“Miss, can you hear me?”
The smell of disinfectant filled the hospital room as Sylvie slowly opened her eyes.
The harsh overhead lights shone coldly into her eyes.
She blinked, adjusting to the brightness, and found herself lying on a clean, white bed.
She immediately realized where she was, and recent memories flooded back, causing her eyes to widen in fear.
The flowing blood… the fear brought by the masked man… Morse's death…
It all seemed so unreal.
She felt empty inside, the weight of reality pressing down on her heart, and fear gripped her tightly.
She wanted to speak but could only manage a weak, trembling voice.
“I… I can hear you,” she stammered, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape from these terrible memories.
A nurse in a neat uniform approached her with a comforting smile.
“You're in the hospital now.
You've been through a shock, but you're safe now.”
‘Safe.’
The word echoed in Sylvie's mind, but she couldn't shake the lingering sense of dread.
The smell of disinfectant in the room made her feel even more uneasy, and the sterile environment amplified her anxiety.
As the nurse checked her vitals and asked some routine questions, Sylvie's thoughts spiraled back into a vortex of regret.
She wished she could go back in time, change those tragedies, and prevent everything that had happened.
Morse, the masked man, blood… these images flashed before her eyes like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.
‘I should have been more careful.
I should have stayed away from all this.’
She had never felt such intense emotions.
The hatred emanating from the masked man was so strong that even without him doing anything, she could feel the chilling murderous intent, and she knew she would never dare to look him in the eyes.
And what happened next was even more unforgettable.
Blood splattered everywhere, and screams echoed.
Even if Mason was a demon follower, she couldn't accept it.
She still remembered the fear in Mason's eyes, as if he already knew that death was imminent.
But the most painful thing was the engulfing regret.
Knowing that she was the cause of Morse's death made it unbearable for her to face the truth.
As Sylvie struggled to cope with the emotions and those lingering memories, the door to the hospital room opened, and Officer Margarita walked in calmly.
“Miss Sylvie, I hope you're feeling better,” Officer Margarita greeted her with a slight nod, noticing the pain in her eyes.
Through the database and facial matching system, she had already confirmed Sylvie's identity, knowing that she was a student at the Arcadia Hunter Academy.
Sylvie nodded weakly, trying to process the aftermath of the trauma.
“I'm Officer Margarita from the Awakened Security Bureau.
Captain Harlan sent me to talk to you about this incident.
She knew it was necessary to recount the events, and although she was afraid of everything that had happened, she also knew that it was her responsibility to tell everything.
‘This is what I owe him.’
Even if the person who killed Morse might be dead, she at least hoped that Morse could be laid to rest.
“I'll do my best to help,” Sylvie said softly, her voice a little steadier than before.
Then, Margarita inquired about the events and how she had been kidnapped.
Sylvie recounted everything from beginning to end, from their arrival in the city for travel to how they were ambushed.
Then, she began to talk about Morse.
“Wait a minute.” Margarita suddenly interrupted Sylvie when Morse's name was mentioned.
“What did you say his name was?”
Sylvie took a moment to compose herself before answering, “His name is Morse Scott.” Her voice trembled, and silent tears streamed down her face.
Hearing this name, Officer Margarita quickly opened her tablet and tapped rapidly on the screen.
Sylvie saw Morse's photo appear on the device, retrieved from the database.
But just then, Margarita's eyes suddenly narrowed, recognizing the person in the photo.
She immediately recalled the person who had been sent to the hospital by ambulance, finding the face very similar.
‘Could it be him?’
She thought to herself.
If it was him, then the possibility of his death was almost zero.
Despite him being injured and scarred, Margarita's well-trained eyes saw the flow of mana within him, knowing that he was not in critical condition.
She clearly remembered his appearance while waiting for Sylvie to wake up.
Purple eyes were not common, and Morse's features matched the photo perfectly.
He was quite handsome, and Margarita's hobby was collecting handsome faces in her mind.
“Wait, there might be a misunderstanding,” Margarita said in a gentle tone.
“Morse may not be dead.
In fact, he's in this hospital right now.”
Sylvie's eyes widened instantly, and a surge of mana quickly enveloped her body.
