Chapter 42: The Perfect Healing Potion Is...
Another battle was brewing.
While the Kardel and Rhiki faced the remnants of the Dark Fate above them, Auren knelt beside the crater, opening his worn satchel with steady hands. There was no panic in his eyes—only resolve. The gaze that stared down at Queen Elarya was not that of a boy, but a hardened warrior. Sharp, calm, and unwavering.
"Kardel. Rhiki..." Auren called quietly.
His voice, though low, carried authority. Something in it made both elven warriors freeze. Their fury stilled—not from force, but confusion. The child they had accompanied to this place had vanished. In his place is the presence of someone else. Something else.
Someone... older. Sharper. Unexplainable.
Without hesitation and fear from the unknown enemies, Auren reached into his pack and pulled out a single, glowing vial—the high-grade healing potion he’d been saving for himself. The silvery liquid shimmered faintly, like moonlight dancing in a bottle.
"Give me a little time," he said firmly. "I promise you—I’ll heal the Queen."
There wasn’t a tremble in his tone. Not a crack. Just certainty.
Both Kardel and Rhiki immediately recognized the bottle. Then their eyes narrowed in surprise. It was the same human-made potion of the highest grade. Exactly the one that Robert showed to them before. Extremely rare, potent, and coveted.
And Auren—this strange, fearless boy—was offering it freely, his own healing potion. His time. His focus. His hands, all of it, just to save their fallen queen.
Kardel stared at him for a heartbeat longer, sensing something deeper than courage—something rooted in destiny.
