NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 13: Chapter 13
🎉 Huge Congratulations to Mohammed Alshamsi! 🎉
On behalf of the entire community, I want to give a big shout-out and heartfelt congratulations to Mohammed Alshamsi for standing out and showing incredible support and dedication! Your presence means a lot, and we're honored to have you with us!
And to everyone reading this — exciting things are coming! As always, I'm working hard behind the scenes to bring you bold, thrilling, and unforgettable fanfiction that will leave you wanting more.
If you're enjoying the ride so far, don't forget to follow, support, and stay connected — because this is just the beginning.
Join us on Patreon for early access, exclusive chapters, and special content that won't be available anywhere else!
Let's keep growing together.
Much love,
— forbidden_lust
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Chapter 13: A Flicker of Hope
The middle-aged couple standing outside the hospital ward carried themselves with quiet dignity. With refined manners and composed expressions, they radiated the air of well-educated professionals.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura could already guess who they were.
"They must be Lucien's parents," she murmured inwardly.
She recalled Lucien D. Blackthorn's introduction when he transferred into their class. He had mentioned his parents were both university professors. Though his background didn't match the wealth and nobility of Eriri's own prestigious family, he clearly came from a home of culture and intellect.
Lucien's father was a professor of Japanese literature at a European university, while his mother taught art and design. Influenced by their world, Lucien had grown up bilingual and developed an early passion for both language and visual storytelling. That passion had eventually led him to Japan to pursue manga.
Seeing that the couple was deep in conversation with the attending physician, Eriri stepped back and gestured to her classmates to wait quietly. She explained a few dos and don'ts for visiting patients, her voice soft but clear.
Moments later, the familiar nurse exited Lucien's room, nodded to the parents, and approached Eriri.
Noticing the group in their school uniforms, the nurse asked, "Are you all classmates of the patient?"
Eriri nodded. "Yes. Is Lucien awake?"
"He woke up a little while ago. The doctor's finishing a round of checks. Please wait a few minutes."
They all nodded in understanding and took their seats on the benches nearby.
The nurse then leaned closer and whispered to Eriri with a wink, "Shouldn't you go say hello to your boyfriend's parents?"
Eriri blinked. "W-What?"
"They just flew in from overseas," the nurse added with a knowing smile.
Flustered, Eriri shook her head. "N-No, that's a misunderstanding. I'm not—"
Before she could finish, Lucien's mother had already approached them.
"You must be Lucien's classmates," she greeted them in fluent Japanese. "Thank you for coming."
All the students stood and bowed politely.
Then her eyes settled on Eriri.
"You must be Lucien's girlfriend, aren't you?" she said warmly. "Thank you so much for looking after him. It must have been hard while we were away."
Eriri's cheeks flushed crimson. She glanced at the nurse, whose smug grin confirmed who had started the rumor.
"Auntie, that's a misunderstanding," Eriri said hurriedly. "Lucien and I are just classmates."
Lucien's mother looked briefly surprised, then smiled again—a little wistfully this time. The momentary hope in her expression faded gently.
She had been glad to hear her son might have found someone in his final days. But perhaps it was for the best. A real relationship, now, would only bring more pain.
Still, she couldn't help thinking that Eriri—poised, elegant, and bright—would have been perfect for her son.
Eriri introduced herself, followed by her classmates, each taking a moment to share memories of Lucien at school and in the manga club.
Meanwhile, Lucien's father was still deep in conversation with the attending physician.
Eriri subtly tuned in.
"Doctor," said the professor gravely, "How long does he have?"
The physician hesitated. "His condition is worsening. If the trajectory holds, three to four days."
"Please," Lucien's father said, voice low and urgent. "Do everything in your power to stabilize him. Even a few more days might be enough. We have a treatment on the way."
"A treatment?"
"An experimental gene-targeted drug," he explained. "We enrolled Lucien in a clinical screening a year ago in the U.S. A few weeks back, they contacted us—a match has been found."
The doctor's eyes widened. "That's excellent news!"
"It's not FDA-approved, so it needs special clearance to enter the country. Customs is working through it now. We just need a few more days."
"Understood. We'll do everything we can to keep him stable."
Eriri's eyes lit up with sudden hope. So Lucien had a chance.
"Uncle," she asked, stepping forward, "Is it true? Lucien might recover?"
Lucien's father turned to her with kind but cautious eyes. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"It's possible. Not guaranteed, but possible. We won't give up."
Eriri clenched her fists in silent determination. If Lucien could be saved, then Attack on Titan must succeed. It wasn't just about art or recognition anymore.
The nurse returned shortly afterward and opened the ward door.
"You can go in now. Please don't crowd him too much."
Eriri took a deep breath and stepped inside with the others.
Somewhere inside, she made a vow: she would see to it that Lucien lived to finish his story.
Even if she had to push Attack on Titan to the top of the rankings herself
×××××××××××××××××××××××
🎉 Huge Congratulations to Mohammed Alshamsi! 🎉
On behalf of the entire community, I want to give a big shout-out and heartfelt congratulations to Mohammed Alshamsi for standing out and showing incredible support and dedication! Your presence means a lot, and we're honored to have you with us!
And to everyone reading this — exciting things are coming! As always, I'm working hard behind the scenes to bring you bold, thrilling, and unforgettable fanfiction that will leave you wanting more.
If you're enjoying the ride so far, don't forget to follow, support, and stay connected — because this is just the beginning.
Join us on Patreon for early access, exclusive chapters, and special content that won't be available anywhere else!
Let's keep growing together.
Much love,
— forbidden_lust