CHAPTER 478: CONFUSION

Coco awoke, her body feeling an intense sensation of heavyweight pressing down on her as if she had been hit by a massive truck.

Her entire being felt heavy, her muscles sluggish and her mind hazy.

She groaned softly, struggling to gather her thoughts and forced herself to wake up fully— and with her senses slowly coming back to her, she blinked groggily, her eyes struggling to adjust to the dimly lit surroundings.

Her limbs moved with significant effort and she felt a dull ache in her bones, adding to her confusing state.

What the hell happened? Why am I here? Coco wondered, but despite her disoriented state, Coco slowly blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision.

A crease formed between her eyebrows as she attempted to make sense of her surroundings, then her eyes began to focus, slowly taking in the details of the room, the dimly lit environment gradually revealing familiar sights.

How did I get here? She wondered once more, wracking her brain to recall what happened.

Her memory, unfortunately, betrayed her, the recent events hazy and fragmented, but forced herself to remember the chain of events that led to her current position, only fot her mind to remain stubbornly clouded.

Sighing, Coco lifted her arms— the movement both sluggish and strained.

She lifted a hand to her head, rubbing her temples gingerly, as if attempting to soothe a throbbing headache, letting out a soft groan while she struggled against what felt like an invisible heaviness weighing down on her limbs.

Coco’s hands kept rubbing her temples in a futile attempt to ease her headache and with her mind gradually clearing, her thoughts slowly began to unravel.

I remember finishing my pancakes when Alhai came into the room.. But that’s all I remember. She thought, groaning once more, however, she was determined so she persevered, forcing her arms to move until her hands reached her face.

Once there, she allowed her hands to drag down her face, a gesture of exasperation and dejection, silently chastising herself for her current predicament.

Coco was lost in the midst of trying to recall the events leading up to her current state when she roused from her thoughts by the sound of the door to her room being pushed open.

Her hands were withdrawn from her face as her focus shifted towards the person who walked inside.

Then, another sound followed, the clink of metal on the floor, echoed in the room, adding an additional layer of uncertainty and intrigue to her entire being.

"Coco?" A familiar voice rang out in the room, the words a shaky call was laced with anxiety and echoed in the air, causing Coco’s heart to flutter with happiness and recognition.

Before she had time to call out for the person, she heard a rapid shuffling of footsteps closing the distance towards the bed.

The approaching person created a sense of urgency, making their desperation and desire to be by her bedside as soon as possible evident to her, but why would they be desperate? She just fell asleep, no?

The momentary confusion faded as her eyes focused on the figure now standing before her, the tears glistening in his ocean blue eyes while showing different emotions.

In an instant, Quizen reached out, gently gripping her cheeks with a tender touch.

His gaze met hers, his own eyes filled with both worry and relief, and for a brief moment, he said nothing, seemingly lost in the sight of her awake and alive, his fingers trembling slightly against her skin.

"What’s wrong?" She asked quietly, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she broke the silence that settled between them. "Why are you crying, Quizen?"

Quizen’s grip on her cheeks loosened slightly, but he didn’t pull his hands away completely. Instead, he let out a shaky sigh, his shoulders trembling as he tried to compose himself as he answered her.

"I.." He began, his voice faltering. "I thought I lost you."

Coco blinked in astonishment as she looked up at him, her voice tinged with disbelief. "What are you talking about? I only fell asleep, that’s all."

Quizen’s expression remained riddled with worry, his grip on her face tightening slightly as he shook his head slightly, his lips trembling while caressing her cheeks tenderly, like she would vanish before his eyes.

"You don’t understand.." He murmured, his voice strained. "You have been asleep for a week, Coco."

Coco’s brain took a moment before it fully processed Quizen’s words, but once it did, her lips fell open in shock and her eyes went wide.

"I received word from Alhai and Heiren." He continued, his own voice filled with anxiety. "They reported that you collapsed in the kitchen before you left for work.. We had no idea what was happening. You were unresponsive for a whole week so we were worried sick.."

"What.. What are you talking about—"

However, before Coco could finish what she was saying, someone’s voice broke through from the door, their tongue clicking in irritation as they began to speak.

"Are you serious, Quizen? You dropped the soup—" The words died on their lips suddenly, replaced by a gasp of surprise.

Coco’s attention shifted and her gaze landed on the figure who immediately rushed towards the bed, their sobs echoing in the room.

"Coco!" He cried out, his voice dripping with relief. "You’re finally awake!"

With a quick, but careful movement, Zaque approached and threw himself onto the bed, nearly collapsing next to her, his arms enveloped her in a tight embrace, his body shaking slightly as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

"I’m so glad you’re awake.." Zaque cried into her neck, his warm tears falling to her skin.

Coco’s expression shifted into a puzzled frown as she tried to make sense of the situation because the sudden flurry of emotion from both Quizen and Zaque had left her completely dumbfounded.

So, she gently patted Zaque’s back before asking.

"Okay.. Wiill someone explain what’s going on? What really happened?"