*A glimpse into Lylas POV*

A few hours after Derak had left that day, Lylas had woke up to find Alana sleeping on the chair with half of her body leaning on the bed. Seeing her in such an awkward position, Lylas could instantly feel her discomfort.

He tried sitting up but a heavy weight compressed him deep in the bed. The dead weight was the accumulated clotted blood in one artery. Quickly, he used what was left of his remaining powers to dissipated the clogged blood. Then he readjusted his vitals so the artificial heart could be on par with his system again.

After adjusting his vitals, he sensed Derak's elixir in his blood. Using a few moments of meditation with the aid of the burning mortal sun, Lylas refined this elixir in his blood. He made it connect with his false heart. A lot his of extra arteries and veins had severed, pertaining of the loss of his essence.

It was a miracle he was still living and breathing. But it would take months, even a full year to finally gain back a quarter of what he lost. Luckily Derak had sensed this and his elixir contained a few thousand years of refined energy. It gave Lylas just enough boost to began his cultivation process.

After settling his inside, the dead weight disappeared and Lylas lifted himself up into a sitting position. He stretched his limbs and it was his shifting movement that caused Alana to spring awake.

Watching those pain-filled worried eyes, a piece of his false heart felt like it was chirping at that moment. That pain he was now very well accustomed to, however this feeling was deep rooted. It unnerved him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should have never said that you! I'm so sorry!" Alana reached out to hug him as she apologised instantly.

Lylas shifted position so he could comfortably hug her back. He couldn't believe that she was right there apologising to him, yet again. He was the one that should be apologising . He had put her through enough and yet this stupid girl was stubborn. She would love him even if he threw her to demon realm to let the ghouls suck her soul dry.

"I'm sorry too, Alana." It was all he could say. As cowardice as he was. But she should know by now; he could never truly give what she wanted. There was literally nothing left to give.

Alana shook her head and regarded him. Those innocent eyes deeply wounded him. Lylas was shocked at the feeling. A piece of her had truly entered his heart and he wasn't sure how long ago this had happened.

He could only guess it was from the moment she stared at him with those deep dark eyes that fateful night at X gallery. Such a contrast to the silver he had been so used to and yet there was something familiar about staring into Alana eyes.

"Let's never fight again. Even if we do fight in the future let's promise to work it out and never separate." She insisted.

Her words tickled Lylas's ghost heart. They were too gripping and her trust in him was astounding.

"I promise." He could only say. Still stunned at her.

Alana narrowed her eyes at him but hugged him nonetheless. "What do you swear on, because you did leave me before."

Lylas tightened his hold her. "I'm very sorry, Alana. I won't break that promise anymore. From this day on, I swear on my primordial soul, I won't."

Alana was moved. If he had said he swore on his heart, she would have known that he would plan on breaking more promises in the future. But he swore on his primordial soul. He knew he had no heart left to swear on.

Alana looked at him wondering how he could continue to mourn for that woman with an artificial heart. How could he continue to be so gentle and caring? How could he keep being Lylas with his life now threatened?

Thinking over this, Alana tightened his hold on him. Never wanting to let go. It was unspoken but that promise was pivotal. And to Lylas, he couldn't understand why this woman unwound him so much.

He didn't know why every time with her felt like if he didn't grab her hand, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He didn't know how and when she had wormed her way into his heart and made rest at the corner there. He didn't know why he could picture himself living with her for the rest of his life. From the moment she willingly offered herself as sacrifice for his son, he knew her heart was pure. That love for him had moved him so much, he couldn't view Alana as just a mere mortal any longer.

"Alana."

"Hmmm..." she looked up.

"Nothing..."

Those innocent eyes were enticing, the love in them, branding. Lylas felt himself reciprocating the look in her eyes. From this day onwards he decided he would devote himself to this woman. She deserved that from him at least.

As Alana watched his golden eyes brightening as he looked at her, she felt her heart soaring again.

*

***

*

After that day, Alana and Lylas made a pact to never leave each other's side. Lylas also decided they wouldn't move to his realm anymore. Instead they will stay at that island together for the remainder of her pregnancy.

