Chapter 684

I sighed. "Elijah…" Elijah, who was sitting silently by the window, was startled at the sound of my voice and snapped his head back. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw me. "Ari, you're here! You're really here!" In his excitement, he tried to stand up from his wheelchair. But with little strength left in him, he nearly stumbled and fell to the floor. I rushed forward to steady him, and the moment I touched him, all I could feel was just how thin and frail he'd become. His bones were so sharp against my hands that it sent a wave of unease through my chest. After all this time, why hadn't his physical condition improved at all? Suppressing my discomfort, I helped him back to the bed. Elijah clung tightly to my hand, as if afraid that I would run away the moment he let go. I pulled my hand free, my gaze complicated as I looked at him. "Why won't you listen to the doctor?" He stared at me in slight surprise, but the moment he caught the reproach in my eyes, his expression fal