Lyria's POV
We returned to Velmora without warning. One moment, we were standing beneath the night sky, surrounded by the ruins of the battlefield. The next a A blinding flash swallowed us. When the light disappeared, we were standing in the middle of the Duke's castle.
Several guards immediately reached for their weapons, while others stumbled backward in confusion. A few servants dropped whatever they had been carrying, and the sound of metal and porcelain striking the marble floor echoed through the hall.
But I barely noticed any of it. My eyes were fixed on Raven. She was lying unconscious on the floor. She wasn't moving. She was barely breathing.
"Kalina!"
The Duke's voice cut through the chaos. He rushed toward us, his face filled with worry. "Are you all right?" His eyes quickly moved over me.Kalina and Kara. "Gods… thank goodness you're all safe."
Kalina stepped forward. "We're fine, Father." She pointed toward Raven. "But Raven isn't." Her voice became urgent. "Please, Father. We need a doctor. Now."
The Duke didn't hesitate. "Guards!" Several soldiers immediately stepped forward. "Carry her to her room. Carefully."
"Yes, Your Grace!" Two guards knelt beside Raven and carefully lifted her. I followed them. I couldn't take my eyes away from her. Every step they took left small drops of blood on the marble floor. My stomach twisted. How much blood can one person lose and still survive?
The Duke turned toward the mage who had transported us. "Find the physician immediately." The mage bowed. "Yes, Your Grace." He vanished in a flash of light.
Raven's room quickly became filled with people. Guards stood near the door. Servants brought water, towels, bandages, and anything else they thought might be useful.
Raven was placed carefully on the bed. I stood beside her. She looked even worse under the bright light. The wounds that had been difficult to see beneath the darkness of the forest were now impossible to ignore. I felt my chest tighten.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. The physician arrived. He was an elderly man with silver hair and a long white beard. He carried a large leather bag filled with medical supplies. He immediately approached Raven. "Give me some room."
We stepped aside. The physician examined her pulse. Then her breathing. Then her wounds. Finally, he raised his hand. A soft green glow formed around his palm. Healing magic. The light touched Raven's body.
Nothing happened. The physician frowned. He increased the flow of mana. Still nothing. The green glow faded. Kalina immediately spoke. "Healing magic doesn't work on her."
The physician looked at her. "Are you certain?. and Potions?"
"Yes. They don't work either."
The physician stared at Raven for several seconds. Then his expression changed. "Ah…" He sounded almost fascinated. "So she is an absorption type. Interesting." He approached Raven again. "I have heard stories about people with absorption abilities, but I've never actually seen one." He shook his head. "They are extraordinarily rare. I never expected to encounter one in my lifetime."
Kalina frowned and looked at Kara. "An absorption type?. Did you know about this?"
Kara shrugged. She wore an innocent expression and pretended she knew nothing. "I have no idea what he is talking about."
Kalina narrowed her eyes.
The physician continued examining Raven. "Regardless of her ability, her physical condition is critical."
He carefully removed Raven's torn shirt. The physician gently pressed against her ribs. "Several broken ribs." He leaned closer and listened to her breathing. "Her breathing is shallow." His expression became serious. "The broken ribs are putting pressure on her lung. Fortunately, they haven't punctured it."
He moved toward the deep wounds along her side. "Claw marks." His fingers hovered above one of them. "She has lost a considerable amount of blood."
He opened his medical bag. Inside was a small container filled with a thick, translucent substance. He carefully spread it over the wounds. Then he took out a needle and thread.
The first time the needle entered Raven's skin, I flinched. It looked painful. Terribly painful. And yet Raven didn't move. Didn't even make a sound.
The physician continued stitching. I tightened my grip on Kara's shirt. Kara glanced at me. "Lyria…"
"I know." My voice trembled. "I know."
When the physician finished treating the wounds on Raven's side, he turned toward Kalina. "I need you to help me turn her over."
Kalina nodded. She carefully placed one hand beneath Raven's shoulder and another near her waist. Slowly—They turned Raven onto her stomach.
I covered my mouth. Her entire back was covered in claw marks. Some wounds were shallow. Others were deep enough that I could see why she had lost so much blood.
The physician handed the same medicinal mixture to Kalina. "Apply this carefully." Kalina nodded. She began spreading the mixture over Raven's back. The physician then began stitching the wounds.
I couldn't look away. Every time the needle entered her skin, my fingers tightened around Kara's shirt.
How did she survive this? How had she continued fighting? How had she stood? How had she jumped from that cliff? She should have collapsed long before that.
When the physician finished, Kalina helped him turn Raven onto her back again. He examined the wound on her face. He carefully inspected her eye. "The wound looks worse than it is." He gently moved Raven's eyelid. "Her vision hasn't been damaged.It doesn't require stitches either."
I exhaled in relief.
He then examined the wound on her side again. "Fortunately, none of her internal organs were damaged." For the next several minutes, the physician continued checking every injury.
