Chapter 95: Mana Breathwork
Leo shook his head again. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He looked up toward the second floor. His hand, still gripping the rail, steadied.
His feet moved, slowly but surely, up the staircase—the very steps he had never climbed before in this house. Something pulled him. Maybe the words. Maybe the feeling in his chest. But whatever it was... he wasn’t going to lose his grip this time.
He had to move forward.
Because somewhere... Ophis was still waiting.
And he wasn’t going to let her down.
He moved to the second floor.
There were two rooms—one belonged to his aunt. The other... he guessed must have been his parents’ room.
Leo paused in front of the second door. His fingers hovered over the handle as he hesitated, a strange unease rising in his chest. He took a quiet breath, as if steadying his heart, and then pushed the door open.
The moment he stepped inside, a gentle breeze brushed against his face, brushing his hair softly backwards. It felt strangely alive, despite the fact that no windows were open and the room had been shut for years.
The air inside was still and heavy, filled with dust and forgotten time. The room was dark.
Leo reached for the switch and turned on the light. A dim bulb flickered to life, casting a yellow glow across the room.
There, in the centre, stood a bed covered with an old white sheet. The corners of the sheet were draped loosely, and a thick layer of dust coated it, undisturbed for what must have been years.