The hospital room was quiet. Only the soft ticking of the wall clock and the faint hum of medical equipment filled the still air. Pale morning light filtered in through the window, casting a dim glow on Shina Mariposa as she sat on the edge of the bed. A bandage wrapped around her head, concealing wounds that paled in comparison to the collapse she felt inside.
Her gaze was distant, staring through the glass as if the world beyond no longer concerned her. Without turning, she murmured under her breath, "So… I've failed again."
Lucy, sitting close by on the chair beside the bed, lifted her eyes. She looked at her sister with tired concern. Near the door, arms crossed and eyes shaded by his hair, stood Canis Majoris. He said nothing, simply watching the broken figure before him.
"You don't need to worry about any of that," Lucy said gently. "My forces are handling the aftermath. Just focus on your recovery, Shina."
Shina didn't react. Not a word, not a glance.
Lucy continued, her voice softer, tinged with guilt, "This wasn't your fault. I was there too. I should've acted faster when the Bloodminers appeared—"
"Sis."
Shina's voice cut in, soft yet unwavering. She finally turned her head and looked at Lucy. For the first time, their eyes met. Shina's eyes trembled as if on the verge of tears… but none came. Only a bitter smile crossed her lips, fragile and painful.
"This was my job… to prevent this disaster. And I failed."
Lucy couldn't bear it. Her heart clenched as she saw her strong, fearless little sister looking so shattered. She stood and gently pulled Shina close, letting her rest against her chest. One hand cradled Shina's head, stroking her hair with the tenderness of an older sibling who wished she could take all the pain away.
"I'm sorry…" Lucy whispered, not even sure who the apology was for.
Canis didn't move. His face remained shadowed, his expression unreadable, jaw clenched in silence.
The door suddenly opened.
"Master! Lady Luc-!" Aron's voice was full of relief.
But his steps stopped short when Canis placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
Aron turned, surprised to find his master standing beside the door. He hadn't noticed him until now.
"Master?" he whispered.
Canis raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Their eyes met, and in that brief moment, Aron saw something he rarely saw in his master—grief. A quiet grief, buried deep beneath steel and silence.
Aron obeyed that silence. He lowered his head and stood beside Canis—another witness to pain that words could not mend.
---
Canis gestured with a subtle nod, signaling Aron to follow him out of the room. Without a word, Aron gave a small nod and walked behind his master. They stepped into the dimly lit hallway of the hospital, their footsteps echoing softly against the sterile tiles.
After a moment of silence, Aron spoke, "Master… what are you planning to do now?"
Canis didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed forward, lost in thought.
"Where's Easton?" he asked instead.
Aron blinked. "He's outside. In the front garden. Said he needed some air."
Without replying, Canis changed direction and headed for the exit. Aron followed closely behind.
They found Easton sitting on a bench beneath the pale morning sky. He looked up as they approached, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Looks like our ice queen's awake," Easton said, nodding toward the hospital. "How is she?"
Canis didn't respond to the question. Instead, he asked, "Still no signs of the Bloodminers?"
Easton leaned back on the bench, arms stretched along the backrest. "Nothing. It's dead quiet. They're not going to show their faces again anytime soon—not after what they pulled yesterday."
Canis narrowed his eyes, the gears in his mind turning. His instincts told him something didn't feel right. After a moment's pause, he turned and began walking toward the nearby public phone booth beside the hospital entrance.
He stepped inside, picked up the receiver, and punched in a long sequence of numbers with practiced precision.
The dial tone buzzed once… twice…
Click.
Someone answered.
No one knew who Canis called. Not Easton, not Aron.
But whoever it was, they mattered.
Because for the first time in a long while, Canis Majoris was asking for help.
"I need your help..... Now!" Canis said it with a glow in his Golden eyes.
{Chapter 40 end}