jdhmnovel Chapter 211: I Must See Her
Chapter 211: I Must See Her
But her legs felt so weak that she couldn’t take a step.
Her rational mind was pulling her back, but her emotions were pushing her forward.
What if it wasn’t Evan who came out, but Jude?
If she showed her face, it would be like walking into a trap as a captive.
Jude would not miss any opportunity to exploit, especially not her, who had bonded with Evan.
She couldn’t risk it, nor act impulsively.
So she huddled tightly behind the tree, her entire body icy cold.
Rainwater dripped down her hair into her collar, and the soaked fabric clung to her back.
She didn’t know how long it had been until the rain became cold as bone, and there was finally a sound from the cave.
A figure staggered out.
He was covered in blood, the beast skin skirt soaked through and stuck sticky to his body.
It was hard to tell which parts were injuries and which were marks left by others.
From a distance, she couldn’t recognize who it was at all.
Seraphina’s heart pounded so fast it seemed about to burst, her eardrums buzzing.
She held her breath, not daring to blink, staring at that person.
Who was it?
Was it Jude?
Was it Evan?
Then, a hoarse voice came through the pouring rain, shaking violently.
"Seraphina, where are you?"
It was Wyatt!
Seraphina couldn’t hold it any longer, tears gushed out uncontrollably.
She thrust aside the rotten branches and dead leaves weighing her down.
Her fingers were cut by sharp twigs, bleeding without feeling it.
Mud water dripped from her hair, and her clothes clung heavily to her, dragging her down.
She didn’t care her clothes were covered in mud, she crawled and rolled toward the figure.
After just two steps, her feet slipped, sending her sprawling into a mud pit.
Her knees and palms were scraped, burning with pain.
Mud water seeped into her wounds, making her gasp.
But she had no time to worry about that.
She got up to keep running, falling again, getting up again, her entire body smeared with mud.
Her steps didn’t stop at all, desperately getting to him.
Wyatt saw her too, staggering toward her.
His steps were shaky, every step trembling.
His shoulder had a wound deep enough to see the bone, the blood dried to a dark brown.
His face was so pale it was frightening, as if he had just crawled out of a coffin.
He managed to hold on without collapsing, supported by a single thought.
He had to see her.
Plus, the mouthful of Spiritual Spring Water that Seraphina had insisted he drink earlier barely pulled his soul back.
The trace of spiritual energy circulated within him, not enough to heal, but enough to keep him going until this moment.
"Wyatt!"
Seraphina cried as she threw herself at him, her arms clutching tightly around his waist, her face against his chest.
Hearing the thumping heartbeat, her heart finally settled.
He was alive, they both were!
Wyatt’s body froze, then he summoned all his strength to hug her tightly, shaking and weak.
"Seraphina... you’re okay... so glad... you’re safe..."
Seraphina buried herself in his embrace, tears flowing.
She lifted her head, looking at the mottled blood stains on his face, her eyes red as she asked, "How are you? Where are you hurt? Is Evan alright? How about Isaac, Gideon, Kaelan... are they okay too?"
Before she could finish speaking, Wyatt gently pressed down to stop her.
He raised his hand, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
His pupils were somewhat unfocused, clearly at the limit of his consciousness.
"We all made it through, thanks to Evan, who fought the hardest."
After a pause, he added, "Evan won, Jude... has already breathed his last."
Seraphina’s eyes widened abruptly, stunned for a few seconds, then a surge of joy rushed to her head.
Only then did she dare look down at her shoulder.
The Immortal Crane Beast Seal was still there, clear, warm, and stable.
Evan was still alive!
"Evan, he..."
Wyatt gently patted her back.
"Let’s go inside first, the rain is too heavy, you’re soaked through, if you keep exposing yourself, you’ll get a fever."
Seraphina nodded, reaching out to hold his arm, cautiously following him toward the cave.
The road beneath them was muddy and treacherous, every step difficult.
But they supported each other, neither letting go of the other’s hand.
Inside the cave, it was even more pungent than before, the smell of blood mixed with the dampness brought by the rain, permeating the confined space.
The charcoal fire had long gone out, leaving a deathly silence all around.
Only a faint remnant of warmth seeped through the ground, so weak it was almost undetectable.
With the dim grey light penetrating from the cave entrance.
Seraphina saw the scene inside, her heart suddenly twisted into a knot.
At the far end lay Jude’s corpse, body stiff, lifeless.
In the corner, Isaac maintained his merfolk form, his fish tail curled against the stone wall.
Gideon slumped on the ground, his back against the cold rock.
Fur clumped, matted with blood and mud.
Kaelan huddled beside Isaac, body slightly curled.
His tail’s severed edge jagged, still oozing blood, staining the stone beneath.
But what truly shocked Seraphina was the sight of Evan collapsed in the center of the cave, covered in blood.
He had reverted to human form, his bare body riddled with wounds.
The ground around him was littered with bloodstained white feathers.
Seraphina’s breath hitched, her legs trembling.
Almost stumbling, she rushed over, collapsing by his side.
Her hands shook uncontrollably, as she reached trembling fingers to check his breath.
Only when she felt the faint whisper of it did her heart settle back in her chest.
"Still alive..."
She immediately closed her eyes, focusing her mind, drawing out the remaining Spiritual Spring Water from her spatial realm.
She gathered the water droplets at her fingertips, carefully prying open Evan’s mouth, and gently feeding it into his throat.
Then she dripped the water onto his most serious wounds.
As soon as the water touched his skin, the blood slowed, the bright red gradually clotted.
The wounds began to close, muscle fibers slowly growing.
When the major wounds on his body scabbed over, no longer bleeding.
Seraphina exhaled, her shoulders relaxing, nearly collapsing with exhaustion.
She wiped her face, not taking time to rest, turning to care for the other injured.
Isaac, Gideon, Kaelan, one by one, making sure not to mess up the order.
She first fed the Spiritual Spring Water into their mouths, then treated their external wounds.
Using each drop sparingly, maximizing its effect.
Once the water touched the wounds, the bleeding stopped, the festering edges began to heal.
In just a few minutes.
Their breathing stabilized, becoming regular, their complexions gradually warming.
Though still unconscious, their vital signs were stabilizing.
After completing this round, she dragged her weary body back to Wyatt’s side.
Just as she was about to give him water, her gaze fell upon his chest, and she froze.
His upper body had caved in, with clearly dozens of ribs broken.
The shadow of bones could be seen beneath his skin, slightly rising and falling with his breath.
Yet this guy, from the moment he saw her until now, hadn’t uttered a single word of pain.
Seraphina’s nose tingled, tears falling hard.
She trembled as she tried to bring the Spiritual Spring Water to his mouth, intending to restore some consciousness first.
But just as her fingertips moved, she froze.
The spatial realm was empty.
The water she used to save Evan and the others had appeared when the contract was activated, and now not a drop remained.
Her voice quivered, eyes filled with urgency.
"Wyatt... the water’s gone. But..."
She bit her lip, a flush passing across her face, yet she stared straight at him.
"Would you... mind kissing me now?"
Her whole body was muddy, her hair matted into strands with rain and dirt sticking to her cheeks.