, and followed River as he guided me toward the house.

The front door opened before we even reached it.

Inside, the faint smell of herbs, burning incense, and disinfectant filled the air. It reminded me of Elder Ren’s clinic... but sharper, colder. My eyes widened when I saw the two healers sitting in the living room - Elder Ren and his son.

The father and son looked... exhausted. Their eyes were rimmed red, dark shadows hollowing their faces. Cao Ren’s usually neatly styled hair was messy, and Elder Ren’s posture sagged like he was carrying the weight of something too heavy to bear.

They both stood when we entered.

"Alpha," Elder Ren greeted River, but his gaze immediately found me. The moment his eyes met mine, his expression shifted from weary to something else entirely... pity.

My stomach twisted violently.

He didn’t need to say anything. I already knew.

Still, when he finally spoke, his voice broke the silence like a blade. "He’s inside."

He gestured toward a door on the far side of the room.

I didn’t wait. I didn’t breathe. I didn’t think.

I ran.

The door slammed open as I pushed past it, my breath catching painfully in my throat.

And then I froze.

The room was small, but it felt enormous, like every inch of space between us was a distance I would never cross. There was a faint hum of energy in the air... the kind that filled healing wards... and the faint scent of crushed herbs and elixirs burned at the back of my throat. Monitors were there, and so was an IV stand.

And on the bed, surrounded by too much stillness, lay Draven.

My heart stopped.

He was lying perfectly still, his chest barely moving. His skin was pale... too pale... and his lips had lost their color. His face, that beautiful face that never failed to light up when he smiled at me, was calm now. Too calm.

I didn’t need to ask what was wrong. I didn’t need someone to tell me.

I had seen that expression before.

He wasn’t injured.

He wasn’t asleep.

He was gone.

Not dead.

Not alive.

Soul dead.

"No..." The word left me as a breath, barely audible. Then louder. "No!"

Something inside me shattered completely.

I stumbled forward, reaching the bed in a rush, my knees hitting the floor beside him as I grabbed his hand. His skin was cool beneath my fingers, his pulse steady but empty of his essence. "Draven," I whispered, shaking him. "Draven, wake up."

He didn’t move.

"Please," I begged, my voice cracking. "Please, open your eyes. Look at me."

Nothing.

I shook him harder, gripping his shoulders, his arms, desperate to see any reaction. "You promised you would come back!" My voice rose, echoing in the silent room. "You promised!"

Tears blurred my vision, spilling freely down my cheeks as I shook him again. "You can’t do this to me, Draven. You can’t-" My voice broke entirely, dissolving into sobs. "You can’t just leave me like this!"

I pressed my forehead against his chest, clutching at his shirt like I could hold him here by sheer force of will. "Please, please..."

The room swayed around me, the sound of my own cries too loud, too raw.

Somewhere behind me, I heard footsteps - Kieran, Oscar, River - but I couldn’t look. I couldn’t stop touching Draven, couldn’t let go. If I did, I was afraid he would disappear entirely.

"Evaline..." Kieran’s voice was low, trembling despite his attempt to sound calm.

I shook my head violently. "Why-? How did this-?"

River knelt beside me, his large hand resting on my shoulder, steady but gentle. "You know that he’s not gone," he reminded me softly. "He’s still breathing. His heart’s still beating."

"But I can’t feel him through the bond anymore, River!" I shouted, lifting my tear-streaked face toward them.

No one answered.

I looked at Oscar then, hoping... begging... for him to tell me it wasn’t what I thought. But he just closed his eyes, his jaw clenched, and that was enough.

"He’s... soul dead, isn’t he?" I whispered.

The silence that followed was louder than any confirmation.

My body went numb. The sob that tore out of me next wasn’t loud, but deep... one that came from somewhere too far inside. It hurt. Stars, it hurt.