There, on a bloodstained bed, lay a blonde-haired girl, her face pale and her breaths shallow. Her unconscious form was a stark contrast to the crimson liquid that seeped from a wound on her plump chest, soaking her clothing and dyeing the sheets beneath her.
The metallic scent of blood filled the room, causing Rio to scrunch his nose. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the horrifying scene before him, as the sight of the girl's life draining away tugged at his very core.
With haste in his steps, Rio moved toward Helia, his heart beating faster. But before he could reach Helia, Eve appeared next to the bed, her eyes filled with urgency.
Rio's gaze shifted to Eve, silently demanding an explanation.
The elven beauty hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering to the barely conscious girl on the bed, "I also just became aware of the situation as well."
She murmured, her voice laced with concern, "Helia is teetering on the edge of death, consumed by self-blame."
Rio's mind was clouded with confusion as he was wondering how all this happened and why it was related to him.
Previously, when he had entered the Empress Villa, he felt a new connection emanating from this very direction. The connection seemed to be in a dire state, and he couldn't help but assume it was Helia.
Because He had felt this mysterious but new connection towards Lioness just before being whisked away into the Death Realm, which caused him to hurry and reach here.
Eve's eyes were drawn to the slave mark on the blonde-haired girl's chest, which seemed to grow darker and more menacing with each passing moment, "This is a slave mark, which is getting worse."
She continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "and it's pushing her closer and closer to the brink of death."
"How can we save her?" The boy asked, hoping she would know a solution.
Before Eve could say anything, the sound of hurried footsteps filled the room. Rio turned around to see Lia rushing in, her face filled with longing for him. But as her gaze moved to Helia lying on the bed, Lia's expression quickly shifted to one of pain, terror, confusion, and sorrow.
Rio could see the concern etched on her face as Lia moved towards Helia's bed.
"How could this have happened?" Lia's voice trembled with concern, her confusion evident as she initially failed to recognize the stranger. However, upon noticing the girl's pointy ears and orange-red hair, she made the connection to the monarch beast Rio had previously mentioned.
"Oh, no worries, Your Highness. Let's just take our time and chat about it over some tea while Helia lies there dying. I'm sure she won't mind waiting a bit longer while we catch up on the latest gossip," Eve said, her voice laced with sarcasm and amusement.
The boy coldly glared at Eve's sarcastic comment and shook his head.
Seeing this, Eve's tone quickly shifted from playful to serious as she addressed Rio, "We need to bring her to the Wondrous Forest Realm. Hurry..."
Rio nodded, stepping forward to gently cradle Helia in his arms, holding her as tenderly as one would hold a baby.
Lia's heart ached with anguish as she looked upon her sister's vulnerable state. Without wasting another moment, Eve opened a portal in the room's wall. The trio entered, stepping into the wondrous forest realm.
Although it was Lia's first time in this magical place, her concern for her beloved sister overshadowed any sense of wonder or surprise.
Rio carefully observed Eve's actions as she gestured for him to carry Helia closer to the pond where the Golden Lotus was situated.
"Please, lay her on the ground," the elven beauty instructed.
As she spoke, her hand radiated a brilliant emerald light. A multitude of luminescent leaves appeared around them, shimmering with a translucent glow. The leaves gracefully drifted toward Helia, gently enveloping her in a leafy cocoon.
As the spell took effect, a soothing, healing energy emanated from the cocoon, enveloping both Rio and Lia in its embrace.
Initially, Lia had been hesitant to let Eve perform this unknown magic on her sister, but as she experienced the comforting energy, she realized that this method was even more effective than her own abilities in helping to save Helia. Relieved, she allowed the process to continue, trusting in Eve's intentions and the power of her spell.
Eve's voice, filled with a mixture of reassurance and concern, reached Rio and Lia, "This will provide her some temporary healing. However, once she regains consciousness, we'll need to address the root cause of her condition."
Lia's eyes narrowed, her voice tinged with worry as she questioned, "What happened to her? How did she end up like this?" She looked at both Rio and Eve, seeking answers.
Before Rio could utter a word, Eve interjected with a hint of sarcasm, her voice taking on a playful, yet serious tone. "Well, since we've only just returned, maybe you'd be the one to enlighten us. How did our dear Lioness end up in such a state? And might I add, why on earth was she living in the castle rather than the Empress Villa in her own room?"
Her eyebrows raised in amusement, as she playfully tossed the question back to Lia, expecting her to have some insight into the situation.
Upon hearing the question, a pang of guilt drowned Lia, causing her sadness to deepen. She recognized that her cold shoulder, coupled with Nyla's, had pushed Helia to a breaking point where she chose to keep everything a secret, not even seeking their help when she was on the brink of death.
With a heavy heart, Lia explained everything that had transpired in the past six months, including Helia's mistreatment of Rio and her subsequent plea for forgiveness. She admitted that both she and Nyla had chosen to ignore Helia, waiting for Rio's return to ultimately forgive her.
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[SnowNote]
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