Walking on sunshine... and it's time to feel good!

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CHAPTER 81:

WET SHIRT

Ursa woke me up again, this time with Diego by her side. They both glanced at my hand, which was still clasping Mars's, their expressions filled with sympathy, but they only offered a gentle smile, saying nothing. Time was pressing us. Dawn was upon us, and we needed to get Mars up and back to his room before the other spirits began their routines.

Within minutes, Blue arrived, examined Mars's wound, nodded approval, and signaled it was time to move him. By then, Mars had already opened his eyes. To me, he looked far from ready to move—he was pale, with dark circles under his eyes; his voice was weak, and his movements were sluggish. Despite this, he insisted he could walk, eager to return to his room as soon as possible. Diego took one side to support him, I took the other, and Blue backed us up.

After only a few steps, it became evident that I was right, and he wasn't ready to walk alone. Luckily, Tarben entered the studio just in time to assist. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all, his appearance was ragged, and he still seemed upset... but he quickly stepped in to support Mars's other side. Together with Diego, they escorted him out into the corridor.

The journey that followed seemed interminably long, as if we were not merely ascending a staircase but traversing interstellar distances. Ursa scouted ahead, vigilant in making sure the path was clear, while Blue guarded our rear with equal caution.

I was definitely the least helpful member of our group. My gaze never left Mars; my heart lodged firmly in my throat. Was he okay? Could he continue? Was he in a lot of pain? He likely was; each move twisted his face in agony, and he often caught his breath. Tarben's grip might have been tugging at the stitches, yet Mars pressed on. His steps were heavy but resolute as we approached his room. Ursa used the master key to unlock the door ahead of us. We all filed in, and once Blue shut the door, our secret was locked away from the world. We had made it.

"Let's get him into bed," Blue suggested, then turned to me. "Olive, could you grab some clean water and a towel from the bathroom?"

As they tended to Mars, I dashed to the bathroom, filled the first container I could find with water, grabbed some towels, and hurried back to the room. The first thing I noticed was Luck, Mars's cat, sniffing around him on the bed, seemingly trying to sense what was wrong.

We hadn't managed to thoroughly clean him in the workshop yesterday. Now, in the clear light of morning streaming through the window, the dried blood on his chest was starkly visible. The memory of the wolf attack flashed before my eyes—the blood spurting from his neck, instantly staining his clothes. I had to lean against the wall to steady myself from the flashback.

Our eyes met with Mars. He was watching me. I quickly looked away and hurried back to the bathroom, splashing water on my face over and over. I could hear Blue instructing Tarben to fetch some food, Mars protesting, and Diego asking for help. But all the sounds seemed muffled as if I were underwater. Once again, the harsh reality struck me. Mars could have died yesterday. Because of me, for me...

"Olive... are you okay?"

Ursa's voice made me look up. I hadn't realized the water was still running. I shut off the tap and attempted a smile. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Don't worry."

But Ursa was clearly worried. Her eyes darted from the room back to me as she gently closed the door and came over. "Olive," she said softly, "he's going to be okay." She brushed my wet bangs behind my ear and dried my face with a towel. "Aren't you two the most stubborn souls in this Dorm? It's clear you won't leave him. And he proved yesterday he won't go anywhere without you. So come on, pull yourself together."

Ursa's wry smile coaxed a small one from me. My gaze drifted to the wall. Through it, I could hear Mars arguing with Blue. Suddenly, my confession spilled out. "I feel so guilty, Ursa. He was right from the start. He was dying right before our eyes. The same could have happened to any of us. I should never have told you we found that place."

Ursa shook her head vigorously. "You can't carry the burden of other people's decisions, Olive. We chose to go to the Archive. Mars chose to be there. Yes, what happened was horrific. Yes, we all could have died. But you know, Diego now thinks he has a chance at life for the first time because of what he saw there. He actually wants to try to go back now. Helene learned something she might never have known; it's shaken her entire worldview. Maybe if the rest of us had found our videos, things would be different for us, too." She squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "No one regrets trying, not even Mars. You need to stop beating yourself up. What's done is done. It's all behind us now."

Without thinking, I stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Ursa."

She chuckled and returned the hug with equal warmth. When I finally let go, she was wearing a mischievous grin. "Let's head back inside. I bet Mars is already starting to worry about you."

"Ursa!"

"What?" she laughed at my dismay. "It's true, and you know it!" She linked her arm through mine and led me toward the door. "I'm not pressing you now because you're vulnerable, but when you're ready, we need to talk. There's a man inside who threw himself in front of wolves for you. Of course, I want to know everything."

The man who had thrown himself in front of wolves for me...

Mars...

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, Mars's eyes found me. He scrutinized my face as if looking for any discrepancies, his concern mirroring Ursa's earlier suggestion.

The room was now empty except for Mars and Blue, who was trying to help him into his shirt. She paused when she noticed his attention was diverted towards me. Her expression softened, then shifted into a mischievous smile that she shared with Ursa, clearly enjoying an inside joke.

"Keep your eyes on the road, handsome," Blue chided, tugging at his shirt. "This sleeve isn't going to adjust itself." It was clear she was trying hard not to laugh. Despite Mars's pained grunts, she skillfully finished buttoning his shirt and gently pushed him to lie back. "Rest until the boys bring something to eat."

"Blue... I'm not hungry," Mars protested weakly.

"And I don't care," Blue retorted, standing up. "You need energy to heal. If I say you're eating, then you're eating."

