The heavy shock of Viktor's slap and his frantic outcry left Alia stunned for a fraction of a second. She stared blankly at him, her eyes brimming with overflowing tears and the agonizing pain of a choked, desperate sob.
Sitting on the floor, holding her stinging cheek with trembling hands, Alia choked out a broken, wheezing whisper into the air:
"I... I know my father commanded me... but I can't do it, Viktor! No matter how hard I try, I could never raise my hand against you with my own hands... It is impossible for me to destroy you!"
The moment Alia made this confession, all the anger in Viktor's eyes vanished in an instant. A fierce storm of guilt, intense love, and terrifying impending danger raged within his heart. Without waiting another second, he dropped to his knees on the floor and quickly wrapped both arms tightly around Alia, pulling her close to his chest.
Hiding his face in Alia's hair, speaking with a deep sigh and a voice filled with a strange, fierce strength, Viktor whispered:
"Listen to me... I know you can't, Alia. The moment I look into your eyes, I can see that... You are not at fault, and there is nothing you can do. Today, we are both helpless in front of this cursed fate. But that doesn't mean I will ever let you die... Never! Come what may, from this day forward, we will stay together and fight until the very end!"
Hearing Viktor's firm and unwavering words, the heavy, suffocating atmosphere of the room seemed to lighten in a single heartbeat. Defying all fear, the threat of death, and the web of conspiracies, he tightened his grip around Alia's shoulders. There was no hesitation in his gaze only an intense surge of fierce protection and wild love.
Alia buried her face deeper into Viktor's chest and cried even harder, but this time, instead of sheer terror, a strange sense of relief and comfort laced her tears. She realized that even with the shadows of countless curses and deadly weapons looming over them, today they stood united and that unity was their only real strength.
Outside, the darkness grew deeper, and hidden behind the curtains, that cruel destiny and their fathers were likely preparing their next move. But standing face-to-face with total destruction, the two of them made up their minds they would crush fear beneath their feet. Come what may, they would stay together and fight to see the very end of this fateful confrontation!
Overwhelmed by the extreme emotional trauma, relentless crying, and the physical shock of her suicide attempt, Alia's limits were finally reached. Right there in Viktor's embrace, her body suddenly went limp. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she completely lost consciousness, collapsing softly against his chest.
Feeling Alia's lifeless body go dead weight in his arms, the ground beneath Viktor's feet seemed to collapse all over again. Seeing the person he loved most slip away into unconsciousness right before his eyes drove him to the brink of madness.
Panicking and utterly desperate, Viktor clutched her tightly, shaking her gently as his trembling voice whispered frantically:
"Alia... Alia! Hey, open your eyes, Alia—!"
When Alia didn't give even the slightest response, every shred of control left inside Viktor completely shattered. Rife with a piercing, bottomless terror and agonizing despair, a deafening, raw roar tore straight from his throat, shaking the very walls of the room:
"A L I A !!"
Clutching Alia's lifeless, unconscious body tightly in his arms, Viktor didn't waste a single second. Darkness was closing in all around him. Calling for a doctor immediately was his only option left.
With trembling fingers, Viktor snatched up his phone and frantically dialed their family doctor's number. Breathless and desperate, he shouted into the receiver the moment the line connected:
"Doctor! Come to our house immediately—right now! My wife Alia has passed out, and her condition is critical! Don't waste a single second, get here fast!"
Dropping the phone back onto the floor, Viktor slid back down to his knees, wrapping his hands tightly around Alia's cold, limp fingers as he anxiously waited for her to regain consciousness.
Cradling Alia's limp, unconscious body against his chest, time seemed to completely stand still for Viktor. His heart was shattering into a million pieces with a deep, agonizing ache. Pressing his lips gently against her cold forehead, running his hand softly over her cheek, his voice choked with tears as he whispered stream after endless stream of desperate, tender words:
"My sweet girl... my Alia... open your eyes, look at me, I'm right here. Don't punish me like this, my love. Just look at me for a second, please say something. Why must there be such heavy, bottled-up pain across this broad forehead and in the corners of your eyes? I can't bear to see your tears. When that little chest of yours trembles, my own breath stops. Do you think you're alone? No, Alia... I am right here! Even if this Viktor dies, he will never leave you alone. This cursed world, this cruel conspiracy of our fathers, this game of blood nothing can ever lay a scratch on you as long as there is life in this Viktor's chest. I promise you, I will never let tears fall from these innocent eyes again. You are the only light in my life, the only reason I survive. If you leave, who will I live for? Who will I share all my unspoken words with? Whose sweet smile will chase away all my exhaustion at the end of the day? Wake up, Alia... my life, please wake up! The doctor is coming right now, I won't let anything happen to you. I will shield you, I will protect you from every storm in this world. Just lie here with your eyes closed against my chest and forget everything. Our love isn't so fragile that a conspiracy of darkness can blow it out. I know you aren't a coward; you are my tigress, the queen of my home. You can't just give up like this. I will hold these cold hands of yours pressed against my heart all day and all night, until those beautiful eyes of yours open and look at me. Look at me, Alia... just tell me once that you're not going anywhere without me. I'm running my fingers through your hair, I'll chase away all your fears. What those fathers want, who gave what command I don't give a damn! To me, nothing and no one in this world matters more than my Alia. You are my everything, my only sanctuary, the ultimate destination of my love. So don't stay lifeless like this, my love. Answer this call of mine, full of all my love. A single sigh of yours is enough to make me rip my own chest open. I know it hurts, I know it's hard, but I am right here beside you, holding your hand to fight this. Together, we will climb this mountain of obstacles, you'll see, we will win. Just open your eyes, look at me, and give me a tiny smile. It's for that very smile that I am willing to endure every bit of hell in this world. Wake up, my sweet bird... my Alia... please, please open your eyes!"
