Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Serum

Jade was lying weakly on his bed, his breaths shallow and uneven, as if each one required tremendous effort.

His mother sat beside him, her hands trembling slightly while she continuously wiped his forehead with a damp cloth.

Her worry was almost palpable, filling the entire room like a suffocating fog.

Nearby, General Frank stood stiffly, arms crossed, yet the deep crease between his brows betrayed his calm façade.

He, too, was terrified...terrified that his only son might slip away at any moment. Jade’s condition made him look as though he was already standing on the threshold between life and death.

Jade’s gaze moved slowly to his parents. His deep blue hair shimmered faintly under the sunlight that filtered through the curtains, making him appear even more fragile.

Despite the weakness weighing down every part of his body, he managed a faint, reassuring smile.

"I’m not going to die anytime soon. You don’t need to worry," he murmured.

His mother immediately slapped his hand, not harshly, but with that frantic frustration only a mother could show when her heart was breaking.

"You’re still joking at a time like this? Can’t you see how worried we are?" Her voice trembled.

Jade let out a faint laugh, though it was thin and strained.

"I just wanted to lighten the mood, that’s all."

Hearing that, his mother’s expression faltered, and her eyes welled with tears.

’My baby... He had finally begun to show signs of recovery, yet now... look at him. He looks worse than before. It’s as if any moment... he might disappear from my sight.’

She quickly wiped her tears away and glanced at General Frank. Something flickered in her expression: determination, sharp and unwavering.

She turned to Jade, gently brushing his hair away from his face.

"Rest for now. Your father and I need to talk."

Jade nodded, unaware of the storm brewing behind their words.

His eyes slowly closed, and his breathing steadied as his mother guided General Frank out of the room.

Once outside, her calm façade shattered. She faced General Frank directly, her eyes firm.

"We need to inject Jade with the serum."

The words struck him like a blow. He froze, his breath caught in his throat.

And when he processed what she meant, an unmistakable horror sparked in his eyes.

"No. We can’t do that," he said firmly, almost sharply. "We don’t even know if the serum will help him or make his condition worse. It is too dangerous."

His wife, however, refused to back down. Her eyes were wide with desperation as she spoke.

"If we don’t do something now, who knows what will happen to our son? Didn’t you see how weak he’s become? That earlier dose may have only temporarily weakened him. And the other children who received the serum... they recovered. They’re perfectly fine. It was only Jade who reacted differently. If we give him another full dose, he may finally stabilize. Are we really just going to stand here and watch him fade away?"

General Frank’s heart wavered.

’Before, I had the means and strength to treat him, to protect them both. But now... everything is shifting. The military structure, alliances, and loyalties are all unstable. Derek pulling away, the increasing hostility... I can’t even trust my own surroundings anymore. If I die during any of this chaos... who will protect them? If Jade becomes strong... at least he can survive... even if I cannot.’

The temptation sank its claws deeper the more he thought.

But then...

A faint voice echoed in his mind, like a whisper from a distant nightmare.

’If you inject even one more drop of that serum... Jade might die.’

It sent a shiver through him. He clenched his fists tightly.

"No," he said abruptly and turned away. "I won’t take that risk." With that, he walked off, leaving his wife standing frozen in place.

She bit her lower lip as tears slid down her cheeks.

"He’s becoming more and more deluded," she murmured before walking away in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, General Frank continued down the hall, repeating to himself over and over...

’Do not be swayed. Do not act on fear. Even if he remains weak, at least he will live. If the serum kills him... there is no going back.’

Inside the room, Jade slowly drifted into sleep. His body relaxed, and his consciousness slipped away.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing before a massive entrance gate.

The landscape was unfamiliar, a huge stone wall and an iron gate blocking the view of what lay on the other side.

Written above the gate, in bold letters, was the name of the base: SiIvy.

Jade paused. ’This place... why does it feel familiar?’

The line of people leading into the base stretched for kilometers. It was clearly a place of immense importance.

Yet, before Jade could piece his thoughts together, something soft and faintly luminous moved past his field of vision.

A strand of pink hair. His heart lurched. There she was.

The same figure from his dreams.

The woman’s back was delicate and pale, her posture graceful. His chest tightened with something almost painful.

"Layla..." he whispered, stepping forward without even realizing it.

But the woman didn’t turn around.

Jade walked faster, calling her name again. "Layla!"

She halted this time. Slowly... she turned.

Her face was breathtaking...pink irises like soft spring petals, a small refined nose, delicately shaped brows, and lips as gentle as a drifting willow leaf.

Jade’s heart pounded wildly, and a quiet obsession flickered behind his eyes.

He reached out to her, as if compelled by something older than memory.

But before he could touch her, she suddenly ran.

"Wait!" Jade shouted, following instinctively. He tried to see where she was going, but the scenery shattered like glass under pressure...

And then he was standing somewhere else entirely.

A modern world, sleek buildings, strange technology. People dressed in unfamiliar clothing.

A voice called behind him. "Jade."

He turned to see a silver-haired man wearing futuristic attire, his expression calm yet tinged with urgency.

"You need to find Ivy," the man said softly.

Jade blinked. "Ivy? Who is Ivy?"