Chapter 530: Am i still dreaming?
After a blinding flash of light, the sensation of being alive came rushing back—not in peace, but in pain. Every muscle in my body ached, every breath stung like a thousand blades in my chest. It wasn’t a dream. The harsh reality of the wounds I had sustained hit me all at once.
My consciousness stirred slowly, like mist parting at dawn. I couldn’t open my eyes fully yet, but the sounds and blurred outlines around me... they were real.
And then I heard it—crying. Soft, broken sobs echoed faintly through the silence.
Who would cry here, in this lifeless cave? That thought alone stirred my heart. I forced my eyes open just a sliver. Through my blurred vision, I caught sight of her—Lilith. Her form slightly hunched, her arms wrapped around me, my head resting on her lap as she trembled with each sob.
She was saying something, her words lost in the whirlwind of confusion that clouded my mind. Her tears slid down her cheeks, warm droplets falling onto my face. The sheer weight of that moment almost made me laugh in disbelief.
Am I still dreaming?
I closed my eyes again. I must have been hallucinating. That couldn’t be real. Lilith—who had been like an empty shell for as long—was crying? The same Lilith who always moved when told, who never acted on her own unless commanded, whose expression remained frozen in time like a marionette built only to follow orders.
But this—this was different.
Her touch... her tears... her voice, even if I couldn’t make it out yet—it all felt too human. Too raw.
The screeching of harpies rang in my ears for a second—but it was just a lingering echo, a nightmare born from the trauma of my last battle. I blinked slowly. The light filtering into the cave was dimmer now—late afternoon sunlight crept in through the cracks, painting golden streaks on the cold stone.
The pain was still there, dull and stubborn, but manageable. I noticed my wounds were bandaged with care. Not exactly professional work, but effective. It must have been a day or two since I collapsed.
And then, I saw her again—this time with clear eyes.