Zhan's pov:~

I woke up with a jolt, I took deep breaths as I tried to gain back my senses, I felt pain in my neck and when I touched it, I felt something wrapped around my neck.

"Zhan!" Cheng came to me and hugged me, "oh god, I was so worried, you idiot, stupid dumbfuck, you scared me so much!" he said as he cried while hugging me.

Haoxuan ran into the room as well, followed by Ziyi, "Lord!" Ziyi hugged me as well and cried.

While Haoxuan just stood near the bed looking at me with his red eyes.

"General." The emperor walked inside the room accompanied by Duke Ashvald, Adrian and surprisingly Roland.

I looked around at these people worried sick for me.

"You scared us, General." the emperor said, "we were all so worried."

My brother finally moved back and caressed my face, and I stared at him. I was alive. I didn't want to be, I opened my mouth and tried to say something, at first nothing came out but then I managed to speak, "how am I here?"

Cheng spoke, "It was Roland who saved you."

I looked at Roland who spoke, "I was going to leave the capital with Gareth, before leaving he wanted to meet Yibo and say thanks to him, and I wanted to apologise to you both, but when we reached your house, it was on fire. I went in but I could only get you out."

Only get me out.

That meant Yibo was left behind in that fire.

"Yibo?" I asked, my voice coming out weak.

Roland spoke again, this time he was gentle, and kind, something that I didn't know he was capable of, "he was already dead, there was a dagger in his heart when I reached the room. I couldn't have saved you if I had tried to get his dead body... so I had to leave him there."

I closed my eyes, thinking about my last moments with Yibo. His warmth, his smile, everything. I remembered holding his body till it went cold. I remembered stabbing him and seeing the relief on his face, I remembered everything.

"I am sorry, Zhan." Cheng spoke.

The emperor spoke next, "we have organised a funeral for Yibo, General, we are extremely sorry for your loss. But General, you did the right thing."

"General." Duke Ashvald came forward and raised his hand, he gave me something, "when our people were cleaning the burned remains, they found this."

I looked at the thing he was holding, it was Yibo's ring. The ring that I had gifted him, the ring that was my promise to marry him.

I took the ring from him, with my shaky hands and held it close to my heart.

~~

The sky was dark with clouds and the atmosphere was gloomy, cold air hit my face as I stood before Yibo's grave.

The entire house had burned down in that fire and only some of Yibo's bones were discovered.

Yibo's mother collapsed after she learned the news of his death, she couldn't bear the news of her child's death, she came to attend the funeral somehow but couldn't stay for too long because of her health.

Before leaving, the Wang family came to see me, they all looked wrecked, Yibo's mother was not doing well and his father didn't look well either.

She looked at me and said, "thank you for taking care of Yibo in his last days, Zhan. I hope my son was happy."

I nodded, "I am sorry I wasn't able to save him, but I wanted to tell you that your curse has been lifted."

She smiled, "I know. I could feel it, it's like something very huge has been lifted from my shoulders. Thank you, son." she looked so pale and weak.

I spoke, "you know, I can heal you... I can fix your disease, I..."

She smiled and shook her head, "no dear, this is not a physical ailment, this disease cannot be fixed, as someone who lost their father, brother and son to this curse, this disease is caused by heartbreak, there is no cure... I am tired now dear. But at least I can go in peace, I will be reassured that the upcoming generations of the Wang family are no longer cursed.

Thank you, Zhan." She bowed before me a little and so did her husband and son.

I bowed a little too in front of them before they finally left.

One by one everyone paid their respects to Yibo. And after a few hours everyone was gone.

I stood in front of Yibo's grave all alone, the sky started to rumble and the cold droplets of rain fell over me.

The rain was heavy and cold, hitting my body with full force but I couldn't move, I just stood there in front of Yibo's grave for hours.

Suddenly I felt a hand over my shoulder and an umbrella over my head, my brother stood beside me and Haoxuan was holding the umbrella over my head.

My brother spoke, "It's time to leave, Zhan."

I looked at my brother and back at the grave before I finally turned around and left, with them.