Chapter 1194 Tower
Chapter 1194: Chapter 1194 Tower
Bella stood a short distance away, motionless.
She was face to face with Ross.
Ross was crouched near a flat stone, his movements unhurried as he sharpened his knives.
The steady sound of scraping metal against whetstone cut through the silence, rhythmic and unsettling.
Tiny sparks flickered now and then, briefly illuminating the lower edge of his cloak.
Sebastian slowed his steps.
Even now—especially now—Ross hadn’t removed his cloak.
The hood hung low over his face, concealing his features entirely. It was strange.
The night wasn’t cold. If anything, it was thick and suffocating, yet Ross remained wrapped in layers as if the world itself couldn’t be allowed to touch him.
Bella stood directly in front of him, far too close.
She didn’t speak. Neither did Ross.
Sebastian felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
The scene felt wrong, like he had walked into the middle of something he wasn’t meant to see.
Bella’s posture was stiff, her shoulders slightly raised, as though she were torn between stepping closer and fleeing altogether.
Ross continued sharpening his blades, utterly calm, as if Bella’s presence meant nothing—or worse, as if he had expected her to come.
He’s really weird, Sebastian thought, a chill crawling up his spine.
The forest around them was silent. No insects.
No wind. Just the soft scrape of steel and the growing sense that something unseen was unfolding right in front of him—and that whatever Bella had sensed... it wasn’t gone yet.
"What’s wrong?" Ross looked up from his knives, his movements slowing as his sharp eyes settled on Bella.
His expression shifted into something carefully neutral, almost curious, as if he were trying to read an unfamiliar situation.
Bella didn’t answer him.
In fact, she didn’t seem aware of anything at all.
Her body moved before her thoughts could catch up. One step forward. Then another.
Each movement felt wrong, heavy, as if she were being dragged by invisible strings. Inside her mind, chaos erupted.
What am I doing?! Stop—stop right now!
She screamed at herself, panic clawing at her thoughts, but her mind no longer had control.
Her arms lifted on their own, trembling only for a brief moment before wrapping themselves tightly around Ross’s waist.
The contact sent a jolt through her, cold and shocking, yet her body held on as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Sebastian froze for half a heartbeat.
Then he saw clearly.
Bella—his Bella—was hugging another man.
The world seemed to tilt.
"Let go of her!" Sebastian roared, rage exploding out of him unchecked.
His voice echoed through the forest, raw and furious, carrying with it disbelief, betrayal, and fear all tangled together.
Energy surged violently inside him as his ability responded to his emotions.
The familiar pressure built rapidly, power coiling and ready to be unleashed.
He took a step forward, eyes locked onto Ross, fully prepared to attack.
But Ross moved first.
He lifted both arms slowly, deliberately, palms facing outward in surrender.
His knives lay forgotten beside him.
"Hey—wait!" Ross barked, irritation flashing across his face. "Calm the hell down, Sebastian! I’m not doing anything!"
He glanced down at Bella clinging to him, then back at Sebastian, clearly annoyed despite the tension.
"For heaven’s sake, it’s your wife who’s taking advantage of me!"
The words hit Sebastian like cold water.
Absurd. Insulting. But... not entirely wrong.
Sebastian’s breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling as he fought the instinct to strike.
His eyes darted over Ross—his raised hands, his rigid posture, the way he carefully avoided touching Bella back.
Slowly, painfully, Sebastian realized Ross wasn’t resisting because he wasn’t the one in control.
With a sharp exhale, Sebastian forced the power back down.
The pressure eased, though the anger didn’t.
"Bella," he said urgently, stepping closer, his voice dropping into something far more fragile. "Bella, wake up."
He reached out instinctively, then stopped himself. His hand hovered in the air, trembling.
He remembered the last time he’d grabbed her too roughly—the fear in her eyes, the way she had flinched.
He couldn’t do that again.
"Bella," he called again, louder now. "Look at me. It’s me."
No response.
Her eyes were distant, unfocused, staring at nothing.
Her grip on Ross remained firm, almost desperate, as if she were afraid he might vanish if she let go.
Her body was tense, unmoving, caught in some unseen force that ignored Sebastian’s voice entirely.
"Bella!" he shouted, panic bleeding into his tone. "Please—wake up!"
Once. Twice. Again.
Still nothing.
The forest around them felt unnaturally quiet, the crackle of the fire suddenly too loud, too sharp.
Ross shifted uncomfortably but didn’t dare move her himself, clearly aware that one wrong motion could trigger Sebastian again.
"She’s not hearing you," Ross muttered grimly. "Something’s wrong."
Sebastian clenched his fists, helplessness gnawing at him as he watched his wife cling to another man, lost somewhere he couldn’t reach.
Whatever had taken hold of Bella wasn’t letting her go—and for the first time since they’d met Ross, Sebastian felt something colder than anger settle in his chest.
Fear.
In the end, Sebastian had to swallow his pride.
There was no other option.
"She won’t let go," he said tightly, avoiding Ross’s eyes. "Just... carry her to the bed."
For a brief moment, Ross looked surprised.
Then he glanced down at Bella, who was clinging to him with unconscious determination, her fingers gripping his armor as if he were the only solid thing in a shifting world. With a small shrug, Ross nodded.
"Fine," he said. "But don’t blame me if this gets weirder."
He moved carefully, slow and deliberate, as if any sudden motion might trigger another reaction.
Bella didn’t resist as he laid her down on the makeshift bed of grass and folded clothes.
Her body relaxed the moment her back touched it, and for a heartbeat, Sebastian allowed himself to hope it was finally over.
Then Bella stirred.
With surprising speed, she rolled and sprang forward, moving purely on instinct.
Read Novel Full