The Alchemists

Nicolae just sat limply beside the bed, waiting for Aleksis to wake up. He did not want to tell his father or the girl's family that she was pregnant. At least, not without Aleksis' consent.

Inwardly, he felt sad because he finally knew how deep her feelings for Alaric Rhionen was.

Aleksis certainly wanted his children. An alchemist would only have children if they were ready and truly wanted them. Aleksis must have loved the man so much that she was okay being pregnant with his child.

Based on what Marion last reported before she closed off herself from people, Alaric Rhionen was already dead. Nicolae felt very sorry for Aleksis.

The girl would, of course, become heartbroken once she found out that the man she loved had passed away. She would certainly hate her father and Lauriel for causing that man's death.

***

Jean rushed to welcome Marion who was in Lauriel's arms. As soon as he arrived he insisted on taking Marion from Lauriel's arms and carried her.

"Let me take care of her from here," he said firmly.

Marion only opened her eyes slightly before closing them again. She did not care who brought her where. She just wanted to go home, to be alone and not meet anyone else. Her body was still trembling as she thought of what occurred at the clifftop of Targu Mures last night. They killed Alaric and she dumped his body somewhere he would never be found out.

She felt like a murderer and so she was being chased by guilt. She was unable to face Lauriel, afraid that she would just suddenly tell him the truth, that he had just caused the death of his own biological son.

Marion couldn't bear it. It would be better for her to keep her peace and not see anyone for the remainder of her life. The secret would then be safe as she had no need to talk to Lauriel.

While Lauriel was rushing to Grindelwald for Aleksis who had just awakened, Jean took Marion to her home in Basel. Along the way, she only kept her eyes closed, not moving whatsoever and thus, making Jean worried sick.

Like Lauriel, he also suspected that Marion was harassed when she was taken away by Rhionen Assassins, and that caused her to be so traumatized.

Jean could only stroke Marion's hair. She was sleeping on his lap along the way. The driver who drove for them seemed to have recognized Jean's face but still considerately let them have their privacy.

"Miss Marion, what happened to her?" asked Alicia who welcomed them on the doorway. Jean did not reply. He carried Marion into her room and laid her down gently upon the bed.

The five dogs rushed in, wiggling their tails to attract the girl's attention, but Marion just curled up underneath her blanket, pulling it up to cover her face.

Jean became very confused upon seeing the way she was acting. He looked for nearby physicians to check Marion's condition, but after several visits from different doctors, no one could pinpoint what caused Marion's condition to be this bad.

***

Nicolae jerked awake when he felt some movements on the bed. Aleksis had regained consciousness. Her muffled cries immediately broke the silence within the room.

"Shhh ... I'm here ..." Nicolae hurried over to Aleksis who was sobbing. He held her hand trying to calm her down.

"What happened? Why ... why are you saying sorry? What happened to Alaric?" Aleksis asked between her sobs.

"Uhm ..." Nicolae really didn't know where to begin. In the end, he sat by her bed and slowly recounted what he had heard, starting from when Alaric searched for her until Marion was suddenly found traumatized saying that Alaric Rhionen was dead.

Every word that came out of his lips made Aleksis feel like she was being stabbed in the heart. She had expected that something like this would happen once her family confronted Alaric and Rhionen Assasins. They were on the opposite sides so this was what she wanted to avoid.

However, her two-month-long coma somehow became a catalyst and now with there nothing preventing the two sides from attacking each other, a confrontation naturally ensued ... which resulted in Alaric becoming a casualty. He died at the hands of The Wolf Pack.

Aleksis tried her best to get out of bed and with tears in her eyes, she forced her way out of her room. Her legs were still weak and so she fell several times. But each time, she would stubbornly force herself to stand up and walk.

Nicolae couldn't bear to see her this way. "Aleksis, where are you going?"

"I want to go to Targu Mures. Don't stop me!" yelled the extremely agitated girl.

"Ssh ... you're still weak ... Don't force yourself. Later, when you get well, I'll take you there." Nicolae tried to coax her.

"I don't want to get well!" Aleksis snapped. "I want to go there to die! Without him, I don't want to live anymore!"

Nicolae was stunned. He was shocked to see how in love the girl he liked was with another man. Even though that person was no longer in this world, Aleksis heart did not change. She even said determinedly that she did not want to live anymore ...

Nicolae's heart was very hurt after the realization crossed his mind.

"Aleksis ... you can't die ..." Nicolae finally knelt beside her and spoke to the girl in a gentle voice, and for some reason Aleksis seemed to hear Alaric's voice talking to him, making the girl bewildered, "Aleksis ... You must know one thing ... "

"What is itr? Why are you hiding from me?" Aleksis asked in a sharp tone. "What happened?"

Nicolae swallowed hard, "I haven't told anyone about this ... But you're pregnant. Right now in your womb, there are two children ... If you die ... then your two children will never get a chance to live."

Aleksis involuntarily covered her lips in shock. The news was something she did not expect ... at this time she became pregnant with his children - with the man she loved so deeply.

Slowly she looked at her stomach which was still flat and before she knew it, her eyes started being flooded again with tears that had almost dried up. Aleksis wailed while hugging Nicolae. She began crying uncontrollably.

She really wanted to die, as she could not imagine life without Alaric ... but she knew she had to stay alive for their children.

Lauriel who arrived with Petra and Esso made a surprised expression when he saw his goddaughter sobbing in Nicolae's chest. With his eyes, he tried to inquire from Nicolae the current situation but his son signaled for him to step aside.

The blue-green-eyed man did not understand why the young man wanted to send him away. He sat cross-legged beside Aleksis and tried to hug her. 

But when Aleksis' eyes fell on Lauriel's face, the girl screamed and with all her might, she pushed her godfather's body away.

"Uncle Rory! You killed my husband ... I really hate you!! Leave me alone!!!"

Aleksis' words deeply stunned Lauriel and for a moment his body staggered in shock.