The plan changed because, he needed to re-cultivate the essence he lost. If he went back to his realm in that state, he would worry his disciples. Besides, this mortal island sat right beneath Nroka's gourd. The heavenly god of war's mountain river bank.

At the edge of this heavenly river was a waterfall. It was this waterfall that fed the mortal realm's Indiana ocean. Parts of this waterfall was always filled with heavenly energy. Using this heavenly energy, Lylas found himself a perfect sanctuary to cultivate.

Alana had readily agreed to his suggestion. In her case, she preferred that island over his palace in his realm. His realm was peaceful enough, however it was chaotic in itself. His palatial home, although had minimum people compared to the vastness of it, didn't offer that much privacy as they wanted.

As the months flew by Alana's belly grew and grew. Lylas and Alana basked in each other and their growing son. Alana knew it well why Lylas was catering to her so carefully. As to him, looking after her so thoroughly was the same as looking after his son. She knew it all and yet she couldn't help but feel her love grow.

The affections he gave her, the content smiles. Moments when they were silent and he would lie in her lap with his hand on her growing belly. She would feel it hit straight into her heart. And couldn't help but wish this feeling right there with him could last.

She knew it all. He was doing all of this because her days were numbered. And yet...she couldn't help but picture an alternate future together.

A future with their little bean, in each hand, strolling in this island's forest or beach. Eating ice creams made from scratch, watching little bean chase birds and dolphins. And after the day of adventures, they would return to their house and put their little bean to bed. And then they would sit by a fire in the living room holding hands, enjoying the evening.

This dream of Alana's felt bittersweet whenever she would wake up to reality. The reality of being surrogate to someone else's child and receiving the love of someone else.

Alana would find herself crying in the mornings— pregnancy was the major factor in her tears. However, knowing she wasn't going to live on after she birthed this child, depressed her.

However, she would constantly remind herself why she was doing this. The sole reason why she was sacrificing her life. It was because she wanted to give Lylas Fury his world back.

Although, she had no power to give him the woman in his heart, she had long decided she loved him so much she would do anything for him. Giving him this small gift he'd longed for years spanning to many millennia, was more than she could have ever hoped for.

It didn't help her, the fact that she also longed for this child growing in her stomach. Feeling him kick in her womb, especially during her joyous moments when she laughed or ate food. It filled her whole knowing that child was so content to be inside her. This love for him was separate from the love she felt for his father. And yet, equally heartbreaking since she will never attain it.

It was feeling this love from both father and son, that Alana wondered why Naala could take her life, leaving behind such a love.

She pondered over this when she was in her final month of pregnancy and this wonderment had manifested into her dreams.

***

Alana stood next a glass cube watching the sleeping form of a beautiful maiden. It took a while for her to realise this scene was familiar to her. That this scene was the exact same scene she had once painted. After watching for a while, Alana realised that this was that woman. This was Naala.

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest at the revelation.

"Why did you leave them behind?" She screamed at the cube . "Why did you take your life?"

She was busy banging on the forcefield-covered glass, she didn't realise that the forcefield could retaliate its power against her. The power of that forcefield launched her a few feet above ground and away from the cube.

When she landed, she felt a crack splitting in her head. The aftershock of that crack resulted in her eyes becoming blurry with darkened spots obscuring her vision. What was perturbing, however, was the lack of pain. The numbness scared her because it meant she'd severed sensitive tissue in her brain. It meant she was dying, but her body wasn't aware of it...

When the darkened spots of her vision became bolder, that blackened mass overtaking her mind, Alana was too numb and weak to fight for control. She succumbed into the blackness submissively. She welcomed it with open arms like she had when Karla had almost choked her to death.

Alana couldn't understand why when death was at the corner, she ran toward it instead of against it. That will to embrace death stronger and overpowering.

As her mind became unclear, as if thousands of her neurones were severing, her last thoughts were still centred on the question she wanted to ask Naala.

....

"Why?

"Why did you take your life?"

....