The Royal Mark-Chapter 154: Free Us

’Princess, please hurry! The prince is having difficulty breathing,’ Lexi urgently informed Elsa mentally.

’We’re on our way. I found something useful in the alchemy room.’

Elsa doesn’t know how would she feel about the whole situation and about her discovery in the secret room. She’s dealing with both good and bad news, and she doesn’t know if Chris will overcome the poison or return to normal even if he does survive.

Laureen almost jumped into the bed to bring Elsa as close to Chris as possible. From her skirt pocket, Elsa retrieved what appeared to be a vintage syringe, crafted entirely from metal and featuring a thick, long needle. Swiftly, she injected it into Chris and began to slowly push the plunger.

"Lexi, how’s his heartbeat? Can you hear it?" Elsa inquired immediately after administering the injection.

Lexi placed her hand on her chest, exhaling as she replied, "It’s slowing down, princess."

A collective sigh of relief filled the room as everyone exhaled, realizing they had been holding their breath without knowing. Elsa gently placed her hand on Chris’ forehead and remarked, "Oh, thank God. He’s cooling down. Looks like he’s starting to sweat too," upon observing beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Curious, Valeria inquired, "What is that?"

"This is a syringe, Grandma. It seems my great-grandma took many secrets to her grave," Elsa responded.

Rylie sought more information, asking, "What does it do?"

Elsa explained, "You can load it with medicine and directly inject it into the patient’s vein. This way, the effect is faster since it goes straight into the bloodstream instead of waiting for the stomach to process it if ingested."

"Where could my mother find something like this? There’s nothing similar in Zemaria," Valeria remarked as she examined the vintage syringe.

"She might have been to Novus before. This design is quite old; what we use there is made of plastic and is disposable. This one is fine too, but it needs to be sterilized after each use," Elsa explained.

"But why would she go to Novus just for that? We have magic here," Valeria questioned, puzzled.

"As you mentioned earlier, not everything here can be healed with magic. However, some are possible with science and medicine. I’ll investigate further in her room once Chris is in better condition. Right now, he’s still not out of the woods. Even though I countered the effect of belladonna, he still has wolfsbane in his system that we need to worry about," Elsa noted.

She then passed the vintage syringe to Arla, instructing, "I need you to find a glassworker who can craft a glass barrel for this. Collaborate with a blacksmith for the needle and plunger. I need a thinner needle if possible." Arla nodded and went on her way.

"Go and rest. I’ll take over from here. All of you stayed up all night while I fell asleep," Elsa told Rylie, Lexi, and Laureen.

"I will stay with you," Valeria insisted.

"No, Grandma. You should rest too. Just instruct the servants to send me some food; I’ll be fine," Elsa replied.

After everyone left, Elsa remained by Chris’ side, and her tears began to fall uncontrollably. ’Please wake up, my love. Don’t leave me. Please fight back...’ Elsa pleaded through their bond, but she received no response.

Throughout the day, Elsa stayed in their room, dedicating her time to checking on Chris and reading the books written by her great-grandmother, Archmage Nadezhda Morgan, about medicinal plants in Zemaria. While some plants resembled those in Novus, many were entirely new to her.

Engaging in the books helped her pass the time instead of worrying. Elsa also made notes that she believed could assist the citizens of Zemaria and Arcanis in the future, with the mass production of syringes and stronger antibiotics topping her list.

As night fell, Chris still showed no signs of waking up. However, his complexion began to turn pink, easing Elsa’s concern. After checking his vitals one last time, she sat beside him to continue her reading.

She sensed their bond suddenly reestablished; Chris had removed the barrier he had put to block Elsa from his thoughts. However, he remained in a deep slumber without waking up.

Nevertheless, Elsa felt no cause for concern, as there was no indication of pain coming from Chris, and his appearance suggested a gradual recovery. She gently placed the book she had been reading on the bedside table on her side and planted a tender kiss on Chris’ forehead.

"Please be awake when I wake up, my love. Don’t keep me worrying anymore," she whispered before settling down to sleep.

Elsa’s surroundings shifted, and she found herself once again in the familiar forest. "Damn! This place again? What’s the deal this time?" Elsa rolled her eyes, placing both hands on her waist as she surveyed her surroundings.

She had thought her dreams had stopped after discovering the mark on her wrist was linked to Chris, but surely, she was mistaken. While it was the same dream, this time, no one was chasing her.

"Now what? Should I just take a stroll in this forest?!" Elsa shouted, only to startle birds into flight with her loud exclamation.

She walked for what felt like hours, finding no one and no significant events occurring. Growing tired, she attempted to rest and even tried to sleep, hoping to wake up in reality. However, nothing changed.

Struggling to remain calm, Elsa sensed the brewing anger and impatience within her, threatening to escalate into wrath. She continued walking, searching for an exit or at least something different, but every direction led to the same scenery.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Elsa yelled, feeling her anger surge from deep within. Flames erupted from her feet, creating a wave of fire that consumed everything in its path. The blast was so powerful that it knocked down numerous trees within a five-kilometer radius.

Shocked by her own actions, Elsa realized the strength of the power she possessed even in a dream. The smoke quickly dissipated, revealing a distant snowy mountain.

"Free us! Save us! Free us! Save us!" Voices echoed around Elsa. Some seemed nearby, while others felt distant. She looked around her surroundings... She saw no one. The voices persisted, calling out to her, asking her to free them, pleading to save them.