Chapter 101: Redemption in Icy Waters
(Ethan''s POV)
The moment I plunged into the Moonlit Reflection Pool, my body revolted against the decision. The icy water felt like a thousand needles piercing my skin simultaneously, stealing my breath and sending violent tremors through my muscles.
Winter had turned the once-pleasant pool into a frigid hell. My exposed flesh immediately.
turned an angry red, stinging painfully as I forced myself deeper.
Despite my Alpha strength, the bitter cold threatened to overwhelm me. My lungs burned,
demanding air, while my limbs grew heavier with each passing second.
None of it mattered. All I could think about was Lily-my daughter whom I''d failed in life and
continued to fail in death. The crystal pendant containing her ashes was somewhere in this
murky water, discarded by my own hand in a moment of blind rage.
I pushed forward, my amber eyes straining to see through the cloudy depths. The thought of leaving without the pendant was unthinkable. This was my penance, my desperate attempt at
redemption.
My fingers scraped along the bottom, feeling through mud and debris. Each second underwater was agony, but I deserved this pain. I deserved far worse for what I''d done to Lily..
The cold began to numb my extremities, making my search more difficult. Still, I persisted, surfacing only when my lungs screamed for air before diving again immediately.
"Alpha King!" Maxwell''s voice reached me during one of my brief moments above water. "You need toe out! Your body can''t withstand this temperature much longer!"
I ignored him and dove again. Maxwell didn''t understand. No one could understand the depth of my failure, the magnitude of my guilt.
My hands methodically searched through the mud and debris at the bottom of the pool. I refused to leave until I found what I was looking for-thest physical connection to my
daughter.
Maxwell''s voice grew more urgent each time I surfaced. "Mr. Stone, please reconsider. Your body temperature is dropping dangerously low."
I could hear the concern cracking his usuallyposed demeanor, but I couldn''t stop. Not
< Chapter 101: Redemption in I...
until I found Lily.
+15 Points>
The cold was bing dangerous. My movements grew sluggish, my thoughts foggy. But somewhere in this pool was my daughter''s remains, and I would not abandon her again.
My hand caught on something sharp-an abandoned fishing line that sliced into my palm. Blood clouded the water around me, but even this fresh pain couldn''t deter me from my mission.
Then, miraculously, my fingers closed around a small, familiar object. The moment I felt it, I knew. Lily''s Ashes Crystal Pendant.
I clutched it to my chest with a reverence I''d never shown in life, protecting it as I should have protected her. With thest of my strength, I kicked toward the surface, breaking through with a desperate gasp.
Maxwell rushed forward as I struggled toward the edge of the pool. "Alpha King! Thank the moon you''re alright!"
He helped pull me from the water, his face pale with worry. My body was numb, my lips blue from cold, but in my bleeding hand I held the most precious thing in the world.
"Dry clothes, quickly," Maxwell said, already wrapping my ck Alpha Overcoat around my shoulders.
I changed with trembling hands, never letting go of the pendant. Once dressed, I carefully opened my bleeding palm to examine my prize.
The crystal pendant gleamed despite its time underwater. Inside, I could see the fine gray ash -all that remained of my beautiful daughter.
Unshed tears filled my eyes as I stared at it. "I need to return this to Olivia," I said, my voice barely recognizable.
Maxwell nodded, already moving toward the car. "I''ll drive you to Maple Grove immediately."
The journey passed in silence, my mind consumed with what I would say to Olivia. What words could possibly convey my remorse, my shame, my desperate need for forgiveness?
As we pulled up to Olivia''s Maple Grove Cottage, I clutched the pendant tightly. This small token wouldn''t bring Lily back or erase my failures, but it was all I had to offer.