Chapter 185
“Elysial” Her eyes reddened with unshed tears as she said, “He’s in a bad place right now! A very bad place!”
Tarquin held his breath, trying to quell the storm rising within him. “What's wrong
with him?”
“He has no light inside him. No water, no life, and nothing positive or uplifting. Just an endless fog and swirling
dust. He's lying in a desolate wasteland, battered and barely hanging on... He's not going to make it.”
Tarquin’s head buzzed as though struck by a gong. “What do you mean, hot going to make it? Be clear”
in his mind, he’s not going to make it. When he can’t hold on any longer, in reality... he will...
“He will what?”
“He will die!”
Tarquin gasped, the words hitting him like a ton of bricks.
Elysia continued, “When he loses the will to live and the belief in his spirit, he will lose the desire to continue in
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtreality. He'll find any way to end it all, and that’s often the outcfor children with severe psychological
issues.”
“It can’t be! | told him | had found his birth mother. Shouldn't he be excited and looking forward to it? Why would
he still be so injured?”
“You told him you found his mother?”
“Yes.
“He might not believe you, knowing you lied. Or maybe deep down, he feels that as long as his mother isn’t
back, she’s not really found, and the search must go on to solve his current predicament. Only bringing his
mother back might change that ”
Terquin was silent.
The room stayed quiet until an alarm broke the silence from outside.
It was 6:30 am, Elijah’s tto wake up, but he remained asleep
Elysia explained, “I had to hypnotize him earlier, so he needs to sleep a bit longer.”
Tarquin said nothing.
Elysia wasn’t sure what else to say. Elijah had been keeping her at arm’s length, preventing her from offering him
any psychological counseling, Mental illness wasn’t something that could be cured with medication alone.
After a whi
upsetting him when he wakes.”
a while, sensing that Elijah would soon awaken, Elysia stood to leave. “I should go, to avoid upset
Tarquin glanced at Elijah and followed Elysia out of the room.
“You don’t need to escort me,” she said as he approached the door.
Tarquin didn’t reply, only grabbing a child's scarf from a hook near the door and tossing it to her.
It was soft and adorned with cartoon monsters-
Cijah’s
Elysia was taken aback. “You calledhere just to givT
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Tarquin didn’t speak, closing the door behind him, heading downstairs.
After a moment's hesitation, Elysia followed.
Tarquin was still at the sspot, lighting a cigarette, taking puffs in silence
Elysia looked at him, feeling a twinge of pity. Perhaps as a parent herself, she understood what it was like when a
child was in trouble.
But there was little she could do to help. She offered her final advice, “If Elijah shows any strange behavior when
he wakes up, call me. If he becomes extremely agitated, give him the medication | provided earlier. Try to avoid
gedatives. It’s harmful for kids”
Tarquin continued to smoke, his face a mask of stoicism
Elysia left with the scarf, but as she reached the commer, she couldn't resist looking back.
In the cold, snowy landscape, the man stood alone against the whiteness, cigarette smoke curling around his
furrowed brow, a picture of desolation.
If his demeanor had been less stem, the image would have been one of utter heartbreak.
Elysia pursed her lips, her feelings a tangled knot. She didn’t wish him well, so sympathy wasn’t quite night, but
she couldn’t muster any joy at his plight either.