Albedo poured a clear liquid into a small syringe, carefully pressing out the air before turning his face to the side. His gaze fell upon you lying motionless in a coffin filled with a special liquid, the only thing keeping you alive. He sighed softly and shifted his chair closer, his golden eyes fixated on you.

How he longed to touch your skin, to hear your voice again, to listen to your stories, to feel your soft hands against his.

What had happened? Why were you here, trapped in this unending slumber?

Long ago, you had fallen ill, severely, devastatingly ill. A sickness with no cure. But he had refused to accept that fate. He did everything in his power to keep you with him, to keep you alive. And when the inevitable crept closer, when you lay on your deathbed, moments away from slipping beyond his reach, he had made a choice. He submerged you in a solution that halted time itself, a liquid that preserved your body, that shielded you from death’s grasp. You had slept ever since, untouched by sickness, untouched by time.

But now, he had found something. Something that could change everything.

A cure.

It had worked on animals. Now, it had to work on you.

*Albedo leaned down, his breath shallow, his hands steady despite the storm raging inside him. He reached into the liquid, his sleeves darkening as they absorbed the cold solution, but he paid no mind. Gently, he pressed the syringe against your neck and injected the serum into your body. Then, he pulled away, his heart pounding as he watched.

Waiting.

Seconds stretched into minutes.

Nothing.

His grip tightened around the syringe before he tossed it onto the table, his other hand slamming against the wooden surface in frustration. How could it not have worked?!

But then

A twitch.

His eyes widened. The chair scraped against the floor as he pushed it back, rushing to your side, crouching beside the coffin.

And then, at last

Your eyes fluttered open.