Evelyn stirs awake, her brows tightening as the shrill ring of her phone cuts through the silence.
She squints toward the bedside table, groggy fingers fumbling to pick up the call.
Adam, the screen reads.
Her frown deepens—Adam rarely calls her, and never at this hour.
Something's wrong.
She answers quickly, "Hello?"
A calm, unfamiliar voice replies, "Mr. Taylor is injured. You were listed as his emergency contact."
The words hit her like cold water. Sleep vanishes instantly.
"What happened?" she asks, already sitting upright.
"I don't know. I'm hospital staff," the voice says.
"Which hospital?"
"Zodiac Hospital, Road No. 16."
"I'm coming." She hangs up and leaps out of bed, rushing into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.
She doesn't bother with makeup or her usual outfit. She throws on a grey pair of pants and a jumper, grabs her car keys, and bolts out of her room.
As she crosses the living room, a voice stops her.
"Where are you going at this time—and dressed like that?" Cassie asks from the couch, sitting beside Patrick Norell.
Evelyn turns, eyes glassy.
"Adam's injured. He's in the hospital."
Cassie's expression hardens with concern. "I'll take you. You're in no condition to drive."
She darts to her room, changes quickly into something warm and practical, and returns.
Patrick follows silently as the three pile into the car.
The engine roars to life, and the night swallows them as they race toward the hospital.
Some time later, the car halts in front of the hospital gates. Evelyn throws open the door and bolts out, sprinting toward the main entrance.
She bursts into the lobby, eyes scanning frantically until she spots the receptionist's desk.
She rushes over, voice laced with panic. "Nurse, can you tell me which room Adam Taylor is in?"
The nurse, startled by her urgency, blinks. "Who?"
"Adam Taylor!" Evelyn repeats, breath tight.
The nurse nods quickly and begins typing. "One moment."
Cassie and Patrick enter the lobby, following the trail Evelyn left behind. They spot her just as the nurse replies.
"Building Four, third floor, Room Six."
Without a word, Evelyn sprints deeper into the lobby, eyes darting down the hallway. She makes a sharp right and crashes into a man wearing a doctor's coat.
"Sorry," she says quickly, steadying herself and continuing toward the elevator at the end of the hall.
She slams the elevator button with trembling fingers.
The man turns, frowning, about to shout—until his eyes land on her face. He freezes, stunned.
Behind him, a voice calls out. "Cousin Valen."
Snapping out of it, the doctor turns and sees a familiar face. "Patrick?"
Cassie steps forward, offering a polite smile. "I'm sorry for my cousin's rudeness. Her boyfriend's been admitted, so she's panicking."
Valen's expression hardens slightly. "Boyfriend?"
"Adam Taylor," Cassie says.
Recognition flashes in Valen's eyes. The name—his patient. Assigned personally by the hospital director, not because of medical skill, but because of his heritage. Demon blood.
Valen composes himself and says, "He's my patient. I'll take you there."
He turns and begins walking briskly, Cassie and Patrick trailing close behind.
Outside Adam's hospital room, Evelyn stands in front of two officers, her voice tense with frustration. "I'm his girlfriend. Let me in."
The blond-haired officer shakes his head. "Sorry, miss. Captain's orders—no visitors until he's spoken with the patient."
"I'm not just a visitor—I'm his girlfriend," Evelyn snaps, voice rising.
The second officer, with curly blond hair, says evenly, "Miss, we understand. But without the captain's clearance, we can't allow it."
Evelyn's jaw tightens, her hands clenched at her sides. "Where's your captain, then?"
The first officer replies, "He stepped out a few minutes ago. He'll be back soon."
"How soon?" Evelyn demands. "Call him. Tell him to come now."
Before either of them can respond, Cassie's voice cuts through the hallway. "Evelyn!"
Evelyn turns and sees Cassie and Patrick walking toward her, accompanied by Valen.
Cassie frowns. "What's going on?"
"They're not letting me see Adam," Evelyn says, pointing to the officers.
Valen's gaze shifts to the two men. "When I left, I didn't hear Captain Mike issuing any such orders."
The curly-haired officer replies, "Doctor, it came after you left."
Valen nods slowly, then says firmly, "I need to check on my patient."
The officer hesitates. "Doctor, we—"
Valen cuts him off. "Unless he's under formal criminal charge, medical authority takes precedence. Is he charged with anything?"
