Chapter 81: Yin and Love
Lira felt something warm surge inside her as Lucas subtly ignored Selene. She didn’t show it outwardly, but deep down, she couldn’t deny how satisfying it was to see the same young man who had once looked at Selene with awe and longing now walk past her without even granting her a glance. Still, she didn’t let that moment linger too long in her thoughts. Lucas was wounded, exhausted, and on the brink of collapse. Her feelings could wait, his wellbeing could not.
Without hesitation, Lira secured her arm around his waist and guided him through the corridors of the castle, whispering words of reassurance to him though she wasn’t even sure if he could hear her. His body was heavy with fatigue, his feet dragging as though each one might be his last, but he did not complain, and he did not resist. He simply leaned on her, trusting her entirely.
When they reached his chamber, she gently eased him onto the bed. The moment he sank into the mattress, a sigh escaped his lips, not of pain or frustration, but of relief. The weight of everything, the battle, the beasts, the Grandmaster, had finally caught up with him. He looked at Lira as if to thank her, but she had already turned away, moving toward the shelves lined with medicinal herbs and alchemical tools.
She had been watching him closely, learning quietly, absorbing everything he had taught her. And now, she was putting that knowledge to use to help him.
Her fingers moved with practiced precision as she began selecting ingredients, dried sunroot petals for energy, a few drops of liquefied stormgrass to ease the aches in his muscles, and a pinch of balm to accelerate internal healing. She heated a flask, mixing the components with steady hands, her brow furrowed in concentration. The scent of the potion filled the room, sharp yet soothing, the air seeming to calm in response to the soft hiss of brewing elixirs.
Once the potion was ready, she returned to Lucas’s side. She helped him sit upright and placed the warm flask to his lips. He drank without protest. The moment the liquid touched his tongue, he felt its effects almost instantly, a gentle warmth spreading through his limbs, dulling the pain and easing the tightness in his chest. His breathing became more even, his posture less strained. The tension slowly faded from his expression.
"You did well," Lucas murmured, his voice rough but sincere. "You’ve been learning."
Lira smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "From the best."
He gave a tired nod, then closed his eyes. He knew better than to waste this brief moment of peace. There would be more challenges ahead, more danger, more choices to make, more power to grasp. But none of it would matter if his body wasn’t ready.
Drawing in a slow breath, he shifted into a meditative position on the bed. His legs crossed, his hands resting lightly on his knees, and his spine straight despite the fatigue weighing him down. He closed his eyes again, not to sleep, but to focus.