"Clear!"

"Still, no heartbeat doctor Anne!"

"One more time... Clear!"

Charlie struggled to open her eyes, finding herself in a world that was pure and dazzling. Light flowed beneath her like clear water, lifting her up.

Lying in the center of this pure white world, Charlie felt utterly drained, memories flashing chaotically through her mind.

Serena's smile flashed in her thoughts, bringing tears to her eyes.

It dawned on her that Serena had been her sole support throughout the three years since her arrival in this world.

Desperately, Charlie reached out to hold onto these memories, but they seemed to slip away, disappearing from her mind bit by bit.

A profound sense of powerlessness overwhelmed her already weakened body.

Struggling only seemed to make her situation more futile.

Then, a voice, faint yet penetrating, reached into her soul.

"My child, do you wish to live?"

Charlie lifted her head to see a majestic lion-like figure before her, seemingly a guardian of this world, or perhaps an embodiment of god.

As she gazed at the fading image of Serena in her mind, the lion beckoned her closer.

Summoning all her strength, Charlie stood up from the ground, her weak legs supporting her fragile form.

Though her body appeared unscathed, it was merely a facade in this pristine white world. Each step brought searing pain, wounds hidden beneath her flawless exterior.

Blood trickled down her neck, staining the snow-like ground with each hesitant step.

Uncertain if this was a trial bestowed by the gods, Charlie found the lion, once near, now distant.

With no indication of illusion or reality, she continued to walk, her body numb, driven solely by the desire to see Serena again.

Until Charlie seemed to have tripped over something, and she staggered and fell directly to the ground.

As Charlie stumbled, she felt the presence of something divine. The lion, its majestic form dislodged from its rocky perch, settled gracefully onto a rugged outcrop nearby.

Charlie's skin brushed against the rough surface, leaving a faint mark upon her pale complexion—a reminder of her mortal limitations in the presence of the divine.

A trickle of blood welled up from the wound, forming crimson droplets that fell upon the ancient stone. 

But as despair threatened to overwhelm her, a gentle warmth enveloped her—a tender kiss upon her forehead.

"My child, what's bound to happen will happen. What has been done will be done again. This is just a gift for you."

And with those words, Charlie felt the world before her suddenly darken.

Memories that had been pulled out had begun to flood back into her brain again, overwhelming her.

"Great, heartbeat has recovered," Dr. Anne said.

The icy electronic instruments surrounding Charlie once again filled her ears, accompanied by a dazzling light.

She heard Dr. Anne's excited voice, though the words were muffled, and she drifted off to sleep in peace.

The pages of the calendar fluttered by, torn one after another, each jagged mark a reminder of the days gone by.

Outside the hospital window, the first few rays of summer sunlight danced on the glass. The thin layer revealed the true color of the roof, casting a unique atmosphere.

In the quiet ward, the monotonous sounds of surgical instruments filled the air, and Charlie's hand trembled slightly as she held the testing instrument.

The familiar scent of disinfectant surrounded her, and as the girl lying in the hospital bed struggled to open her eyes, she recognized her surroundings immediately.

What she didn't expect was the faint hint of strawberry champagne mixed with the disinfectant, and Serena lay beside her, deeply asleep.

Charlie knew Serena must have stayed by her side since she came out of surgery, and a bittersweet warmth filled her heart.

However, various monitoring devices were attached to her chest, preventing her from even pulling up a blanket.

Serena's little face, lying by Charlie's bedside, emitted a faint cry.

Then Serena suddenly sat up, catching Charlie off guard.

The first morning light streamed into the quiet, empty room, illuminating Serena's face in the clearest sunlight.

Her radiant hair framed her clear ocean blue eyes, which held a hint of confusion upon waking.

Serena's thin eyelashes fluttered irregularly, resembling a startled fawn seeking refuge.

Charlie blinked at Serena, who seemed to be slowly realizing the situation, and she witnessed the excitement bubbling up in those ocean blue eyes.

"Charlie, are you awake! Really awake? How do you feel? Are you... comfortable there, or uncomfortable..."

This was the first time Charlie had seen Serena so flustered in her speech, her ocean blue eyes filled with bright joy.

Looking at Serena, Charlie reached out and weakly held her hand. "Have you been worried these past few days? How long have I been unconscious?"

