Chapter 94: ⁹⁴: My people

"It is not good, Alpha." He let out a worried sigh. "There is something strange happening with all of them. No matter what medicines we administer, their wounds simply won’t stop bleeding."

I sighed. This confirmed my theory.The dark magic had already seeped into their bodies.

"Get back to your work. I will see what I can do," I told the doctor.

He nodded before quickly returning to the patients who needed him.

I turned toward Ryan. "Ryan, arrange a private room for me and have a doctor stay there with me for the night."

I began walking away from the emergency ward, heading toward a quieter part of the hospital where we could speak without being surrounded by doctors and patients.

"But Alpha, why do you need a room?" Ryan asked, following closely behind me. "Are you all right? Did that orb do something to you?"

I remained silent until we reached a quiet corridor reserved for hospital staff. Only then did I turn toward him. "The orb left me with this little wound. It will heal within a few minutes."

I glanced down at my hand before continuing. "I need the private room because I will have to save those men myself."

Ryan’s expression immediately changed.

"And that will take a toll on me."

He stared at me, clearly worried.

I shook my head. "Don’t worry." I tried to make my voice reassuring, but I knew Ryan well enough to understand that he wasn’t going to be easily convinced. "If I remain under a doctor’s observation tonight, I will be fine by tomorrow."

"But Alpha, your safety is my priority." Ryan’s voice turned firm. "I can’t take this risk. My position doesn’t allow me to make a decision like this. When the council finds out, it will become a huge issue."

I knew exactly where this argument was going. Ryan wasn’t worried about protocol. He was worried about me. Still, I wasn’t going to change my mind.

I walked over to a nearby chair and sat down, looking at him calmly. "Go and do what I ordered you to do, Ryan."

He opened his mouth, but I raised my hand before he could argue.

"I will be the one facing the council if they have a problem with this. You are only following my orders."

Ryan’s expression remained conflicted. I could practically see the argument forming in his head, but after a few seconds, he finally lowered his gaze.

"Okay, Alpha." He turned around and walked away.

I watched him disappear around the corner before finally leaning back in the chair. The exhaustion from destroying that enormous amount of dark magic inside the orb was finally beginning to catch up with me. Until now, I had been functioning on nothing but sheer adrenaline.

I couldn’t even imagine how ruthless the people behind this could be. They had created an orb filled with magic powerful enough to consume thousands of people if it wasn’t stopped.

And given how similar this orb was to the one that had taken my mother from me, I knew these people were connected.

Fourteen years ago, they had taken my mother away from me. And now, it seemed they were coming after me.

But why? What were they trying to accomplish? What was it that Mom and Dad had kept hidden from me all these years?

My thoughts were becoming increasingly difficult to control when a familiar voice suddenly echoed inside my head.

"Kael, keep your eyes open!" Nyx’s voice startled me awake. I blinked rapidly, realizing that my eyes had unknowingly fallen shut.

Thank Goddess he noticed. Otherwise, I might have completely given in to the exhaustion. "Thank you. I’m awake," I muttered.

I immediately pushed myself to my feet. If I remained sitting there, I couldn’t trust myself not to drift off again, and I couldn’t afford to lose consciousness now.

"Don’t thank me!" Nyx’s voice sounded irritated, but beneath the irritation, I could hear the unmistakable hint of worry.

"You know you’ve already used an enormous amount of your vitality destroying that orb. And now you want to cure the dark magic spreading through seventy-five people?"

I clenched my jaw.

"Do you even understand how much vitality that is going to drain from you?"

His words made me close my eyes in frustration. Of course I understood. I knew exactly what this could cost me. But knowing the risk didn’t change my decision.

"Your body is already exhausted, Kael!" Nyx continued, his voice growing more urgent. "And now you’re going to save that many people on top of everything you’ve already done today?"

He paused for a moment. "You could fall into a coma for several days, Kael! Are you even listening to me?"

I opened my eyes slowly. "Yes, Nyx. I’m listening."

"And?"

"And I’m still doing it."

Silence followed for a few seconds. I knew Nyx understood the resolve that had already settled inside me.

Having a wolf like Nyx could be frustrating at times like this. He knew everything I couldn’t hide not just my thoughts, but even the emotions I desperately wished I could shut away.

Sometimes I wished I had the power to silence my own feelings. It would make decisions like this so much easier.

"I know, Nyx." I sighed.

My gaze shifted toward the distant corridor just as Ryan appeared. It was time. "But the pain I’ll go through is nothing compared to the lives at stake right now. They’re my warriors. They’re my people." I tightened my fists. "I can’t stand by and let them die when I know I can save them."

Nyx didn’t respond immediately. For once, even he seemed to know there was nothing he could say that would change my mind.

"Alpha, the room and staff are ready," Ryan said as soon as he reached me. "I’ve made sure the area is completely private."

I nodded. "Good."

Ryan gestured for me to follow him, and I started walking beside him toward the room.