Hellbound Heart

Chapter 379  Kyle & Lilith (Part 1)

A few days ago in the Black Forest...

After Sebastian departed from Lilith's house, Kyle made an attempt to exit the room, yet found it immensely challenging. His body was in a state of extreme weakness, allowing him only to stagger a few steps toward the door.

This level of frailty was foreign to Kyle, leading him to ponder if this was akin to the debilitation humans experience during severe illness.

With a feeble chuckle, Kyle had no choice but to return to his bed, parched. He was thirsty so he thought that maybe, if he drank blood, this weakness would go away. But if it's blood he needed, then why was he not craving for it? Why did he feel like he was craving for water instead? Everything he was feeling and experiencing at the moment was just so un-vampire-like. Confused and feeling lightheaded, Kyle lay back down, his gaze weakly scanning the confined space he was in, a room filled with Lilith's scent.

The idea of Lilith discovering him in this feeble state made him bite his lip. Damn… he needed to at least regain a little strength before she came back. He couldn't let her see him in this state!

…

Hours swiftly passed, and it was deep into the night when the soft click of a door echoed within the witch queen's house.

Lilith entered, removing her cloak and hanging it behind the door. She proceeded quietly to her room, pausing momentarily before reaching for the doorknob and gently pushing the door open.

With utmost care and silence, she lit the lamps with her magic, bathing the dark room in light. Her gaze immediately settled on the man lying on the bed.

He was completely still. Rather than approaching him, Lilith leaned against the door behind her, releasing a deep, quiet breath. It had been months, and with each day he remained unconscious, her worries grew, haunted by the 'what ifs'. What if he never woke up again?

On that night at the prison altar, Lilith had watched him fight hard against the wicked queen's spirit. The torment on Kyle's face as the spirit refused to leave his body, threatening to take his life, was etched vividly in her memory. The worst part was her helplessness; as Kyle fought for his life, all she could do was watch.

She stood there, feeling utterly useless. Her attempts to assist had backfired, with her power being absorbed by the ghost, which only made it stronger. It was a shocking revelation for her, how the spirit could so easily draw power from her, simply because they were both silver-haired witches.

If Prince Ezekiel hadn't been there... Kyle would surely have...

Lilith shook her head, dismissing these thoughts. Dwelling on the past was futile. The malevolent witch queen was finally gone forever, thanks to Kyle and his formidable brother. Now, Lilith was dedicated to a new mission: developing a spell capable of destroying a malevolent witch queen's ghost without harming the host, to prevent future tragedies like what Kyle had gone through from happening again.

She quietly closed the door and moved towards the back door, stepping into the spring just a few paces away.

Submerged, she sat with closed eyes, her bare form enveloped by the water. And as her long silver hair billowed around her, the water around her turned misty.

Upon opening her eyes, she gazed at the star-filled sky, her thoughts inevitably drifting back to Kyle. His question lingered in her mind: Was she happy?

For the past decade, she had devoted herself to her duties, never pausing to contemplate her happiness.

But since bringing Kyle's unconscious body into her house, his question incessantly echoed in her mind, prompting a deep self-reflection.

She realized that her role as queen had become her life. If she were truthful, the idea of returning to an ordinary witch's life was unimaginable. She recognized she wasn't lonely, yet couldn't claim to be happy either. She existed in a state of in-between, feeling that her life over the last ten years was her true destiny. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

She had been content and at peace. But since that night, or perhaps since she began watching him sleep in her bed, her sense of contentment and peace wavered. A longing for his touch, his warmth, began to surface. She found herself yearning to be beside him, to sleep in his embrace.

And so, these feelings intensified with each passing day, to the point where Lilith now found herself anxious about what would happen once he awoke. What would she do? Could she still manage to let him go and push him away once more?

These questions lingered, unanswered. Yet, her mind urged her to remain resolute and adhere to her decision until the end. She believed that Kyle deserved better than her. His love for her was evident, his heart seemingly unchanged. Kyle was a good man, one who merited the best the world could offer.

She thought that Kyle deserved a woman who would prioritize him above all else, someone who would stay by his side eternally and never leave. The realization pained her deeply, but she knew she couldn't be that woman. Even if circumstances allowed her to choose him now, she was aware that one day she would inevitably leave him. Because unlike Kyle, she was bound to age and pass away.

…

Having returned to her room, now dressed in a silk nightgown, Lilith seated herself on the bed beside him.

She fiddled with her fingers in silence. After a moment, she lifted her gaze to him and began, "I... I've decided to send you back to your home tomorrow. I thought... you might wake up faster there, surrounded by your family."

She bit her lip, her eyes shifting to the moon peeking through the window.

"I'm sorry... in the end... I couldn't do anything for you..." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

Suddenly, Kyle's voice broke the silence, startling her. "I don't know what made you say such a thing, but you're absolutely wrong, Lilith."