Claudia didn't realize she was crying until the tears were already falling.

She moved her hand to dab her eyes, worried that Jace would wake up, see her tears, and blame himself.

Sadly, her tears just wouldn't stop flowing. They were cascading faster than she could wipe them away.

Before she managed to clear her eyes, one tear fell onto Jace's face.

That single warm drop seemed to spur him awake, even in his semi- conscious state.

He fought against the darkness that held him. When his eyes fluttered open, he saw Claudia through a haze.

Jace took a moment to absorb the sight of her red eyes and pieced together the events.

"Cece," he muttered.

Claudia was in the process of wiping away her tears when she heard Jace's voice. Shocked for a moment, she broke into a smile as soon as she saw his father's open eyes.

"Dad!"

Jace had just regained consciousness and felt incredibly weak.

He tried to raise his hand to wipe Claudia's tears, but even this small effort was a struggle.

“Don't cry, Cece. I'm all right."

Claudia managed to compose herself, but her father's words had left her tearing up again.

"I'm not crying. I just got something in my eye!"

“Sure, you're not crying," he said, sniggering.

Jace felt a pang of discomfort seeing Claudia so emotional. Seeking a distraction, he asked, "Where did Bennett go?"

"He stepped out to get some porridge. It's really late, and Elmo is still in the hospital. He's probably famished," said Claudia.

She glanced back at the mention of Elmo's name.

To her surprise, she realized Elmo had already Left the room, Leaving just her and her father.

Jace commented, "I'm the reason you're so worried, Cece."

Despite growing older, Jace never anticipated he'd pass out like this.

Even if his vision had darkened, he was still able to maintain his consciousness for a few moments.

ALL he could ponder was the prospect of not waking up and the potential hardships his daughter might face.