Whoosh!
Without waiting for Margarita to finish speaking, Sylvie suddenly rushed out of the hospital room, her speed surprisingly fast, even startling Margarita with the sudden action.
But Margarita only watched Sylvie leave, shaking her head with a sympathetic smile.
Although she could have stopped Sylvie, she understood Sylvie's eagerness and emotional turmoil.
Sylvie ran wildly through the hospital corridor, without any regard.
“Hey! Don't run in the hallway!”
Nurses and staff shouted at her to stop, but Sylvie's anxiety made it impossible for her to slow down.
She turned a corner and saw the person she had been looking for, who was walking out of a hospital room with some bandages wrapped around him.
That familiar face, those familiar eyes, that familiar hair, everything was just as she remembered.
‘He's really alive, he's really alive…’
Sylvie's heart was filled with excitement and hope, and the flood of emotions made her rush towards Morse without hesitation.
Whoosh!
She rushed in front of him and hugged him tightly, the impact causing them to crash into the wall.
Bang!
The impact of the collision was far less significant than the immense relief and joy of finding him alive.
“Morse! You're alive!” Sylvie cried, her voice mixed with tears and laughter.
She stepped back slightly, looking at him to make sure he was unharmed.
The worry and fear that had been gripping her heart since it happened were finally released, replaced by endless gratitude.
Morse was a little surprised by Sylvie's sudden hug, frowning slightly after hitting the wall, but quickly regained his composure.
‘…I owe her.’
He thought bitterly, looking at the girl who was hugging him with all her might.
His expression was full of guilt and bitterness.
“I'm okay, are you alright?”
Tears streamed down Sylvie's face, and she nodded vigorously.
“I thought you… I thought…” Her words were interrupted by her emotional excitement.
Even in front of Margarita, she had tried her best to suppress her tears and tried to recount everything that had happened.
But now, she finally couldn't hold back anymore, and her emotions burst forth, tears gushing out.
“It's okay, Sylvie, everything will be alright.” Even though he was an awkward and somewhat edgy person, Morse knew what Sylvie had been through.
‘I'm such an asshole.’
He was filled with self-reproach, knowing that he had done it on purpose at the time, which made him unable to ignore everything that had happened.
In the end, he could only offer Sylvie comfort in his arms, patting her back and trying to soothe her.
“It's okay.”
Morse gently patted Sylvie's back as she cried in his arms, the mix of relief, sadness, and joy almost overwhelming her.
The emotions she had been suppressing finally found an outlet.
The guilt and bitterness in Morse's heart were temporarily set aside at this moment, and he offered Sylvie comfort and reassurance.
For some reason, he didn't dislike Sylvie touching him like this, but he just thought it was Sylvie's instinctive nature.
In the hospital corridor, several nurses cast reproachful glances at Sylvie's frantic behavior.
When they saw her tear-streaked face and Morse's gesture of stroking her, their attitude changed, and understanding replaced the initial reproach.
They acquiesced to this moment to continue to unfold, without further intervention.
However, this moment would not last long.
About a minute later, Officer Margarita approached Sylvie and Morse with a serious expression, breaking their reunion.
Deep down, she felt a twinge of envy for the girl.
‘I should get a boyfriend too.’
She sighed softly, feeling the loneliness of her job quietly resurface, and she wasn't happy with this emotion.
“I'm glad to see you're okay, but we need to continue the investigation.
We still need to know more about what happened.
Can you come with me to answer some questions?”
Sylvie's eyes were still swollen from crying, and she nodded, trying to calm herself down.
Morse also regained his serious expression and nodded.
“We will cooperate, give us a moment, she needs to calm down.”
He was about to continue, but Sylvie interrupted him.
“I'm okay.” She said, immediately breaking free from his embrace, blushing.
She felt a little embarrassed by her actions just now, not knowing what to say, just wanting to quickly change the subject and change the place.
Morse looked at her, realized that she was okay, so he didn't object.
Margarita, maintaining her serious demeanor, nodded in agreement with Sylvie's suggestion. "Very well. Come with me, let's resolve this matter," she said, leading the way towards the room.
And so, they began to recount everything.