She began collecting the bloodied towels as Mars gave me a resigned smile. My heart skipped a beat. Smiling back, I took a few involuntary steps towards him.

"The same goes for you, Olive dear!" Blue caught me halfway, having returned from dropping the towels in the bathroom. She stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders. "You need to rest, clean up, and eat. So, you're heading straight to your room now. Don't worry, I'm here. We'll swap shifts when you're refreshed."

"But..." I began.

"No buts!" Blue cut me off. "You can't help Mars like this. Off you go, chop chop!"

"Chop chop!" Mars chimed in, playfully mocking her tone.

I caught one last glimpse of his face as Blue turned me towards the door. His head was on the pillow, his eyes half-closed, but his smile had widened. Seeing him like that, in his room, safe and smiling, filled me with hope, too. I didn't resist any further and followed Ursa back to my room.

Trouble was waiting at the door, looking as worried as a cat could. After he finished licking my hands, I went to the bathroom and hid the videotape that was still under my sweater among the towels. Maybe one day I'd give it to Mars. For now, my only desire was to erase all memories of the Archive from my mind.

I stripped off my clothes and sat under the hot shower. Although I was eager to return to Mars's side, Blue was right about needing to rest. Stepping out of the shower, I realized just how exhausted I was. The moment I sat on the bed, my head hit the pillow, and I instantly fell asleep, still draped in a towel.

When I woke up, the sun was already high. I was frustrated with myself for sleeping so long, yet I couldn't deny feeling much better. The reflection in the mirror finally resembled my usual self. I quickly dressed and headed back to Mars's room, with Trouble trailing behind. When I reached his door, I knocked softly. A few curious heads turned in the corridor, but I ignored them.

Blue's face appeared at the threshold. "Ah, come in, Olive," she whispered, stepping aside to let me in. I understood her quietness once inside: Mars was curled up with his cat, sleeping. Blue had drawn the curtains, dimming the room.

"He's eaten, his wound looks great, and he's been sleeping for a couple of hours," Blue reported. "Did you manage to rest? You look much better."

"Yes, I'm fine," I responded.

Blue's eyes twinkled. "Great. I'm handing over the watch to you then. I'll bring new medicine this evening, and we can change the bandages. Make sure he drinks enough water. If he gets hungry, there's extra food on the table. And if he tries to get out of bed, just threaten him with me; he'll listen."

"Don't worry," I assured her. "I won't let him lift his head off the pillow!"

"That's the spirit!" Blue cheered, then caught herself and whispered, "Mars is in your care, sweetheart. I'm off."

She kissed my cheek and headed for the door, her playful implication clear in her tone. Despite the seriousness of our situation, I couldn't help but smile as I closed the door behind her. Blue had set up a chair beside the bed; I sat there, only to jump back up immediately at the unexpected sound of Mars's voice.

"So you're not going to let me lift my head off the pillow, huh?"

I stared at Mars, my hand over my heart. His infamous grin was on his lips, starkly contrasting his tired eyes. He definitely looked better than this morning. Much better...

"You were supposed to be sleeping," I scolded, but couldn't control my smile. Seeing him tease me again was priceless.

He pursed his lips. "If it were up to Blue, I'd never get out of bed again."

As he tried to prop himself up on his elbows, I lunged forward. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Instinctively, I caught him under his arms. He stopped moving. Our eyes locked, our noses nearly touching. His proximity sent a jolt through me. Thankfully, he recovered from the paralysis faster than I did. His lips slowly curved into a smile.

"I appreciate you taking your job seriously, Oliver, but I was just going to lean back. No getting out of bed, I promise."

I removed my hands from him and stepped back, my gaze dropping in embarrassment. Yet, I caught him biting his lip, trying not to laugh. He managed to sit upright, grimacing slightly. When he reached for the water, I moved first, intending to hand him the glass. I acted without thinking—because if I had, I would have realized Mars could easily drink with his good arm. Instead, our haste led to us spilling water on his shirt.

"No!" I yelped.

Mars sucked in a breath from the cold splash.

"I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. Oh my God, I'm such an idiot."

I grabbed a towel from the dresser and pressed it against his chest. When that didn't help, I reached for his shirt's collar, apologizing continuously as I started unbuttoning it. In my panic, I managed to undo two buttons before Mars caught my wrist. That's when I realized he was chuckling.

"Relax," he said. "After surviving yesterday, I can handle a wet shirt."

"You'll get sick!" I insisted, ignoring his calm demeanor. "Blue just left, and I've already messed everything up." He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't wait, dashing to the closet. I grabbed a new shirt and was back beside the bed at lightning speed. "Okay," I said. "Let's change this slowly. We can manage it without you lifting your arm too much. How did Blue do it?"

I sat on the bed and tried to ignore Mars's laughter, his gaze, the warmth of his breath on my face as I carefully undid the buttons. But this control lasted only until I had pushed the fabric from his shoulders. The realization of what I was doing struck me in all its stark reality.

I was undressing Mars. We were on his bed. The room was dim. Only inches separated us. His warmth radiated intensely toward me. And... he was watching me with that crooked smile. My gaze inadvertently dropped to his slightly parted lips. My heart raced faster. It seemed determined to break free from my chest and reach him. But it was Mars who reached out, his hand catching my neck and closing the gap between us. When his lips met mine, the world completely stopped. 

And I lost myself.

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