The two officers glance at each other, then shake their heads.
"Good," Valen says and strides forward, opening the door.
Evelyn doesn't wait—she slips in right behind him.
The moment her eyes land on Adam's unconscious form, lying still on the hospital bed, her breath catches. She rushes to his side, grabbing his hand.
"Adam! Adam, wake up—" She shakes him gently, voice trembling.
Valen moves quickly to her side and stops her. "He's stable. His life's not in danger."
"Then why isn't he waking?" Evelyn asks, her voice cracking.
"He willingly shut down his consciousness," Valen explains, "to purge the demon energy invading his body. He's resisting it from the inside."
A sharp voice cuts through the room.
"Doctor, you're violating orders."
They all turn toward the doorway as three people step inside—the man in front wears a police captain's uniform, face hard with authority, staring at Cassie, Pattrick and Evelyn.
Behind him are a man and a woman in sleek black uniforms, but their affiliation is unclear.
Cassie immediately steps forward. "We're from the Manford family. A demon-blood line." She mentioned this because she learn from Valen in the elevator that Adam was attacked by a demon worshipper.
Those attacks by demon worshipers cannot be met by people who are not aware of the demon.
And Cassie and Evelyn are from a demon blood family. The restriction is not for them.
Valen glances sideways at her, then points to Patrick. "And he's my cousin. A Norell."
Captain Mike gives a tight nod. "My officers should've informed you—no one enters this room without my clearance."
Valen crosses his arms, eyes sharp. "Medical authority trumps protocol when the patient isn't under arrest."
Mike's expression darkens as his gaze shifts to Adam's unconscious form. "He's not even awake yet."
Evelyn's voice cuts in as she rises from Adam's bedside. "What happened to him?"
Mike meets her eyes and replies, "He was attacked by two Demon Believers. Injured while killing them."
Evelyn's face tightens as she sits again and takes Adam's hand in hers. "Why would they attack him?" Her eyes are fixed on Adam, worry etched across her face.
Mike's brow furrows. "That's what I intend to find out."
He gestures to the two behind him. The woman steps forward and produces a sealed vial containing a sparkling blue liquid.
She moves toward the bed, but Valen quickly steps in front of her, arm outstretched. "What is that?"
The woman pauses. Mike answers from behind her. "They're from the Demon Hunter Club. That's a cleansing potion to help remove the demon energy from his system."
The woman nods. "It's called Holy Light Potion. It'll stabilise his consciousness and burn away any remnants of the corruption."
Valen steps aside, allowing her to approach under Evelyn's watchful gaze.
She walks to the opposite side of Adam's bed and gently lowers the sheet, revealing the wound—a deep, oozing hole in his right chest, the surrounding flesh discoloured with a faint purple glow.
Evelyn gasps, her hand flying to her mouth.
Without delay, the woman uncorks the vial and tilts it, letting a few glowing drops fall onto the injury.
The moment the liquid touches the wound, a harsh sizzle erupts.
Purple smoke hisses upward as the potion seeps in, and then, miraculously, the wound begins to close, the flesh knitting together before their eyes.
Evelyn turns back to Adam's face—and finds his eyes slowly opening.
She breaks into a sob, collapsing onto him in relief, her arms wrapping around his chest as she cries.
Merin blinks, frozen by her reaction, unsure whether it's genuine or part of her ongoing act—but it feels real. So he goes along with it, gently patting her back.
Silently, the others step out of the room, giving them privacy.
"I'm okay," Merin murmurs, his voice low.
Evelyn continues crying for a few moments more, then finally calms, sniffles echoing as she lifts her head to look at him.
Before he can say anything else, she says, "You must be hungry. I'll get you something to eat."
And with that, she turns and hurries out of the room like fire is chasing her.
Merin stares after her, confused. He then checks his body, inspecting the half-healed wound and sensing that most of the damage is gone—what remains will heal in a few days.
He exhaled deeply, murmuring to himself, "If I hadn't broken through to Upper Unification Realm that morning… I'd be dead." Just then, Merin spotted a police officer entering the room.
The officer walked directly to Merin's bed, pulling up a chair and taking a seat beside him. "I'm Mike, Mr. Taylor," he said. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Merin, despite his discomfort, pushed himself up to a sitting position on the bed and began to explain the attack.