When a Well-Raised Son Grows Up - Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Abella’s house is located at the edge of the village, closer to the mountain for herb gathering. Due to its isolated location, there are no neighboring houses.

Carlisle became alert at the sight of black smoke. He wrinkled her nose as he detected a faint scent of charcoal carried by the wind.

Carlisle’s face turned pale suddenly. He immediately ran back to the house. His legs creaked pathetically as he ran, despite not bothering him much in his daily life.

“Damn it!”

Carlisle cursed quietly and pushed himself forward despite the weakness in his left leg, feeling frustrated.

Leo suddenly appeared behind Carlisle and tightly held his hand.

“Carl!”

“Run.”

Leo urgently instructed Carlisle to run.

“Quick, let’s go!”

Leo held Carlisle’s hand tightly as they hurried toward Abella’s house. Carlisle’s unsteady walk made it easier for Leo to keep up.

As they approached Abella’s house, Carlisle’s expression darkened.

The sky was filled with thick black smoke, and the smell of burning grew stronger.

Carlisle’s heart pounded with panic. He tried to remain calm. However, seeing Abella’s house in flames scared him.

Upon arriving at the house, Carlisle found the villagers desperately trying to put out the fire with buckets of water.

“Where’s Abella?”

Despite searching, there was no sign of Abella amidst the chaos. Given her condition last night, it would be difficult for her to get through the debris.

Carlisle searched the crowd for Abella’s distinctive pink hair, and his heart sank when he found no trace of her. Ignoring Leo’s attempts to hold him back, he ran into the burning house.

“Carl!!!”

Leo protested, but Carlisle was determined. He ran into the flames, causing panic among the villagers who were trying to put out the fire.

“Oh no, someone ran into the burning house!!!”

“No, it’s too dangerous to follow him in, put out the fire!”

* * *

Amid thick smoke and stifling heat, Carlisle called out for Abella.

“Abella, Abella….”

Amidst the burning smell, he couldn’t detect her familiar scent. Frustrated, he cursed and continued searching further into the house.

The comfortable sofa where they used to converse was now turned to ashes, and the once familiar wooden table lay destroyed.

With a heavy heart, Carlisle opened the door to the burned bedroom, consumed by guilt.

‘I regret what I did last night.’

‘After last night, she could barely move.’

He thought Abella was trapped in her bedroom and couldn’t get out while the house was burning.

Carlisle walked around the bedroom, trying to hold back tears, but he sensed something was amiss.

Abella was not in the bedroom. Carlisle turned his head, still feeling dazed.

“Abella?”

Unsurprisingly, no one answered.

“Abella! Where are you? Mom, it’s Carlisle!”

He panicked and stumbled over his words, mixing up Abella’s name with his mom’s.

The thick smoke and heat left him dazed and threatened to suffocate him.

He called her name multiple times, but received no response.

“Mother! Mother!!!”

Carlisle walked around the bedroom like a crazy man. He tried to open the burning closet, despite his deeply burned palms, but didn’t stop.

The debris of the ruined house hit him, but his mind remained focused on finding Abella.

“Abella!!!”

Carlisle panicked as he searched for Abella in the smoke. He feared he wouldn’t find her and couldn’t bring her to safety.

“I messed up… Mom, Mom!!! Where are you!!!”

Despite struggling to breathe, Carlisle persisted in his search for Abella. He refused to give up. The smoke blurred his vision, and the obstacles blocked his way.

Even after being knocked off balance by a large pillar, he pushed through, driven by the desperate need to find Abella.

Carlisle’s body had an unfamiliar powdery residue and jagged burn scars. He felt dizzy and disoriented from inhaling smoke, so he grabbed at nearby objects for support, wincing as pain shot through his hand.

Despite his condition, he continued on, determined to find Abella amidst the chaos. However, his body refused to cooperate beyond what was humanly possible.

He looked at the burning house and felt helpless. He couldn’t move his legs and lay there, his senses numbed by the sound of the flames growing louder.

Carlisle regretted his selfishness with Abella the previous night. He wished he had acted differently. Faced with the current situation, he understood that there was nothing more he could do.

* * *

The heat rushed through his body, the pain in his lungs threatened to tear them apart with each inhale. He was used to being physically sick, but he wasn’t used to losing something so precious.

He wondered…… what happened to Abella, Carlisle thought even as he collapsed.

‘This isn’t the time to lie down….…’

‘I have to find her.’ 

After realizing this, Carlisle tried to move, but his body wouldn’t respond. The flames’ intense heat had taken a heavy toll on him, leaving him unable to even lift his eyelids, let alone his body.

Despite his immobile state, Carlisle tried to move by pushing with his fingertips.

As he moved, he heard “Lyle.” At first, he thought he was imagining things. However, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.

Carlisle was confused. He wondered if he had entered heaven. He noticed the absence of suffocating smoke and the burning sensation of flames that had surrounded him moments before.

“Baby.”

Carlisle wondered if he had been rescued or if he had truly passed on to the afterlife with Abella.

Based on her voice, it seemed more likely to be the latter. As he listened, he heard more than one voice discussing his condition.

One voice reassured them that he would be fine as long as he had Abella’s imprint, while another voice mentioned that Carlisle would be fine, referring to the Doctor’s assurance.

“That’s correct. Carlisle’s leg was causing him discomfort, but as a pureblood of the Descendants of the Wulk Gods, he refused to give in. “

Upon recognizing the voices of Leo and Esha, Carlisle furrowed his brow.

‘Esha? Why is she here?’ He wondered why Esha was there.

He suddenly began to cough as he was thinking.

Abella reacted swiftly, her eyes widening with concern.

“Baby, baby, are you alright? Are you awake?” Abella asked anxiously.

Momentarily disoriented by the sudden realization, Carlisle rubbed his eyes in confusion.

“Mom?” he mumbled, still trying to understand the situation.

Abella was overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against Carlisle’s chest.

“What’s going on? I thought the house burned down,” Carlisle asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Where are we, and are you alright?”