"What do you mean she is stuck in the spirit realm?" Miles asked anxiously, his voice trembling.
"When Lillian followed the banshee to call Blaine back, she gave him the will to live – but she lost her own. That is normal for anyone who goes to the spirit realm. She will not be able to come back on her own because the will to return is too low. If she can regain her will to live within three days, she will move."
"She won't come back to life? She'll only move?" Hudson asked. Miles looked at him as if to say that's the right question.
"Yes. She'll move. That is why she needs someone to stay here every single day to check if she moves. If she moves more than three times and no one calls her name, she will be stuck there forever. That is not the worst scenario. The worst is – she will never rest. She will remain like that until the end of the world." Herakim turned to leave.
"Let me see you off," Hudson said and followed him, leaving Miles alone with the unconscious Lillian.
Miles pulled a chair close to the bed, took Lillian's hand, and rested his forehead against it. He looked like he was about to cry. He squeezed her hand gently.
"Foolish me. I should have stopped you from holding him. I should have protected you. I should have convinced you that being a Savior doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your life." His voice cracked with regret.
---
While Miles was consumed by guilt, Blaine was being taken to the castle by Gandulf and Herakim Healer. They placed him on the couch.
"I can almost see my heart right here," Blaine joked, wincing in pain.
"Are you freaking joking right now? You almost died," Diana said, her voice a mix of anger and care.
"Wow, the angry bird cares." Blaine groaned as Herakim Healer examined his wounds.
"The way you talk as if dying means nothing annoys the hell out of me. I almost lost my composure because tears nearly rolled down my cheeks," Shawn admitted.
Blaine struggled to look at the others, who wore sadness like a garment. "Seriously, guys, cheer up. Are you guys fine? You fought those bastards."
"Of course they've healed. But it doesn't look like you will heal anytime soon. The wounds are too deep, and you just came back from the dead," Herakim Healer said. "Keep the bandages on so blood doesn't stain your shirts." He turned to leave.
"Herakim Healer, what happened to Lillian? Is she going to be okay?" Bryan asked.
Blaine looked at him with concern. "What do you mean? Did something happen to her?" He struggled to sit up.
"Yes, she came after you died. She got mad at us, then went to you. Some breeze blew, and she passed out. From the look of things, it wasn't normal. No one passes out with their eyes wide open," Bryan said, his tone calm but fearful.
"You're right. Her passing out like that is not normal. Herakim said she's stuck in the spirit realm after bringing Blaine back. She has three days to wake up or she'll die," Herakim Healer explained.
Blaine stood up abruptly but groaned in pain. "I have to go see her."
"Rest for now. You can go see her tomorrow. She needs someone by her side. She's our Savior – if anything happens to her, it happens to us too," Gandulf said before leaving with Herakim Healer.
"I'll go with you tomorrow," the pack echoed together. Blaine nodded, concern etched on his face.
---
Morning came. At Mr. Hudson's mansion, the maids let in the seven alpha werewolves.
"Ah." Hudson greeted them with an air of importance. "Nice to meet you all. If I may ask, what are you here for?"
"We're here to see Lillian. We want to know how she's doing," Blaine said, holding his wounded side.
"She hasn't recovered at all. Follow me." Hudson led them upstairs through the magnificent corridors to a room. "Your brothers trashed this mansion yesterday. We had to clean everywhere so the maids wouldn't find dead bodies, broken glass, and so on. I really hope you don't trash places up like they did." He stared at Blaine.
"I won't destroy anything," Blaine assured him, grimacing as speaking hurt.
"Since I have your word, I'll leave you to it." Hudson left.
Tony pushed open the door. "You really have to heal, Blaine."
"I know, but it's hard." They all stopped, surprised by the emptiness of the room.
"Where is Lillian?" Diana asked.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Miles's angry voice came from behind.
"We're here to see Lillian," Blaine and the others replied with determination.
Miles became furious and grabbed Blaine's collar, making him wince. "It's because of you she became this way!"
"Hey, can't you see he's wounded?" Tyler protested, but Miles didn't care.
Diana stepped forward, removed Miles's hands from Blaine's collar, and pushed him back. "She did it for us, for Blaine. Why shouldn't we check on her?" She glared at him while Luna searched for Lillian.
Luna pulled open a curtain – and there Lillian lay, her eyes open, on the large bed. She looked like Sleeping Beauty, only awake.
"Will she ever wake up?" Blaine's voice was filled with pity and regret.
"The Lillian I know won't give up everything she worked so hard for – especially when she has a chance to come back," Miles said, confidence mixed with doubt.
"I wonder what's going on in her head right now," Bryan broke the silence.
---
While they stood there, Lillian sat on a rock in the spirit realm. The banshee stood beside her as the river flowed. The place was empty – only trees, the river, rocks, and stones. The spirit realm never saw darkness; the sky was orange, the sun warm but not scorching.
"Don't you want to leave? You've stayed too long," the banshee said.
"Why do you stick with me? Leave me. I'm not going anywhere. This place is more peaceful. I don't have to fight or use anyone for survival. I'll stay here." Lillian's voice was weary, drained of the will to fight.
The banshee, in her white cloak, sat beside her. "The reason I chose you is because of your great‑grandmother, Aoife Airgid – 'The Radiant One of Silver.' Her nickname was passed down to your mother, and you took it as your last name: 'Silver.' She was originally known as Aoife Ui Neill, but she killed three wolves with a silver spear as a woman. From then on, she led hunters to kill wolves and other dangerous animals that terrorized Ireland. I am not just any banshee – I am Maeveen, who hunts only the descendants of the O'Neill clan. I will help you in your journey as a Savior. Go back."
Lillian laughed. "Savior? It's more like a punishment. Having someone like Aoife Airgid care about her people, and she doesn't even know she has me as her only surviving descendant. Lives? They were nothing to me and they'll never be. I destroyed many lives to get to the top where I wouldn't have to struggle. And you want me to go back and serve my punishment?"
"The more reason you have to go back. You won't let the lives you wasted be in vain, will you?" Maeveen said.
"You speak as if I regret doing that to them. I will only serve my punishment when I regret destroying people's dreams and destinies for my own. And that will never happen." Lillian stood and turned her back.
"So you think saving people is a punishment?" Maeveen also stood.
"Yes. I destroy people for my own gain. What is my gain if I save people? That's why I prefer to die here, if that's my fate." Lillian's voice was unyielding.
---
Lillian chooses death over duty. Blaine is recovering. The pack is fractured. What happens next? Drop a Power Stone and add to library – Chapter 22 is coming.