CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 428 RELIEF

Karl fought the heavy weight in his chest, his eyes fluttering as he tried to stay awake. His body ached everywhere, his lips dry, his stomach hollow from days without food or water. He turned his face toward Kaelan, his voice barely a whisper.

"Please... wake up..."

His hand trembled weakly as he reached out, but before he could even touch him, his body gave in to weakness at last. He tried to whisper something, his lips moving faintly, but no strength came out. His hand slipped limply to the side, and his eyes closed. Within seconds, he was gone into a faint, his breathing shallow, his body trembling from the hunger and thirst that had eaten away at him.

Not long after, Kaelan stirred. His head still throbbed, his body sore from the wounds, but he felt a faint lightness compared to before. Forcing his eyes open, he turned and his chest tightened at the sight of Karl lying motionless beside him.

"Karl..." he muttered, his brows pulling together. Fear flickered in his gaze. He forced himself upright with a painful groan, ignoring the sting in his side. He needed to find something, anything.

Kaelan had always kept the habit of carrying things in his robe—little items tucked away in hidden pockets, things most people would never expect him to have. With shaking hands, he began to dig through the inside folds. His fingers brushed against the familiar shapes: first, a small hand mirror, the edge chipped from long use. He pulled it out, scoffing under his breath. "Not now..." He slipped it aside.

Next came a comb, its teeth slightly bent but polished clean. "Tch," he groaned, tossing it gently near the mirror. His brows furrowed as he reached deeper, his heart racing. Then, finally, his hand closed around something solid.

He pulled it out—a small roll of candies, half-melted but intact, and tucked behind it, a tiny glass bottle of glucose solution. His breath caught, relief washing over his pale face.

"Finally..." he muttered, his voice rough but steady. His hands tightened around the items as he looked at Karl’s fainted figure. "Hold on, Karl. I’ll take care of you now."

Kaelan wiped the sweat from his brow, his body still weak, but his hands moved quickly. He uncorked the small glucose bottle first, his fingers trembling slightly, and tilted it carefully toward Karl’s lips.

"Come on, Karl... just a little," he muttered under his breath, lifting Karl’s head gently onto his knee. With slow care, he let a few drops slide into his mouth. At first, nothing happened, but after a moment Karl’s throat twitched, swallowing weakly. Kaelan let out a shaky sigh of relief. "That’s it... good."

Next, he unwrapped one of the candies with difficulty, the sticky paper clinging to his fingers. He pressed it against Karl’s lips, letting the faint sweetness dissolve slowly inside his mouth. "It’s not much... but it will give you strength," Kaelan whispered, watching Karl’s pale face intently.

He kept adjusting Karl’s head, rubbing his throat gently to help him swallow. Between drops of glucose and the faint sweetness of the candy, color slowly started to return to Karl’s lips.

Kaelan’s own head throbbed, and his wounds burned, but he ignored it. He brushed the damp hair away from Karl’s forehead.

When Karl’s eyes fluttered open, he blinked in surprise. His body still ached, but the pounding headache and dizziness had eased a little. He turned his head, and the sight that met him made his heart leap—Kaelan was awake, sitting up weakly against the wall.

"Kai!!!" Karl cried out joyfully, his voice breaking with relief. Tears instantly filled his eyes, and his whole face lit up with happiness.

Kaelan looked at him, a faint smile touching his lips despite the bruises and cuts. Even with blood dried on his skin and his robe torn, there was no denying how strikingly gergeous he looked.

"Karl," Kaelan said softly, his voice rough but steady.

Karl’s hands twitched, wanting to pull him into a hug, to feel him. But the sight of his injuries, the blood, and the foul smell of the basement made him hold himself back. He swallowed hard, forcing his hands to drop to his lap.

Kaelan’s smile faded, his face turning serious. His blue eyes darkened with determination. "We need to leave," he said firmly. "We can’t just sit here and wait for death to come."

Karl nodded rapidly, his heart racing. "Yes! Yes, you’re right, Kai. But... what should we do?" He looked confused, his brows furrowed as he leaned closer, almost desperate for direction.

Kaelan’s gaze flicked toward the heavy door, then back to Karl. Slowly, a cold smile curved across his lips, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "I have a plan."

Karl shivered, staring at him with wide eyes. For the first time since they had been trapped, hope and fear rose together inside his chest.

*********

Julian watched Ruby carefully as she sat on the hotel couch, her body stiff, her eyes staring into nothing as if her mind was far away. The worry about Karl and Kaelan was written all over her face. He placed the tray down in front of her gently.

"Wife, please eat something," he said softly, his voice warm.

Ruby forced a smile, shaking her head. "No, Jules... I don’t have the mood."

Julian’s brows knitted together, and he moved closer, his tone pleading but still gentle. "Please, Wife. You’ve been awake the whole night too. If this continues, you’ll become weak... and Karl wouldn’t like that, right? Please, just a little."

Ruby sighed, his words pressing against her tired heart, and finally nodded. He patiently made sure she ate, staying beside her until she finished her plate. Only when he was satisfied, Julian sat down beside her, his arm slipping around her shoulders. He pulled her close into a hug, and Ruby leaned against him, resting her head against his chest. The steady beat of his heart was comforting, yet the heaviness inside her didn’t lift.

"Wife..." Julian whispered, lowering his head to press a tender kiss against her forehead. His arms rubbed gently along her arms as if to soothe her. "You’re so stressed... you need relief." His voice cracked with worry, his eyes never leaving her face.

To be continued... 🪄