75. THE GIRL WHO STAYED

75. THE GIRL WHO STAYED
Chloe stood awkwardly beside Ethan’s mother. Both stared out the hospital room window at the city view. Mrs. Mannon watched Chloe quietly, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
Chloe certainly looked tomboyish, with her tall, athletic build. But Ethan’s mother could see a graceful and feminine side hidden beneath Chloe’s demeanor.
“I’m glad you came to visit, Ethan. He doesn’t have any friends,” Mrs. Mannon finally said, breaking the silence. “I’m sorry for troubling you so much, Chloe.”
“Mrs. Mannon, you don’t need to apologize. Honestly, I come here often—and sometimes I even accidentally fall asleep.” Chloe chuckled lightly. "I guess it's because I don't really have friends either. At home, I’m alone.”
Not long after, the door opened, and Alfred stepped out and walked toward them.
"Ethan's condition is very stable," Alfred said with a smile. "I'd still like to run some tests, Mrs. Mannon, just to make sure his cancer cells are truly inactive."
“Asleep? You mean there’s a chance Ethan could survive?” Mrs. Mannon's voice trembled with disbelief.
“Isn’t that the miracle we’re all hoping for? I have a good feeling—Ethan might just make it.”
Mrs. Mannon couldn’t hold back her emotions and burst into tears. Chloe wrapped an arm around Ethan’s mother’s shoulders and patted her gently. It was fantastic news, even if it still needed to be confirmed by more tests.
“Thank you, Dr. Alfred. Thank you,” Mrs. Mannon sobbed.
“I’ll run the tests tomorrow. Make sure he gets enough rest.” Alfred glanced at his watch. "Well, then, I'll be off. See you later, Mrs. Mannon and Chloe.”
Chloe gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Doc."
For a while, Chloe simply sat with Mrs. Mannon, letting the older woman release all her emotions in silence. Then, Mrs. Mannon took a deep breath and turned to Chloe.
“Thank you for being such a good friend to Ethan.”
"I'm glad to be friends with him, ma'am. You raised him well. He’s honest and fair.”
"Really?" A small laugh escaped Mrs. Mannon. "From what I know, he's actually very spoiled."
"I think he just wants to show you his weak side."
Both women laughed softly.
Chloe soon felt it was time to leave. Staying too long at the hospital might raise suspicion. Moreover, Alfred could get into trouble if people thought they were too close.
“I have to go, Mrs. Mannon. If I have time, I’ll drop by again.”
"Please do. Ethan would love your company.”
"Of course."
After Chloe left, Mrs. Mannon returned to Ethan’s room. He was lying on the bed with his eyes glued to his phone screen. She let out a long sigh through her nose.
"You really shouldn't be on your phone so much. The radiation could affect your body,” she scolded gently.
Ethan looked up and laughed, but he still put his phone on the nightstand. Mrs. Mannon sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand.
“Did Dr. Alfred tell you anything about your progress, Ethan?” she asked carefully.
“Yeah, he said my cancer cells aren’t aggressive anymore. Maybe they're even the opposite.” Ethan quickly added, "But that still has to be proven with more tests."
"That's good news."
"I don't want to get my hopes up, Mum. If I can really recover, I’ll fight for it. But I don’t want to rely on miracles.”
Mrs. Mannon’s heart ached at her son’s acceptance of death—something most people couldn't face, including herself. She wasn’t sure she could survive losing Ethan.
“Then let’s just try together, okay?” she finally said.
Ethan nodded. His mother got up from the bed and began unpacking the snacks she’d brought. Silence stretched between them until she suddenly asked,
“Are you close with Chloe?”
“Pretty close.”
She turned to him. "Close as in, is there something between you two?"
"What kind of something?" Ethan looked confused. Then, suddenly, he understood. "Oh, no, Mum. Chloe and I are just friends. Nothing more.”
"Really? That’s too bad. Chloe seems like such a good girl. She visits you all the time. I thought there was something special between you two.”
"Well, she's also my teammate. We're a solid pair. And if you think she’s special, you’re right. She’s special to me. She’s cool and amazing.”
"I hope your friendship lasts a long time, even longer than my lifetime." She looked at him deeply.
“Mum…”
"That means you have to survive, Ethan. You have to live long enough to know what it feels like to be old and grumpy like me.”
Ethan opened his arms, and his mother leaned into them for a hug. Tears streamed down her face as emotions collided in her heart. Meanwhile, Ethan’s thoughts drifted to the game OFF LIMIT.
Because miracles don’t just happen. The more Ethan played OFF LIMIT, though, the more his body seemed to improve in real life. Would the game really grant his wish if he could reach the final level?
To be healthy again, just like before?

Ethan woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and burning with heat. He shoved the blanket off and sat up groggily, leaning against the headboard. His hand instinctively reached for his phone and scrolled through the messages.
Two hours earlier, Dane had texted him that he would be logging into OFF LIMIT. Chloe had also texted several times, frustrated that Miriam wasn’t responding to her. Most of her texts were about Miriam.
But there was nothing from Miriam.
Somehow, that drained Ethan’s spirit.
“Huff…” He puffed out his cheeks and stared at the glowing screen.

Ethan could text Miriam and try to mediate between her and Chloe. But would that be sticking his nose in too far?
They were a team, of course, but this kind of conflict should be resolved between the two of them.
He knew Chloe hadn’t meant to sacrifice Miriam. It was just a misunderstanding. If Miriam continued to feel pressured, she might walk away. Ethan didn’t want to lose her.
His mind wandered to her face—her beauty, her curves.
Ethan shook his head quickly, chasing the image away. Had the room not been dim, his blushing face would have been obvious.
“What’s wrong with me?” he muttered, confused by his feelings.
Without another thought, he reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the OFF LIMIT console.
"Hopefully Dane's still online."
He took a deep breath and pressed the START button.