Gray's POV
When Louie and I presented the doctor in front of Alisha, we were astonished to find only a tear-streaked Alisha on the scene, with no sign of her grandmother Magaly.
I was horrified and immediately asked Alisha, "What happened? We found the doctor, but where is Magaly now?"
Alisha curled up on the floor, holding herself helplessly, her cries echoing throughout the room.
"What happened?" Seeing this, Louie hurried over to Alisha, deeply concerned, asking about her condition.
Alisha raised her swollen, tear-soaked eyes, staring vacantly into space. Then, choking on her sobs, she replied, "She has gone… she has completely gone from me! It's my fault! That is all my fault!" As she spoke, Alisha started to self-harm, striking her face and body with her hands hardly.
Louie and I rushed to hold Alisha, preventing her from hurting herself further. But Alisha continued to wail in agony. Moreover, Alisha had been injured before. To buy time to save Magaly, she had hastily bandaged herself earlier. Now, in her struggle, her wounds reopened, and soon, the smell of blood filled the air.
I sniffed the air, frowned, and realized something was different about Alisha's blood!
How could this be?
I had smelled Alisha's blood before and sensed traces of my missing sister's blood. But now, as I smelled her blood again, I noticed that Alisha's blood scent was incredibly similar to my memory of my sister's! In fact, it was nearly identical!
I looked at Alisha in my arms, surprised and thrilled. I hadn't even had time to consider why one person's blood scent could change before I felt a wave of heartache. Her current condition was precarious. I looked at Louie, "This can't go on. If she continues like this, she'll only hurt herself more. We must calm her down and get her treated!"
Louie, equally concerned, looked at Alisha crying in his arms, then nodded decisively. Seeing this, I didn't hesitate. I extended my hand and lightly tapped the back of Alisha's neck. Alisha immediately stopped struggling and wailing, passing out.
Louie and I placed Alisha on the bed and called for the doctor to treat her. Then Louie summoned the housemaid to assist the doctor.
Louie and I stepped outside the room, quietly waiting for the doctor's treatment. Suddenly, Louie punched the wall, leaving a circle of cracks and blood. He looked incredibly tormented and regretful, muttering to himself, "Damn it! Damn it!" Then, he leaned against the wall, arms around his head, slowly curling up into a ball on the floor, gripping his hair tightly, burying his face in his arms.
I empathized with his current state—regret, self-blame, anger...
As I looked at my blood-covered hands, memories of my sister's adorable moments from childhood flooded my mind, and I felt an immense sense of sadness and heartache. "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't take care of my sister. I'm sorry, Alisha, I promise I'll never let harm come to you again!" I stared at the tightly closed room door, silently vowing in my heart.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened, and the doctor stepped out. Louie and I rushed up to him, asking, "How's Alisha?"
The doctor looked at us fearfully and, with a trembling voice, replied, "Luna, Luna, she has multiple wounds, severe blood loss. Despite the treatment, she... she's still in a coma... In fact... I suspect..."
The doctor spoke hesitantly, but Louie, impatiently, interrupted, "In fact, what? Spit it out!"
Glancing back at the room, the doctor continued, "Based on my estimate of her blood loss, she should have been in a coma long ago. These injuries, if on any other werewolf, would likely have resulted in death. I don't understand what force has kept her alive until now. It's almost unbelievable..."
Though the doctor wore a shocked expression, I felt a pang in my heart upon hearing this. I rushed into the room to see Alisha.
She lay on the bed, eyes shut, face ashen, with faint blue veins visible on her hands. I placed her ice-cold right hand in mine, trying to warm it, but I noticed that the gem on the ring she wore seemed significantly dimmer.
Frowning, I examined it closely and noticed a crack in the center of the gemstone, likely damaged in the previous battle.
Alisha on the bed seemed trapped in a nightmare, her brows furrowed, muttering something. Then, as if feeling unsettled, she began to struggle slightly.
I held her hand and urgently called the doctor for help. After rechecking Alisha's condition, the doctor administered a dose to calm her down. Then, addressing both me and Louie, the doctor said, "Luna's condition isn't very optimistic. I don't know why, but she seems to resist waking up, letting herself slip into unconsciousness. If this continues, her body and spirit will deteriorate. You need to find a way to awaken her."
The nearby maid, upon hearing this, covered her mouth in astonishment, while Louie and I felt a wave of panic.
Louie bent down, his trembling hands gently touching Alisha's face, "I'm sorry. My weakness and hesitation have kept you in this plight. I deserve punishment, but please, give me another chance, Alisha. I can't bear to lose you. Please, open your eyes, don't leave."
"I know you're in a lot of pain, very disappointed, but please don't give up. Make an effort, I promise I will protect the happiness that belongs to your future!"
"Alisha, please, I even, I haven't had a chance to tell you..."
Louie knelt beside the bed, tears streaming down, tightly holding Alisha's hands, choked with emotion.
I bent down, kissing Alisha's forehead, softly murmuring, "Dear Alisha, please wake up. This is your brother's only request."
Louie and I stayed by Alisha's bedside the entire night, not moving an inch. The maid seemed to leave midway, making a call to Archie, but both Louie and I paid no attention.
Thank Moon Goodness, when the first rays of sunlight entered the room, Alisha opened her eyes in the golden haze of light. Her first words upon waking up were, "Thank you. Please take me away."
We helped her get up, and she took the ring off her finger, placing it on the table. Without carrying anything else, she left with us. At that moment, Archie rushed back.
Having gone through this nightmarish ordeal, I didn't want to leave Alisha at the Golden Crest, and Louie felt the same way. Therefore, we both welcomed the scene of Alisha rejecting Archie.
I had a feeling that Archie would regret it, but it didn't matter anymore. From now on, Alisha and he had no connection; she deserved a better man.
As we left the Golden Crest, Louie gently asked her, "Alisha, what are your plans next? Do you want to come to my place?"
"Wait a minute!" I quickly interrupted him. While I trusted Louie more than Archie, I couldn't allow him to take away my sister directly. Yes, I firmly believed that Alisha was my sister! No one could change that fact. "Alisha is coming back to Blood Dawn with me, so you have nothing to do with it. You can leave!"
Louie didn't respond to my words but looked at Alisha, clearly waiting for her answer.
Alisha remained silent for a moment and then said, "Thank you for your help. Right now, I only want to do one thing: I want to personally kill Evita!"