Sangri-la Part 3

---Lara pov---

Lara: "Joseph, please stay with me; don't leave me; we have so many things we have to make up to each other… please, Joseph." my tears flowed through my cheeks while Joseph had a sad smile on his face. "I am sorry, Joseph.. I am sorry, Joseph, for everything."

Joseph: "hay, hay, look at me, Lara." he then kisses me on the with his cold lips. I tested his warm blood in my mouth. After we separated our cold lips, he whispered something to my ears. "I don't blame you, Lara, so don't blame yourself for all of this…" I then saw Joseph's eyes slowly close, and his hands slip off my hands.

???: "such a heartbreaking sight to see as much as I want to see your tragic love story ends. I have to do one final thing" he then pointed the sword at me. He was about to plunge his sword at my head when suddenly we heard a roar. I then looked up and saw a giant white creature coming towards us.

???: "what are these creatures…" Before he could get an answer, the white creatures grabbed the man and started slamming him onto the ground. "Unhand me, you foul beast.." the monsters didn't listen to his words and kept repeatedly slamming him to the ground before throwing off the cliffs.

The creatures looked at Joseph and me. Jonah was trying to get to me, but I shook my head to tell him not to reach us. But then I heard a familiar voice on top of the creatures.

Haru: "mommy, what happened to papa.." I looked up and saw Haru riding on top of these white hairy creatures. "Why is Papa sleeping."

I looked at Haru guiltily, thinking of a word to say to the little girl. But my mouth would not produce any excuses. I could only avoid Haru's gaze. All of a sudden, I heard a dog bark. I looked up and saw a white dog and an Asian man.

He walked towards me and looked at Joseph. He then kneeled beside Joseph and opened his mouth. The man forcefully fed Joseph something and stood back up again. I looked at the man confusedly but before I could ask the man a question. I heard Joseph coughing; I then looked at Joseph and saw him covered in sweat while breathing slowly in pain.

???: "we need to get this man to somewhere safe to heal him fully.." he then walked towards the destroyed temple. Professor Willaims suddenly got out and looked around confusedly. "I think you have something that belongs to me.." the man said while pointing at the dagger on the professor's hip.

The professor looked confusedly at me on what to do. I only nodded at the professor to give the dagger to the man. The man got the blade off the professor. He then went towards the creatures, and talked to them, which I didn't understand.

The creatures nodded and put down Haru back to the ground and walked towards us. They were about to reach out and grabbed Joseph off my hands, but I blocked them from doing so. Haru came toward me and hugged me.

Haru: "don't worry, mommy, they will take papa to somewhere safe." the little girl looked at me with a pleading look on her face. I just nodded and stopped blocking the creatures from getting to Joseph.

The white creatures carefully carried Joseph in his arms and started to follow the man who ordered them. Haru grabbed my arms and started to drag me with them. Jonah and the professor followed behind us. I looked at the man leading us and asked for his name and where he is taking us.

Lara: "where are you taking us, and who are you?" the man leading us stopped for a moment before turning towards us.

Chan: "My name is Chan.. and I am leading us to Shangri-la..."

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After a bit of climbing, we saw a giant golden gate. Chan went up towards the key and inserted the dagger into the small hole in between the entrance. We entered the dark tunnel and walked for a minute before emerging to a lush environment. The land now was covered in green instead of the cold white snow.

Williams: "hahaha… we finally here the legendary lost city of Shangri-la.." he said while running ahead, looking at the exotic-looking plants. "Jonah, can you help me collect these plant samples? Most of these plants don't grow anywhere else except here."

But before they could take any plant sample, Chen stopped them. He glared at the professor who was backing away from the plants.

Chan: "You can look, but you can't take from this place." he said while leading us to an old temple in the middle of the lush valley. The professor only pouted as he drooled at the exotic plants that passed by while we walked. I would have cared about these discoveries, but my focus is on Joseph's condition.

We entered the temple; there were more murals and Buddhist statues. While we walked along, we saw people who could perform impossible feats in the painting. At the end of the long hallway, we saw an image of a man granting immortality to a dragon.

Chan: "that was not the best decision I have made to grant the Dragon of Chaos immortality." he then walked towards the giant fountain in the middle of the enormous room. The room is decorated with other paintings.

Williams: "wait, are you saying that you are the Devine Doctor that granted the Dragon Emperor Immortality." he said while pointing at Chan, who grabbed a cup of water from the fountain.

Chan: "one of the last Devine Doctors that is alive… I made myself immortal as a punishment for my sins." he then went towards Joseph and took off Joseph's jacket and shirt. Chan then washed the wounds with the cup of water that came from the fountain. Joseph's wounds gradually healed until it only left a scar.

Chan: "Take him to one of the rooms inside this temple; he will wake up." he then orders the white creature to take Joseph's unconscious body to another room where he can rest.

I followed behind the creature down the hall and entered a room. The beast lay down Joseph on a haystack that is facing towards the room's balcony. Then the white creature went towards the balcony and jumped off.

I looked towards the balcony and saw the most beautiful view of Shangri-la. I didn't get to appreciate the scene when I saw Joseph shivering due to him being topless. I then looked around and didn't see anything to warm him up. So I took off my jacket and lay beside Joseph to use my body heat to warm him up.

I then used the jacket and covered him up. I lay my head on his chest, and I listen to his beating heart. His heartbeat was music to my ears; I then slowly closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

After an hour of sleep, I suddenly opened my eyes when I felt Joseph moving. I looked up and saw Joseph's eyelids slowly open. He looks at me for a minute before smiling happily.

Joseph: "if this is heaven, it looks pretty good." His face came close to me and started kissing me. He then separated from me and looked at me in confusion. "Is this real, maybe this heaven, after all." I then pinched his waist and gave him a hot kiss.

Lara: "Is this real enough for you?" I looked at Joseph and saw his surprised look on his face. He then brought his face towards mine and started hungrily kissing me. After what felt like ages, we were interrupted by someone who came running into the room.

Haru: "Papa, you're awake!!!" she then ran towards us and jumped in the haystacks to hug us. I then saw a white dog running towards Joseph and licking his face. Haru saw the dog happily being petted by Joseph and started to push the dog away.

Haru: "bad Polar papa is mine; you can't have him.." she then started kissing Joseph on his cheeks, trying to compete with the white dog.

Joseph: "You already name the dog Polar why?" he said while stopping Haru and Polar from getting saliva on his face. Haru looks at Joseph for a minute before answering his question.

Haru: "because I wanted a polar bear as a pet.." she said while petting Polar's head. I felt Joseph shake for a second before shaking his head. I looked at him and laughed for a second before kissing his cheeks.

We then heard someone entering the room and interrupting our bubble that we have created ourselves in right now.

Jonah: "it's good that you are happily bonding with each other, but we still have another problem; the Dragon Emperor might come here any time now, so we need to get ready..."