The white light shone from above, blinding Jiu Fan's eyes as he slowly opened his eyelids. His breathing was heavy, as if his lungs were refusing air. The world felt blurry, hazy. The sound of medical machines and the steady beat of his heart were the only sounds amidst the silence.
"Where am I...?" Jiu Fan muttered softly.
A warm hand grasped his fingers. When his vision began to clear, he saw Lin Rubi sitting beside his bed, her eyes puffy but full of determination.
"You're in the hospital. You've been unconscious for two days," Lin Rubi said, smiling faintly. "You survived... if only by a small miracle."
Jiu Fan forced himself to sit up, though his body felt crushed. Memories of the battle against the aliens—the betrayal, Wu Lixue's kidnapping, the blood, and the defeat—flooded back into his mind.
"Wu Lixue... how is she? And Xiao Zhen?" he asked anxiously.
Lin Rubi sighed. "Wu Lixue was taken away by them. Alien troops. And Xiao Zhen… he survived, but was badly injured. He's being treated in the next room."
Jiu Fan's face tensed. He clenched the blanket of his bed. "This is all my fault. I failed… failed to save Wu Lixue, failed to protect my own friend."
"No." Lin Rubi said firmly. "Don't blame yourself. You've done everything. You almost lost your life to save the one you love. That's not failure. That's courage."
Jiu Fan was silent. He stared at the ceiling, then looked down at his chest. His left hand moved slowly, pulling a star brooch from his shirt pocket. The brooch looked dim, no longer glowing. As if he felt his master's defeat.
"They wanted this," he murmured softly. "They said… if I hand over this brooch, they'll release Wu Lixue. But I know, they're just using me."
Lin Rubi stared at the brooch, then looked at Jiu Fan. "It's a symbol of your power, and also the connection between your heart and Wu Lixue. If you hand it over, you'll lose both."
"I… don't know what to do." Jiu Fan's voice trembled. "If I keep it, Wu Lixue might die. But if I give it up, the earth will lose its only hope."
Lin Rubi paused for a moment, then held Jiu Fan's hand tightly. "You're not alone. Don't make this decision alone. If we all unite, there must be a way. We can save Wu Lixue and keep the brooch. Trust me."
Jiu Fan nodded weakly. But before he could say anything else, Lin Rubi turned to the door. Her eyes narrowed. "Wait… there was someone just now."
She stood up and walked quickly out of the room. The hospital hallway was quiet. Only the sound of Lin Rubi's footsteps echoed. But she was sure, she saw someone standing in front of the door earlier. A man in a black robe with a white headband.
But now… there was no one. "Strange…" she muttered. "Is it just my hallucination because of exhaustion?"
Without wasting any time, she walked to the next room to check on Xiao Zhen's condition.
When the door was slowly opened, a scream was heard. "Don't come near! You're an alien! Go away! Get away from me!"
Xiao Zhen writhed in panic on the bed, his face pale. The trauma from the previous incident was still strong.
"Xiao Zhen! Calm down, it's me—Lin Rubi. I'm a human, not an alien."
"You're lying! You want to kidnap me too, huh?!"
"If I were an alien, I would have taken you a long time ago!" Lin Rubi answered quickly, trying to calm his down.
Xiao Zhen was silent for a moment, pondering. "That's right…"
"I didn't come to hurt you." Lin Rubi continued as she sat down on the chair beside his. "I came to ask for your help."
"Help?" Xiao Zhen swallowed. "Don't tell me… the aliens are coming back?"
Lin Rubi nodded slowly. "And they're still carrying Wu Lixue. We have to save her. But Jiu Fan can't do it alone. I… and you, have to join the fight."
Xiao Zhen was silent for a long time. His eyes stared out the window. "I'm afraid…"
"I know." Lin Rubi answered softly. "We're all scared. But this isn't just about an interplanetary war. It's about a friend, about someone we care about. It's about humanity's last hope."
Xiao Zhen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, a glimmer of determination began to appear. "To make up for my mistake with Jiu Fan… I'll help you."
Lin Rubi smiled. He then leaned over, whispering something in Xiao Zhen's ear.
Xiao Zhen nodded. "That's… a good plan. But we need time."
---
In the next room, Jiu Fan fell asleep again. But his heart was restless. Nightmares haunted him. He saw Wu Lixue in a glass capsule, her body surrounded by blue light, as if being analyzed. A black-robed alien stood beside him, smiling coldly.
"Hand over the brooch." The alien's voice echoed in his mind. "Or this woman... will be the beginning of your downfall."
Jiu Fan groaned in his sleep. Sweat poured from his forehead. He woke up with shortness of breath, his hand still holding the star brooch.
"Wu Lixue..." he whispered. He stared at the brooch, which was again emitting a faint red glow.
"Do you think you can take everything from me just like that?" Jiu Fan muttered, his voice low but full of hatred. "I will not give up. I will prepare myself. And when you return..."
He stood up from the bed, though his body was still weak.
"...I will make you regret touching the one I love!"
To be continued...