Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 374: Selene’s idea

Nyx looked to her right hand side and saw the ice belle sulking, she moved closer to her and crouched beside her and lowered her voice. "You have been glaring at the ground since we came in here. That will not wake him any faster."

The ice belle hugged her knees tighter. "He is hurt because of me."

Nyx shook her head slowly. "No. He is hurt because he chose to protect what mattered to him."

"I should have finished the dragon sooner," the ice belle muttered. "I was arrogant. I thought I was stronger than it. I was wrong."

Nyx placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Strength is not never being wrong. Strength is standing back up after you fall."

She looked up at Nyx, her eyes shimmering. "If I had been stronger, he would not be lying there burned."

Nyx met her gaze steadily. "If he heard you say that, he would be angry."

The ice belle frowned. "He would not."

"He would," Nyx replied firmly. "He hates it when people blame themselves for his choices. He would say that he acted because he wanted to, not because you failed."

She was quiet for a moment before whispering, "I was scared."

Nyx nodded. "So was he. So were all of us. Fear does not mean you are weak."

The ice belle swallowed. "He smiled at me before everything went wrong. He trusted me."

"And you did not break that trust," Nyx said softly. "You saved everyone after that. The entire army crossed because of you."

She shook her head. "That does not erase the burns on his face."

Nyx glanced toward Lucas and then back at her. "Those burns will heal and his skin will regenerate. His spirit did not break. His will did not waver. And neither should yours."

The ice belle’s voice dropped to a whisper. "I do not like seeing him hurt."

Nyx allowed a small smile. "Neither do we. That is why we are all here."

She leaned closer and added quietly, "Xavier will wake up. And when he does, the first thing he will do is tell you to stop sulking."

The ice belle sniffed. "He always does that."

Nyx straightened and nodded. "So listen to him when he does."

She finally lifted her head, eyes still wet but steadier now. "You really think he will be okay."

Nyx answered without hesitation. "I know he will be."

She drifted closer and lowered herself beside Lucas’s head, her movements slow and careful as though even the air around him might shatter if she moved too abruptly.

Lira did not look up as she continued rubbing the ointment into Lucas’s burned skin, her hands trembling despite her efforts to remain steady. "Jennifer, is the salve working at all, because his breathing still sounds shallow to me."

Jennifer adjusted the vial in her hand and answered calmly, though her eyes were heavy with concern. "It is working, but injuries from abyssal inferno are stubborn. His body is fighting two battles at once, one against the burns and another against complete exhaustion."

The ice belle watched Lucas’s face without blinking. "Will he feel pain when he wakes."

Jennifer hesitated before replying. "Yes, but not the kind that will break him. The potions are dulling the worst of it."

Lira exhaled shakily. "He never complains, not even when he should. That scares me more than anything."

Henrietta crossed her arms and leaned against one of the tent poles. "He always carries everything alone. This time he carried too much."

Selene stepped closer, holding a small wooden plate. "You have not eaten since the fight. At least take some venison."

The ice belle did not turn her head. "I am not hungry."

Selene lowered the plate slightly. "You need strength too."

"My strength means nothing if he does not wake," the ice belle replied quietly.

Nyx glanced between them. "He will wake. He always does."

The ice belle’s voice tightened. "That does not make waiting easier."

Jennifer poured a glowing liquid between Lucas’s lips with careful precision. "Talking to him might help. Sometimes the soul listens even when the body sleeps."

Lira swallowed and leaned closer. "Master, you idiot, you promised you would not scare us like this again."

Henrietta allowed a small, bitter smile. "If he hears that, he will pretend he never made that promise."

The ice belle reached out hesitantly and brushed her fingers against Lucas’s hair, avoiding the burned patches. "You were not supposed to intervene in that fight."

Nyx spoke softly. "He would never do that, not when someone he cares about is in danger."

Selene set the plate down nearby. "You can eat later. I will leave it here in case you change your mind."

The ice belle did not respond, her eyes fixed on Lucas’s face. "I do not care about food. I only care that he opens his eyes."

Lira nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "So do we."

Selene looked from one face to another, her voice hesitant at first but slowly gaining confidence as the thought formed fully in her mind. "We are all just sitting here watching him suffer when we are not powerless, because we are bound to him in one way or another, so why do we not try to form a connection cultivation link to him and help stabilize his qi and accelerate his recovery."

Lira froze for a moment and then lifted her head sharply. "You mean share our essence with him directly, not forcefully but willingly, the same way we do during synchronized cultivation."

Selene nodded slowly. "Yes, but gentler, because he is unconscious and fragile, so we guide instead of pour, letting his body take only what it can handle."

Nyx’s eyes narrowed as he considered the idea carefully. "It is risky, but it makes sense, because his channels are empty and damaged, and a linked circulation could prevent backlash while restoring balance."

Henrietta pushed herself off the tent pole and stepped closer to the bed. "If this works, it could keep his core from collapsing further, and I would rather risk myself than stand here doing nothing."

Jennifer looked between them with confusion written clearly on her face. "I do not fully understand what you are describing, but if it helps him heal faster and does not kill any of you, then I will not interfere."

Lira reached for Lucas’s hand, her fingers tightening around his. "I am willing, because if my qi can ease even a fraction of his pain, then there is nothing to discuss."

The ice belle finally talked too. "I can anchor the link and regulate the flow so his body is not overwhelmed, because my essence is the most stable here."

Selene let out a slow breath as relief washed over her. "Then we are all in agreement."

Nyx inclined his head. "We do this together."

Henrietta nodded firmly. "For Xavier."

Jennifer stepped back slightly to give them space. "I will monitor his pulse and breathing while you do whatever mystical thing this is." She understood that they were close to him and would never hurt him.

Lira squeezed Lucas’s hand again and whispered, "Hold on just a little longer, we are here."