"Think whatever you want. Just make your move." Calum didn't waste words with Lucien and struck at him straight away. That Pyreborn, I've always thought Lucien must've ranked up. But how many ranks exactly? I have no clue. After all the blood Ms. Tibarn used, there's no way it's just one rank, right? Lucien has forgotten Pyreborn, and he's forgotten his own ranking, so he still thinks he's Rank 11. But ability doesn't lie. How many ranks does he really have? We'll find out the moment we test it. … Meanwhile, Emma had been in the bathroom, retching for what felt like forever before she finally started to feel a little better. "Ms. Tibarn, I'm taking you to the hospital." Marcus' chest tightened as he looked at her pale complexion. Everything else—whether she'd been grossed out by him earlier—mattered nothing anymore. He had tried giving her Silas' leaves and flowers, but nothing had helped. He scooped her up from the bathroom and quickly changed her into a fresh set of clothes. Holding her close, he started moving toward the door, each step long and hurried, wishing he could just blink and be at the hospital already.Emma's body felt limp against him. Her skin was pale as paper, and her usually rosy lips drained of color. Her brows were tightly knit from discomfort, and even her long, curled lashes were damp with tears from the nausea that had wracked her moments ago. She looked so fragile that it was like she might shatter if he held her too tightly. After seeing her like this, Marcus felt his heart squeezed in the grip of an invisible hand. It hurt and panicked him at the same time. She was fine just a moment ago. How did she suddenly end up like this, throwing up like that? Did I… did I push things too far? That thought flashed through his mind, but it was immediately swallowed by a deeper wave of guilt and worry. Now wasn't the time to think about anything else. Ms. Tibarn's body mattered most. Marcus scooped Emma up in his arms and practically barreled out of the room. The moment they hit the lobby on the first floor, they nearly ran straight into Stella and her mate, who were just about to head out. Stella's eyes immediately landed on Emma in Marcus' arms. She dashed over, and when she saw Emma's pale complexion, her heart twisted. "What happened to her?" "She was throwing up for a long time," Marcus said, his voice tight with tension, a faint tremor barely showing. "I need to get her to a hospital." A hospital? Hearing Marcus, Stella quickly stepped in front of him. "The hospitals here aren't equipped for this. Emma's in bad shape. They probably won't be able to ease her pain right away. If you trust me, I can get Alaric to take a look at her." Stella wasn't trying to give Alaric an excuse to step in. She was being honest. Z-1689 was the closest planet to the outer territories. Anything could get destroyed in a war at any moment. Everything here was outdated. People still came because the planet's location near the outer territories meant that a few rare things occasionally appeared. Everyone went for the excitement. "Alaric?" Marcus frowned. "He's a doctor?" "Yes!" Stella nodded eagerly. "You can trust him. He's excellent." Marcus knew Z-1689's medical tech was bad. Whether Alaric was a rival didn't matter right now. As long as Emma was okay, he didn't care. One rival, a hundred rivals, it made no difference. "Alright, then have him help." Marcus didn't hesitate. He agreed to let Alaric check on Emma. The moment he said that, Stella activated her lightcore and called Alaric. … Alaric was upstairs. The moment he received Stella's call, he rushed down to Emma. Emma was already back in the room, lying on the bed, eyes squeezed shut, unable to speak. She was nauseous, and her head hurt badly. "Alaric, you…" Stella started to explain Emma's condition. But before she could finish, a flash of white light streaked past her, and Alaric was already at Emma's side. Alaric looked at Emma on the bed and took her wrist. A warm, apparent ability flowed from his fingertips, moving slowly through her body. Almost immediately, Emma's tense muscles, wracked with discomfort, began to loosen under the soothing touch of his ability. Her furrowed brow relaxed, and a hint of color returned to her pale complexion."Ms. Tibarn, how are you feeling?" Marcus asked nervously as Emma opened her eyes. By now, Emma didn't feel that nausea anymore. Her headache was gone, too. She was still a little weak when she spoke. "I feel a lot better," she told Marcus, then looked at Alaric. "Thank you, Alaric." She hadn't been able to speak earlier because of the pain, but she was fully aware of what had just happened.