Lucavion approached the two children slowly, each step careful, as if he were approaching something fragile.
Riken and Sena, still breathing heavily, turned their heads towards him. Their faces, twisted in rage and grief, seemed frozen in that expression as if they had forgotten how to be anything else.
But Lucavion didn’t flinch; instead, he stepped closer, his hand reaching out, and he lifted it gently to rest on their heads, his touch light, almost cautious.
“You did well,” he murmured, his voice steady, calm. “Now everything is fine.”
Both children flinched at the unexpected gentleness of his touch, unused to anything but the roughness and control of others. Riken’s gaze flicked away, uncertain, while Sena blinked rapidly, her breathing quickening. For a moment, the room was still, the only sounds were their ragged breaths and the faint crackle of Lucavion’s calm, grounding words.
Finally, Sena looked up at him, her face etched with confusion and vulnerability. “What… what do we do now?” she whispered, her voice barely more than a fragile thread. “Our people… Mother, Father…”
Her gaze fell, her shoulders slumping as the weight of everything settled on her small frame.
Lucavion’s hand didn’t move from her head. Instead, he let his fingers settle, softly tousling her hair as he shifted to pat Riken’s head as well. His gaze was as calm as his words, holding an odd warmth as he looked down at them. “What else?” he said quietly. “You are going to live, of course.”
Sena looked up at him, her expression flickering between doubt and a faint, unsteady hope.
“At the very least,” he continued, his tone gentle, “isn’t that what your mother and father would want for you? And the people of your village, just like how you were fighting for them—don’t you think they’d want to fight for you too?”
The words hung in the air, sinking into the silence of the room, filling the void left by the chaos that had erupted only moments before. Riken’s lips parted, his gaze lifting to meet Lucavion’s as if seeking reassurance. The anger in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something softer, something uncertain.
They stayed like that, both children silent, absorbing his words, trying to understand the world anew in the wake of their vengeance.
The two children remained silent, Lucavion’s words settling over them like a thin blanket of hope they weren’t sure they could trust. Sena’s gaze dropped to her bloodied hands, her brows knitting together as if struggling to piece together a new path forward.
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Finally, Riken spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “But… how?” His words trembled with both longing and doubt. “How are we supposed to live? How do we… do any of this?”
Lucavion was silent for a moment, his gaze softening as he watched them. Then, without a word, he extended his hand, his fingers steady and open, as if inviting them into something beyond the walls of this dark, bloodstained room.
“Follow me,” he said, his voice as calm as ever but with a new warmth in it, a quiet promise.
Sena and Riken looked at his outstretched hand, hesitating. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with both the remnants of anger and the faint flicker of something they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel in a long time: hope.
Lucavion’s smile was gentle, his voice low but steady. “It’s the adults’ job to teach the young,” he murmured. “And I’ll bring you to one who can help you learn.”
“Really?”
“….Really….”
Hearing that, the two’s gazes were softened a little.
For what reason, they did not know.
But for one, they could feel like this person before them was trustworthy. He was not here to take advantage of them.
He was here to help them instead.
And that was…..
The final point.
Their hands finally reached out to grasp his. Their fingers, small and hesitant, clasped around his in a moment that felt fragile yet strangely resolute. For the first time, they allowed themselves to trust, if only just enough to take the first step.
*******
Mariel moved methodically around the inn, wiping down tables and rearranging chairs, though her mind was far from the mundane tasks.
Being the owner of one of the most popular inns in the city, she had a steady stream of patrons who shared stories and rumors alike.
Through years of listening and observing, she had woven a network of information that stretched to the farthest reaches of the city. If something was happening, she usually knew about it.
And recently, her ears had been catching wind of troubling whispers. Whispers of violence, of children orphaned by merciless hands, of hidden powers surfacing where they shouldn’t.
Mariel’s instincts, honed from her years as a formidable adventurer, pricked with an uneasy awareness that the city was on the edge of something dark.
Also, there was the case with the Lucavion.
Mariel’s lips pressed into a thin line as she continued her work, thoughts of Lucavion lingering in the back of her mind. His recent actions hadn’t gone unnoticed. The name “Phantom Blade” had started circulating through the city, whispered with both admiration and disdain. She found the moniker a little cringe-worthy, but she couldn’t deny that it suited the mysterious aura he carried. The name had weight now, especially after he had dared to stir up trouble with the Cloud Heavens Sect.
It was a bold move—almost reckless. Lucavion was in this city alone, and yet he had walked right into conflict with one of the most powerful sects in the region. His confidence had seemed like mere bravado at first, but now, as she pieced together the implications of his actions, she began to understand the calculated risk he’d taken. This was no idle provocation. He had come to her not just for casual conversation or a reminder of his master’s legacy; he had come seeking something only she could offer: protection.
‘If he planned to go after the Cloud Heavens Sect from the beginning, then coming to me makes perfect sense,’
she thought, her brows furrowing.
‘He knew they wouldn’t take his interference lightly. He needed someone strong enough to keep them at bay.’
The Cloud Heavens Sect, while undoubtedly powerful, had limited forces stationed in the city. Most of their primary members were likely occupied elsewhere, which meant that, at most, they would send an elder to deal with him—a figure around Mariel’s own level. If it came to that, she was more than capable of protecting Lucavion, though it would mean facing potential retaliation from the sect.
She tightened her grip on the cloth in her hand, the weight of that thought settling heavily over her. Taking on the Cloud Heavens Sect, even indirectly, was no small matter. She had worked hard to maintain her position here in Andelheim, keeping her reputation balanced between respect and neutrality. But siding with Lucavion would risk pulling her into a feud she had no personal stake in—except, of course, for her connection to him as Gerald’s disciple.
Her gaze drifted to the entrance of the inn, her mind racing through the possibilities. She had no intention of turning a blind eye to Lucavion’s troubles, but she needed to be clear on the risks involved. Going up against the Cloud Heavens Sect, even subtly, would mean treading a dangerous line.
‘If they send an elder… well, I can handle that,’
she thought, her resolve hardening. She knew her own strength, and she trusted in her abilities. But a confrontation, however inevitable it might be, would come at a cost.
With a steadying breath, she set the cloth down, her decision made. If Lucavion’s plans indeed drew the ire of the Cloud Heavens Sect, she would stand by him. Whatever consequences came her way, she was prepared to face them. After all, the Iron Matron wasn’t one to back down.
She had already sensed the presence of the people approaching.
The girl named Valeria, Lucavion, and two more.
‘Beastkin?’
CREAK!
Just then, suddenly the door opened.
Mariel looked up at the sound of the creaking door, her gaze sharp and expectant. Just as she had sensed, Lucavion was there at the entrance, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood two young figures—a pair of beastkin, their postures tense yet visibly worn, and just behind them was Valeria, her expression one of silent vigilance.
Mariel’s eyes flickered over the new arrivals, noting their ragged clothes, and the traces of dirt and dried blood on their hands. They looked both frightened and defiant, their eyes darting around the room as if half-expecting danger even in this supposed haven.
Lucavion met Mariel’s gaze with a familiar smirk, though his voice carried a weight beneath its usual playfulness.
“I’ve brought some people for you to take care of.”freewebnoveℓ.com