Imara Diversifies The Beastmen World

Chapter Seventy One: Progress and Unity

Parker's POV

The words "useless" and "it's my fault" echoed relentlessly in my mind as I sat beside Bai Qingqing. She lay motionless, her stillness a haunting reminder of how close we had come to losing her.

Throughout the day, as I watched over her, my heart grew heavier with each passing moment.

Imara had quietly left the room, giving us some privacy. Alone with Bai, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of helplessness. The memory of the sickening snap of her neck, now forever imprinted in my mind, was a constant torment.

Her skin still bore the marks of Curtis's fingers, a visible testament to the violence she had endured.

As I fed her the soup, spoon by spoon, I noticed her eyes. They held a contemplative look, as if she were lost in thought or struggling with her own demons. I made sure she ate every bit, but my actions felt subconcious.

The words I wanted to say to her were stuck in my throat, unable to find their way out. I was trapped in a cycle of regret and self-blame, my mind replaying the incident over and over, each time accusing myself of not doing enough.

In that quiet room, with only the sound of my heart beating loudly in my chest, I watched over Bai, hoping for any sign of improvement, any indication that she would come back to us fully. The guilt and the sense of uselessness weighed down on me, making each moment feel like an eternity.

"Parker," she whispered softly, her voice barely above a breath.

"Mm?" My response was a reflex.

"Are you okay?" Her concern for me was evident in her voice, despite her own weakened state.

At her words, a torrent of memories flooded my mind. I saw Bai again, leaping in front of Imara, her body writhing in Curtis's merciless grip. The memory of her accelerated heartbeat, the terror in her hitched voice, all came crashing back to me.

My grip on the soup bowl and spoon tightened involuntarily. Rage mingled with an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

My head throbbed with pressure, a sensation so intense I almost expected blood to start trickling from my nose.

Each breath I took felt constricted, as if an invisible force was squeezing my chest, pushing me closer to the brink of madness.

In that moment, I was consumed by self-loathing, branding myself as utterly useless. I had let her be kidnapped, forcibly marked, and had failed to protect her from the ordeal of losing her unborn babies when I would've loved and taken care of them.

The thought that she could have confided in me, yet felt too unsafe to do so, was unbearable. I should have been her haven, her guardian. My two stripes, a symbol of my strength and status, felt meaningless if I couldn't protect the one I loved, couldn't ease her pain.

With each passing second, the realization that I was contributing to her suffering instead of alleviating it became clearer. I knew this deep down, but my love for her had blinded me to the truth. And now, I was facing the harrowing reality that I had almost lost her forever.

Bai tenderly placed her hands on my face, her touch gentle as she wiped away tears I hadn't even realized were streaming down my cheeks.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, her voice tinged with sadness. "I was just trying to save Imara. I couldn't bear it if she got hurt because of me, especially when she's always trying to keep me safe. I thought... I thought he wouldn't hurt me, since it was me," she said, her eyes reflecting the pain of her realization.

My voice cracked as I replied, "I thought I lost you." The words barely made it out before I started to break down.

"I can't live without you," I sobbed, each word punctuated by labored breaths that seemed to drain the air from my lungs. The enormity of what could have happened, of what I almost lost, hit me all at once. The relief of having her here, coupled with the lingering fear of almost losing her, overwhelmed me.