Finally, he stepped away from the bed. He wiped his hands with a cloth. "I've stopped the bleeding and closed the major wounds. But she lost a tremendous amount of blood. She won't wake soon."
"How long?" I asked.
The physician hesitated. "It's impossible to say. She needs rest."
Then his expression became more serious. "There is something else."
The Duke stepped forward.
"What?"
The physician looked toward Raven. "Her mana vessel. It has been completely destroyed."
The words took a moment to register. "What?"The Duke frowned. "What does that mean?"
The physician folded his hands. "Her mana pathways were restricted. For some reason, her mana was being forcibly contained. But during the battle, she forced an enormous amount of mana through those restrictions. The pressure became too great. And her mana vessel shattered."
My hand immediately covered my mouth. Kara stared at him. "Can it be repaired?"
The physician shook his head. "No."
"Then…" Kara's voice trembled. "Does that mean she'll lose her abilities forever?"
The physician looked at Raven. "If the vessel has been completely destroyed, it cannot return to its original state." He slowly nodded. "Yes. She will most likely never be able to use mana again."
Complete silence. I stared at Raven. The woman who had risked everything to save me. Had lost the very thing that allowed her to fight. because of me. I felt tears gathering in my eyes.
The physician bowed slightly. "I've done everything I can. I will return tomorrow to examine her again."
The Duke nodded. "Thank you, Doctor." The physician gathered his belongings and left. The door closed behind him. For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The Duke finally broke the silence. "Someone explain." His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it. "What happened?, What led Raven to this state?."
Kalina sighed. "It's a long story."
"Then start from the beginning." The Duke sat down on a nearby sofa. Kalina sat across from him. Kara moved toward the window. I stayed beside Raven.
A servant approached with a cloth. "Your Highness, allow me." I shook my head. "No."
"But, Princess—"
"I'll do it." She hesitated before bowing.
I dipped the cloth into warm water and began gently wiping Raven's face. Blood stained the cloth almost immediately. I cleaned her cheek. Her forehead. Her arms. I carefully wiped away the dried blood around her fingers.
She looked peaceful. Almost as if she were sleeping. Kalina began telling her father everything. From the beginning to the end. I listened quietly while continuing to clean Raven.
When Kalina finally finished,The Duke remained silent for several seconds. "So that was the source of the earthquake."
Kalina nodded.
"And the light that turned the night sky into daylight?"
"That was their final clash."
The Duke looked toward Raven. "I still can't believe Malvias transformed himself into a monster simply to gain enough power to defeat her."
Kalina shook her head. "He sought more power because his opponent was stronger than he expected." She glanced toward Raven. "And even then, Raven defeated him."
The Duke's eyes narrowed. "While her abilities were restricted."
I looked down at Raven. My fingers gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Why would you push yourself that far? I knew the answer.
Because she was stubborn. Because she hated weakness. Because she would rather destroy herself than allow someone else to die in front of her.
Kara approached me. "Lyria. You need rest too." She smiled gently. "Raven will be fine."
The Duke stood. "We'll continue this conversation tomorrow." He looked at all of us. "You've all been through enough today." He glanced at me. "Rest. We'll speak in the morning."
The Duke left the room. Kalina followed him. Kara remained behind. She gently took my hand. "Come on. Lyria, you need to wash up. You have blood all over you."
I looked down. She was right. My clothes were stained with Raven's blood.
"Go take a bath. Sleep for a few hours." Kara squeezed my hand. "Then you can come back."
I hesitated. My eyes returned to Raven. I walked toward her one last time. I pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders. Then I leaned closer.
"I'm leaving for a little while." My voice was barely above a whisper. "But I'm coming back." I gently touched her hand. "So don't you dare do anything stupid while I'm gone." A faint smile touched my lips, I whispered in her ear. " I love you Raven."
I stood. Then I turned toward the door. Just before leaving, I looked back one last time. I quietly opened the door. "See you soon, Raven." And then—I walked out.
I returned to my room. My body felt as though it had been dragged through a battlefield and left there overnight.
Every muscle ached. My clothes were stiff with dried blood and dirt, and the faint metallic smell of blood still clung to my skin no matter how many times I wiped my hands.
I walked straight into the bathroom. I stripped off my ruined clothes and stepped beneath the warm water. The moment the water touched my skin, I closed my eyes. I allowed myself to breathe. The warmth washed away the dirt, the blood, and some of the exhaustion that had settled deep inside my body.
But it couldn't wash away the memories. I opened my eyes. Why did you do that, Raven?
I finished bathing and changed into clean clothes. I felt lighter afterward, but the exhaustion remained. I picked up my old clothes and cloak, intending to throw them away.
As I lifted the cloak, something slipped from the folds and fell onto the floor with a faint metallic sound.
I froze. My eyes widened. I slowly bent down and picked it up. A black-and-red blade gleamed beneath the light.
"The dagger…how could I have forgotten this ."
