CHAPTER 146 — DARLING, YOU ARE FINALLY AWAKE
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The sound was steady.
Mechanical.
Unforgivingly real.
Long Hao did not move at first.
He listened.
Air hummed through a vent above him. Fabric brushed faintly against his skin when he shifted even slightly. Something tugged at the back of his hand.
His fingers twitched.
Just a little.
A reflex.
Warmth tightened around his hand instantly.
A sharp inhale—
Then—
"Darling…?"
His eyes opened fully this time.
Zehell was awake.
Not the warrior on a desert battlement.
Not the spear-wielding guardian beneath a collapsing cavern.
A woman sitting beside a hospital bed.
Her hair longer, tied loosely. Her face older—beautiful in a way shaped by years. There were faint shadows under her eyes, as if sleep had not been kind to her in a very long time.
She leaned forward, gripping his hand with both of hers.
Her voice trembled.
"Darling, you are finally awake."
Her eyes filled.
Actually filled.
