Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday-Chapter 344: Doctor’s Request

For a long minute, the two of them just stood there in silence. Rune still looked pretty much lost in his thoughts.

Grace was about to break the silence when she heard him speak in a barely audible voice. "They were tortured because of me."

She didn't respond immediately, instead, she let him say what he needed to.

"They were my teammates. And for that, they spent eleven years in a prison designed to break them. What kind of leader does that to his people?"

This time, she decided to speak. She couldn't let him delve further into this guilt. Stepping closer, she placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. "The kind who just risked everything to find them the moment he got to know about their disappearance."

He met her eyes with his own filled with pain and disbelief.

"You are not a god, Rune. You were ambushed, hurt, thrown into a different world, and stripped of your... everything. You didn't abandon them. You were fighting to survive. And now that you have found them, I know that you will do everything to put things back in their right places."

"They looked at me like I was still their commander," he said and his voice cracked under weight of his emotions. "Like they still trusted me."

"Because they do," she said firmly. "Because you are a great leader."

He looked away, jaw clenched.

"I saw it," she whispered, taking another step closer that barely left any more space between them, "the guilt in your eyes… the self-blame in your silence. But that's not what they need from you. They need your strength, your clarity, your fire. Younare the glue that holds them together. You always have been."

He took a slow breath, and for the first time, the stiffness in his shoulders seemed to ease. Her words had settled into him like seeds, quiet but powerful.

"I need you to promise me," she continued, "you'll be strong for them. You'll take care of yourself. You'll stop punishing yourself for what wasn't in your control."

He didn't answer right away.

But then, moments later, he reached out and gently cupped her cheek. "You believe in me more than I do."

"I always will," she replied softly. And then, as if to mark her words, she leaned forward and kissed him - gentle, quiet, and full of unspoken emotions.

Rune immediately pulled her against him, his hands wrapping around her waist as he returned the kiss.

There was no desperation, no hunger, just a soft promise shared between two broken people who had somehow found a way to each other in the middle of everything falling apart.

When they parted, Rune rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you." freewebnøvel.coɱ

She smiled and brushed a thumb across his cheek. "Go. Get some rest. I'll check in later."

He nodded and stepped back, but not before stealing a quick kiss. The two of them joined the others in the dining are where the portal was still shimmering brightly.

Rune made the other six of his team mates hold each other's hands before he grabbed Asher's hand and stepped into the portal.

"Master, they have safely arrived at the apartment." 2025 notified her seconds later and Grace closed the portal.

She then turned to face the two men who were still there in the Villa with her. Because of the six, she didn't get the chance to focus much on these two, but that didn't mean she didn't notice their haggard appearances.

"Didn't I tell you both to take care of yourselves and each other?" She demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

Davian was the first to react. He leaned casually against the wall near the kitchen archway, arms crossed but eyes soft. "We did," he said, lips tugging into a crooked, tired smile. "Just… not very well."

Dr. Kian was standing near the window. The moonlight kissed the lines of exhaustion etched under his eyes, and even though he was dressed neatly now, there was a certain weariness in the way he held himself... like someone who hadn't stopped moving for days.

She narrowed her eyes, not hiding how unimpressed she was with these two men.

"We were worried about you two." Dr. Kian finally broke his silence, his voice a soft whisper that had Grace lowering her hands and softening her gaze.

Letting out a soft sigh, she walked toward the doctor. "I know. But that doesn't mean you get to destroy yourselves. I can't lose either of you, okay? Not now. Not ever."

Once she reached him, she immediately wrapped her around his middle and rested her cheek against his chest. He too didn't waste any time and surrounded her with his arms.

"Are you not coming?" She turned her head to ask Davian who hadn't moved from his place.

The softest of smiles spread across his lips and then he was walking toward them. The vert next moment, she felt his arms circling her waist from behind as he hugged her.

Sandwiched between these two men, she felt all the tension and tiredness from the past two weeks melting away. And the same was happening with the men. With her safely standing in their arms, they could finally breathe.

They stood like that for a few more minutes before Grace finally pulled away. "Let's shower and go to bed together. We all need to catch some sleep."

The men didn't argue. The three of them spent the next twenty minutes in showering and getting ready for bed. All the blinds were pulled down the fill the bedroom with darkness.

Just as Grace was about to climb into the bed, a hand on her waist stopped her. "Can we sleep naked? I want to feel you against me."

"Are you sure we will get to sleep then, doc?" She asked, tilting her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"We can keep the bottoms on." Dr. Kian suggested.

A teasing smile bloomed on her lips as she reminded him. "But from what I can recall, you love my boobs the most."

The man inhaled sharply. But he didn't give up. "I'll behave myself. I promise."

Grace was silent for a moment before she finally gave in. "Alright then."