CHAPTER 331: CHAPTER 331: NO WILL TO LIVE

Ivy returned home that evening, her steps dragging ever so slightly.

As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Silas sitting on the couch, waiting patiently for her.

The moment she saw him, something inside her softened. Her heart loosened, her guard lowered, and without even realizing it, she walked toward him as if drawn by instinct.

Silas stood up the moment he noticed her, offering her a warm smile. But halfway through that smile, he froze and frowned deeply.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Ivy attempted a smile. "Nothing."

But Silas wasn’t fooled. He leaned closer, lips grazing her ear, and whispered teasingly,

"Are you sure? Or do you want to try on that maid outfit we talked about?"

Before she even processed his words, her entire face flushed crimson.

The agreement they had made just a few days ago flashed through her mind.

If either of them refused to communicate openly, the other had the right to impose playful "punishments."

And right now, refusing to talk meant Silas could force her into that maid outfit he had bought as a joke (at least that is what Ivy believed).

Her cheeks reddened even more as she glared weakly at him. "You’re always thinking something shameless."

Silas laughed softly. "You should be proud. This shameless side of me is reserved only for you."

Ivy shook her head, helplessly amused.

Silas stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest.

"My love," he murmured softly, lips brushing her temple, "tell me what happened."

The term "my love" melted her instantly. She leaned back into him, her voice unsteady.

"Sometimes... I feel like I’m failing," she whispered. "Sometimes I really think I’m not making a difference anymore. I built this base with so much hope, and now it feels like it’s slipping away from me. Like I did something wrong."

Silas tightened his embrace. "You did nothing wrong. It’s those bastards who can’t understand anything unless it’s spelled out for them. Don’t you dare blame yourself."

Ivy closed her eyes, letting his reassurance steady her breathing.

Silas continued gently, "There’s miscommunication between you and the citizens. They don’t understand your vision yet. Maybe it’s time to explain it to them clearly. Let them know why you’re doing all this so they stop imagining nonsense."

Ivy thought about it carefully before nodding. "You’re right."

"Also," Silas added with a playful sternness, "you should take a day off."

Ivy blinked. "A day off? Now?"

"Yes," he said, flicking her forehead gently. "Look at yourself. You’re so tense you might snap. Let’s go on a date tomorrow. A slow walk, good food, just the two of us."

Ivy hesitated. "But the extreme heat is coming soon. We need preparations..."

"My love," Silas interrupted gently, "even then, you need rest. If you burn yourself out, you won’t feel joy in the things you care about. You won’t have the strength to continue."

His tone was soft yet firm.

Ivy thought about his words seriously this time. After a moment, she nodded. "Okay."

Silas smiled in relief and immediately kissed her cheek. "Good girl."

Ivy groaned and rolled her eyes. "Stop calling me that."

But he only laughed, leaning in and whispering, "Do you... want to relax another way?"

Ivy immediately stiffened, her face burning as she shook her head vigorously.

Silas laughed harder. "Fine, fine. Since you’re so shy, I won’t touch you. Let’s just cuddle."

Without waiting, he scooped her into his arms. Ivy didn’t resist; in fact, part of her wanted him to keep going, but Silas set her gently on the bed instead and simply pulled her close.

He kissed her softly, her cheek, her forehead, the tip of her nose, then her lips, admiring her like she were a delicate treasure.

"How can you look so beautiful?" he whispered. "Your hair feels like candy floss... I keep wanting to bite it to see if it’s real. And your eyes, pink gems. I swear I’ve stolen the world’s greatest treasure."

Ivy laughed lightly and shook her head. "You really know how to make my mood better."

Silas smirked. "Oh, I know a few more ways. But those require you to be well-rested."

He tucked her into his arms and gently patted her head. "Sleep."

"I’m not tense," Ivy murmured weakly.

But her body betrayed her. Within minutes, she drifted into sleep.

Silas watched her peaceful face and couldn’t help a soft smile as he closed his own eyes.

But the moment he drifted off, he was pulled into a nightmare.

He found himself standing in a barren wasteland. Dead silence. Then... distant groans.

Hundreds of zombies were rushing in a single direction, their bodies tilting forward aggressively.

Confused, Silas followed the horde... and then froze when he saw the figure lying surrounded by the zombie... Ivy!

She lay on the ground, unmoving.

The zombies swarmed her instantly.

"No!" Silas shouted, charging forward.

He pushed, pulled, struck, and screamed, trying to reach her, trying to use his thunder, anything...

But nothing worked.

His abilities didn’t activate. His legs felt frozen. He could only watch as the monsters devoured her.

A horrifying realization struck him: This was the scene from Ivy’s death... her past life.

The second that thought hit him, Silas rushed toward her, heart hammering, sweat dripping down his back.

What greeted him was... Ivy’s blank stare, a lack of will to live.

Seeing how unwilling Ivy looked to live, how still, how defeated, Silas felt something break inside him.

It was as if... no one was there to love her, and she didn’t want to live because of it. It was a strange feeling... like he could understand her inner thoughts.

Panic gripped his chest so tightly he could hardly breathe. He reached toward her helplessly, whispering hoarsely,

"I love you... I really love you... Don’t give up. Please... don’t stop fighting."

He tried to shield her with his body and tried to pull her away from the zombies, but nothing worked. His hands passed through the figures as if he were made of mist.