CHAPTER 185: DIED FOR HER

Days passed into weeks.

Lilia’s eyes fluttered open, her head dizzy, vision blurry, as a strange numbness spread through her body. She could barely move. Just then, she heard a soft, surprised gasp. Turning her head slowly, she saw Lena moving around frantically, her hands trembling as she tried to adjust something—maybe the IV drip?

The way Lena moved—quick and almost desperate—made Lilia uneasy, as if something terrible was about to happen. Her eyes struggled to keep up with the motion, her vision still foggy.

That’s when she noticed it.

Various tubes were connected to her—her arms, her legs... even her nose and mouth. Her chest rose with effort as the woman gently removed the one from her nose.

Lilia blinked. Once. Twice. Confusion clouded her brain.

Then, with a breathy whisper, the first word fell from her lips.

"...Z-Zethan."

She slowly turned her head faintly, whispering, "Where is... he?" Her voice was so low she could barely hear it herself.

Lena hesitated before gently easing into the chair beside where she laid, her gaze soft as she spoke. "Mrs. Lilia, please don’t move too much," she said with concern. "It could affect the healing process. Your body is still recovering. Moving too much might strain your internal organs. Your legs haven’t regained full function—they’re still numb from being still for weeks."

But Lilia’s voice, though weak, insisted. "Zethan... Zethan... where is he?" Her voice broke as she tried to lift her head to search for him, but the dizziness intensified. She let it fall back onto the pillow.

Lena placed a gentle hand on hers. "Mr. Zethan is okay... but right now, you need to focus on yourself. When you’re strong enough, I’ll explain everything. Please, Mrs. Lilia, stay still. This is important for your recovery. It could affect your future."

"...Affect the future..." Lilia repeated softly, her eyes distant.

Lena nodded and stood from the chair. She moved carefully, adjusting the IV drips connected to Lilia’s legs. She inserted new ones—into each calf, the backs, the sides, even the tops—and then began attaching more cords into small, frill-like ports Lilia hadn’t even noticed before. Each one clicked softly into place. Lilia didn’t understand what they were for. She simply watched, her heart pounding.

She wondered if it was to keep her body safe—as if she had died—to prevent decay... or maybe to protect her from the land of the dead. Still, she watched.

Where was Zethan? Was he okay? She knew this place—this had to be the land of the living.

She was back, just like he promised. But was he okay?

Then her voice cracked as she asked, "How long... how many days... have I been here? Since my husband left the land of the living?"

The nurse paused, calculating. "If I were to estimate... four weeks."

Lilia’s eyes widened slightly. A m..month.

A whole month since Zethan had stabbed them both. Her worry deepened. She needed to see him—but she had no idea he was much closer than she thought.

Zethan... was in the very same room.

Lena turned back to her, noticing her dazed expression. "Please, Mrs. Lilia," she said gently, "don’t think too deeply right now. Let your mind rest."

She began typing quickly onto the laptop beside the bed.

If someone were to see this for the first time, they would think she was in a lab for an experiment—the amount of equipment connected to her, different screens, a large bed, a large room. Everything was just so... different.

"Don’t stress your brain—it might affect your body’s recovery. Just breathe. Slowly. In and out..."

But how could Lilia possibly stay calm? She didn’t even know if her husband was alive.

Then, the nurse whispered, "Your husband... he isn’t awake yet."

Lilia’s heart sank as her body became still.

She took a few deep breaths, as if that alone could calm the storm inside her mind. But nothing helped. Her thoughts ran wild, circling back to the only thing she could still hear echoing in her head—Zethan’s last words.

I love you.

Everything felt too surreal—too unreal in its cruelty to be true, yet painfully so. She never imagined that the first time he would say those words to her... would be right before they were stabbed. But he had done it for her safety. She knew him well enough to understand that. If he had told her ahead of time, she never would’ve agreed. And if she didn’t agree, he wouldn’t have done it. So he didn’t ask—he just acted. And somehow, that was the best decision.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

Lena gently leaned over, removing the small tube that had been placed on Lilia’s mouth. Lilia’s face was unreadable as she stared ahead, lost in thought.

His request... for her not to be mad at him.

How c-could I ever be m-mad? she thought. He did what no one else would ever do. He literally died for... m-me. He stabbed himself just to protect me... to save me.

Her lips trembled downward as she reached the verge of tears.

She didn’t know what to feel anymore. She didn’t even know what was happening now.

Then she heard Lena whisper beside her, "Miss Lilia... it seems your body is recovering faster than expected."

She said it as she typed something on the large screen’s keyboard.

’But,what was she typing’

She tried to move her other arm—barely—and pain shot through her side. She winced but pushed again.

Lena stepped closer, gently shaking her head. "Please, Miss Lilia... don’t move. Not yet."

