Lily's Touch

Lily is standing next to Jennifer. Her smile widens as her hand slowly reaches toward Jennifer's heart.

"NO!!"

I bolt forward in panic, rushing toward the room—only to be slammed back by the germ protection barrier.

"NO!! NOOO!! LILY, DON'T YOU DARE!! DON'T YOU DARE!!" I scream, fists pounding on the invisible wall, trying desperately to break through.

She hears me.

Lily turns her head slightly, just enough to glance at me over her shoulder—with a smirk.

"LILY!! DON'T YOU DARE!! I WILL KILL YOU!! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!!" I shout threats with everything I have in my lungs. She doesn't believe me. She doesn't stop.

"NOO!! NOOO!! NOOOO!!!" My voice cracks in raw desperation as her finger moves within inches of Jennifer's chest. I keep hammering my fists against the barrier, praying—begging—it'll somehow let me through.

Suddenly, a man in a white gown rushes in.

He grabs Lily's left hand just in time, yanking it away from Jennifer. The force is enough to knock both of them to the ground—Lily landing on top of him.

She scrambles to her feet, ready to lunge toward Jennifer again.

But a millisecond later—Bruno appears beside her. He grabs her tightly, pulling her into an embrace, and vanishes with her out of the room.

I don't waste a second.

I turn and sprint out of the Health Facility.

I didn't see where they went—but I know. I know where Bruno would take her.

The North Wing. Their basecamp.

I drive like hell to get there.

The moment I arrive, I jump out of the car and charge the front door. I slam into it with full force, triggering the alarm. I know it won't open without authentication—but I don't care.

"Death!!" Sara and Fred shout in shock as I crash into the entrance.

I don't stop. I don't even look at them.

Then I hear Bruno's voice yelling from deeper inside:"You just don't know how to stop, do you?!"

I race toward his voice.

"Death, don't!!" Sara tries to grab me, but I shove her to the floor without hesitation.

"I wouldn't have to do it over and over if you'd just let me finish it!!" Lily shouts back at Bruno.

"Are you out of your mind?! I stopped you to SAVE you!!"

"You don't need to save—"

Their argument is cut short by my entrance.

"Death…" Both Lily and Bruno mutter in stunned disbelief.

A split second later—I'm already on her.

I slam Lily against the wall, one hand clamped around her throat.

"NO!!" Bruno screams, rushing at me. He grabs my arm, trying to pull me off her.

He's no match for my strength.

With a single push to his chest, I send him flying across the room. He hits the far wall and collapses to the floor.

"Q… Qu… Qui…" Lily tries to speak—but the pressure on her throat cuts her off. I tighten my grip.

She thrashes, jolting and twisting, but it's useless. She's seconds away from losing consciousness.

Then—something touches my hand.

A subtle brush. Just a fingertip.

And suddenly—my heart explodes in my chest.

I don't let go. My grip stays locked. But Lily is no longer fighting.

She's just… staring at me. Blankly.

Behind me, I hear a loud THUMP—followed by the voices of Sara, Fred, and Bruno screaming in unison:

"DEATH!!!"

I turn around—

And freeze.

My own body is lying on the floor.

Eyes bulging.

Chest still.

"…What?" I whisper, frozen, breathless.

I'm staring at myself.

"Quint!!" Lily screams and immediately rushes to my body. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"Bring him back, Viper!! NOW!!" Sara roars, her voice laced with fury.

Lily nods frantically, tears pouring down her face as she places her right palm over my chest.

A moment later—I open my eyes.

The first thing I see is Sara, throwing her arms around me.

"Death!! Thank God!! Thank God!!" she exclaims, overwhelmed with relief.

My brain is still lagging behind, trying to process what just happened. I can't even move. I barely react when Lily collapses on top of me, whispering between sobs:

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to…"

"You…" My mind finally reconnects with my body. My arm lifts.

The first thing I do—grab her by the throat again.

But this time… she doesn't resist.

Lily closes her eyes, still wet with tears, and surrenders—completely. She doesn't struggle. She doesn't fight back.

"Death!! Don't!!" Sara, Fred, and Bruno all shout at once.

Bruno and Fred leap forward, grabbing Lily and pulling her away from me. Maybe I'm still weak… or maybe I'm just stunned by her reaction—but I don't stop them.

"Please… don't…" Bruno pleads, his voice strained.

"She won't stop trying to harm my wife," I hiss. With effort, I push myself to my feet. "You know that."

"I'll stop her. I promise," Bruno swears.

"You already failed," I snarl, staggering a step closer. "You promised to keep her away from Jennifer. And you failed. Miserably."

I turn to Lily now, my voice sharp as broken glass.

"Which part of 'I'm married to Jennifer' don't you understand? Or 'I never loved you'?"

Lily sobs harder at my words.

"Do you really think I'd let you live, let alone love you, after what you've done to her?"

Now I'm standing right in front of her.

I raise my hand again—ready to finish what I started—but before I can strike, Bruno drops to his knees and grabs my legs.

"Please, Death!! Have mercy. I'm begging you."

I glance down at him… then back at Lily.

"At what cost would it take to make you stop, Lily?" I growl. Then, shifting suddenly, I grab Bruno's neck instead. "His death?"

"NO!!" Sara and Fred shout in unison.

But Lily doesn't move. She just stands there—crying. Frozen.

I chuckle bitterly, eyes back on Bruno. "See that? She doesn't even care if I kill you. And still—you blindly love her."

"Please…" Bruno whispers, voice raspy in my grip. "Have mercy, Death…"

"And what then? How can you guarantee she won't come after my family again? How can you promise she won't try to hurt Jennifer?"

A voice answers from the doorway.

"I will."

Mrs. Rauss steps into the room and walks calmly toward us. "I'll make sure she never harms your family again."

She stops a few feet away. "Go to the Health Facility. Go see your wife. I'll handle this."

Her voice is calm, steady… absolute.

I glare back at Lily one last time. "If you ever try to touch my family again—"

"I'll eliminate her," Mrs. Rauss cuts in, her voice firm as steel. "With my own hand."

Her tone is final.

And I believe her.

I nod—once—and leave.