’I... can’t even heal...’ she realized, a flicker of helplessness crossing her eyes.

Still, she forced herself to look up.

The ghost was already scanning its surroundings, its lips curling into a cruel smile as it prepared to unleash chaos once again.

A chill ran down Lana’s spine.

’If it escapes again...’ her thoughts trembled. ’Back when it possessed me... I almost destroyed half the school ...’

Her fingers dug into the ground. ’And now... in this body... what will it do...?’

But just as despair threatened to take over, a figure appeared.

Axel.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, his expression cold and focused. In his hand, the jade bracelet gleamed faintly.

"End of the fight," he muttered. With a swift motion, he threw it.

The bracelet cut through the air with precision, heading straight toward the possessed young man.

The ghost reacted instantly, letting out a sharp wail as it tried to evade, but it was too late.

The bracelet reached him. It gently touched his forehead.

And in that instant...a blinding white light erupted.

The ghost’s form twisted violently, its screams echoing as its power began to drain.

The bracelet absorbed it steadily, stripping away its strength, weakening it with every passing second.

The once-overwhelming presence... diminished.

Then, silence. The bracelet fell to the ground with a soft clink.

Lana’s eyes flickered toward it. She wanted to reach out. She tried to move, but her body refused.

Darkness closed in. And she fainted.

When she opened her eyes again, everything around her was white.

She blinked slowly, her mind still hazy.

As she tried to move, pain surged through her body once more, as if every bone had been crushed and reassembled poorly.

"...Ah..." she let out a weak breath.

Turning her head slightly, she saw Axel sitting beside her.

"What... is happening...?" she murmured.

Axel looked at her, relief flashing across his face before it was quickly replaced by irritation.

"You finally woke up," he said, his voice sharp. "Do you have any idea how worried you made me?"

Lana blinked, still dazed.

"You teleported straight in front of Wade and tried to confront him alone," Axel continued, his tone filled with frustration.

"Do you even realize how reckless that was?"

Lana remained silent for a moment, then slowly shifted her gaze.

Mr. Crow stood nearby, his expression unreadable.

"...Mr. Crow..." she called softly.

He let out a long sigh, crossing his arms. "Don’t act like the victim now," he said coldly. "You don’t even understand what’s good for you."

Lana lowered her gaze slightly. But she knew.

’He’s angry... but not truly angry...’ she thought quietly.

So she stayed silent.

After a moment, Mr. Crow sighed again, shaking his head. "With your personality, you could make even gods worry about you."

A faint chuckle escaped Lana’s lips. "That sounds like a special ability," she replied weakly. "Not everyone can have it."

Mr. Crow stared at her for a second... then let out a short, exasperated laugh. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Axel, on the other hand, spoke again. "Wade has been caught."

The moment Lana heard that, her eyes narrowed slightly. ’Wade...’

She remembered how Axel had once mentioned that Wade was suspicious, yet she had dismissed it entirely.

Wade... who could light up any room with his presence.

Wade... who never seemed like the type.

"And Christina has been detained as well," Axel added.

Lana frowned. "Christina...?"

Axel nodded. "The truth came out. The wealth Wade’s family had... it wasn’t clean. It came after they joined a GA group."

Lana’s eyes widened slightly.

"Wade... and Christina," Axel continued, "both of them became GA members to maintain that wealth."

Silence followed.

Lana slowly shook her head, disbelief evident in her expression.

"They were both mystic cultivators..." she murmured. "If they had chosen differently... maybe things wouldn’t have ended like this."

Axel didn’t respond.

He simply remained quiet.

Days passed.

Lana stayed in the hospital, her body slowly recovering.

Even though she possessed healing abilities, the fractures were too severe, her internal damage too extensive. Recovery would take time.

During those days, Lucian called frequently.

At one point, he even insisted on flying back immediately.

But Lana stopped him.

"I’m fine," she had told him firmly. "There’s no need to rush."

In truth, she didn’t want him to see her like this.

Later, back at the mansion, her phone lit up again.

A video call. From Lucian.

A soft smile appeared on her face as she answered. "Why the sudden video call?" she asked gently.

Lucian’s face appeared on the screen, his lips pressed tightly together, his brows slightly furrowed.

"I want to come see you," he said without hesitation.

Lana almost laughed.

’This side of him...’ she thought fondly. ’It’s... unexpectedly cute.’

She had always seen him as calm, distant, almost indifferent.

But now, he looked anxious. Restless.

As if he wanted to break through the screen and come to her immediately.

Just as she was about to reassure him.

Knock. A sound came from his side.

Then, a girl’s voice.

"Lucian? Are you inside?"

The moment Lana heard that voice...she froze.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.

And a strange feeling stirred within her chest.

"Who was that?" she asked immediately, her tone calm on the surface, yet carrying a faint edge she couldn’t quite hide.

Lucian barely hesitated. "Just a client," he replied dismissively. "You don’t need to worry about it."

There was a brief pause before he added, almost too quickly, "I have some work to take care of. I’ll contact you later."

And then, the call ended.

The abrupt silence on the screen felt louder than any noise.

Lana stared at the blank display for a few seconds, her grip tightening.

’That was too fast...’ she thought, her brows slowly furrowing. ’He didn’t even let me say anything ...’

Her suspicion deepened.

Beside her, Mr. Crow let out a long sigh, his expression carrying a hint of helpless amusement.

"You shouldn’t act like a jealous person," he remarked casually. "I told you long ago... Lucien is a fox. You chose not to listen."