Lilia’s eyes darted to her elbow, following the long, clear tube connected to it. Her gaze trailed along the line... until it stopped.

Her eyes widened.

There, on a large bed not far from hers, lay Zethan.

His body was still. Peaceful. Too still.

Even the way he lay—composed, untouched, flawless—was as if he were only asleep, not in the middle of a recovery that had lasted weeks.

Lilia couldn’t look away.

"I’ll be removing the tube later," Lena said softly, her tone almost pleading. "But for now... please let it stay."

Lilia nodded slowly, her gaze locked on Zethan’s face. Her body ached, but her neck strained toward him despite the discomfort. Her lips trembled.

"Why... why isn’t he awake?" she whispered.

Lena’s expression shifted, a mix of compassion and caution. "We’re not entirely sure. But if his body regains full consciousness, he could recover quickly—within minutes. He’s strong. Very strong. But Miss Lilia... since he gave you everything, you need to take extra care of yourself now. You’re not just healing for you—you’re healing for him, too."

Lilia’s body trembled slightly. She was right. Her heart warmed in both happiness and pain.

She was awake... but he wasn’t. Why? What was holding him back?

As these thoughts churned in her mind, Lena moved with swift professionalism—checking IV drips, scanning data, measuring medications. Her fingers tapped across glowing screens while she moved fluidly between blocks of tablets and vials. She was fast, focused, and yet still took time to speak to Lilia gently.

Then Lilia’s eyes shifted downward.

To the tube connecting her elbow... to his.

Her thoughts stumbled.

Is this what ties him to the death world? Is that why it’s connected to me? she wondered.

She wanted to ask, but kept quiet. Lena was too focused, too in the zone. Whatever the answer was... she’d wait.

For now, all Lilia could do was lie there, heart aching, and stare at the man who had given up everything—for her.

Lilia gently leaned her head back again, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Her thoughts felt scattered, floating in and out of consciousness, while her body remained too weak to respond the way she wanted. She could feel herself slipping into a kind of telepathic stillness—alert, but frozen.

Lena moved quickly, her steps precise and graceful. She began removing the tubes connected to Lilia’s hands—carefully detaching each one, except for the one still inserted at her elbow, the one linking her to Zethan.

"Miss Lilia," Lena said softly, her voice professional but calm, "I’ll ask you a few questions. Just respond with a yes or no, alright?"

Lilia gave a small nod.

"Are you feeling any dizziness in your head?"

Lilia’s lips moved slightly. "Yes," she whispered.

Lena nodded and typed something down. "Noted. How about your legs—any sign of movement on their own? Please don’t try moving them yourself."

Lilia remained still for a moment, then gently shook her head. "No."

"Understood," Lena murmured, glancing toward the monitors before turning to the last tube. Her hands paused.

"How about the hand connected to your husband’s? Have you noticed any difference? Any change—like a hard movement in it?"

Lilia blinked. Her chest tightened. "Yes..." she breathed.

She didn’t know why, but that answer made her panic.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked quickly, her voice rising slightly despite her weakness.

Lena turned back to her with a soft shake of her head. "No, Miss Lilia. There’s nothing wrong. It’s normal. Don’t worry."

But Lilia wasn’t sure she believed that.

Still, she remained quiet as Lena moved to the final line. Her fingers danced over a small screen attached to it, tapping and typing swiftly. The room was quiet—too quiet. The only sounds were the soft beeping of machines and the gentle clacking of Lena’s fingers against the keyboard.

The calmness of the room contrasted with the heaviness inside Lilia’s chest. Something was happening. Something was shifting.

And she didn’t know what it meant.

Lena’s voice came softly, almost hesitant, as she stood at Lilia’s side, her eyes briefly flicking toward the screen before meeting Lilia’s.

"Mrs. Lilia," she began gently, "when your husband stabbed you... did he also bite you?"

Lilia blinked.

That memory... faint and blurred by pain... surfaced slowly. A sharp pain not just from the blade—but also from fangs, piercing deep into her skin. Her breath caught as the image flashed clearly in her mind. She gave a small, shaky nod.

Lena let out a quiet sigh, confirming her suspicion. "I thought so."

She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice low but steady.

"The truth is... your body is going through a second stage now. You’re turning into a vampire."

Lilia’s eyes widened, heart pounding in her chest. She turned toward Lena in disbelief, struggling to understand the weight of what she had just heard.

"What...?" she breathed.

"The bite," Lena said softly, "wasn’t just a reaction—it was intentional. It was the only way for you to cross into the land of the living. Without that, you wouldn’t have survived. Not truly."

Lilia’s lips trembled. Her hand weakly gripped the sheet with her other hand.

"Right now, your body is changing. Soon, this stage will be complete... and when it is, you will become immortal."