Solflare: The Painter's Secret

Chapter 289: The Shattered Promise: I Cannot Let Him See Me

Soft footsteps echoed as Leon reached the center of the stairway leading to the VIP room on the third floor.

Murmurs rose from the left where a wall separated the hallway, but the nurses muted their voices the instant they saw Leon’s face.

The green-robed nurse turned a soft gaze to Leon and then to the white-robed nurse with a faint voice. "Isn’t that Li Mei’s son and the little girl’s brother?"

The white-robed nurse placed a hand on her lips upon seeing Leon’s eyes move in their direction.

’Why is everyone looking at me with a mixture of surprise and sympathy?’ He exhaled once and climbed the last stair.

Sterilized air crashed into his face as he moved past Room 512, lifting the strand of hair plastered on his forehead.

Doctor Mike blinked upon reaching Room 514 and stopped. He pushed the door open and straightened his posture as Leon pulled to a halt.

"Your sister is in this room." His voice cracked as chilled air flew through the opening, slamming against his left cheek.

Leon’s dual hearts plummeted twice in his chest. He shifted his gaze from the doctor and focused on the bed at the far end of the room.

Sweat beaded on his face as he took a cautious first step inside.

A faint voice like Lily’s calling his name drifted by his ears while the white curtains on the windows frayed upward.

White chickadees stood on the outside window stool with raised wings as Leon moved another step forward.

Two feet from the door, heated air bounced on the window sill and the chickadee leaped into the air.

Their chirping sound echoed alongside the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor placed at the side of the bed.

Tears blurred Leon’s vision as he stopped beside the bed. The glow in his eyes vanished the moment he saw the paleness of Little Athena, lying there like a doll waiting to be dressed.

Outside the door, Doctor Mike closed his eyes to stop himself from crying, but tears dripped out of his squeezed eyelids and fell on the ground like the moon’s tears.

Cracking his eyes open, he inhaled deeply and turned his gaze entirely away from Leon and the bed.

’What at all has the Storm family done to deserve this cruel punishment?’ He thought to himself and went to sit on the metallic bench opposite the center of Room 514 and 515.

Two small rats sneaked under the bench and ran into Room 514.

Soft puffs splashed in the air as Leon’s fingers brushed Lily’s hair. "Little Athena. I have come home like I promised."

He crouched down and leaned against Lily’s left ear. "It is time to wake up, Little Athena. I have already caught you smiling."

For half a minute, Leon’s lips remained at Lily’s side as if waiting for her to crack her eyes open, but only the fraying curtains spoke.

The curtain behind him moved upward and brushed his shoulder. Chills ran down Leon’s spine as he felt the same sensation he feels whenever Lily comes into his room and places her palm on his shoulder.

A small white chickadee hovered outside the window as Leon turned. "Hey Lily, one of your pets is here."

He looked between Lily’s still body and the bird flapping its wings slowly. "See, it is waiting to play with you."

As Leon turned back to Lily, a violent fit of coughing wracked his chest. He collapsed to his knees, his hand never leaving her arm as if anchoring himself to her fading warmth.

"WHY! What at all have I done to deserve this?" He cupped his face in his right palms and lowered his head. "Whoever did this should at least do it to me instead of my little sister. She is just a kid."

He remained on the ground for hours with closed eyes, Lily’s smiling face reeling in his head.

Just as he tried to move, Lily’s thumb touched his skin on its own.

Leon pushed himself up quickly and stared at Lily’s face for so long that he did not even realize the bright sun sliding out of the sky to make way for the moon.

"Hey! Doctor." He screamed as he felt another movement from Lily.

Doctor Mike rushed into the room and began checking the heart monitor, but he swallowed hard when he saw Lily in the same state as she had been for two weeks.

"Is she waking up?" Leon asked with a glint of joy in his voice.

Doctor Mike blinked, shifting glances between Leon’s face and Lily’s pale features. "Yes, she is. But..."

"Then that is good news." Leon moved forward and brushed his palms on his face with a sharp exhale. "I have to go tell my mother about it. Where is my mother located?"

Doctor Mike’s face lost all emotion. He opened his mouth to speak but paused, placing a hand on Leon’s shoulder. "She is close, but if you can stay here a little longer, I will be glad."

"No, no. I have to make Mom be okay." Leon moved a step back and shook his head. "She might be worried about Lily, so I have to make her stop worrying. She likes doing that always."

A faint, worried smile tore on Doctor Mike’s face as he saw Leon’s reaction and how fast he spoke. ’This will be hard for him to contain. But I have no choice.’

"She is..."

He paused when he saw Zoe walking past the door with her head lowered. He waited for her to vanish then shifted his gaze back to Leon. "She is in the next room."

"Okay, thank you." Leon ran toward the door, then stopped and glanced back at the doctor. "I will come here like you said after she has freed her mind and stopped worrying about Lily."

Doctor Mike’s eyes wobbled with clenched tears as he nodded to Leon and watched him exit.

Hot tears trailed out of his eyes as he looked back at the heart monitor. "It is good I did not tell him it is now worse."

Zoe dragged her feet against the wall, her frame trembling so violently that she had to lean on the plaster for support as Leon’s voice hit her.

"Mom must be very sad about Lily’s condition. I have to make sure I make her happy and smile always like Dad instructed me to."

Zoe’s chest heaved as she muffled her cries and went straight to her knees. "I cannot let him see me."