"Three days. Aunt Anne said if you didn't wake up today, the prognosis might be grim," Serena replied, her suppressed worries finally spilling over into tears.

The tears glistened on Serena's cheek, a poignant display of her anxiety.

Charlie felt a pang of emotion as she watched Serena. She lifted her hand with effort and gently wiped away Serena's tears, saying, "Silly, of course I'll wake up. As long as you're here, I'll fight to wake up."

Serena heard Charlie's comforting words and nodded, holding Charlie's warm hand tightly and greedily, finding solace from the worries and fears of the past few days.

The ward buzzed with a mix of relief and anticipation as the monitoring instruments hummed along smoothly.

Charlie seemed to recall something and asked, "...what about my father? Is he..."

She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, but Serena nodded softly in understanding.

The news of Cornelius's passing was delivered to Charlie silently, prompting an uncontrollable tear to escape her eye and moisten the gauze around her neck.

Charlie instinctively reached to touch the gauze she couldn't see, recalling a similar sight on Leora's neck.

The thin, rough texture of the gauze grazed Charlie's soft fingertips, prompting her to ask, "What happened to me?"

Upon hearing this, Serena glanced at the vibrant red gauze encircling Charlie's neck. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke with difficulty, "Your glands were severely damaged. To save your life... they had to be removed."

Serena's voice trembled with caution, her grip on Charlie's hand tightening slightly.

Charlie lay on the hospital bed, her demeanor remarkably composed as if she hadn't fully processed the information.

From being trapped in the small dark room to getting her glands removed, Charlie's mind echoed the words she heard in the chaotic, pure white world.

"What's bound to happen will happen. What has been done will be done again. This is just a gift for you."

Just a gift.

Except for death, all the trials meant for her had already occurred.

And she, by some of luck, had been temporarily spared by fate.

But with the disruption of her predetermined time of death, uncertainty now clouded her future.

Would she still meet her demise?

And how would she connect her death with a mountain cliff?

When Serena saw Charlie's stunned expression, she quickly squeezed her hand and reassured her, "Don't worry, Aunt Anne is working on a solution. Her research team has dealt with many similar cases over the years. The glands haven't been completely removed, and regeneration and repair are possible. We still have plenty of time. Take it slow, and I'll do everything I can."

Charlie's spirits lifted upon hearing Serena's words.

She looked at the girl before her, who was already planning for her sake, and shook her head gently. "No, it's okay to be an Alpha without pheromones."

As she spoke, Charlie recalled the faint scent of strawberry champagne pheromones and cast her eyes downward with a hint of disbelief. "But... I won't be able to do certain things in the future and I won't be able to give you children... Will you still..."

Before Charlie could finish her fragmented words, Serena interrupted her, "What are you talking about? Remember what you said before? If you care for someone, their attributes don't matter. Besides, it's not because you're an Alpha that I love you, right?"

"It's because you're Charlie, that's why I love you."

Serena's expression was serious, but her ocean blue eyes betrayed a hint of vulnerability.

She sat in front of Charlie, holding her hand, the sunlight behind her lending a glow to her eyes.

The monitor's fluorescent green line fluctuated sharply and irregularly, while the electronic numbers on the screen directly reflected Charlie's sudden increase in heartbeat.

Amidst the rapid ticking of the monitor, Charlie leaned in and gently kissed Serena's slightly dry lips.

The rough outline of Charlie's lips softened against Serena's, gradually yielding to a delicate pink hue.

Charlie couldn't help but run her hand through Serena's long hair, the strands wrapping around her fingers, exuding warmth.

Amidst the warmth and fragrance, a beautiful blossom of lost and found emerged within Charlie's heart. It was a tenderness she could feel even without Serena's pheromones.

Charlie's eyes welled up with tears uncontrollably, and she whispered in Serena's ear, "Serena, with you, I've endured so much."

Serena gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Charlie's eyes, her tone tinged with concern. "Don't say that, it's not a good omen."

Charlie smiled as she listened. "Since when did you start believing in superstitions?"

Little did Charlie know, tears had filled Serena's eyes the day she pulled her out of the fire.

As Serena held the dying Charlie in her arms, she felt as thou