’I’m blind... and in a coma,’ she almost wanted to mock.
Suddenly, a strange wavelength struck her mind. An image ford. The mont she saw the gentle man, her heart eased for the first ti in ages.
’Maybe... maybe I’m finally saved.’
He assured her, "I know your brother. I’m here to get you out."
Thrill surged weakly through her fragile consciousness. Slowly, painfully, her will to live returned.
She woke from the coma to realize she was still bound to a cold tal bed. She was clothed now, but panic seized her instantly.
She scread hoarsely, calling out a na over and over. "Joel! Joel!"
The irony was cruel.
Because the gentle voice that had whispered hope into her darkness back then... had belonged to Joel himself.
As she struggled weakly against the restraints, drifting between awareness and darkness, Ivy heard Joel’s calm, almost gentle voice echo near her ear.
"Make sure her condition remains stable," his voice instructed evenly. "I don’t want her slipping into a coma again."
Those words sealed her fate. From that mont on, no matter how excruciating the experints beca, her consciousness was forcefully maintained.
Pain burned through her nerves, her muscles trembled, and her throat went hoarse from silent screams, yet she was never allowed the rcy of unconsciousness.
It was a kind of torture that lingered with her long after her body healed, a nightmare she could never truly escape.
Only after she slowly gained power in this life did she manage to suppress that terror. Yet the hatred never faded. Not even a little.
’This ti,’ she swore deep within her heart, ’I’ll let you understand what it ans to beg for rcy... and realize that death itself is a luxury you’ll never be granted.’
When Ivy finally woke up, she rubbed her eyes sluggishly, the lingering heaviness clinging to her lashes.
"Where... am I?" Her voice ca out hoarse.
As her vision cleared, unease crept in. Sothing felt wrong. She looked around and froze. She was in her bedroom. The familiar scent of clean sheets and faint lavender filled her nose, grounding her instantly.
’How did I get back here?’
Just as confusion took hold, she heard soft chattering outside. The voices were warm, familiar. Her heart eased slightly. ’Silas...’ she thought, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
It had already been twenty days. By now, it was ti to hold the wedding banquet. ’Maybe he’s done dealing with the military issues,’ she mused quietly.
With that thought, Ivy stepped outside. Sure enough, her family mbers and Silas were seated at the dining table, deep in conversation. The mont they noticed her, several of them waved enthusiastically.
"Co here!"
Ivy walked over and sat down naturally, but a subtle awkwardness tugged at her chest when she glanced at her siblings.
In her previous life, she had always believed they were related by blood, so interacting with them had felt effortless. In this life, after learning the truth about her origin, the distance suddenly felt heavier.
Ember noticed it imdiately. She exchanged a glance with the others and subtly signaled them. Helena and Vector had already told the truth to the rest of the siblings.
They didn’t want Ivy to feel suffocated or out of place. Besides, their children would eventually learn the truth as well. Hiding it would only hurt more later.
Instead of growing distant, the siblings felt even more heartbroken after learning the truth. If anything, it made them want to cherish Ivy even more.
Just as Ivy was wondering what she should say, plates were placed in front of her one by one. Every single dish was her favorite.
She froze.
Kale smiled softly at her. Seeing her confusion, he spoke gently. "This is the first al we cooked after learning everything from mom and dad."
Ivy’s throat tightened. Before she could respond, Ember took out a card and slid it toward her.
Ivy stared at it, stunned.
Ember’s voice softened. "Even before we found you, we often wondered what you looked like. We planned many things for you... including this."
She pointed at the card. "It’s a joint account. All three of us saved nearly ten thousand dollars every month for you."
Ivy’s fingers trembled slightly.
"By now, it should’ve reached millions," Ember continued. "But when the apocalypse ca, money beca aningless. Still... knowing about your base plans, we believe this world will return to normal soday. When that happens, this will be useful to you."
Before Ivy could fully process it, Helena and Vector placed several docunts in front of her.
"These are property deeds," Vector added. "We carried them even when the apocalypse started. We made investnts under your na long ago."
Helena nodded. "Even if you didn’t want to accept us soday, we wanted you to have sothing that would give you confidence... even before the apocalypse."
Ivy was overwheld. ’Why are they giving all this so suddenly?’
As if sensing her thoughts, Felix chuckled and moved behind her. His arm naturally draped around her shoulders.
"We know what you’re thinking," he said softly. "You’re wondering if we’ll treat you differently because our DNA doesn’t match."
He leaned closer. "Listen carefully. You were our sister before the apocalypse. You’ll remain our sister after it. You were our sister before we knew the truth, and you’ll still be our sister even if we never learned it."
Ivy’s vision blurred slightly. Tears welled up before she could stop them.
Felix’s warm voice continued, teasing yet sincere. "You don’t need to worry. Even if aliens co to take you away, we’ll fight them off."
The room burst into laughter.
"Your imagination is really sothing," soone joked, and Felix grinned proudly.
As the family basked in their warmth, Silas watched Ivy quietly, a faint ache flickering in his eyes.
Without hesitation, he reached out and tugged her hand gently. Felix imdiately stepped aside, obediently retreating without complaint.
It wasn’t that Felix wanted to give up his place. He simply understood sothing by now. Silas held a position none of them could compare to.
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