Chapter 195 43.3 - There are things that one can't control

Chapter 195 43.3 - There are things that one can't control

"Miss, can you hear me?"

In the sterile environment of the hospital room, Sylvie slowly opened her eyes.The source of this content can be connected to n0v3lb!n★

The harsh fluorescence overhead cast a cold glow across the room. Blinking against the bright light, she found herself lying on a clean, white bed.

Immediately, she realized where she was, and the memories of the recent events flooded back, her eyes widening with horror.

The blood that was spilled....The feeling of dread that was emanated from that masked figure....Astron's death....

Everything felt so unreal that she could only feel empty inside. The reality of the situation weighed heavily on her, and fear gripped her heart. She tried to speak, but her voice felt weak and shaky.

"I-I can hear you," she stammered, her gaze darting around the room as if searching for an escape from the haunting memories.

A nurse, clad in a crisp uniform, approached her with a reassuring smile. "You're in the hospital. You had quite a scare, but you're safe now."

'Safe.'

The word echoed in Sylvie's mind, but she couldn't shake off the lingering fear. The room felt suffocating, and the sterility of the environment only heightened her discomfort.

As the nurse checked her vitals and asked routine questions, Sylvie's thoughts spiraled into a whirlwind of regret. She wished she could go back and change the events, prevent the tragedy that unfolded before her eyes.

Astron, the masked figure, the blood—images flashed like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

'I should have been more careful. I should have stayed out of it.'

She had never seen such intense emotions before. The hatred oozing from that masked man was so intense that, even if he hadn't done anything, she knew she would never be able to look into his eyes.

But then, the scene that followed was something else. Blood spilled, and screams echoed.

Even if it was the screams of that Mason, even if he was a demon follower....It was too much. She still remembered the horror in Mason's eyes, as if he knew that death had come for him from the start.

It was scary.

But most importantly, the regret engulfed her heart, suffocating it. Knowing the fact that she was the reason for his demise made it almost impossible to hold it in.

As Sylvie grappled with the weight of her emotions and the haunting memories, the hospital room's door opened, and Officer Margaretta entered with a calm and composed demeanor.

"Miss Sylvie, I hope you're feeling better," Officer Margaretta greeted with a slight nod, acknowledging the distress evident in Sylvie's eyes. She had already checked her identity from the database and face matching system, so she knew her name was Sylvie, and she was a student of the Arcadia Hunter Academy.

Sylvie managed a weak nod in response, still processing the aftermath of the traumatic events. Margaretta's presence, although professional, held an air of understanding.

"I'm Officer Margaretta from the Awakened Local Security. Captain Harlan has requested that I speak with you about the incident. Whenever you're ready, we can discuss what happened. Your cooperation is crucial for our investigation," Margaretta explained, her tone gentle and encouraging.

Sylvie took a deep breath, attempting to collect herself. The room seemed to close in on her, but she understood the necessity of recounting the events. Even though she was scared about the events that unfolded, she at least knew it was her own responsibility to recount everything.

'This is what I owe to him.'

Even though the one who killed him might be dead, she at least wanted him to be buried.

"I'll do my best to help," Sylvie murmured, her voice steadier than before. After that, Margaretta asked about what had happened and how she had been kidnapped.

Sylvie recounted everything that had occurred, starting from how they had come to this city because of a trip and how they had been ambushed. After that, she recounted what happened with Astron.

"Wait for a second." At the mention of Astron's name, Margaretta suddenly stopped Sylvie. "What did you say his name was?"

He thought bitterly, looking at the girl hugging him with all of her strength.

He looked into Sylvie's eyes, his expression filled with guilt and bitterness. "Yeah, I'm here. Are you okay?"

Tears streaming down her face, Sylvie nodded vigorously. "I thought you were... I thought..." Her words trailed off as emotions overwhelmed her. After all this time, she really thought he was dead all this time and was trying to hold it in for the sake of him.

Even when she was in front of Margaretta, she refused to cry and talk about everything she could.

But even then, she hit her limit long ago and was holding it in very hard, and now she no longer held herself back, and that was the breaking point.

"I'm here, Sylvie. Everything's okay now." Even if he was an awkward, edgy guy, even Astron knew what kind of thing Sylvie went through.

'I really feel like a piece of shit.'

And knowing that he did it intentionally made it a lot harder for him not to care and brush it off.

In the end, all he could do was offer Sylvie peace of mind in his embrace and pat her back, reassuring her from the start.

"It is okay."

Astron gently patted Sylvie's back as she cried in his embrace. The mixture of relief, sorrow, and joy overwhelmed her, and the weight of the emotions she had suppressed finally found release.

The guilt and bitterness Astron felt were momentarily pushed aside as he offered Sylvie comfort and reassurance.

For some reason, he also didn't feel repulsed by the fact that Sylvie was touching him like that, but he simply shrugged it off and thought it was because of Sylvie's trait.

In the hospital corridor, some nurses threw scornful looks at Sylvie for running like that in the hospital, breaking the usual decorum.

However, as they observed her tear-streaked face and Astron's reassuring gestures, understanding replaced their initial disapproval.

It was clear something intense and emotional had transpired, and they allowed the moment to unfold without further interference.

However, this moment was not going to be that long.

After a minute or so, Officer Margareta interrupted the emotional reunion, approaching Sylvie and Astron with a serious expression. Inside her heart a little, she felt jealous of this girl.

'I should get a boyfriend soon, too.'

The loneliness that she fended off with her job appeared on the surface once again, and she wasn't happy with that fact.

"I'm glad to see you're okay, but we need to proceed with the investigation. We still have a lot to uncover about what happened back there. Can you both come with me to answer some questions?"

Sylvie, her eyes still swollen from crying, nodded, composing herself as best she could.

Astron also got serious and nodded his head. "Sure, we'll cooperate. Just give us a moment. She needs to calm herself."

He was about to continue, but Sylvie's words cut him off. "I am okay." Saying that she immediately got away from his arms, her face flushed.

What she had done now came crashing on her, and she didn't know what to say about it, so she desperately wanted to change the locations and the topic.

Astron looked at her and realized she was okay, so he also didn't object.

Margareta, maintaining her stern demeanor, accepted Sylvie's assurance with a nod. "Very well. Follow me, and let's get this done," she stated, leading the way to the room.

And just like that, they started recounting everything.