Chapter 123: Reviving Gianna
Ethan stepped to the edge of the bath.
The water had already gone cold.
Under the dim lighting, the blood had settled into a dark crimson sheen across the surface.
Gianna lay motionless in the pool, looking almost as though she were asleep.
If not for the bullet wound in her temple—
if not for the absence of a heartbeat—
the scene would have seemed strangely peaceful.
Harmonious, even.
Ethan wasted no time.
He calmly slipped on a pair of gloves and reached for the hairpin resting near the bath.
The same pin Gianna had used to end her life.
And now, with nothing else available, he had to use that crude piece of metal to extract a bullet from someone's brain.
The pin was thin and sharp, but lacked any proper gripping structure.
It had clearly never been meant for this.
Ethan barely hesitated.
One hand gently stabilized her head, carefully controlling the angle to prevent even the slightest unnecessary movement.
With the other, he slowly and precisely guided the hairpin into the wound.
He followed the bullet's original path inward, deliberately avoiding already damaged tissue.
Fresh blood began seeping out again—
though only a little.
The wound had already gone "cold."
Then—
the tip of the pin touched metal.
Ethan stopped.
Adjusted the angle.
Pressed the tip carefully against one side of the bullet.
There was no way to grip it properly.
He could only brace against it.
Applying a delicate amount of pressure, he simultaneously adjusted Gianna's head by the smallest fraction with his other hand.
The bullet shifted slightly.
Then slowly slid back along the original entry path.
Ethan caught the exposed end between his fingers and carefully pulled it free.
Heavy.
He set the bloodstained bullet beside the bath and finally exhaled.
Since arriving in Rome, this was the first operation he'd encountered that genuinely required precision and skill.
And now—
it was done.
The next second, he raised his hand.
"Resurrection."
Holy Light surged gently into existence.
The dim lighting of the bath chamber was softly pushed aside as countless tiny white motes became visible in the air, drifting like dust illuminated beneath sunlight.
Ethan continued quietly chanting the resurrection spell.
The particles began trembling.
Gathering.
Spiraling.
Drawn together by an invisible force as they rapidly converged onto Gianna's body, reconstructing what had been lost.
Pure Holy Light poured from Ethan's palm, merging with the floating motes as they disappeared into her body.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
Gianna's chest rose ever so slightly.
And suddenly, she gasped.
Like a drowning person finally breaking through the surface for air.
Her body convulsed violently, though her consciousness had not fully returned.
Her eyes remained unfocused.
Her breathing chaotic.
Her fingers twitched instinctively, gripping at nothing.
Ethan immediately followed with another healing spell.
This time, her breathing slowly steadied.
Gianna gradually opened her eyes and stared at him, as though trying to piece reality back together from scattered fragments.
Ethan spoke immediately.
"Don't panic. You've already come back."
The words anchored her.
Her drifting gaze slowly sharpened until it finally focused on his face.
"…Who are you?"
Her voice was soft, still clouded with lingering confusion.
"Ethan," he answered. "Ethan Rayne."
She froze briefly.
The name circled through her hazy thoughts.
Then her expression changed.
"…So it's you," she murmured softly. "The miracle doctor."
"???"
Ethan chose not to correct her.
Instead, he simply extended a hand.
"We need to leave. Right now."
Gianna nodded.
She slowly rose from the bath, her movements still slightly unsteady, though she managed to stay upright.
Her body remained weak—
but not weak enough to stop her from walking.
Quietly, she began dressing herself again.
Ethan waited beside her in silence, never rushing her.
Several minutes later, the two finally left the bath chamber.
The hallway outside was quiet.
They encountered no resistance on the way back.
Her bodyguards had clearly all been redirected elsewhere—
to chase a far more dangerous target.
Gianna and Ethan walked side by side through the quiet streets.
The streetlights stretched their shadows long across the pavement.
Her steps were still a little slow, but far steadier than before.
She spoke first.
"So you and John had already planned all of this out, didn't you?"
Ethan didn't answer.
She continued anyway, her tone calm, like someone reviewing a finished game of chess.
"Have him fulfill the blood oath."
"Let me 'die' once."
"The marker gets honored."
"The rules are satisfied."
"And then you bring me back."
She glanced sideways at him.
"That way Santino can't say a word."
"And the High Table can't find a single flaw in the arrangement."
"A perfect design."
She let out a faint breath.
"No one could have imagined this world contained a doctor capable of resurrecting the dead."
Ethan kept walking without looking at her.
"You didn't deny it," Gianna said.
"Because you're right," Ethan replied simply. "There's nothing for me to deny."
She nodded.
For her, that acknowledgment was enough.
They walked a little farther.
"What happened to my people?" Gianna asked.
"Your bodyguards?" Ethan thought for a moment. "Probably chasing John."
Her footsteps faltered for the briefest instant before resuming.
"That's what I figured."
She didn't seem worried.
As if she had already accepted the outcome.
"They've always been better at chasing a target…"
"…than understanding the world has already changed."
Then she looked at Ethan again.
"And you, Doctor?"
"What about me?"
"You don't feel like someone from this world," she said with surprising certainty. "At least… not completely."
Ethan had absolutely no idea how to answer that.
So he stayed silent.
"Why go through all this trouble?" Gianna continued, unwilling to let the conversation end. "If you hadn't revived me…"
"The marker still would've been fulfilled."
"The blood oath still would've counted."
"You and John could've walked away clean."
"No consequences. No complications."
Ethan stopped walking.
Not because of her question—
but because they had already arrived at the hotel entrance.
He turned to look at her.
"Because you're John's friend."
Gianna froze slightly.
"And someday," Ethan continued calmly, "I might need you as a friend too."
He paused.
"And besides…"
"…neither of us likes your brother."
The honesty of it was almost difficult to process.
Gianna stared at him quietly for several seconds.
Then she smiled faintly.
A very small smile.
"You're far more direct than I expected."
She turned and walked toward the hotel entrance.
"Well then, Mr. Ethan Rayne… thank you for being willing to make friends with me."
She stopped at the stairs and glanced back at him.
"After all…"
"…no one refuses friendship with a doctor who can bring the dead back to life."
Light spilled across the entrance.
One after the other, Ethan and Gianna walked into the hotel.
Only after they returned to Ethan's room and the door shut behind them did Ethan finally relax completely.
He let out a long breath and looked toward Gianna.
"By the way…"
"What are you planning to do about your brother?"
"Need any help?"