I had been so exhausted that I hadn't even realized it had been caught inside my cloak. I tightened my fingers around it.
This was the dagger that had pierced Raven's body. The dagger that had sealed her mana. The dagger she had specifically asked me to destroy.
Without wasting another second, I ran out of my room. I rushed down the corridor toward Kara's room and began pounding on her door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The door opened abruptly. Kara stood there, her expression immediately turning alarmed when she saw me. "Lyria? What happened? Are you alright? Did something happen to Raven? Is she—"
I grabbed her hand. "Calm down, Kara. I'm fine. Raven is fine too. She still hasn't woken up, but listen to me." I pulled the dagger from the cloth and held it up.
Kara's eyes narrowed.
"This is…"
"The dagger that sealed Raven's mana." I spoke so quickly that I barely had time to breathe. "Raven asked me to destroy it. She said that if this dagger was broken, the spell restricting her mana would disappear."
Kara stared at the weapon. Then she looked at me. "Alright. I understand. But breathe first."
I realized I was practically panting. I took several deep breaths until my heartbeat slowed. "Please, Kara. Help me break it."
"Fine." She turned back into her room. "Let me get my sword. We'll go to the training yard."
The training yard was almost completely empty. It was late. Most of the castle had already fallen asleep, leaving only a few guards patrolling the grounds. The moon hung high above us, casting pale light over the stone floor.
Kara took the dagger from me and walked toward a large stone in the center of the yard. She placed the dagger on top of it.
"Stay behind me, Lyria. We don't know what will happen when it breaks." Her expression was unusually serious. "That thing was powerful enough to restrict Raven's mana. I don't want you standing next to it when it shatters."
I reluctantly stepped back.
Kara drew her sword. She gripped it with both hands and raised it above her head. Then—The sword came down with tremendous force.
CLANG!
The impact echoed across the training yard. A crack spread through the stone beneath the dagger. But the dagger itself remained completely intact.
Kara stared at it. "…What?"
She lowered her sword. The stone had been split. The dagger didn't even have a scratch. She frowned. "That shouldn't be possible."
I stepped closer. "I knew it wouldn't be easy." I drew the white sword Raven had given me I named the white Lotus. "Try this."
She took the sword from my hand. After stepping away from the dagger, she tightened her grip. "Let's see what you can do." She raised the blade. Mana gathered around her. Then she swung.
The sword struck the dagger. For a split second, nothing happened. Then—The dagger shattered. Several pieces of black-and-red metal scattered across the stone. But before we could celebrate
WHOOM!
A violent wave of energy exploded from the broken dagger.
"Kara!"
The force hurled her backward. She crashed onto the ground several meters away. I immediately ran toward her. "Kara!"
She groaned and grabbed her back. "I'm fine… I'm fine." She slowly sat up. "What the hell was that?"
I helped her stand. "Are you hurt?"
"No. Just surprised."
We turned toward the stone. The dagger was no longer whole. It had broken into several small fragments. "It's really broken."
Kara picked up the sword. "There. We did it." She glanced at me. "You go back inside and check on Raven. I'll collect these pieces and make sure nobody touches them."
I nodded. "Thank you, Kara."
She gave me a tired smile.
I didn't need to be told twice. I hurried back toward Raven's room. My heart was beating faster with every step.
If the dagger really was responsible…Then maybe Raven would wake up. Maybe her mana would return. Maybe everything would be alright.
I reached her door and opened it carefully. The room was quiet. Moonlight entered through the window and fell across the bed. Raven was still there. Still unconscious.
My hope faded slightly. I closed the door behind me and walked toward her. She looked strangely peaceful. Her breathing was slow and steady. Beside her, the little fox was curled up on the bed, sleeping peacefully.
I smiled faintly.
Even after everything that had happened, that little creature had apparently decided that Raven's side was the safest place in the world.
I sat beside the bed. I reached for Raven's hand. It was warm. I held it tightly. "Why haven't you woken up yet?. I did what you asked." My voice became quieter. "I broke the dagger. Wasn't that supposed to free you?"
My fingers tightened around hers. "Please wake up, Raven." I swallowed hard. "I don't know how you're going to react when you learn the truth."
My gaze dropped. "The doctor said…" I couldn't finish the sentence. I didn't want to say it. I lowered my head. "I'm sorry." My voice trembled. "I'm really sorry, Raven."
"You saved me." My eyes began to sting. "And I…" I looked at the bandages covering her body. "…I was the one who hurt you." The guilt returned. Heavy. Crushing. "But you still protected me."
A bitter smile appeared on my lips. "You're really an idiot." I leaned closer to Raven. "Just wake up."
I slowly lay down beside her, still holding her hand. My body finally began to surrender to exhaustion. The events of the night replayed through my mind. My eyelids became heavier.
"I'll stay here…" I murmured. "So when you wake up… you won't be alone."
I didn't even realize when sleep finally took me. My fingers remained intertwined with Raven's. And beside us, the little fox continued sleeping peacefully