CHAPTER 180: INTRUDER

As Viktor placed Lilith on the bed, he rushed to the door to open it only to be startled by the figure of Salistra already standing there. He instinctively took a step back, narrowing his eyes at her.

"How... what are you doing here?"

"To help Lilith," the woman said simply as she walked past him toward the bed. She leaned forward, gently brushing Lilith’s hair away from her face.

"What are you doing now?" Viktor asked, moving to stand on the other side of the bed.

"I’m going to give her a tonic to help her heal faster. Her body needs to adjust to the powers within her. If I don’t, she might remain unconscious for up to a week," Salistra explained, pulling a small bottle from her side.

"Are you sure about this?" Viktor questioned, eyeing the bottle suspiciously.

"I’m open to hearing your better options," she shot back without looking at him.

Viktor rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Fine, go on."

The witch uncorked the bottle, supporting Lilith’s head with one hand while carefully pouring the liquid into her mouth. She gently pressed her hand over Lilith’s mouth to make sure she swallowed it. Lilith’s eyelids twitched, her body shuddered slightly, then she went still again.

Salistra eased her back onto the bed and turned to Viktor. "She will wake soon. Do not let anyone disturb her, her body needs proper rest. Do you understand?"

Viktor nodded firmly. "I understand. I’ll take care of her."

The witch sighed, then quietly left, disappearing through the door.

Viktor moved closer, brushing the back of his hand against Lilith’s cheek. Her feverish heat had subsided, he assumed the tonic was already working.

Running his fingers through his hair, he let out an exasperated sigh as his gaze lingered on her face. Blood, dirt, and sweat were smeared across her skin. He went to the bath room, fetched a wet towel, and gently wiped her face and neck clean. Once satisfied, he pulled the blanket over her and quietly stepped out of the room.

"Lucy!" he gasped, nearly bumping into her in the hallway. "What are you doing standing there?"

Charlotte scanned him from head to toe, her brows furrowed. "What’s going on? You look exhausted. And where’s Lilith?"

"She passed out during her training..."

"What?!" Charlotte’s eyes widened in alarm. "I must go see her. Is she alright?"

She reached for the door, but Viktor quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.

"She’s fine. She just needs proper rest. She can’t have any visitors right now, no disturbances," he said, trying to reassure her.

Charlotte relaxed slightly. "Oh, alright. I’m glad she’s safe." She offered a soft smile as Viktor released her arm. "But what about you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine. I may have fallen pretty hard, but it’s nothing serious," he said, forcing a small smile.

"Come with me. I want to be sure you’re really fine," Charlotte said, tugging his arm and pulling him into her room as he followed reluctantly.

"Sit down. I’ll be back shortly," she instructed, moving to her wardrobe and pulling out a small black box.

Viktor raised a brow as he watched her open it. "Did you bring that from Valyron?"

"Of course. I never go anywhere without this box. I told you everything I packed was relevant," she said with a light chuckle at the end.

"Yes, you did," Viktor muttered.

"So... where does it hurt? I want to see it." Charlotte leaned forward, waiting.

Viktor sighed and pulled off his shirt, turning his back to her. They sat on the couch facing a small mirror hanging on the wall.

"Dear heavens! You’re seriously injured... well, not seriously, but this is definitely more than a slight injury," she said, her gaze fixed on his back.

"It doesn’t hurt that much. I’ll be fine, truly," he replied.

"I know you’ll be fine, but I still need to clean it and wrap it up," Charlotte said as she carefully began dabbing around the wound with a cloth. "I’m being careful. I hope it doesn’t hurt?" she whispered.

Viktor, watching her through the reflection in the mirror, smiled. "Don’t worry about that. It doesn’t hurt."

"That’s good," she replied softly, focusing on tending to his wound. The process took about twenty minutes, during which Viktor sat still in comfortable silence.

"I’m done. You can put your shirt back on or better yet, grab a clean one to avoid getting an infection," she advised.

Viktor arched a brow at her, throwing his shirt over his shoulder. "When did you become so knowledgeable about injuries, infections, and all that?"

Charlotte snorted, closing the small black box. "I’m not a stupid girl, Viktor. I’m actually very smart and capable, you just haven’t realized it yet."

Viktor chuckled, "I never doubted that, Lucy."

She moved to return the box to the wardrobe before turning to face him, her hands resting on her waist. "Oh really? I don’t believe you. You must think, I am irresponsible and stupid."

"Irresponsible, yes. But, stupid? I never have thought that," Viktor replied, reaching for the door knob.

"Whatever. Go put on a new shirt and get some rest, or do whatever you wish." Her tone was nonchalant, though her eyes flickered briefly to his torso. "Go on, leave. I have things to do," she added, waving her hand to shoo him away.

Viktor chuckled again, shaking his head as he stepped out and quietly closed the door behind him.

As he approached his room, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. His brows furrowed in suspicion. He never forgot to shut his door properly, there was no way he had left it open.

Slowly, Viktor pushed the door open, careful to avoid making a sound. His steps were cautious as he moved deeper into the room, then suddenly, he froze, his heart dropping to his stomach.

There, standing in front of his wardrobe, was a figure clutching one of his coats, bringing it up to their nose.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" The sharpness and coldness in his voice startled the intruder.

Vanessa spun around, the color draining from her face as she faced Viktor, her hands tightening around his coat.