He dragged me toward the alchemy chamber.
“Young Master!” cried the oldest alchemist in the valley, his hair snow-white and face stricken with anguish. “You mustn’t! Forcing the spirit embryo out will destroy her flower soul, it will cost her life!”
Lucian shoved the elder aside, his temples throbbing. “I am the future of Medicine King Valley! It’s just a spirit embryo! Her body is strong enough, she can endure it!”
“You're mad!” I screamed, tears blurring my vision. The child inside me kicked violently, as if sensing death’s shadow.
“He’s moving!” I sobbed. “Lucian, he’s alive too!”
His hand froze above the array for a brief second. He looked at me. Pity flickered in his eyes.
For a moment, I hoped he might stop. But then he activated the array.
A golden light burst forth, blinding me. Agony tore through my abdomen, worse than slow torture. Piece by piece, the embryo was wrenched from me, fighting, resisting, clinging to life.
Blood poured like a river, soaking the array red. I writhed in agony, mouth spilling blood.
“Lucian…” I gasped, “you’ll regret this…” Darkness swallowed me whole.
When I awoke, the room reeked of elixirs. They had already refined my child into a pill. After taking it, Evelyn not only recovered, she had advanced in her cultivation.
She stood at the foot of my bed, her complexion glowing with vitality, like someone reborn.
I, on the other hand, was a hollow shell, too weak to even sit up.
“Isabelle,” she cooed, voice sweet enough to curdle blood, “Elder Thorne said that a flower soul body that’s carried a spirit embryo is an incredible tonic…”
She leaned in, greedily inhaling the scent of my body.
“Could you give me just a few more drops of your heart’s blood to stabilize my cultivation? It’d be such a waste to keep it all to yourself.”
I retched. Her expression darkened. She seized the jade bottle on my bedside and smashed it to the ground. Shards flew, slicing my cheek.
Then she picked up a sharp shard and pressed it against her own throat, shrieking hysterically.
“Isabelle! Why can’t you just tolerate me?! Why deny me this small favor?!”
“I’m dying and you’re still so selfish!”
“Help! Lucian! Isabelle is trying to kill me!”
Lucian burst into the room.
He gathered her into his arms, glaring at me.
“It’s just a drop of heart blood!” he shouted. “You’re a powerful flower spirit, why are you arguing with a sick girl?!”
Then he raised his sword and slashed open my chest. Blood dripped into a jade vial. I curled up, trembling from the pain. He moved to tend to my wound, but Evelyn clutched his sleeve, swaying weakly.
“Lucian… it hurts so much… I can’t go on…” She fainted in his arms. Without hesitation, he picked her up and left. Leaving me behind. Bleeding. Alone.
From the next room, I heard the gentle murmurs of his voice. He was comforting her. Protecting her. And I, like a used rag, was discarded without remorse. Only then did I see the truth.
Whenever a choice had to be made between me and Evelyn … I was always the one sacrificed. I used to believe he was a hero. The heir to Medicine King Valley. A man worthy of love. I was wrong.
