Third person's POV
Rolf's eyes were red and puffy from crying. "What's Alpha Derek trying to do?" he blubbered.
"Let him have this one last moment of freedom," Alvin said, holding Rolf back.
The mountain wind chilled their tears, but Derek couldn't feel it anymore.
His knees shook with every movement, each step draining what little strength he had left.
Still, he didn't give up, gritting his teeth and forcing one foot in front of the other.
The child stood bathed in sunlight—just a few steps away, and he could hold her.
What should've been a quick stride took dozens of seconds, maybe longer.
Hedwig stood with her back to him, pigeons swirling around her. A speckled one landed on her finger, cooing.
Hedwig's eyes lit up—her mom was back!
She spun around to see Derek lurching toward her, unsteady and lifeless yet driven by sheer will.
He reached out, fingers trembling, when his body swayed dangerously.
"ALPHA DEREK!" Everyone shouted in unison.
Rolf dropped to his knees, clueless about Derek's intention.
They say the dying get a final burst of energy—maybe Derek was dreaming of the one he loved most.
No one wanted to shatter that dream at the last moment. Perhaps he could leave this world with a smile, carried away by that beautiful illusion.
But it was torture for those left behind, powerless to do anything but watch.
Derek couldn't hear their cries. Was it a hallucination?
The world before him seemed to brighten—Tabitha at seventeen, smiling down at him.
"Derek, I've come to take you home."
Yeah, he was the one who hurt her, the one who drove her away.
But now, maybe they could finally be together.
"Tabitha, I'm coming," he whispered, toppling forward.
He would've hit the ground if someone hadn't caught him in time.
Unconscious now, his tall frame slumped against his rescuer.
Tinkle, tinkle.
Hedwig bounced up and down, joy radiating from her silent face.
Rolf and Alvin pushed aside their grief, eyes locked on the woman who'd appeared out of nowhere.
She wore a sleek black bodysuit and heavy boots, a cropped leather top hugging her curves—a stark contrast to the rustic camp.
Her delicate features weren't conventionally beautiful but carried an air of mystery.
The group couldn't help but wonder, "How could this modern woman be the mother of little Hedwig?"
One arm hooked around Derek's waist, the other ruffling Hedwig's hair.
Hedwig gestured wildly, and the woman nodded. "I know," she said.
Alvin stepped forward. "Are you the doctor who can cure the Nine-Heart Wolfsbane?"
"Yes," she said flatly.
The woman laid Derek down, checked his breathing, then swiftly pulled out a knife.
Rolf and Alvin gasped—her blade work was lightning-fast!
One slash, and Derek's shirt hung open, revealing the red veins creeping across his chest like an invading army.
"Is there still hope?" Alvin choked out.
"Heart's intact. Just in time."
Turning to her daughter, she said, "Hedwig, I need your blood."
Hedwig raised her hand without hesitation.
The woman noticed the bandage wrapped around her palm and understood—she's already given him her blood.
Hedwig thrust her hand into the woman's, offering the same knife.
It was a birthday gift from her mother when she turned two—sharp enough to protect herself.
The woman hesitated, then made a shallow cut on Hedwig's middle finger.
Blood welled up, dripping steadily.
Even after seeing this miracle a dozen times, it still felt unreal. What was this girl? Where did she come from?
Derek drank the blood, and the woman bandaged her daughter's hand while instructing, "Carry him. Follow me."
Rolf and Alvin, reignited with hope, hoisted Derek onto their backs and followed the woman down the mountain.
She carried Hedwig in one arm, yet moved with surprising lightness.
Her modern aura was clashing with the rugged path.
Rolf stared at her retreating figure. "She looks just like Tabitha," he thought.
Hedwig, unable to speak, pressed her face against her mother's.
"Good girl, Mommy's here," the woman whispered.
Back at the bamboo hut, Misha was awake.
Last night, to prevent her tears from disturbing Derek, Alvin had knocked her out.
Seeing Rolf carrying Derek, she wailed and lunged at them. "What happened to you? You can't leave me! Take me with you, please!"