XiCheng: The Last Lotus [AU- OMEGAVERSE]

33

The last thing she saw before she was gone- was the pale hand of her other self, latching onto her husband as she died.

Somewhere in a room, surrounded by the dim candlelight- a pair of brilliant violet eyes blinked open, surveying the room as two figures- crouched over the bed, came into view.

A small smile graced her lips as she let out a breath of relief.

The fresh air was a welcome surprise from the stuffy weight that suffocated her for so long now. It felt like she could finally breathe- could finally take in as much air as her lungs needed.

The ache in her chest didn't hurt as much- and she became acutely aware of the scratchiness of her throat and the soreness of her body.

Closing her eyes, Yu Ziyuan slowly let the tension drain from her body.

Just as she was about to doze off again- the soft sound of quiet sobs made their way towards her. Silent cries echoed in the air- a desperate plea clear in their voice.

Her eyes snapped open and darted around frantically until they came to rest on the shaking, trembling shoulders of the two youths by her bed. They were hunched over, drawing comfort from each other as they cried.

"What's wrong?" She whispered, looking at the two lumps in front of her. "What happened?"

One of the figures jumped, spinning around with a frantic panic clear on his face. "Mother?!" He cried, eyes lighting up at the sight of her. "Mother, is it really you?!"

Yu Ziyuan frowned. "A-Cheng?" She asked, tilting her head in bewilderment. "A-Cheng, why are you here? And why the hell were you crying? Did something happen? Mother will go beat them up for you!"

Jiang Cheng paled- his face blanching a ghastly white. "M-Mother? You d-don't remember?"

Yu Ziyuan frowned, scowling at the expectant look on her son's face. "Remember what?"

"Y-You w-were-"

"MOTHER!" another voice interrupted, arms latching onto her waist as a small body launched itself into her. "MOTHER, YOU'RE HERE!" Jiang Yanli screamed, sobbing as she held her mother tight. "Mother, you're awake!"

"Awake? A-Li, what do you mean?" Yu Ziyuan echoed, a baffled look on her face.

"Mother, don't you remember?" Jiang Yanli cried, her frame trembling. "You were in a coma!"

Coma.

Holy shit she had been in a coma.

No fucking wonder her children were such a mess- she had been in a coma this whole time!

"C-Coma?" Yu Ziyuan asked, her violet eyes glazing over. "W-Was I really?"

Jiang Yanli hugged her tight, tears trailing freely down her cheeks. "Oh, mother!" she sobbed, burying her head in Yu Ziyuan's shoulder. "You scared A-Li so much!"

Yu Ziyuan shot her a shaky smile, patting reassuring circles down her back. She turned towards her son- noting the way his bottom lip trembled slightly.

"A-Cheng?" she murmured, opening her arms wide. "A-Cheng, come here."

Jiang Cheng sucked in a sharp breath- clenching his fists tightly as he stiffly made his way into his mother's embrace. Little crescents dotted his palms- the indentation of his nails clear on the pale skin.

Yu Ziyuan frowned, using her free hand to gently soothe the marks. "A-Cheng," she muttered, her brows furrowing. "A-Cheng, don't do that again."

"Don't do what again?" he asked, averting his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."