Chapter 460: A Way
Olivia's POV
| appeared in the old witch’s hut—the swoman who once helpedcast the spell that brought my mother
out of her coma. The air inside was thick with smoke and the scent of herbs, just as | remembered. Luckily, she
was there.
She sat cross-legged on the cold floor, her gray hair falling loosely over her shoulders, her eyes closed as she
murmured an incantation under her breath. She must have sensed my presence, but she didn’t lift her head right
away. Her fingers kept tracing glowing symbols across the dusty floor, her voice steady and deep, whispering in
the ancient tongue.
| stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
When she finally spoke, her voice was calm, almost a whisper. "I was wondering how long it would take you to
come."
| swallowed, my throat tight. "You knew I'd come?"
The old witch gave a faint smile without looking up. "A woman whose bond has been ripped apart never stays
still for long."
Her words hitlike a blade. My knees weakened, but | steadied myself. "I need your help," | said, my voice
breaking. "I can’t lose him to death."
Now she lifted her head, her sharp eyes locking on mine. "You still feel his soul calling, don’t you?"
| nodded, my tears spilling again. "Please... | can still sense him—faintly. He's alive, but he’s slipping away. Tell
The witch studiedfor a long, silent moment. Then she sighed and rose slowly to her feet, her joints creaking.
"Child," she said quietly, "Lennox is not gone... not yet. His soul still clings to this realm, though his body sleeps
beyond mortal time."
My heart skipped. "You mean he'll wake up?"
She nodded once. "Yes. But not soon. It could take years—five... ten... maybe twenty. Tmoves differently for
souls that wander between worlds."
My breath caught. "No," | whispered, shaking my head. "No, | can’t wait that long. There has to be another way.
Something | can do now."
The witch's lips curved faintly, almost pitying. "There is always a way," she said. "But it comes with a price."
"I don’t care about the price," | said quickly. "Tell me."
She moved closer, the floor creaking under her bare feet. "Every night, you must wound yourself," she said. "Just
enough to draw a drop of blood. That drop you will feed him—place it on his tongue before dawn. | will perform a
ritual at the shour, guiding your life force into his."
| swallowed hard, my chest tightening. "Will it work?"
The witch’s eyes smirked. "You are far more powerful than you realize, Olivia. You have not yet been stretched to
your limits. The strength of a rubber band," she said, raising a wrinkled finger, "is known only when it’s pulled."
Her words sent a shiver down my spine.
"It will not take long," she continued. "If you do this faithfully, seven nights will be enough. By the seventh dawn,
he will gain consciousness."
Those words from her relieved me, but something in her voice madepause. "You said it comes with a price," |
murmured. "What kind of price?"
The witch's expression darkened. "That," she said softly, "I do not know. Each resurrection demands something
different. A soul cannot return from the other side without paying for its passage."
| frowned. "You mean he’ll be... changed?"
"Changed," she repeated, her eyes distant. "In ways we cannot predict. But he will live. His body will breathe, his
eyes will open, his heart will beat again. The only thing | cannot promise... is that he will return the same."
| felt my stomach twist. "What do you mean?"
She looked straight at me, her tone low and final. "He may not cback as the man you loved, Olivia. The
bond between you is gone. What returns may remember you, but not feel you the sway. Something will be
taken away from him as the price in place of his life."
| clenched my fists, my throat burning. | thought of the words, but nothing could compare to the idea of never
seeing Lennox open his eyes again.
"I don’t care what he becomes," | whispered fiercely. "As long as he comes back to me... I'll take him any way |
can."
The witch watchedquietly for a moment, then nodded once. "Then prepare yourself, child. Tomorrow, before
the first moonrise... we begin."
Her words echoed in my chest like a heartbeat of hope, and for the first tsince all this happened, | was able
to breathe.
| bowed slightly, my voice trembling. "Thank you... thank you."
The old witch gave a faint, knowing smile. "Don’t thankyet, child. Pray instead—that the price won't be too
cruel."
| nodded, and in a blink, | was gone.
When | opened my eyes again, | was back in Lennox’s room.
The air was heavy, thick with the scent of healing herbs. Louis and Levi were both there, standing near the
window. They turned sharply when | appeared, shock flashing across their faces.
"Olivia—" Levi started, relief flooding his voice. "You're back."
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