Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 386

Chapter 386 The Cost of Memory

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FUE COVE

Finished

Tatiana stared at his outstretched hand for a long moment before slowly shaking her head and taking a step back.

“I want to go.”

His arm stiffened, then slowly dropped to his side. He stepped back, clearing a path for her. “I understand. Then I wish you… a safe journey.”

“I wish you well.”

Tatiana turned and walked away.

The group boarded the ship successfully. It wasn’t until the vessel had safely pulled away from the dock that Alita finally snapped out of her daze, staring blankly at the receding harbor and pinching her own cheek.

“Ow! That hurts! So… we really made it? We’re actually gone?”

Hanson shot her a look. “What, do you miss it? You’re welcome to jump overboard and swim back.”

“Shut up!”

Tatiana stood on the deck, the sea breeze catching her long, dark hair and letting it flutter behind her. She was on the ship; he was on the harbor. The distance between them grew wider with every passing second.

The string that had been pulled taut in her heart for so long finally snapped. Her vision blurred, her body swayed, and she collapsed into the darkness.

“Hey!”

One month later.

Alita carried a tray of herbal medicine, her movements slow and deliberate to ensure not a single drop was spilled.

“It’s time for your medicine.”

way fr

Tatiana pulled her gaze away from the window. Her eyes were like a pool of stagnant water–still and lifeless. She had grown painfully thin; her cheeks were hollow and her chin was sharp, making her eyes look unnaturally large. Beneath her oversized shirt, her frame was so fragile that the wind seemed to fill the fabric as if it were empty.

Alita’s heart ached at the sight. “Are you feeling any better?”

Tatiana offered a faint smile. “I’m fine. Just leave the medicine there; I’ll drink it in a bit.”

But Alita was insistent. “I’m watching you drink it. Otherwise, you’ll just pour it out the second I turn my back!”

Tatiana didn’t argue. She drank the medicine under Alita’s watchful eye.

Alita then pulled out a pile of fresh fruit like she was presenting a treasure. “Look! Red ginseng berries! Your

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Chapter 386 The Cost of Memory

favorite! I scoured the entire forest to find these. I wouldn’t give them to anyone else.”

Finished

The round, vibrant berries were piled on the table, looking incredibly tempting. A flicker of light finally touched Tatiana’s eyes. “Thank you, Alita.”

“Don’t mention it.” Alita paused, her voice softening. “I just want you to feel better. We’re all worried about you.”

Since returning to Steele Island half a month ago, Tatiana’s condition had been poor. She had been plagued by recurring fevers that refused to break. At one point, when the fever was at its worst, Hanson had grown so desperate that he sailed out and kidnapped a doctor.

Fortunately, she had survived the worst of it and the fever had finally receded.

But since then, Tatiana had become a different person. She was somber, silent, and lived in a trance–like state, often sitting by the window for an entire day. The only thing that seemed to rouse her spirit was handling the island’s affairs.

As her closest friend, Alita was the most concerned.

“What can I do to make you happy? I’ll do anything! Are you still thinking about that man? I’ll go kidnap him for you–I’ll break both his legs so he can never run away again!”

Tatiana let out a genuine laugh at that. “There’s no need for that. I’m not thinking about him. It’s just… my head hurts.”

It was more than just a little. Her head had been throbbing for an entire month. Her mind was a constant cinema of disjointed images–some strange, some familiar–crowding her thoughts until she could no longer tell what was real.

Sometimes she felt seventeen. Sometimes seven. Sometimes twenty–five.

The pain was excruciating, a psychic agony that felt like a thousand ants gnawing at her bones. She couldn’t describe it, and she couldn’t tell anyone. Sitting perfectly still and staring at the sky was the only thing that brought even a modicum of relief.

Alita didn’t understand. “Just a headache?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you say so sooner! I’m going to get Dr. Lucas!”

Before Tatiana could stop her, Alita was gone. She returned shortly with a handsome man wearing gold- rimmed glasses. This was Lucas Lund, the doctor Hanson had snatched. He was a brilliant physician, and after some threats and bribes, they had managed to keep him on the island. Since his arrival, the mortality rate on the island had dropped significantly.

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