Izana gently lowered Leah onto the hospital bed in the medical room, his hands steady but tense. Her body was pale, trembling faintly, and her eyelids fluttered as if holding on to consciousness. He brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, his touch careful, precise.
"There," he murmured softly. "You're safe now. Rest. I'm here."
Leah's lips parted weakly. "…I feel… strange," she whispered, her hand drifting instinctively to her abdomen. It wasn't pain, not exactly, but a weight that left her trembling.
"I know," he said, kneeling beside her, his green eyes scanning her face. "You're weak. That's why you're here. That's why I insisted."
"I… I didn't want to trouble you," she admitted, voice cracking.
"You are allowed to feel weak," he said gently, pressing a thumb along her temple. "But you are not allowed to face it alone."
She tried to lift her hand toward him, but it fell limply. "…Promise me you won't leave," she whispered, panic flickering faintly in her eyes.
"I promise," he said softly, brushing her hair back. "I'm here."
A nurse stepped forward, voice careful but professional. "Sir, we'll need to run some basic tests—vitals, blood work, perhaps imaging. We need to understand what's happening."
"I will stay," Izana said firmly, tightening his hold gently around her shoulders. "I will not leave her side."
Leah's fingers twined weakly in his shirt. "…Please," she murmured. "Don't go."
"I'm not going," he said, voice low but firm. "Not while you are like this. I am right here."
The nurse nodded and began the preliminary examination. The cold stethoscope pressed against Leah's chest, her heart fluttering under his careful gaze. He whispered encouragements as the cuff tightened around her arm, murmuring reassurances when the blood pressure machine beeped.
"How… how long will this take?" Leah asked faintly, her voice trembling.
"Not long," Izana replied. "I'm here. You will not face this alone."
Minutes passed. The subtle pulse beneath his chest—the whisper of the curse—stirred urgently, sensing her unease and vulnerability. Normally, he could ignore it, but tonight it tugged insistently at him, warning that something was wrong, something he needed to protect her from.
"You're tense," he murmured, running a gentle hand down her back. "Do you feel pain anywhere?"
"No… just weak. Dizzy," she whispered, shivering slightly.
He pressed a kiss to her temple. "We will find out why. You are safe."
The doctor glanced up from her notes. "We'll need blood tests and imaging. She's stable for now, but the results will guide us further."
Leah's eyes widened faintly. "…I… I don't want it to be serious," she said, voice trembling.
"You are here, and you are safe. That is what matters," Izana said softly, brushing her hair back again. "Trust me."
At that moment, his phone buzzed sharply. He glanced at the screen. Dante. His jaw tightened.
"Iz—." Leah started, weakly, sensing the urgency in his movements.
"I have to answer," he said softly, placing a hand over hers briefly. "I will return immediately."
"…You have to go?" she asked faintly, panic rising.
"Yes," he admitted. "But only for a moment. It is urgent. You must trust me."
She pressed her forehead against his chest. "…I do," she whispered.
He answered the call, voice sharp but controlled. "Dante."
"Boss," Dante said urgently. "It's worse than expected. The rival is coordinating with Leah's parents. They're planning something. It could escalate at any moment. You need to—."
"I understand," Izana interrupted, jaw tightening. He glanced back at Leah, her eyes wide and anxious, clinging faintly to his shirt. "…I have to go. I'm sorry," he murmured softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She shook her head weakly. "…I understand… but I don't want to be alone," she whispered, tears glimmering.
"I know," he said gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I love you. I will return as soon as I can. Hold on for me."
"I… I love you too," she whispered, voice weak but sincere.
A rare smile tugged at his lips. "Then be strong. For now. Everything else can wait."
The subtle pull beneath his chest—the curse—roared, tugging at him with desperate insistence, urging him to stay, to abandon all else. He felt the familiar pressure, the warning, the tension of a thousand whispered cautions. But he did not stop. Not yet. Duty called.
"Go," she whispered softly, her hand slipping from his grasp, though her eyes lingered on him. "I… I trust you."
He inhaled sharply, the faintest tremor in his jaw, before stepping away. "I will return," he promised once more, voice tight with control. Then he left the room.
The doctors immediately stepped forward, gently guiding Leah to lie fully back against the bed and covering her with a warm blanket. "You're safe now," one said softly. "We'll run some tests. Everything is going to be fine."
"I… I just… I don't want to be alone," Leah whispered, clutching the blanket. Her eyes flicked toward the door where Izana had left. "…I want him here."
"You are not alone," the nurse said firmly but kindly. "We're right here. Let us help you."
The examination continued, with Leah's trembling evident as her vitals were checked. She gripped the nurse's hand at intervals, letting small, breathless sobs escape. "I… I'm scared," she admitted softly, voice quivering.
"You are allowed to be scared," the doctor said gently. "But we are going to understand what is happening. You are safe."
Leah nodded, her lips pressed thin. "…I just… I need him."
"You will see him again soon," the nurse said. "For now, focus on your health."
The doctor performed an ultrasound, the cold gel making Leah shiver slightly. "It feels… strange," she whispered.
The monitor's image made her eyes widen. The doctor glanced at the results, her expression softening. "Leah… you're pregnant."
The monitor's image froze her gaze. Her hand flew to her abdomen, eyes wide. "…I'm… pregnant?" she whispered, almost breathless, the word trembling on her lips.
"Yes," the doctor said softly, observing her carefully. "Your symptoms make sense now. The tests confirm it. You are pregnant, Leah. We will guide you through everything. You are safe."
Leah's chest tightened, a mix of awe and fear flooding her. "…He… he doesn't know…" she murmured to herself, pressing a hand to her abdomen. "…I hope he'll be happy…"
The nurse placed a gentle hand over hers. "He will, Leah. And he will want to know. But for now, focus on yourself. You need rest. That is the most important thing right now."
Leah leaned back against the pillows, eyes brimming with tears, still trembling slightly. "…I just… I need him," she whispered again, voice barely audible.
Outside, the soft hum of monitors and the quiet shuffle of the medical team filled the space. Inside, Leah sat with the weight of a secret that would change everything, waiting for Izana to return—but knowing, in that moment, she had to face the first realization of her pregnancy alone.