Chapter 126: Approaching Crisis

Yesterday, after Yang Yi collapsed unconscious in the forest, covered in blood, Thomas carried her back; the private doctor could find nothing wrong, stating only that her vital signs were normal.

Unsettled, Thomas took her to a nearby hospital for a full examination. Yet the results showed her body was perfectly healthy everywhere—only the electroencephalogram revealed abnormally active brain activity.

So, is she simply unwilling to wake up? Or unable to?

Since returning from the hospital to Timms Village, it is now the second day, and she remains unconscious.

Thomas paced restlessly by the bedside, his gaze never leaving the figure on the bed—in her coma, her brows were still tightly furrowed, as if great pain within her heart could not be expressed, as if many anxieties and confusions hidden in her soul could not be poured out to anyone, forced to fester day after day in her heart until all her bitterness coalesced into a dead volcano, occasionally a wisp of indissoluble sorrow escaping the crater and drifting between her brows.

This face was undoubtedly beautiful; if one looked only at those round apricot eyes, that perky nose, and those small lips, many would guess it was a carefree face, but upon seeing those deep, forbearing, complex eyes that seemed to hold many unspoken words, one would understand that for her, this beauty was the least of her concerns.

In the forest, blood seeped from every part of her body as if she were being tormented by some invisible force; that struggle against the brink of despair without yielding, that painful resistance, that posture of declaring war on hopelessness, deeply shocked Thomas.

He even saw an extreme hardness beneath her fragile exterior.

Who exactly was she? What exactly had she experienced? Why was she in such pain? What was forcing her?... A million questions surged in Thomas's mind; he had never been so curious about a woman before.

She was like a mysterious cave hidden in a secret realm; he had been living an ordinary life as usual, yet accidentally stepped into the entrance of this secret realm, like Alice falling down the rabbit hole; he was unconsciously drawn to her, yet instinctively felt a hint of danger, leaving his heart somewhat unsettled and suspicious.

As if the sunlight outside the window were too glaring, the girl's eyeballs moved slightly, and her brows furrowed gently.

Thomas stopped his steps; his tall, thin frame stood by the bedside, blocking the sunlight, and the girl's brows relaxed slightly.

As if annoyed by his own subconscious action, Thomas immediately shouted, "Hey! Freiza! Time to wake up!" and pushed her shoulders with a complete lack of grace.

The blanket was pulled down slightly by his movement, revealing smooth, slender shoulders and thin straps. Miranda had dressed her in a loose camisole for convenience.

As if stung by the bare shoulder, Thomas immediately covered her up tightly again with the blanket.

He began pacing by her bed again until Miranda entered carrying coffee.

"Mr., you have been by Freiza's bedside for the entire morning." Miranda set down the tray and poured him a cup of coffee. "Didn't yesterday's examination results prove it? Her vital signs are perfectly normal... perhaps she has experienced something very bad before and is simply unwilling to wake up for a while... don't worry, just let her sleep a bit longer; I think, once she figures it out, she will wake up on her own." Miranda touched the girl's forehead and said gently.

"I am not worried about her at all!" Thomas's body immediately tensed; he wrapped himself in a black silk robe, sat down abruptly on the rattan chair by the bed, cast his gaze toward the window, and spoke coldly: "If she remains unconscious like this forever, does that mean I am responsible for taking care of her forever? She has caused me too much trouble! I hate trouble the most!"

The eyes of Miranda, who had seen much of the world, showed understanding; she suppressed a smile, then spoke seriously: "Of course, it all depends on your wish. If you do not wish to see her, we can send her to a hospital under Essex's banner; just give the order, and someone will take good care of her."

Thomas raised his head proudly, feigning consideration, and finally spoke with great benevolence: "In view of the fact that she saved me in the forest, I will take care of her until she wakes up." After speaking, he added, "I do not wish to be accused of ingratitude by her!"

"Very well. As you wish, Mr." Miranda barely suppressed the smile at the corner of her mouth.

Thomas seemed to realize his pretense; he coughed lightly, picked up his coffee, took a sip, and walked out quickly, the black silk robe behind him swaying in a somewhat awkward arc.

The peaceful days did not last long; that same evening, the neighboring city of Swansea was attacked by Void-Devouring Beasts, triggering a nighttime emergency alarm that urged the masses to seek the nearest air raid shelters for refuge.

The next morning, the news reported that two Void-Devouring Beasts had appeared over Swansea, rampaging through the city for about three hours before slowly opening a spatial channel and departing after devouring nearly ten thousand people.

The news stated that they treated Earth as a hunting ground, coming to feast to their fill whenever they were hungry.

Britain had previously suffered a nuclear explosion in its capital, suffering heavy losses; the people's trust in the British government had dropped to unprecedented levels, the prince ascended the throne hastily amidst public opposition, and the government was urgently forming a new cabinet. Therefore, regarding the Void-Devouring Beast attacks, the local government had no means of defense or resistance whatsoever and could only call on the local populace to be as careful as possible.

Under such circumstances, Timms Village was no longer a safe place for seclusion.

In fact, after the nuclear explosion in the capital, Thomas had planned to return to Essex Castle, but due to Yang Yi's accidental arrival, the plan was temporarily shelved.

As early as two years ago, before dark matter was made public, the British upper class had already received the news; nobles and major capitalists rushed to build their own doomsday fortresses, and the Essex family naturally did not lag behind, constructing a formidable fortress beneath their century-old fiefdom, Essex Manor, which was fully completed two months ago.

In the morning, Thomas drank the coffee carefully prepared by Miranda as usual, sitting comfortably in the dining chair watching the news. But he had already shed his commonly worn silk robe and changed into a shirt and trousers, his standard attire.

The usually quiet cottage was now bustling with people, yet all were well-trained; apart from hurried footsteps, there was no noise. These were servants and bodyguards sent overnight by the family, and the butler was directing them to pack and move the items inside the house.

"What a pity for the vegetables in the backyard; the vegetable garden Freiza just opened has only just been sown..." Miranda brought breakfast to Thomas.

Accustomed to the comings and goings of people in the house, Miranda had been with Thomas longer than anyone else; when Thomas was young, the mistress spent her days at parties and social gatherings, and as Thomas's nanny, she had accompanied him for the longest time.

"Essex Manor covers ninety square kilometers; you can plant as many vegetables as you like." Thomas was unconcerned.

Suddenly, an emergency news bulletin interrupted the television.

"Attention! A Void-Devouring Beast has suddenly appeared over the center of Rosy City; nearby residents must seek emergency shelter and find the nearest air raid shelter for refuge! Attention! Rosy City..."

Timms Village is located on the outskirts of Rosy City; Thomas's private plane is parked at Rosy City Airport, and furthermore, Timms Village has no air raid shelters at all!

Everyone began to panic; Thomas stood up, his expression calm: "Calm down! This place is still far from the city center. Pack up the works from my studio; there is no need to take anything else."

He turned to instruct the butler: "Do not take the private plane; go in the opposite direction and leave this place immediately!"

With that, he walked into the first-floor bedroom, wrapped the girl on the bed tightly in a blanket, carried her out, and the car was waiting outside the courtyard.