am-books Chapter 286 He is finally awake
Chapter 286 He is finally awake
dakota continued to support him, and julian slowly began calming down. his screams stopped, replaced by heavy breaths, and she felt his body relax.
she called him several times, but there was no answer. she brought her fingers to his nose, checking on him, and realized that he was unconscious.
"thank god, he would not have made it through if he had continued screaming like that," she whispered, sighing in relief.
her eyes remained fixed on his face. "i don't know what he felt, but it's a surprise that he made it out alive," she murmured softly, brushing his hair away from his forehead.
she then tried lifting him, but he felt unusually heavy, far more than she had expected. she grunted in frustration, "how much do you weigh?" she muttered, her arms trembling as she gave it another attempt.
julian stirred slightly but remained unconscious. she sighed and lifted him again, but her legs gave out, and she fell to her back with a soft thud.
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for a moment, she stayed silent before bursting into laughter. "guess you have to continue sleeping here," she said with a chuckle as she glanced down at him with a smile tugging at her lips.
the night continued in peaceful silence.
dakota rested her head on top of julian's chest. her breathing grew steady, matching the rhythm of his breath, and she too drifted to sleep.
as morning arrived, the soft rays of sunlight fell upon julian's face, stirring him awake. he slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the calm and peaceful atmosphere around him.
he felt a gentle weight on him and turned his gaze downward, noticing dakota sleeping soundly. a small, warm smile crossed his lips as he watched her for a moment before carefully shifting to get up.
she stirred awake and let out a soft yawn. "oh, julian, you..." she mumbled sleepily, her voice faltering as she slowly saw the figure of julian before her.
her eyes snapped open fully, and she straightened. "julian... you are awake!" she gasped, her face lighting up with joy and relief.
julian smiled softly, his eyes meeting hers with warmth. "yes, i did."
dakota let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "what happened to you? i thought you were about to die."
"no promises," julian grinned before giving her breasts another squeeze. "trouble seems to be my specialty."
after some time, they stood and began making their way back to the nu tribe village. the village was located far from the cave and was untouched by the disaster that had taken place there. the simple huts were bathed in morning light while some villagers moved, tending to their daily chores.
as they approached the entrance, whispers immediately spread through the people.
"he's back," one villager murmured.
"yes, and he looks strong... even after all that," another agreed, shaking his head in disbelief.
julian's lips curled into a smile as he heard the chatter. dakota, who was walking beside him, gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow.
"look at that," she said with a playful grin. "you've become a hero."
julian chuckled, leaning slightly toward her. "a hero? you mean a man who was half-dead and saved by you?"
"humble too," she teased, rolling her eyes. "don't ruin it. let them admire you for once."
he laughed softly, his heart lighter than it had been in days.
as they moved toward the main hut, the wooden door creaked open, and a small figure moved out.
"brother julian! mother! you're back!" hanu said as he ran towards them. he flung his arms around dakota, burying his head into her embrace.
dakota knelt slightly, wrapping her arms around him gently. "yes, hanu. we are back. did you sleep well?"
"i did!" he replied, his eyes bright with excitement. he then turned to julian with innocent curiosity, "brother, did you enjoy our ritual?"
julian stiffened in unease, seeing the genuine curiosity of the boy. his mind flashed back to the raw memories of the ritual, and he swallowed before forcing a smile.
"it was... unforgettable," he replied, reaching out to ruffle his hair.