Chapter 22 Green Light
Chapter 22 Green Light
Austin stood frozen beside the stretcher, his eyes fixed on Seara, who looked so small beneath the thick blanket.
On the girl’s wrist, the emerald bracelet left by his mother still glinted, emitting a faint green glow that had dimmed but still felt alive.
“Will she be okay, Winona?” Austin asked.
“Seara is a strong woman. She’ll get through this. You just have to be patient, Alpha.”
Winona moved deftly. Her fingers pressed on the pulse points on Seara’s neck, then shifted to the area where the black lines of the Ash Fang’s Mark had once burned.
Holding her breath, Winona began to realign the energy flow she had previously “cut” forcefully to protect Seara’s body from the ritual stone’s backlash.
“So?” Austin’s voice sounded hoarse, holding back a storm of emotions on the verge of exploding.
“Stable, Alpha,” Winona replied without turning her head. “I’ve restored her energy channels. Now we just have to wait for her consciousness to return.”
Heavy footsteps echoed from the door. Lionra stepped inside, his face holding a thousand secrets.
Austin spun around, confronting the young Seer with a barrage of questions that had been building up since the incident at the Ancestors’ altar.
“That bracelet. Do you know what really happened?” Austin pointed at the jewelry circling Seara’s wrist. “Why did it react like that to Seara? Explain it briefly!”
Lionra let out a long sigh, gazing at the bracelet with a melancholic look.
“The bracelet chose Seara because she’s a suitable vessel for the Luna synergy from Lycanisius.”
“I still don’t get it. Vessel? Is Seara some kind of jar?” Austin massaged his temples.
“You said ‘briefly,’ but you’re still confused.”
“Okay, okay. The long version, Seer Lionra.” Austin relented with a frustrated look.
“Seara possesses the purity of heart characteristic of a Luna, and the bracelet sensed Seara’s energy. When Seara touched her ‘holier-than-thou’ stone… oh, forgive me, ancestors, I’m frustrated having to speak this truth, the power of Vis Sanatrix, which pierced Winona’s seal, has modified the power of your mother’s bracelet to counteract her stone.” Lionra took a brief breath before continuing, “Do you understand now, Alpha?”
“Not yet. Winona said she’d just opened Seara’s energy channel, so what exactly was opened if Seara’s power had already penetrated it?” Austin scratched his head.
“You explain it to Winona. That’s not my part.” Lionra took some water from Seara’s bedside table and drank it.
“For us Healers, there are two pathways, an energy inlet and an energy outlet. For the test, I only closed the inlet to prevent Seara’s body from being affected by the stone’s counterforce.”
Winona concluded that the force that caused Seara to faint was due to Seara’s healing energy activating the bracelet’s power, which the stone detected as a foreign force.
Winona looked proud as she explained at length. She was delighted to have a talented student like Seara.
Far from calming down, Austin’s jaw clenched. He paced back and forth in the cramped room. His thoughts raced to the Rogues who had attacked Seara earlier.
“So they know,” Austin muttered coldly. “That black mark, that sudden attack… those Rogues didn’t just want to kill her. They wanted to lock away or steal this power before Seara realized it.”
Austin returned to Seara’s side, taking the girl’s hand. He felt the chill of Seara’s skin contrast with the warmth of the energy from her mother’s bracelet.
Anxiety hit him. If the enemy knew just how great Seara’s potential was, then this girl would never be safe outside his watchful eye.
Austin turned to Lionra. “I need certainty. Meditate. Use your vision to predict Seara’s fate over the next month. I need to know what’s coming.”
Lionra stared at the Alpha for a long moment, seeing such unwavering resolve. “Alright. I’ll do it in the underground meditation chamber. But remember, the future can always change.”
After the Seer left, Austin turned to Winona, who was still busy recording medical data. “Starting tomorrow, or whenever she wakes up, train her. I don’t want her to have power without knowing how to control it. Make sure the Vis Sanatrix is stable.”
“Of course, Alpha. That’s my priority too,” Winona replied obediently.
Suddenly, Seara’s fingers twitched. Her eyelids fluttered before finally opening slowly. The first thing she saw was Austin’s face, very close to hers.
