Lira drew in a slow breath and spoke softly so her voice would not tremble. "Everyone steady yourselves, because if we rush this we could hurt him more than help him."
Selene nodded and lowered herself beside Lucas’s other hand. "I will guide the rhythm, so follow my lead and do not push past what feels natural."
Nyx folded his arms briefly before placing one palm near Lucas’s shoulder. "If his qi reacts violently, say it imdiately, we will pull back without hesitation."
Henrietta sat at the foot of the bed and exhaled deeply. "We cannot afford even a single mistake."
Jennifer swallowed and spoke quietly as she checked Lucas’s pulse again. "His breathing is shallow but steady, so whatever you are doing, begin gently."
The ice belle hovered slightly above Lucas’s head, her voice calm yet heavy with resolve. "I will form the core of the link, so when I say begin, let your essence flow like a stream and not like a flood."
Lira closed her eyes and whispered, "I am ready."
Selene tightened her grip on Lucas’s hand. "I am ready too."
Nyx gave a small nod. "I am listening."
Henrietta straightened her back. "Do it."
The ice belle’s voice softened as she spoke again. "Begin now, slowly."
Lira felt the warmth leave her core and she spoke through clenched teeth. "His qi feels shattered, like broken glass floating in water."
Selene answered imdiately. "Guide around the fractures and do not touch the sharp edges, because his channels need stability first."
Nyx frowned slightly. "There is resistance, but it is not rejection, so he is still fighting."
Henrietta let out a shaky breath. "That stubborn fool, even unconscious he refuses to let go."
Jennifer looked up from Lucas’s face. "His heartbeat is evening out, so sothing is working."
The ice belle’s voice grew firr. "Good, maintain that pace and do not change it."
Lira felt tears slip from the corners of her eyes. "Master, we are here, so stop scaring us like this."
Selene leaned closer and whispered. "You promised you would not leave us behind, so you better keep that promise."
Throughout the next hour, none of them talked, yet the silence itself felt heavy with intent and care as every breath they took was asured and every pulse of energy was guided with restraint. Lira kept her hands steady even as her arms began to ache, her jaw clenched while she focused on the fragile rhythm of Lucas’s qi. Selene’s expression never wavered, her eyes fixed on his face as if she could will him back through sheer attention alone. Nyx remained unmoving, his posture rigid, his presence quiet but unwavering, guarding the flow so it never tipped into chaos. Henrietta’s brows were drawn tight, a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead as she maintained her part of the link, refusing to allow fatigue to weaken her resolve.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, color began to return to Lucas’s skin, the ashen pallor retreating as warmth crept back into his cheeks and fingers. His breathing deepened by degrees, no longer shallow or strained, but steady enough to ease the tight knot that had ford in their chests.
Jennifer watched from the side with wide eyes, her hands hovering uselessly at her waist as she took in the sight before her. She had tended to countless wounded soldiers and seen miraculous recoveries before, yet this was different, intimate and profound in a way she could barely comprehend. Awe held her still, and she did not make a sound, not even to whisper a prayer, because she did not dare disturb the girls as they worked.
After nearly two more hours had passed in heavy silence, Lucas suddenly sneezed, the sound hoarse and strained as if his body itself was protesting the act of waking, and the reaction was imdiate as the focused stillness inside the tent shattered all at once, cultivation links dissolving as warmth and light withdrew from his body. Lira gasped sharply and leaned forward without thinking, her hands already hovering over his chest as she spoke in a trembling voice that carried both relief and fear, telling him not to move and begging him to stay still because his body was still nding. Selene exhaled shakily as tears welled in her eyes, her voice softer but urgent as she told him that he was awake now and that he had scared all of them half to death, urging him not to talk too much because his ridians were still fragile and his essence flow was unstable.
Nyx let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding, murmuring that the bond had stabilized the mont Lucas sneezed and that his life force finally felt steady instead of flickering like a dying fla, his tone filled with quiet amazent and respect. Henrietta remained seated but her shoulders visibly relaxed for the first ti in hours, her voice low and emotional as she told Lucas that he was incredibly reckless and impossibly brave at the sa ti, admitting without hesitation that she truly believed she had watched him die back there in the abyss.
Before Lucas could even attempt to respond, the ice belle surged forward and wrapped herself around him, her small body clinging tightly to his neck and shoulders as if she was afraid he would disappear if she let go, her voice breaking as she spoke rapidly and emotionally, telling him that he was foolish and stubborn and terrifying and that he was not allowed to scare her like that ever again. Her tears soaked into the cloth beneath his head as she admitted that she thought she had lost him forever, that the mont the inferno swallowed him she felt sothing inside her crack, and that seeing him breathe again was the happiest mont she had felt in a very long ti.
Jennifer stood quietly at the side at first, watching the scene with wide eyes filled with awe and disbelief, then she gently stepped forward and spoke carefully, explaining that while his awakening was a good sign, his body was still severely damaged and his recovery would take ti, assuring them all that the combined effort of their bond cultivation and the dicines had pulled him back from the brink. Lira nodded quickly and resud applying ointnt with careful precision, whispering reassurance to Lucas as she worked, telling him that he was surrounded by people who would not let him fall again, no matter how strong the enemy or how dark the path ahead beca.
Lucas finally managed to lift his gaze slightly, his eyes unfocused but aware, and as he looked at each of them gathered around him, his voice ca out weak yet sincere as he thanked them for not letting him go, for standing by him when even he had given up.
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