Robert is injured, the Hunter disappeared... anyone interested to learn what happens now? Thank you guys for the sweet reviews :)

Chapter 25

Clara stood in the corner of the room, watching the procedure with caution and with worry, waiting for the doctor to finish his examination of the patient. Right after the Hunter's disappearance, Clara had rushed towards Robert, only to find him unconscious. She had tried to talk to him, she had tried to shake him, but nothing had managed to wake him up, but she had comforted herself with the fact that he was still breathing even though his hair had turned completely white and a few additional wrinkles had appeared on his face. With the help of her father and the staff, they had brought Robert back to the house and called for the physician who still hadn't come to any conclusion as to what was wrong with him.

Finally, the doctor uttered a sigh and rose to his feet, facing both Clara and her father. He seemed entirely at a loss. "I have to admit that I haven't seen anything like this in a very long time," he confessed gravely.

"You've seen this before then?" Clara wanted to know.

The doctor nodded. "Once when I was a young man, but the patient back then was already dead. They had found him in the woods with his hair turned white. My mentor had then told me it was something that had happened before to various people, always when they had entered the forest."

Clara watched her father knit his eyebrows at the physician. "What's causing it?" he wanted to know, but it was unlikely that the answer would satisfy him. Clara knew, but she wasn't sure that the doctor did and even if, would he tell her father the truth?

"I can't say," he admitted. "His body experienced a state of severe shock or a seizure, but he was very lucky. His heartbeat and breathing have stabilised and since he's a young and healthy man, I do think he will recover. It might just take a while for him to wake up."

Clara felt the relief wash over her like a wave, but at the same time, she wasn't entirely sure what to think about it. Yes, she had saved Robert's life and that was what she had wanted, but she was also afraid of what he might remember as soon as he was conscious again. Nevertheless, she was glad that he was still alive.

"Thank you," her father said as he shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you so much for your help."

When the two men left the room, Clara remained for a moment longer, her eyes wandering over Robert's face that had aged so visibly. Even though he was her own age, he now looked caught between the youthful energy that had once inhabited him and the frailty of old age, caught between life and death.

However, it made her realised something very important. Clara had stopped the Hunter from killing Robert and suddenly, she felt a stab of pride at that, instinctively knowing that no one before her had been capable of doing that. And if she could save Robert from the Hunter, she could also save John from him. It might take a while to figure out just how to do it, but Clara felt certain that there had to be a way to break the curse and she would find out exactly what it took to help him.

The Hunter was pacing the edge of the forest nervously and it was almost as if he could hear the clock ticking away until dawn and still, Clara hadn't come to see him. And why would she? Today, he had almost killed her friend and it seemed a miracle that the young man had survived. The Hunter couldn't remember anyone escaping the curse's wrath before, but that didn't matter, did it? Clara had finally seen who he was,what he was and that would have driven her away forever. There was no way she would want to be with him now, no way she would help him break his curse. Every chance he had had, the Hunter had lost today.

However, sometime around midnight, the Hunter spotted her, dashing across the meadow in her nightgown and coat and when she arrived at their usual meeting spot, she was panting, utterly out of breath.

"I'm so sorry," the Hunter burst out immediately, eager to get the words out before Clara had a chance to speak. "I didn't mean to hurt him, I swear. I didn't have a choice when he aimed that gun. I tried, Clara! I tried to fight it, but-"

To his surprise, Clara smiled at him under the moonlight and it was as if a shadow lifted from his heart. "You did more than try," she replied breathlessly. Somehow, he thought her voice sounded happy. "You did it! Robert is alive!"

"He is?" he enquired. The Hunter hadn't been entirely sure. Yes, the man had still been breathing when he had released him, but so far, no one had been able to survive the Hunter's attack.

Clara nodded, smiling at him. "I just hope he won't remember any of that," Clara replied, "but he is alive, yes. The doctor said he might take a while to wake up, but he sounded quite confident."

In response, the Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. It was good news and not just for Clara, but for him as well. He had never liked killing and one of the worst parts about his curse was that it was forcing him to. Then, Clara reached out and took his hand, reminding the Hunter that he had her to thank for that.

"I'm so proud of you," she said earnestly. "I knew you could do it."

Finally, the Hunter managed to crack a smile as well. "All thanks to you."

Still smiling, Clara shook her head. "No, that was you. I told you there was still more humanity left in you than you give yourself credit for."

He inhaled deeply, letting Clara's voice will his head while he focused on the touch and he felt a sudden warmth that he usually missed when he was the Hunter. Maybe, she was right, but what did it matter? As long as he was cursed, he would always have to fight for his remaining humanity, he would always have to struggle.

"John." Clara's careful voice tore him out of his thoughts and he recognised a seriousness in it that hadn't been there before. When he looked at her, the Hunter found that she was looking at him intently. "We'll find a way to break the curse."

"Clara-" he attempted to say, but she cut him off.

"I know what you're going to say, but I don't want to hear it," she reminded him strictly. "I know that there has to be a way, I can feel it. And I'm going to find it."

Once again, the Hunter opened his mouth, ready to explain to her just what kind of sacrifice breaking his curse would demand of her, but eventually, he thought better of it. He had told Ellie and she had left him. If he told Clara now, he would not only end up alone, but he would also crush and shatter her hope on the spot. The Hunter just couldn't do it to her and he couldn't ask her to become his wife when that was something she didn't want to do. He would rather remain the Hunter forever than force Clara into making this decision just to save him.

"I'll find a way somehow, I'll do some research," she promised him eagerly, her voice almost brimming over with excitement. The Hunter could see just how determined she was and that was why she could never find out the truth about his curse. "Trust me, we'll free you of that damned curse."

With a heavy heart, the Hunter forced himself to smile at her, knowing that he would never be free, knowing that Clara had the means to free him, but he would never ask her to do it.