CHAPTER 46: WAKING UP

Theo stirs. He tries to open his eyes, but they feel heavy, as if glued shut. He tries to move his hands, but they’re just as heavy.

What’s going on? Panic starts to rise in his chest. His breathing grows uneven.

A machine beeps nearby.

A machine? Beeping? This sound... it’s familiar.Hospital? Why am I in a hospital again? What—

Then, like a wave crashing over him, his memories return.

Dungeon. Fissures. Vines. The two-headed serpent. The green-eyed stranger. Magic. Mana.

He groans softly. Judging by how heavy this body feels, I guess it really happened... and I pushed it beyond its limit.

And now... Theo sighs inwardly. I’m paying the price.

Click.

Someone opens the door and steps inside.

Theo groans again. His whole body aches, every muscle feels like it’s been replaced with lead.

"Aww, you’re waking up. It’s about time, Princess." Leila’s gentle voice fills the room.

Leila? Not a nurse? Theo tries harder to open his eyes.

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Leila is reading a document on her tablet, her brows furrowed deeply. Whatever she’s reading, she clearly doesn’t like it. Then her watch beeps softly. She checks it, and her expression immediately softens into a smile.

She stands and heads to Theo’s room. The watch has just notified her that Theo is waking up.

When she enters, she sees him stirring, moving slowly. Leila winces; she can almost feel how sore every muscle must be.

Theo groans softly. Leila smiles.

"Aww, you’re waking up. It’s about time, Princess."

Theo’s eyelids flutter open. He blinks several times, adjusting to the light.

"Hi there," Leila greets warmly, smiling wide.

Theo slowly smiles back, though it’s crooked and tired.

Leila chuckles and turns off the beeping machine beside him.

Theo glances at it, still disoriented.

"It’s a device Julian made," Leila explains. "It tracks your breathing so we’d know when you were waking up. That’s all."

Theo frowns faintly, still half-dazed.

Leila pours a glass of water and offers it to him. "You want to drink?"

Theo nods weakly. His throat feels dry and rough. When he tries to sit up, Leila immediately helps him and holds the glass steady as he drinks.

The moment the water slides down his throat, Theo exhales in relief. His body relaxes, and his smile finally looks genuine.

He sighs contentedly.

Leila laughs. "That hit the spot, huh?" She sets the glass down and sits on the edge of the bed, looking at her daughter with open affection.

Theo studies her quietly, noticing there’s no trace of stress or worry on Leila’s face, something that feels strange to him. He was trapped inside a dungeon, alone, and they found him unconscious. Shouldn’t she be more shaken?

He takes a deep breath. But before he can speak, his eyes wander around the room.

"I’m not in the hospital?" he asks softly, almost a whisper.

Leila shakes her head. "No. You weren’t hurt, so after the medical officer cleared you, we brought you straight home."

Theo looks back at her, still uncertain.

Leila laughs. "You’re wondering why we took you home instead of fussing over you, right?"

Theo nods slightly.

Leila inhales. "It’s because of your watch. You know how it records your vitals, right? Well, Julian accessed the data and said you weren’t unconscious because of injury, you were just exhausted. So, essentially, you were sleeping. And very peacefully, I might add."

She ends her explanation with a big smile.

"I was worried, Thea. Very worried. Of course, I was. But when I saw you – dirty, but safe – I couldn’t ask for anything else. Once Julian said you were just sleeping, I decided to bring you home so you could truly rest."

She chuckles. "Although getting that mud off you was a pain. What kind of mud was that? It stuck to you like glue! It took me, Aunt Miranda, and Claudia to clean you up. Three people!"

Theo only smiles and listens quietly. Oddly enough, listening to Leila’s babble, he feels safe. Peaceful. Home.

Her phone beeps softly. Leila checks it and chuckles. "Right on time!"

She turns to Theo with a smile. "It’s Aunt Miranda and Claudia. They’ve been visiting you every day."

Puzzled, Theo asks, "Every day? How long have I been sleeping?"

Leila grins as she stands up. "Three days."

Then she walks to the door, leaving Theo blinking in disbelief.

Three days?!

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"THEA!"

Claudia runs to him and throws her arms around him, hugging tightly for just a second before letting go. Her eyes glisten with tears.

"I was so worried! They said you were only sleeping, but you’ve been sleeping for days! No one can sleep for days unless they’re sick! I wanted to stay here and wait for you, but Mom said no. She was afraid I’d disturb you. Well, that’s exactly what I wanted to do — disturb you so you’d wake up!"

Claudia rambles the entire thing in one breath.

"Claudia," Miranda says gently. "Slowly, child. Thea just woke up. Let her wake up properly."

Miranda stands by the door beside Leila. Though her tone is calm, Theo can see that her eyes are glistening too.

Theo smiles softly and pats Claudia’s hand. "I’m sorry I made you worry. That was never my intention."

He feels a pang of guilt for entering the dungeon and leaving Claudia behind without warning.

Claudia giggles. "Of course I know that!"

The two continue chatting, laughter slowly filling the room again.

Meanwhile, Miranda and Leila step outside.

"I’m so glad she’s okay, Lei. I don’t know what I’d have done if she wasn’t," Miranda says quietly.

Leila laughs, leading her best friend toward the back patio. "She’s my daughter, Mir."

Miranda rolls her eyes dramatically. "And she’s my daughter-in-law! A daughter! Mine!"

Leila bursts out laughing. "You know, you should tell Liam that."

Miranda’s expression shifts instantly. "Don’t get me started on Liam," she says through clenched teeth.

"He must’ve hit his head in that dungeon! How dare he say he wants to find that woman he met inside!"

Leila, who heard the same story yesterday, raises an eyebrow. "Calm down. It’s not like he said he wants to marry her, right?"

"He didn’t say that," Miranda huffs. "But he’s never shown interest in any woman before! I was starting to think he didn’t even like women, and now suddenly he’s obsessed with finding this one from the dungeon!"

"Have you asked him why he wants to find her? Maybe he wants to recruit her to join his Sentinel team," Leila says, trying to calm Miranda.

Miranda deflates. "No, I haven’t. I was too mad when he said that."

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"So," Theo asks curiously, "did anything interesting happen while I was asleep for three days?"

Claudia grins mischievously. "Oh yes. The world has officially crowned you as The Azure Princess!"