As they reached the mansion's entrance, the sky darkening, an eerie quietness outside, and the closed door triggered a sense of foreboding. Jumping off their horses, both ran towards the entrance. The moment they crossed the door, crying voices reached their ears.
Sharing a worried glance, they sprinted towards the study area where the voices originated. Entering, they found everyone gathered around a table, unable to comprehend the scene. The boys moved closer.
The sight before them left them stunned, shaking them to their core. A chill ran down Alan's spine. Rose lay on the table, a large piece of wood protruding near her heart, her breathing ragged and her face covered in blood. Her cheek and forehed bleed profusely from the deep wounds, body completly covered in blood.
Tears flowed from Alan's eyes involuntarily. He made some space and approached Rose. Elena was beyond consoling, Andrew was in a complete shock, and everyone else had tears in their eyes.
"What.... what ....?" Alan and Williams both desperately looked around for answers.
"While playing, She tried to go on to the roof, slipped, and fell," choked James's voice.
Helen was seen concentrating hard, energy flowing from her to Rose, but it felt like a trickle, insufficient. After a few seconds, frustrated and anguished, Helen opened her eyes, shaking her head in defeat. Tears flowing from her eyes. Elena lost consciousness at that point.
Taking Rose's right hand, Alan called out, "Ro... Rose... it's me, big.....brother.... Al. Wake up, kid." Rose looked at Alan with unfocused eyes, whispering, "Big... broth.. Al," but her breathing became strained.
The pain in Alan's heart reached its peak. He shouted, his left hand on Rose's forehead and his right hand on her chest, next to the wound.
"Noooooo....!"
A sudden chill swept through the room. Everyone in the room shivered involuntarily. Helen jolted upright from her slumper posture, her gaze fixed on Alan. His body glowed with a pale green light as he started pouring his internal energy into Rose's body, like a broken dam compared to a trickle of energy she had used earlier stired in her stone.
The wooden piece slowly started rising on it'sown from Rose's chest, and within a few seconds, it fell down. Helen watched in astonishment as the wounds began closing—from the heart to the nerves, muscles, and then the skin. Wounds on Rose's face started knitting itself back. Skin closed. Rose's breathing evened out, and color returned to her face.
Gasping for air, Rose opened her eyes and sat up suddenly. Alan, relieved to see her sitting, relaxed and took his hand away. However, as he eased, dizziness hit him, and he stumbled to the ground. Williams caught him before he hit the ground. The room fell into a shell-shocked state. Rose, looked around in confusion, asked, why is everyone surrounding me like this ?
A sudden burst of happy cries echoed in the room. All the ladies started crying tears of joy, while the men were left tongue-tied by this miraculous event.
After a few moments, everyone turned their attention to the exhausted Alan. They had witnessed him glowing green, a healing magic so powerful that it left them in awe.
Helen staggered to him, held his face in her hands, lifted it, teary-eyed, and kissed him on his forehead. "Bless you, my child. Bless you. I could not have performed this miracle even in my prime. The girl didn't even have a single scratch. Her face is unblemished."
But Alan was not able to grasp what she told, exhaustion clouding his mind.
Elena, regaining consciousness, rushed towards Rose and hugged her, sobbing, followed by Andrew, Lilly, and her grandparents. Concerned for Alan, Williams guided him to a chair, brought a glass of water. Alan drank it in a singlp gulp. William stood beside supporting him.
"Al, are you alright?" Williams asked, expressing genuine concern, a sight unfamiliar, to see Alan in such exhausted state. The others joined in looking at him with worry now.
"Hoooow... issss Rooooseee?" Alan slurred his words, head bowed in exhaustion.
My boy how are you feeling, are you alright, John asked wit concern.
"Forget about me. I don't care even if I die. How is she? How is my Rose?" Alan shouted, stunning everyone.
Elena ran towards Alan, hugging him so tight that he momentarily felt breathless.
"Alan, I don't know how to thank you. You are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to our family. Thanks to you, Rose is normal now," Elena cried again, her gratitude pouring out.
"Thank God," Alan breathed with relief, slumping further in his chair. The Heathrow's surrounded Alan, tears in their eyes and with utmost gratitude. To Lilly and Rose, he was a hero.
A true hero who had given them a second life.