“You… are still here?” Seara’s voice sounded hoarse.
Austin let out a sigh of relief so loud it sounded like a growl. “Of course I’m here, you idiot. You were unconscious like a dead person.”
Seara tried to sit up even though her head felt like it was spinning. “What were the results? Did I pass the eligibility test? Will those Elders expel me?”
Austin held Seara’s shoulders down so she’d stay lying down. “Don’t worry about those old Elders. You’ll still be my Luna. Even if I have to flatten their council if they dare oppose you.”
Seara blinked, slightly startled by the emotional tone in Austin’s voice. “You… You’re taking this too seriously. Where’s the annoying Alpha I used to know?”
Austin looked away, trying to hide the lingering traces of anxiety. “I’m scared, Seara. Seeing you scream in pain on that altar… that’s not something I ever want to see again.”
Seara fell silent for a moment, then a small laugh escaped her pale lips. "Oh, look at that. The mighty Alpha turns out to be trembling over a weak girl like me? You look so funny when you’re anxious, Austin. Your face looks like a dog that’s lost its bone."
"You’re the poodle. Always fainting," Austin grumbled, though his heart felt a little relieved to see the girl was able to tease him again.
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Elder Vanya entered with a faint smile on her face, lined with wise wrinkles. Her presence brought a sense of calm into the room.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake, child,” Vanya said gently. “I came to tell you in person. In my view, you are more than worthy of becoming Luna Lycanisius. That green light is an undeniable blessing.”
Austin stood up straight, an overwhelming sense of relief washing over him. “Thank you, Elder Vanya.”
Vanya nodded, but her expression turned serious. “But beware, Alpha. Not everyone is pleased with this miracle. Elder Stroud and the conservative factions still view the black mark on Seara’s hand as a threat. They’ll look for any opening to derail this coronation.”
Seara bowed her head, staring at her hand. “I understand. Thank you for telling us, Elder.”
“Rest now, Seara. You have a long journey ahead,” Vanya said before leaving the room.
Austin immediately turned to Winona. “I need all of Seara’s medical records. Document the details of this Vis Sanatrix potential. I need hard evidence to shut Stroud up at the upcoming council meeting.”
“Give me a day, Alpha. I need to compile her medical records meticulously so there’s no room for them to protest,” Winona replied.
Austin nodded in satisfaction. He had to meet with Alex, his beta, immediately to discuss security strategies and the details of Luna’s coronation, which had now become crucial.
“Watch over her, Winona. Don’t let anyone bother her.”
“I’m not a little kid, Alpha,” Seara protested softly, though deep down she was glad Austin was looking out for her.
However, just a few minutes after Austin left the clinic, the door to Seara’s room burst open. Delcy strode in wearing an over-the-top dress and with a face flushed red with anger.
“Oh, look at our ‘hero’ seeking attention,” Delcy sneered, folding her arms across her chest. “Your performance at the altar was quite the show, Seara. You must’ve been thrilled to see Austin kneeling there, worried about you.”
Seara let out a long sigh, trying to hold back her emotions. “I’m not in the mood to put up with your nonsense, Delcy. Just go away.”
“How dare you tell me to leave? I’ve been in this pack since I was a child. I’ve known Austin far longer than you, who just suddenly showed up out of nowhere!” Delcy shouted, her eyes flashing with hatred.
Seara felt a wave of heat in her chest. An unexpected pang of jealousy began to creep in as Delcy mentioned her past with Austin.
“So what if you’ve known him since you were a child? If he truly wanted you, he would’ve made you his Luna long ago. But the reality is? You’re just a noisy shadow,” Seara said with a scowling face.
Delcy’s face paled with offense. “You damn woman. You’re just using your black magic to ensnare him!”
Delcy stepped forward quickly, her hands moving wildly toward the IV pole beside Seara’s bed. “Let’s see how strong you are without these fluids!”
“Delcy, don’t,” Winona shouted, trying to intervene.
Delcy’s hand had already gripped the IV tube, ready to yank it forcefully from Seara’s bandaged hand.
Seara tried to fend her off, and in an instant, the healing room turned into a chaotic battlefield of verbal and physical combat.