The call from Ayla made Garth hurry. He got out of bed immediately and got ready without wasting any time, even though it was only four in the morning. He took the car keys from the bedside table and left the room.
The atmosphere in The Palace still seemed quiet. Only a few guards were stationed at various points. They saluted when Garth passed by.
Shortly after, Garth left the palace. His destination was Ayla’s house and his departure was related to Usher. In short, Ayla told him that she had obtained an antidote for Usher.
His hand gripped the wheel. Garth pressed harder on the accelerator. The car accelerated and he arrived at Ayla’s house about half an hour later.
Ayla was already waiting for him. She invited him in and handed him a bottle with a clear liquid, similar to ordinary water.
Garth took the bottle with a slightly puzzled expression. “Is this the antidote to Alpha?”
“Yes,” Ayla replied, exhaling deeply. Her gaze remained fixed on the bottle. “Rowena instructed me to give it to Alpha before the sun is directly overhead. If her suspicions are correct, Alpha will regain consciousness before noon, and she hopes to meet Alpha in person to treat him completely.”
Garth realized that it would not be easy to arrange a meeting between Usher and Rowena. He was sure that if all suspicions were true, Mireya would do everything in her power to prevent Usher and Rowena from meeting. But he no longer cared about defying Mireya. It seemed that this time he had to disobey Usher’s orders.
Garth nodded once. “All right, Ayla. I’m going back to The Palace now.”
“Let me know as soon as possible, Garth.”
Garth nodded for the last time before he left Ayla’s house. The car sped through the streets at high speed and it wasn’t surprising when it reached the palace quickly.
The car stopped in the courtyard of the palace. Garth quickly got out and walked up the steps with wide strides, almost as if he was going to leap over them.
Garth’s arrival coincided with Cora coming from the opposite direction. They met in the middle of the hall and Cora immediately asked, “Where are you coming from so early, Garth?”
Garth did not answer, but he noticed the pile of documents in Cora’s hands. Then he asked, “Can your work wait a moment?”
“W-what?” Cora blinked once. “Wait?”
Garth nodded, then walked away, saying, “Follow me to Alpha’s room.”
Cora’s confusion grew, but she couldn’t ask because Garth was already gone. She grumbled and hurriedly followed Garth, who had already entered the elevator.
The elevator took Garth and Cora to the top floor of the palace. The short trip that didn’t take long was used by Cora. So, she lifted her face and looked at Garth.
“So why are we going to Alpha’s room?”
Garth remained motionless. His gaze was fixed on the text scrolling above the elevator door. “I have medicine for Alpha.”
Cora’s eyes widened immediately. “Medicine?”
“Yes,” Garth nodded and turned to face Cora. He met her gaze. “There are no guarantees yet, but at least we have hope.”
For a moment, Cora couldn’t speak. She stammered and took a quick breath. “Hope is what we need. Alpha will surely recover soon.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Garth and Cora stepped out quickly, then hurried down the hall.
Cora looked around when they reached Usher’s room. “We have to hurry, Garth. You must treat Alpha before Mireya’s people arrive. I’ll stay here and keep watch.”
Without saying anything else, Garth entered Usher’s room and Cora promptly closed the door. Cora made sure no one else was in the room. She continued to watch her surroundings, her heart pounding. She prayed in her heart that everything would go as she had hoped.
Silence greeted Garth’s arrival in the unfamiliar room. The atmosphere was still and not a sound could be heard, not even Garth’s footsteps.
Garth approached Usher who was lying on the bed. His steps stopped and he took a deep breath, steeling himself as he took the bottle of medicine from his pocket. He carefully administered the medicine to Usher, then gently laid him down again.
Garth’s focus shifted briefly to the wall clock. It had just struck seven in the morning. He had to be patient for a few more hours, and if the medicine was indeed effective, Usher would regain consciousness before noon, as Ayla had said earlier.
Garth took a deep breath and looked at Usher’s face for a moment. It dawned on him that Usher really did look pitiful. Usher’s once robust body had become thin. His face was pale, and the powerful aura that had always emanated from him had faded.
“What a beautiful morning. Don’t you think so, Mireya?”
Cora’s voice startled Garth. He quickly put the medicine bottle back into his pocket and planned to leave immediately. Just then he heard Mireya’s command.
“Open the door, Greisy! And you, Cora, get out before I lose my patience completely.”
Cora’s readiness was heard briefly, and the door opened. Garth’s footsteps stopped in the middle of the room, and Mireya entered, immediately fixing him with a narrowed, suspicious gaze.
“What are you doing here, Garth?”
Garth reminded himself to stay calm. “Just checking on Alpha’s condition.”
“Checking on Alpha’s condition?” Mireya repeated Garth’s words, crossed her arms and sneered. “I told you, Garth, not to come here. Your presence is completely useless. Instead, you’re disturbing Usher’s rest.”
“I’m sure there’s some truth in what you’re saying,” Garth said with a hardened expression. His jaw tensed visibly. “So, I’ll leave now.”
Mireya said nothing. She just watched as Garth took another step. Garth started for the door, but a groan stopped his steps.
Garth’s expression changed. So did Mireya’s. Both turned abruptly to the bed.
There, on the bed, Usher raised a hand and tried to hold his head. Then a whisper, barely audible to anyone, slipped from his lips.
“Vione.”
*