Olivia''s POV


    Today was day five, and honestly, I hadn''t seen much change in Lennox since thest time he called my name. But I was still hopeful. We had two more days left, two more chances to bring him back.


    The witch had warned me that the fifth night was always the hardest, the night when the spirit began to struggle between staying and returning. So I sat by Lennox''s bedside, not wanting to leave his side.


    His face looked peaceful, too peaceful. It scared me.


    "Please, Lennox," I whispered, brushing my fingers across his cheek. "Don''t give up on me now."


    The witch began her chants, the same low ancient words that made the air tremble. I closed my eyes, holding his hand tightly, and repeated the same prayer I''d whispered every night: "Find your way back to me."


    The room felt warmer at first, then suddenly cold. A strange pull began in my chest, like something inside me was being tugged forward, drawn into a ce that wasn''t here.


    Before I could speak, everything went dark.


    When I opened my eyes, I wasn''t in the room anymore. I was standing in a forest, but it wasn''t real. The air shined like smoke, and the trees looked like shadows of themselves. Everything felt heavy, quiet, lifeless.


    "Lennox?" I called out. My voice echoed far into the mist.


    Then I saw him.


    He was walking ahead of me, barefoot, shirtless, his figure glowing faintly in the dark. But his eyes… they were empty, like he didn''t see me. He kept moving forward, deeper into the mist, toward a strange light in the distance.


    "Lennox!" I ran after him, my feet sinking into the cold ground. "Please stop! It''s me, Olivia!"


    He didn''t stop. It was like he couldn''t hear me.


    I pushed harder, my chest burning as I tried to reach him. But no matter how close I got, he stayed the same distance away. It was like the world itself was keeping us apart.


    Then, suddenly, a shadow moved behind him—tall, dark, formless. It reached for him, its hand curling around his shoulder.


    "NO!" I screamed, sprinting forward. I tried to grab him, but my hand went right through him like mist.


    He turned then, slowly, and for a second, I saw his eyes again—alive, full of confusion. "Olivia?" he whispered.


    Before I could answer, the shadow pulled him back, and everything around me shattered like ss.


    I gasped awake in the real world, my whole body shaking, sweat covering my skin. The witch was still chanting beside me, but she stopped when she saw my face.


    "What did you see?" she asked softly.


    I could barely breathe. "He''s fighting," I whispered. "But something''s holding him there. Something dark."


    The witch nodded slowly, her eyes grim. "That is the spirit of death, Olivia. We are cheating death itself, and if Lennoxes back, ites with a price."


    My heart pounded. I stared at Lennox''s still face. What price? What could Death possibly want in return?


    Before I could ask, the door burst open.


    Levi and Louis rushed in, their eyes wide. "Olivia!" Levi called, his voice rough with panic. "What happened? We felt something—your energy—it vanished for a moment."


    I turned to them, still breathing hard. "I-I saw him," I stammered. "I was there, where he is. But there was something with him—something dark trying to take him away."


    Louis''s expression darkened. "You went there? You entered his spirit realm?"


    "I didn''t mean to," I said quietly. "It just pulled me in."


    Levi ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tight. "This has to stop, Olivia. You''re getting weaker every day. Look at you—you''re pale, your pulse is fading."


    "I''m fine," I snapped. "I can handle this."


    "No, you can''t!" he barked, taking a step closer. His eyes were full of fear, not anger. "You think we don''t see it? Every drop of blood you give him takes a piece of you! If you keep going, you might not make it to day seven!"


    Louis nodded grimly. "He''s right. The spell is strong, but it''s feeding off your life force. If the bnce breaks, you''ll die before he wakes."


    I shook my head stubbornly. "I don''t care what it takes. I already lost him once—I''m not losing him again."


    Levi''s hands clenched into fists. "Olivia, listen to yourself! You''re willing to trade your life for his? What will happen to us—what will happen to me—if you die?"


    His voice cracked on thest word, and then I noticed the pure fear in his eyes.


    "I can''t watch you kill yourself for him," he whispered. "I''ve already lost one brother, Olivia. Don''t make me lose you too."


    For a moment, none of us spoke. The room was so quiet, only Lennox''s weak heartbeat and my trembling breath filled the space.


    I looked at Levi, my chest tightening. "I don''t want to die," I said softly. "But if saving him costs me, then that''s a price I''ll pay."


    Levi closed his eyes and turned away, his shoulders shaking. Louis reached for his arm, but he pulled back, storming out of the room without another word.


    The silence after Levi left was deafening. I sat there frozen, still staring at the door he''d just mmed shut.


    My chest ached. The air felt heavy, thick with guilt and confusion.


    Louis sighed softly beside me. His expression was calm at first, but I saw the frustration hiding underneath.


    He looked at Lennox for a long moment before turning to me. "You know," he said quietly, "you are mated to three, Olivia. Three, not one."


    I blinked, not understanding at first.


    His gaze hardened slightly. "You keep saying you''ll give your life for Lennox. That''s love, I get it. But what about us? What about me? What about Levi?"


    His voice cracked on thatst word, and he took a deep breath, his jaw tightening. "You talk like his life is worth more than ours. But we''re all bound together, the same bond, the same pain. If he dies, we lose a brother. If you die, we lose everything."


    I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me.


    He looked down for a moment, then shook his head. "Sometimes, I wonder if you even see us anymore."


    Before I could respond, he turned and walked out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway until I couldn''t hear them anymore.


    And just like that, I was alone again. Alone with Lennox''s still body and the quiet hum of the candles and the sorcerer.


    I looked down at him, my hands trembling as I wiped away a tear. Maybe Louis was right. Maybe I was blinded by my desperation to bring Lennox back. But how could I stop now? How could I give up when I was this close?


    I leaned forward, resting my forehead against Lennox''s chest. His heartbeat was weak but steady. That tiny rhythm was my only hope. My hope that he wille back to us.


    I stayed like that for a long while, just listening, until the sound of footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts.


    "Olivia?"


    It was my mother.


    I quickly wiped my tears and turned to face her. "Mother," I whispered. "What are you doing here?"


    She stepped closer, her face soft with concern. "I heard the shouting. Are you alright?"


    I forced a small smile, but it didn''t reach my eyes. "I''m fine."


    She didn''t believe me—I could see it. She came closer and sat on the chair opposite me, her eyes moving to Lennox. "You haven''t eaten," she said gently. "You haven''t even slept."


    I looked down at my hands. "I can''t sleep. Not when he''s like this."


    There was silence between us for a moment. Then she spoke again, her voice soft but firm. "Olivia… can I ask you something?"


    I nodded weakly.


    "Do you ever stop to think that maybe you''re not meant to carry all this alone?"


    Her question caught me off guard. "What do you mean?"


    She gave me a small, sad smile. "You''re mated to three Alphas, my dear. Three. But you''ve been living as if your heart belongs to only one."


    Her words stung. "That''s not true," I said quickly.


    "Isn''t it?" she asked softly. "You''re ready to die for Lennox. But you forget—Levi and Louis are also a part of you. Their pain is your pain. Their love is yours too. You don''t have to choose one over the other."


    Tears filled my eyes again, blurring her face. "I just don''t know how to stop," I whispered. "I can''t stand seeing him like this. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face—the way he smiled, the way he looked at me—and I can''t let him go."


    She reached out and took my hand, her grip warm and gentle. "Love doesn''t mean destroying yourself, Olivia," she said. "It means fighting, but also knowing when to rest. Lennox wille back if it''s meant to be. But if you break before he does, what will he return to?"


    I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again. "You sound like Levi," I said quietly.


    She smiled faintly. "Then maybe you should listen to him."