Chapter 555: Fear and Vigil

"Are you sure," Ronan asked Marta, his voice low, "that Genevieve can handle Tobias? Because... what I saw... he looked like he was on the verge of—" He didn’t finish his words, the thought left hanging in the air, heavy and sharp.

But it was obvious what he was trying to say. There was no denying it that Tobias had looked to be on the verge of death when Sam had carried him past the gates and into the medical facility.

Ethan’s eyes flicked toward Ronan. "Wait—are you suggesting that Genevieve cannot do her job?"

Ronan shook his head, holding up a hand quickly. "I’m not suggesting that," he said. "I’m just... skeptical if she can. Tobias... what I saw... there’s only one person rumored to be able to bring someone back from the edge. That’s Lysander. Genevieve is skilled, yes—but this... this is serious."

Ethan’s arms crossed, his posture rigid as he responded. "Ronan, Genevieve trained under Lysander and Marta for two full years. And she became a healer faster than anyone because of how good she is. Don’t downgrade her just because she’s not known to be able to bring people back from the dead."

"I understand th..."

"And speaking of bringing people from the dead, you do know that Tobias would have died along the way if it were anyone else, right? She is not incompetent." Ethan said.

Ronan let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I understand that, Ethan. I do. But... this is my brother, okay? And I’m scared. I want the best for him."

"And just imagine if it was someone you loved, imagine if it was a sibling or..."

Ethan’s brow furrowed, then he leaned back slightly. "I don’t have siblings," he said. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Ronan groaned audibly, rolling his eyes. "Of course you don’t. Fine, let’s try this differently. If it were Genevieve in a life-or-death situation... wouldn’t you want the best healer to treat her? The absolute best?"

Ethan paused. His jaw tightened, and then a slow sigh escaped him. "Yes," he admitted quietly, "I would. But... you’re forgetting something. To me, Genevieve already is the best. She’s the best healer... well, not counting Marta or Lysander."

Ronan let out a dramatic groan, running a hand through his hair. "With the way you’re always defending her," he muttered, "one would think you two were... together."

Marta nodded at that.

"You know," she said, tilting her head slightly towards Ethan, "for someone who insists there’s nothing going on, you defend that girl with a remarkable amount of energy."

"Of course." Ethan said. "She’s my best friend after all."

Marta sighed at that. "Emphasis on best friend, you are not together. Stop stringing her along and just get together with her."

Ethan watched them with a frown. "I’m not thinking about being in a relationship," he said firmly. "And I’m not stringing anyone along. At all."

Orion, leaning slightly against the edge of the doorway, muttered quietly, almost to himself, "He isn’t lying."

He then turned his attention to Marta, his tone serious. "Do you have any idea what caused Tobias’s condition? I was told it was poison. Do we even know what kind?"

Marta shook her head slowly. "Not yet. We’ll only know after Genevieve is done with him. And that... may take hours. Possibly more than that. And just to calm you guys down, Lysander is with her."

Ronan exhaled at that. "You really should have started with that."

"You should have been more conscious of your surroundings." Orion muttered. "I knew from the moment we reached the facility that he was inside."

Ronan shook his head. "I’m not so sure I like you sometimes, brother."

Orion laughed at that.

"I’m still mad you are more relaxed after you heard Lysander was in there than when you heard Genevieve was there, but anyway..."

"...we’ll forgive and forget." Ronan said to Ethan who just scoffed.

Even though Ronan was being his usual chatty self, it was obvious he was worried. Orion was too, but he was more worried about Sam. She looked like she was a few minutes from losing it and honestly, they could not have that.

There was also the fact that he needed to inform Sophia. He could only hope that Tobias came back to them.

---

Outside the medical facility, the snow lay thick on the ground. Small drifts had formed against the edges of the stone path, and the wind whispered across the open courtyard. The cold nipped at exposed skin, but Sam didn’t feel it. Not really.

Her gaze was fixed somewhere far away, as though she were staring through the snow, through the trees, into a distance that only she could see. Her hands were tucked loosely together, but the cold didn’t matter. The blood coursing through her veins, the tension in her chest, kept her senses sharpened, her mind focused only on Tobias.

Brynhild, shifting slightly in the snow, lowered herself beside Sam. She sat with her knees drawn close, hands resting on her thighs. She didn’t speak immediately, letting the silence stretch between them, allowing Sam’s thoughts to move freely—or so Brynhild hoped.

Finally, after a long pause, Brynhild spoke. Her voice was soft but deliberate, cutting through the wind just enough to reach Sam’s ears.

"Do you want to hear a story?"

Sam didn’t answer. She didn’t even blink, her eyes still fixed on the indistinct distance before her. The snowflakes fell against her hair, brushed her cheeks, but she didn’t flinch. She just... stared.

Brynhild let out a quiet sigh, the kind that carried both patience and understanding. "I’m going to tell you one anyway," she said. Her tone was gentle, almost like a promise rather than a question. "You may not answer, but listen anyway."

Sam finally shifted slightly, turning her head toward Brynhild who smiled softly.

"At some point, we’ve all experienced something like this. The close or near death of a loved one. I’m not certain you know this story, but it’s about two people who almost lost each other and themselves in the process."