Piercing through the heavy, nocturnal darkness, the doctor's car screeched to a halt outside. Stepping out of the driver's seat, the elderly Dr. Simon strode quickly into the room, his heavy medical kit in hand, deep worry lines creaking across his forehead.
As soon as he stepped through the doorway, Viktor cried out frantically,
"Doctor! Hurry, come over here! Alia has passed out, why isn't she waking up?!"
Without wasting a single second, Dr. Simon knelt right beside Viktor on the floor. He quickly pulled out his stethoscope, placing it gently against Alia's chest while pressing his fingers to her wrist to check her pulse. The thick, suffocating air in the room felt entirely frozen, with nothing audible except the heavy pounding of Viktor's own heart. Staring breathlessly at the doctor's face, every single second felt like an eternity to Viktor.
After a few tense seconds of examination, Dr. Simon let out a deep, heavy sigh and looked up. Meeting Viktor's gaze, he spoke in a solemn, professional tone:
"Viktor, try not to panic. She is alive. But her body has gone through severe shock and extreme trauma due to a massive emotional breakdown and excessive crying. Because she exhausted every ounce of her physical energy, her brain temporarily shut down her system as a defense mechanism—what we call a neurogenic faint or deep unconsciousness. Her heart rate and blood pressure have dropped sharply."
Without stopping, the doctor quickly pulled a small ammonia ampoule from his medical bag, held it gently near Alia's nose, and began dabbing a cool, damp cloth against her forehead.
Continuing his evaluation, Dr. Simon said, "Listen to me, Viktor. The mental pressure this girl has been subjected to is far beyond the threshold of ordinary human endurance. You must have pushed through a situation that shattered all her inner defenses. To bring her back from this state, medicine alone isn't enough; the most vital thing she needs right now is absolute mutual emotional support. If she keeps breaking down under such psychological agony, it could cause permanent damage to her heart or nervous system."
Dr. Simon pulled a syringe from his case and carefully administered an injection into Alia's arm. The moment the medicine entered her bloodstream, Alia's pale fingers twitched slightly.
With a reassuring tone, the doctor added, "I've administered a mild life-supporting and sedative injection to help calm her nervous system. She will regain consciousness within a few minutes. However, once she wakes up, she must not be exposed to any stress or distressing news. She needs complete rest and adequate warm fluids. I'll write down a prescription; make sure she takes these on schedule."
By then, Alia's eyelashes had begun to flutter. A faint, shuddering sigh slipped past her lips. As Dr. Simon packed up his belongings and stood back up, he placed a reassuring hand on Viktor's shoulder and said gravely, "I'll be waiting outside. Call me immediately if anything changes."
Even after the doctor left, Viktor remained frozen like a statue beside Alia. Stroking her cold forehead with a trembling hand, he whispered, "Did you hear that, Alia? The doctor said you'll be fine... now just open your eyes, my love!"
Alia's eyelashes fluttered slowly. After a long, exhausting battle, her beautiful eyes finally opened—she had regained consciousness. Though her vision was still blurry, she immediately recognized the man sitting right in front of her.
Alia slowly raised her weak, trembling hands. She gently touched Viktor's cheek, and that single touch seemed to instantly melt away all the frozen agony locked deep inside Viktor's heart.
And right at that moment, the dam broke inside Viktor. Overcoming all the endurance, fear, and intense waves of love he had been holding back, hot tears began to stream down from his piercing blue eyes. As his trembling gaze fixed on Alia's face, those teardrops rolled down and fell straight onto Alia's pale, still cheek. When Viktor's warm tears touched her face, an indescribable, bittersweet shiver coursed between them.
Not bothering to hide his tears, Viktor pressed Alia's hand tighter against his own cheek, and with a broken, breathless whisper, he said:
"You're awake... Alia, you're really awake! Do you have any idea how close my heart came to shattering from the fear of losing you? Never, ever do something that foolish again, my love... don't kill me like this!"