Episode-981
Chapter : 1961
"I want to make you a deal," Lloyd said. "No more hiding. No more pretending we are strangers. I will teach you everything I know. I will teach you how to use your light. I will teach you the science behind the magic—the physics, the geometry, the logic. I will help you become strong enough that no one can ever put you in a cage again."
"And in return?" Airin asked.
"In return," Lloyd said, his voice dropping to a whisper, "you stay with me. You stand by my side. Because I can't do this alone. I have power, yes. I have spirits and money and influence. But I’m tired, Airin. My soul is tired. I need someone who knows the map."
Airin looked at him. She saw the fatigue etched into his face. She saw the loneliness he hid behind his sarcasm and his plans.
She realized then that the dynamic had shifted. He wasn't the savior anymore. He was a man holding up the sky, and his arms were shaking. He needed help.
"I’m not Anastasia," Airin said firmly. "I don't know how to fix a generator. I don't know about cars or electricity."
Lloyd nodded. "I know."
"But," Airin said, a small smile forming. "I know about light. I know about angles. And I know you."
She reached out with her bandaged hand and took his.
"I’ll stay," she said. "I’ll learn. I’ll fight."
Lloyd let out a breath, his shoulders slumping in relief. He squeezed her hand carefully, mindful of her injuries.
"Good," he said. "Because I have a lot of work to do. And I think I’m going to need a second opinion on some of these blueprints."
"Is that all I am?" Airin teased gently. "A second opinion?"
Lloyd looked at her. The air in the room seemed to change. It wasn't the heavy, charged atmosphere of a battle. It was softer. Warmer.
"No," Lloyd said. "You’re the primary source."
The door to the infirmary opened with a creak. A nurse poked her head in.
"Visiting hours are over, Lord Ferrum," she said sternly. "The patient needs rest."
Lloyd stood up immediately, reverting to his polite nobleman persona. "Of course. My apologies."
He looked back at Airin.
"Rest," he commanded gently. "Sleep. Don't dream about the war tonight. Dream about... I don't know. Dream about math."
Airin laughed. "I'll try."
Lloyd walked to the door. Before he left, he turned back one last time.
"Airin?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you," he said. It was simple, but it carried the weight of two lifetimes.
"You're welcome, Evan," she whispered.
He smiled, a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes, and then he was gone.
Airin lay back against the pillows. Her hands throbbed, and her chest stung, but she felt lighter than she had in weeks. The secret was out. The ghosts were real, but they weren't haunting her anymore. They were helping her.
She looked at the ceiling. She thought about the laser grid. She thought about the feeling of power when she unleashed the light.
"Solar Core," she whispered to herself.
She closed her eyes. She didn't dream of the rain and the olive uniform that night. She dreamed of a sun that never set, and a mirror that never broke. She dreamed of standing next to the Lion, not behind him.
And for the first time, she wasn't waiting for him to come home. She was already there.
________________________________________
The morning sun was shining brightly over the Royal Academy, but to Airin, everything felt different. The stone walls, the manicured gardens, and the busy students rushing to class—it all looked the same as it did yesterday, but the world had shifted beneath her feet.
She sat on the edge of her small bed in the dormitory, staring at her hands. They were wrapped in fresh white bandages. Underneath the cloth, the cuts from the glass shards were already healing, thanks to the high-quality medicine Lloyd had given her. But she wasn't looking at the injuries. She was remembering the feeling of power. She was remembering the feeling of turning her skin into a mirror and bouncing a beam of pure energy to save the man she loved.
Chapter : 1962
For a long time, Airin had felt like she was living in a fog. She was a commoner girl from a vegetable market who had suddenly been thrown into a world of magic, nobles, and war. She had felt small. She had felt like an impostor. And then, the dreams had started—the dreams of another life, of rain and machines and a husband named Evan. Those dreams had confused her even more. Was she Airin? Was she Anastasia? Was she just a ghost haunting a new body?
But today, the fog was gone.
The battle in the greenhouse had burned it away. When she stood facing that monster from the Abyss, when she looked into Lloyd’s eyes and saw that he trusted her to take the shot, everything clicked into place. She wasn't just a memory. She wasn't just a student. She was a partner.
She stood up and smoothed down her uniform. She didn't feel like going to class today. Algebra and history seemed silly after you had fought a time-bending wizard. She had something much more important to do.
She left her room and walked into the hallway. Other students passed her, whispering behind their hands. Rumors about the explosion in the greenhouse were already spreading. Some said a dragon had attacked. Others said a spell had gone wrong. They looked at Airin with a mix of curiosity and fear, noticing her bandages.
Usually, Airin would have lowered her head. She would have tried to disappear into the background. But today, she walked with her chin up. She walked with a steady, calm rhythm. It was the walk of a woman who had made a decision and wasn't going to turn back.
She navigated the twisting corridors of the Academy, heading toward the faculty wing. This was where the professors had their private offices. It was a quiet, serious part of the school, smelling of old paper and floor wax.
She reached the heavy wooden door at the end of the hall. There was a small brass plate on it that read: Professor L. Ferrum.
Airin stopped. Her heart did a little flip in her chest. This was it.
She raised her hand to knock, but then she hesitated. Her old fears tried to creep back in. What are you doing? a voice in her head whispered. He is a Lord. You are nobody. He has a wife. He has a fiancée who is a princess. He has another fiancée who is a noble lady. Where do you fit in? You are just the girl who looks like his dead wife. You are just a shadow.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered the feeling of his hand holding hers in the infirmary. She remembered the way he looked at her—not like she was a ghost, but like she was the only real thing in the room.
"No," she whispered to the empty hallway. "I am not a shadow."
She knocked three times. The sound was sharp and clear.
"Come in," a familiar voice called from inside. It was calm and flat, lacking any emotion. It was his teaching voice.
Airin pushed the handle and stepped inside.
The office was messy, but in an organized way. There were stacks of books on the floor, rolls of blueprints covering the desk, and a half-eaten sandwich on a plate. The air smelled of coffee and ink.
Lloyd was sitting behind the desk. He was wearing his glasses, frowning at a complex drawing of a mechanical gear. He looked tired. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was a little messy, like he had been running his hands through it.
He didn't look up immediately. "Just leave the report on the table, I’ll grade it later."
"It's not a report," Airin said.
Lloyd stopped writing. He went very still. Then, he looked up.
When he saw her, the tired, boring expression vanished from his face. His eyes widened slightly. He took off his glasses and set them down on the desk.
"Airin," he said. His voice changed. It wasn't the flat teacher voice anymore. It was softer, filled with a quiet concern. "You should be resting. The healer said you needed at least two days for the mana burn to settle."
He stood up and walked around the desk. He stopped a few feet away from her, keeping a respectful distance, but his eyes were scanning her bandages, checking for any sign of pain.
"I’m fine," Airin said. "My hands don't hurt."