As Li Na called for the doctor, her voice echoed in the sterile, too-bright room, the urgency slicing through the silence.
Ye Tian's mind roiled with confusion, a storm of thoughts and fragmented memories crashing against each other.
His body felt bound, like it was wrapped tightly in unseen chains, immobilizing him.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move, and with every passing second, the restlessness grew more intense.
'Is this real, or is it just some elaborate illusion?'
The thought spun in his mind, relentless and taunting.
If this was an illusion, he needed to break free and see her face... Li Na's face... unmarred by the distance of memories and dreams.
But if this was real, he was left wondering who or what could have had the power to pull him into such a state.
'Who would dare to bend time, space, and fate so effortlessly? Who could cage me, the Absolute Demon, without a ripple?'
The thought bristled in his mind, sparking indignation and confusion in equal measure.
As he strained to see through the fog of his vision, the hazy shape of Li Na standing in the doorway burned into his consciousness.
Her voice carried traces of fear and hope, intertwining as she called for help.
The sound was so familiar, so achingly close, that it spurred him into action.
'Move. I need to move.'
He summoned every ounce of strength left in him, channeling it into a desperate attempt to lift his arms or twist his body.
The effort was met with a sudden surge of energy that coursed through him, sharp and electrifying.
His muscles tensed, responding with violent spasms, as if he had triggered a dormant current within himself.
A sudden, excruciating pain shot through his stomach and coiled up his spine, sending shockwaves through his nervous system.
It felt as though a blade of pure agony had been driven into him, splitting him apart from the inside out.
His vision, already blurred, darkened at the edges as a wet cough forced blood up his throat.
He gasped, the metallic taste filling his mouth, and with one last shudder, his consciousness slipped away.
Li Na turned, eyes wide as she saw him collapse back onto the bed, the crimson stain on his lips sending a chill through her entire body.
For a moment, time seemed to stop as she took in the sight of him, his body limp, face pale.
The sound of her own heartbeat roared in her ears, drowning out everything else.
"Ye Tian!" she cried, rushing to his side.
Her hands hovered above him, unsure where to touch, how to help, as tears welled up and spilled over.
"Please, just hold on. Don't leave me… not again."
Her voice cracked, the desperation in it raw and unfathomable.
The tears fell freely now, dampening her cheeks as she looked at him, willing him to move, to respond, to breathe.
*****
The moments that followed felt endless, a stretch of silence filled with nothing but the sound of her own ragged breaths and the distant, rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing louder as medical personnel rushed in, their hurried voices blurring into a buzz of urgency.
But Ye Tian was already submerged, lost to the world around him.
In the darkness, the pain dulled to an ache, distant and insubstantial, as if it belonged to someone else.
But there, tethering him to reality, was a warmth... a small, steady touch on his left hand. It grounded him, a lifeline in a storm of shadow and silence.
*****
He woke with a low groan, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest.
Awareness returned slowly, piece by painful piece, as the throbbing ache in his muscles pulsed with each heartbeat.
The sterile brightness of the room pressed against his senses, overwhelming after the quiet dark of unconsciousness.
He blinked, eyes adjusting to the light that seemed to seep into everything.
'This is different...' he thought, moving his fingers experimentally.
The ropes that had bound him, the weight that had pinned him down, were gone.
In their place was a soreness that was oddly reassuring.
He flexed his fingers again, feeling the subtle tension in his tendons and the slight pull of his muscles.
And then he felt it... the warmth still cradling his left hand.
It was soft, familiar, a sensation that sent a shiver of recognition through him.
It was the touch of someone who had held on through fear, through pain, refusing to let go.
He turned his head, the effort making him dizzy, and the room around him began to sharpen.
The outlines of machines, a small table crowded with medical instruments, and the steady glow of a monitor came into focus.
But none of that mattered. His gaze fell on the figure slumped over the bed beside him, her head resting on the mattress, strands of hair cascading over her face.
Li Na, asleep but clutching his hand as if it was her only anchor.
The sight sent a flood of memories crashing through him, vivid and overwhelming.
Her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled with mischief, the soft way she said his name.
And here she was, with the same hand that had reached for him that day, now holding on like she never wanted to let go.
'Li Na… you're really here.' The realization settled in his chest, heavy and bittersweet, awakening emotions he thought he had buried.
He raised his free hand with effort, fingers trembling from the strain, and hovered just above her hair.
He hesitated, afraid that touching her would break whatever spell had brought her to him.
But the warmth of her presence was undeniable, the quiet rhythm of her breathing a balm to his turbulent mind.
A tear slipped down his face, warm and unexpected, leaving a wet trail as it fell.
It had been centuries since he'd allowed himself to feel, to let the weight of mortality touch him.
He tightened his grip on her hand, a small squeeze that sent a jolt of recognition through her.
She shifted, eyes fluttering as sleep released its hold. Her breathing changed, a sharp intake of breath as she woke and lifted her head.
Her eyes met his, wide and disbelieving, as if the world had just shifted on its axis.
"Ye Tian?" she whispered, the word escaping her lips like a prayer, fragile and filled with hope.