Nina caught him just in time, panic surging through her chest.

"Dian, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me."

She immediately poured her healing energy into him, her power flowing steadily into his fragile body.

As she examined him, her heart sank.

There were no visible injuries. But he was terribly weak... as if everything inside him had been drained away.

The warmth of her energy seeped into him, and Dian seemed to regain a trace of strength. His lips moved faintly.

"Nina... don’t waste your energy on me. It won’t help."

Nina looked down at him.

His face was as pale as paper. The brightness in his eyes had dimmed to almost nothing. His breathing was shallow, his hand limp in hers.

What happened to him? What had he done?

Yanai froze, realization dawning in his eyes.

He... had used his merfolk pearl.

Nina’s voice trembled, thick with tears.

"Don’t say that. I’ll heal you. I will."

She hurriedly called out, "Little Bun, check him. Now."

The system responded at once, scanning his condition.

Dian let out a faint, fragile smile.

"Silly sister... I can’t be healed."

He knew his own body. The moment he exhausted the power of his merfolk pearl, he had already burned through his life force.

The pearl was their life core.

When a merfolk offered it to their mate, it was the same as offering their life.

If it shattered or its energy was depleted... that was the end.

Nina’s vision blurred with tears.

She could feel it too. That fading, flickering life.

Dian lifted his other hand weakly.

Resting in his palm was a cracked, yet still beautiful blue pearl.

"Nina... this is my pearl. I wanted to give it to you on the night we bonded... but I don’t think I can wait until then."

His voice softened. "Can I give it to you now?"

Nina choked on her words. "No. You’ll hold on. You can give it to me then."

Dian smiled faintly. "Do you know... merfolk pearls are the most beautiful gems in the ocean."

He placed the broken pearl into her hand, his expression tinged with regret.

"But this one is broken now... not as beautiful anymore."

He looked at her, eyes filled with endless attachment.

"My greatest regret... is that I never got your mark. I never became your mate."

His voice grew softer.

"I may have come later... but my feelings for you are no less than theirs."

Nina clenched the cracked pearl tightly, her tears falling uncontrollably.

"I know. Dian, hold on. I’ll find a way to save you. I promise."

Dian gently wiped the tears from her face. "Don’t cry... a good mate shouldn’t make his female cry."

A faint smile touched his lips. "I want to be your good mate."

He blinked slowly, his vision already blurring.

"I always knew... you didn’t like me the same way you like the others. You agreed to take me mostly out of responsibility... because you’re the kindest female in the world."

Nina’s voice rose, shaky but firm. "Who said that? I like you too."

Dian’s lips curved faintly.

"Hearing you say that... is enough."

He exhaled softly.

"You don’t have to be sad for me. I chose this willingly. Just... can you promise me one thing?"

His gaze softened.

"Forget me a little more slowly."

Even if she was only comforting him... it was enough.

He had no regrets.

Nina pulled him tightly into her arms.

"No. If you dare leave me... I’ll forget you immediately."

Dian let out a weak laugh. "That’s fine too... then you won’t have to be sad."

His eyelids grew heavier.

"I’m so tired... can I rest like this?"

He leaned against her, eyes closing as his breathing grew faint.

"Dian, don’t sleep. I’ll heal you right now."

Nina continued pouring her energy into him, her voice trembling as she urgently asked, "Little Bun, what do we do? Tell me how to save him."

The system responded after a brief pause.

[Host, his life force is failing because his merfolk pearl has been depleted and shattered. To save him, you must repair the pearl... or help him form a new one.]

A soft sigh followed.

[But in his current state, forming a new one is impossible. You can give him a Soul Stabilizing Pill first to preserve his last thread of life. Then find a way to restore the pearl’s energy.]

"Okay." Nina didn’t hesitate. "I’ll buy it now."

She quickly purchased the pill and fed it to him.

Color returned faintly to Dian’s face, though he remained unconscious.

Nina gently brushed his cheek, her grip tightening around his hand.

There was still hope.

And as long as there was hope, she would not let him die.

Nina turned to Yanai, her grip tightening around the cracked pearl.

"What happened just now? Why did Dian exhaust the power of his pearl?"

Yanai exhaled quietly.

"We fell into two layers of illusion. The second one was far stronger. He... must have used everything he had to break it."

A trace of heaviness entered his voice.

"Can he still be saved?"

He understood what a merfolk pearl meant.

That foolish fish... had truly given everything for her.

Nina closed her fingers around the shattered pearl.

"There’s still a chance."

"That’s good." Yanai’s tone softened. "Don’t be too upset. I’ll help you bring him back."

If Dian really died... Nina would be heartbroken.

And for a fleeting moment, something like envy stirred in him.

Dian could make her worry like this.

She had even cried for him.

"Mm." Nina nodded, forcing herself to steady her emotions. Now wasn’t the time to fall apart.

Yanai stepped forward. "I’ll carry him."

Nina carefully handed Dian over. "Let’s find the star source as soon as possible... and get out."

Yanai lifted Dian onto his back, then reached for Nina’s hand.

Together, they continued forward.

***

In the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.

Not dead?

After a moment, they closed again.

***

While Nina had faced the withered tree, Odian and the others were also under attack.

Grotesque flowers with gaping, tooth-filled maws lunged toward them, snapping viciously.

Odian immediately took to the air with the cubs in his arms, rising beyond their reach.

Below, Sal and the others engaged the plants. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"My lord, these flowers are strange," Ridan said. "They can attack... and they can move."

Odian narrowed his eyes, observing carefully.

"They’re not moving on their own. Their stems can contract... and burrow through the soil."

Ridan watched more closely.

"...You’re right."

"Find their roots," Odian ordered calmly. "Destroy them at the source."

"Yes."

Ridan led the phoenix warriors away at once, searching for the root systems.

It didn’t take long.

Once located, they eradicated the plants quickly.

The threat was gone, but the campsite had been left in disarray.

The males immediately set to work restoring the area.

They could not relocate.

They had to stay here and wait for Nina.

When everything was finally put back in order, Odian descended with the cubs.

He handed them over one by one.

"The dangers here are unpredictable. Keep them in your arms at all times. Do not let them touch the ground."

The males nodded solemnly.

They would protect the cubs.

Idir glanced at Aviel, who was holding both Linny and Momo.

After a brief hesitation, he spoke. "Let me take Momo."

Odian refused without pause. "The cubs are only to be carried by us."

Unless Nina said otherwise, they had nothing to do with anyone else.

Idir said nothing more and stepped away.

Silently, the males turned their gaze toward the direction Nina had gone.

Come back safely.

***

Night fell quickly.

Somewhere deeper within the forest, Nina and Yanai found a place to rest.