Oliver slept.
Warm.
Full.
Safe in Charles's arms.
The chaos in the room slowly settled, but tension remained. The healer checked him again, still unable to hide her amazement.
"His breathing is stable now… truly a miracle," she whispered.
Charles looked down at Oliver, eyes still red. "He… he almost…"
Theo stepped closer, voice firm. "He didn't."
The finality in his tone silenced the room.
Oliver shifted slightly in his sleep.
Inside, his thoughts floated faintly.
I'm alive…
That already changed everything.
He remembered the novel clearly now. The child was supposed to die here. The room was supposed to fall silent. Theo was supposed to become cold and ruthless.
But instead—
Charles was holding him gently.
Theo was guarding them.
The story already broke.
Footsteps approached quickly outside. A guard entered and knelt.
"Your Majesty, the royal physician is on the way. The council has also heard… about the miracle."
Theo's expression darkened slightly.
"They're fast."
Charles tightened his hold instinctively. "Will they… cause trouble?"
"They will watch," Theo replied quietly. "They always do."
Oliver's tiny fingers curled unconsciously.
Council…
Another memory from the novel surfaced. After the child died, the council pushed Theo into aggressive wars. No one stopped him.
If I live… maybe that changes too.
The royal physician arrived moments later, bowing deeply before examining Oliver carefully.
His brows furrowed in disbelief.
"The heir's pulse is strong… lungs clear… there is no sign of weakness."
He looked up. "It is as the healer said. A miracle."
Theo nodded once. "Good."
But his eyes never left Oliver.
Charles whispered softly, "He's so small…"
Theo replied, "And yet he fought to live."
Oliver slept peacefully, unaware of the weight of their words.
But in his mind—
I have to stay alive.
No matter what.
Because he remembered something else from the novel.
Danger didn't end here.
It only began.