# Chapter 266:

# Chapter 266:
Melinda's POV

I clutched The Shadow Curse Chronicles against my chest and sprinted through the palace corridors, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. My lungs burned with each desperate breath as I dodged servants and nearly collided with a startled guard.

"Please don't do this, Marcus..." I whispered, the terrible words from the ancient text echoing in my mind: "The curse may only be broken through willing sacrifice of a soul equal in power to the cursed." Now everything made sense—why Marcus had been so eager to split up, why he'd insisted I shouldn't return to the medical room right away.

I pushed my body harder, ignoring the stitch forming in my side. The heavy book slammed repeatedly against my ribs as I ran.

Rounding the final corner, I saw the medical room doors ahead. Please let me not be too late, I prayed silently, my throat too constricted for words. I skidded to a halt at the entrance, nearly losing my balance as I frantically pushed against the heavy wooden doors.

"Marcus! Stop!" I shouted, my voice breaking from exertion as I burst into the room, eyes wild with panic.

The elderly royal physician looked up from a chart, surprise evident on his weathered face. "Your highness, what's the matter? You look like you've run a marathon."

"Enzo... Marcus... where are they?" I gasped between ragged breaths, still clutching the massive tome to my chest like a shield.

The physician's expression shifted from confusion to something like relief, his lips curving into a slight smile. "You've arrived at an opportune moment, Your Highness. Mr. Stone just woke up. His condition has stabilized—remarkably improved, in fact."

I stood frozen, barely comprehending his words. "Woke... woken up?" I repeated weakly. "I'm too late..." I murmured to myself, unsure if I should feel relief or dread.

Without waiting for the doctor's response, I rushed past him into the room, nearly knocking over a medical monitor. Michael was sitting up in bed, his face still pale but alert. The terrible black markings had receded significantly, now just faint traces on his skin rather than the horrifying network of dark lines I'd seen before.

The floor around the bed caught my attention immediately. A circle of complex blue sigils had been drawn, now partially smudged as if someone had hastily tried to erase them.

The symbols formed a complete circle with Michael's bed at the center. Four small black candles, now burned down to twisted stubs of wax, stood at each corner of the bed, and a metal tray on the bedside table held several strange items—a few withered deep red petals, a small pile of ash, and a shattered crystal vial with traces of blue liquid still clinging to the fragments.

In the middle of this supernatural tableau sat Michael, a small fresh cut visible on his wrist. When he saw me, his eyes brightened immediately.

"Melinda..." he called, his voice weak but warm.

I dropped the book and carefully stepped over the fading sigils to reach him, throwing my arms around him as tears spilled down my cheeks. "You're awake, you're really awake," I whispered against his ear, feeling his solid heartbeat against mine—a sound I'd feared I might never hear again.

His arms encircled me, weaker than usual but still strong enough to hold me close. "Hey, don't cry," he said softly, "I'm fine now, just feel like I've been trampled by the entire basketball team."

The royal physician picked up the chart at the foot of the bed and explained professionally, "We've just completed a thorough examination of Mr. Stone. Remarkably, the toxins have been completely cleared from his system."

I wiped my tears and turned to the doctor, confusion swirling through my mind. "How is that possible? Luna said it was the 'Unsolvable Poison.' Even she couldn't counter it..."

"Indeed, Your Highness," the physician nodded, equally puzzled. "From a medical standpoint, it's practically a miracle. But considering his werewolf physiology, he should be fully recovered after a day or two of rest."

Michael smiled and squeezed my hand. "See? Nothing to worry about. I'm not that easy to get rid of." His smile warmed my heart, but my thoughts had already shifted to another question.

"Where's Marcus?" I asked suddenly, scanning the room for any sign of the skeleton. Only the three of us were present, but the ritual items and symbols were unmistakably his handiwork.

The physician's expression turned strange, and he avoided my gaze. "I... I'm not certain, Your Highness. When I came for morning rounds, I found Mr. Stone already improving. I didn't see the... um... gentleman you mentioned."

My heart sank as I turned back to Michael, my voice trembling with fear. "Did you see Marcus? What did he do?"

Michael furrowed his brow, seeming to struggle with his memory. "It's all pretty hazy... I was unconscious most of the time. But just before I woke up, I think I saw Marcus standing beside the bed. His bone fingers were glowing with this weird blue light, and he was chanting something in an ancient language... He took a small dagger and cut my wrist, then his own... I'm not sure if that was real or if I was hallucinating."

I picked up the fallen book from the floor, my fingers shaking as I flipped to the page. "It's right here," I said, my voice catching. "To break the Curse, a soul of equal power must be willingly sacrificed..."

Michael's expression changed from confusion to shock. "You're saying... Marcus sacrificed himself for me?"

I nodded, fresh tears welling up. "He deliberately sent me away to find this book while he... he must have sacrificed himself to break your curse."

The physician looked at us in surprise but maintained a professional silence. I couldn't control my emotions as tears streamed down my face. "Why would he do that? Why sacrifice himself?"

Michael reached out to wipe away my tears, his expression both sad and grateful. "He really gave his life for mine, Melinda?"

I remembered all the little moments with Marcus—his wisdom, his dry humor, the occasional glimpses of caring beneath his skeletal exterior. Despite how much he had initially terrified me, he had possessed more humanity than many living people I'd known. "I never even got to thank him properly..." I said softly, feeling an indescribable sadness wash over me.

"I owe him my life," Michael said solemnly. "But now it's too late."

I closed my eyes, letting the tears flow freely, mourning this ancient and noble soul who had endured centuries of curse only to sacrifice himself for someone he knew for months.

"Melinda, are you crying for me? I thought you'd be glad to be rid of a stalker."

My head snapped up, not believing my ears.

Standing in the doorway was Marcus, though he had lost the human appearance the witch had given him. He was back to his skeletal form, blue light glowing in his eye sockets.

"Marcus!"