CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 435 LIGHT

When Ruby heard the news that Lex had finally been caught, she let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders easing for the first time in days. The officers praised Adrian openly, telling everyone how sharp and intelligent he had been in tracing Lex’s every move, and Ruby found herself quietly amazed. She had always known Adrian was smart, but she had not realized he could be that precise and calculating in moments of danger.

Still, her relief was short-lived. Morning came, and the doctor stepped out of the ICU with a grave expression. Ruby’s heart clenched immediately. "How is he?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

The doctor shook her head slightly, her tone heavy. "Kaelan is still in critical condition. His head injury is severe. We have managed to stabilize him, but we cannot say when or if he will wake up."

Ruby’s knees weakened, but she forced herself to stand tall, her hands fisting at her sides. She could not crumble now, not when everyone else was looking at her. She had already made Karl rest properly in his own ward, insisting he lie down despite his protests. He was too weak after everything and needed time to recover.

"You can meet him now," the doctor said gently, her voice quiet as though afraid to break the silence of the corridor.

Ruby exchanged a quick glance with Martha and Loren before they all moved together toward the ICU. The moment she stepped inside, Ruby’s breath caught in her throat.

Kaelan lay on the bed, his body almost swallowed by the sheets. Heavy bandages wrapped around his arm and leg where the bullets had struck, and his head was also carefully bound, clean gauze covering the place where his skull had been injured. Despite the tubes and the faint beeping of machines, his face looked strangely peaceful, as though he were only asleep after a long day rather than fighting for his life.

Ruby’s eyes burned as she stepped closer, her hands trembling. She wanted to call his name, to beg him to wake up, but the words stuck in her throat. She reached out instead, brushing her fingertips lightly over the back of his hand. His skin was cold, but the steady rise and fall of his chest gave her hope.

Beside her, Martha’s lips trembled as she pressed a hand over her mouth, and Loren placed a steadying arm around his wife’s shoulders. Their son looked broken, yet alive, and that was enough for now.

Ruby swallowed hard, forcing her voice not to shake. "You will be fine, Kaelan... we are all waiting for you."

She stayed by his side, holding his hand as though her touch alone could pull him back.

****

Kaelan drifted somewhere far from the pain of his broken body. He did not feel the bandages on his skin, nor the sting of his wounds. Instead, everything around him was light—soft, endless, and warm. It was as though he were floating, weightless, in a place where no shadows reached. The heaviness of his body was gone, and for the first time in so long, he felt free.

The world he knew seemed distant, almost like a dream he had forgotten. He could not see his family, could not see Ruby, but their voices brushed against him faintly, like whispers carried on the wind. They called to him, gentle, desperate, familiar. He recognized Ruby’s voice most of all, the way it trembled with care, and it tugged at something deep in him.

But the light wrapped around him like a blanket. It was beautiful, too comfortable, too peaceful. He wanted to stay. Here there was no pain, no fear, no memories of suffering. Only calm. Only silence.

Just a little longer, he thought, letting himself sink further into that glow. Let me stay here a little longer. I do not want to wake up yet.

Two months passed like a long, heavy blur. Kaelan remained in his coma, his body still and pale beneath the hospital sheets, machines keeping him steady. Every week, Ruby came to see him without fail, sometimes with Karl, Milo, and Julian, sometimes with Adrian, and sometimes all together. They sat by his bedside, spoke to him, told him about their days, their laughter, their worries, hoping that somewhere in that deep, unreachable place, Kaelan could hear them.

Life outside the hospital did not stop. Ruby, though her heart was weighed down, forced herself to keep moving. The film which Karl and Kaelan had worked so hard on was finally complete. Post-production and trailer were finished, the story tied together, and the posters now hung proudly across the city, Kaelan’s face shining as the male lead, his eyes full of life and charm. But production had made a firm decision: the film would not launch until he woke up. "It is his story too," they said quietly but with certainty. "He deserves to see it with us." That choice earned Soulstream Productions a wave of admiration from their audience.

At the same time, her company’s construction pushed forward without pause. The skeletons of tall new buildings rose higher each week, workers moving tirelessly, the sound of hammers and stone filling the air. Ruby often visited the site, walking with her blueprints in hand, giving instructions, her sharp eyes noticing every detail. Even through her exhaustion, she made sure everything was perfect.

It was one of those rare afternoons when the house felt quiet, almost peaceful. Ruby had finally taken a day off, sitting near the window with her tea, her mind calmer after the news that Kaelan was showing signs of improvement. Just the thought that he might wake soon had put a little light back into her heart. Yet beneath that small hope, the emptiness still lingered, a hollow place she could not quite describe. Even Karl, who usually filled the air with jokes and laughter, had grown quiet these days. He often repeated the story of how Kaelan had saved him, his voice breaking each time, and the sadness of it dragged everyone’s spirits down.

That afternoon, Julian had just returned from meeting Healer William, his hands carrying herbs carefully wrapped in cloth. William had recommended a special herbal soup for Kaelan, something gentle that might give his body strength. Julian busied himself in the kitchen, boiling water and rinsing the leaves with care, while Karl sat in the living room, eyes fixed on Soulstream plays, studying movements and expressions to sharpen his acting. Adrian was on leave from the office that day, but even in his free time, he sat at the table, scribbling notes in his neat handwriting, his eyes focused on some plan only he understood.

The atmosphere was calm until the sharp sound of the doorbell broke through. Everyone’s head turned slightly, but Julian, who had just come out of the kitchen, wiped his damp hands on a towel and went to answer.

He pulled the door open and froze.

To be continued... 🪄