Chapter 115: Smile, Isabella. Don’t let them see you falter
Meanwhile, in the freezing room. Only Kian, Cyrus, and Glimora were now around. The rest couldn’t stay any longer due to the cold.
Kian sat with his back against the wall, eyes closed, indifferent to the chill that seemed to pierce through the room. Cyrus, however, was pushing himself harder, his breath visible in the freezing air as he worked to keep the healing spell on Isabella.
The room was eerily quiet and tense, the silence broken only by Isabella’s soft murmurs as she slept.
"Almost... don’t stop, just a little more... harder, yes, that’s it..."
Kian’s eyes flickered open, his expression as still as ever. But when he glanced at Cyrus’s frozen posture, something like a flicker of... discomfort passed over his features. His gaze lingered for a moment longer than usual, noting how the man’s back had stiffened. Cyrus was flushed—no, he was practically glowing red, his fingers trembling ever so slightly as he tried to focus on his work.
Cyrus cleared his throat, but his voice was tight. "She’s just—just in a deep healing sleep. It’s nothing... nothing like—"
Kian stared at him, the silence stretching between them like a chasm. His usual emotionless mask remained in place, but there was something sharp in his stare now, like he was keenly aware of what had just slipped from Isabella’s lips. He turned his gaze back to the frozen space in front of him, his tone even, but carrying an edge. "Focus. The task is simple, Cyrus. No room for distractions."
Cyrus snapped his attention back to Isabella’s frail form, trying to push away the unnecessary thoughts that had somehow gotten tangled in his mind. His face was still burning, but he forced himself to continue the healing, his hands steadying just slightly.
Kian’s gaze was cool, his eyes narrowing just a fraction. He could feel the tension radiating off Cyrus—too much focus on what shouldn’t be in the air.
Kian’s gaze flicked briefly to Cyrus, noting the man’s discomfort. So even the calm ones crack, he thought, though he didn’t say a word.
Cyrus’s attempts to concentrate only faltered for a moment before he exhaled a slow breath and muttered under his breath, almost to himself, "I don’t know why this... why this is so difficult."