Seven days had passed, and inside that quiet room of the guest house where Lucian lay, a strange stillness had settled. The vessels of water placed around him by Elder Vyom were now empty, their purpose fulfilled, while Lucian's once pale and lifeless skin had slowly regained its natural color. His broken bones and torn muscles had been restored through the power of the divine water, bringing his body back from the edge of ruin.
Outside, the sun was setting, and the dim glow of evening light spread gently across the room. In that silence, a faint movement appeared—Lucian's fingers twitched ever so slightly, breaking the stillness that had held the room for days.
Behind his closed eyes, fragments of memories surged violently—black chains tightening, a burning dragon struggling, and Lyra's desperate screams echoing through the darkness. His body grew damp with cold sweat as those visions crashed into him all at once.
Suddenly, he took a deep, sharp breath, as if a drowning man had finally broken through the surface of water. His eyes snapped open, wide and unsteady, as he stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling above him.
His throat felt dry, and his body unbearably heavy, as if he had been asleep for far too long to remember. His lips moved slowly, forcing out a single, fragile word, "Lyra…"—so faint that even he could barely hear it.
At that moment, a soft sound came from the corner of the room as someone rose from the sofa. Lyra had been sitting there the entire time, and in the past week, she had changed—dark circles rested beneath her eyes, her hands still wrapped in bandages, yet her gaze carried a quiet maturity that no longer belonged to a simple seven-year-old child.
"You're awake…" Lyra's voice was calm, yet the relief within it was impossible to hide as she stepped closer to his bed. Her movements were slow, careful, as if she was afraid that even now, something might break again.
Lucian looked at her, his memories still blurred and unstable. "Lyra… are we… dead? That dragon… that demon…?" he tried to sit up in panic, but Lyra gently placed her hand on his shoulder and stopped him.
"It's over, brother. We're safe now… that demon has been sealed," she said softly, her words steady as she tried to calm him.
Lucian fell silent, his gaze dropping to his own hands as fragments of memory returned. He remembered the dark energy flowing through his fingers, and slowly, he shut his eyes, his expression tightening with guilt.
"I… I caused destruction, didn't I?" he murmured, his voice heavy. "I don't remember everything… but I can feel the fear I gave everyone…"
Lyra didn't answer, because she knew this was something he had to face on his own. Some truths could not be softened, and some wounds could only be understood in silence.
At that moment, the door opened quietly, and Elder Vyom stepped inside with his usual calm presence. A faint, knowing smile rested on his face as he spoke, "So… the heir of Ravencrest has finally awakened."
Elder Vyom pulled a chair closer and sat down comfortably, his calm gaze fixed on Lucian without saying anything at first. In that silence alone, he had already understood the guilt hidden deep within Lucian's eyes, knowing exactly what was weighing on his mind.
"Humans always make mistakes, Lucian," he began slowly, his voice carrying a steady depth. "Sometimes by their own will… and sometimes under the control of another. A person can become a puppet without even realizing it, doing things they never wished to do."
He paused briefly before continuing, "It is emotions that take control… and it is those same emotions that others use to control you. So tell me—can we truly call such a person wrong? Can we really say it was their fault?"
Elder Vyom placed the question before Lucian with complete calm, as if he was answering the chaos inside his mind without needing to hear it aloud. His gaze remained steady, allowing the silence to settle, giving Lucian the space to confront his own thoughts.
Lucian tried to push himself up using his arms, but his weakened body refused to cooperate. Lyra quickly stepped forward to support him, her voice filled with concern, "Brother, you should rest… there's no need to get up right now."
But Lucian didn't give in. He forced himself upright against the bed, steadying his breath before speaking, "I'm fine, Lyra… staying in one place like this doesn't suit me. It feels like I've been asleep for days."
Lyra watched him quietly, knowing how stubborn he could be, and slowly stepped back without arguing further. Lucian adjusted himself and turned toward Elder Vyom, his expression firm as he said, "Elder, what you said is true… but if someone falls under control because of their own mistakes, then it is still their fault."
He continued, his voice steady yet heavy, "And even after being controlled, if they don't try to break free… then that too is their responsibility. No one can change that truth."
Elder Vyom gently rubbed his forehead before responding, his tone patient and thoughtful, "You are not wrong, Lucian… but life is not that simple. There are many things beyond our control, and sometimes no matter how much we try, we cannot act the way we wish."
Lyra listened silently, understanding that Elder Vyom was trying to ease the burden of guilt from Lucian's heart. Yet from Lucian's expression, it was clear that those words alone would not be enough to free him from it.
Lucian spoke again, his voice tightening slightly, "Elder… even if that is true, hurting your own people, destroying a place you call home, and becoming a fear that could kill everyone… then whose fault is that?"
"The one who controlled him," Elder Vyom replied instantly, without a moment of hesitation.
"No… this is my fault!" Lucian's voice cracked with pain as he spoke, his eyes filled with self-blame. "I did all of that… I was weak, helpless—I couldn't even protect myself, and I put everyone in danger. My sister had to risk her life to save me… everything happened because of me."
His voice grew heavier as the memories pressed down on him. "Thousands of spirits were about to die… some of them already did… and you're still saying this wasn't my fault?"
Elder Vyom paused for a moment, then spoke with quiet seriousness, "Perhaps I should have been more direct from the beginning, Lucian. Listen carefully… do not carry this in your heart. Let it go—these memories will only make you weaker."
He continued, his tone steady but firm, "The history of the Ravencrest family is not written in flowers… it is written in blood and darkness. You cannot afford to be bound by guilt—move forward instead, and rather than cursing your weaknesses, learn to overcome them."
With that, Elder Vyom slowly turned away, preparing to leave. "The body can recover on its own… but the mind needs those close to it," he added, casting a meaningful glance toward Lyra before walking toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped briefly and said, "And one more thing—stop listening to what others say. Only listen to what helps you grow… the rest is meaningless."
The door closed softly behind him, and a deep silence filled the room. Lucian remained still, trying to understand those words, yet accepting them felt far more difficult than hearing them.
For a while, the two siblings stayed quiet, as if words were no longer needed between them. Then suddenly, the silence broke with a loud knock, and Finn entered the room in his usual careless manner.
"Hey Lyra! How long are you going to stay stuck here? It's been seven days—you've practically memorized these walls by now. It's almost dinner time and my stomach is…" he stopped mid-sentence as his eyes fell directly on Lucian sitting up on the bed.
"Oh? So the sleeping princess has finally awakened?" Finn said with a teasing grin, though the relief in his eyes was clear. "Looks like your bones are made of iron, kid… with the condition you were in, I thought you'd take at least a month to wake up."
Leaning against the bed, Lucian gave a faint smile and replied softly, "Hmm… I feel much better now, Senior Finn. Thank you… for worrying about me."
Finn clapped his hands loudly, his grin returning as he spoke, "Now that's more like it! If you can sit up, then you're definitely fine enough to join us for dinner. The table's already set in the garden, and today's meal is special—after all, the village's 'devil' has finally returned!" he added with a playful wink.
Lyra immediately cut in, her tone sharp but controlled, "Senior, you shouldn't exaggerate like that. And the dinner is special because Senior Messi wants to celebrate our last day here, so don't try to boost my brother's ego unnecessarily."
Finn made a strange face and looked at her closely, "Kid… you are still seven years old, right? Because the way you talk, it really doesn't feel like it."
Lyra ignored him completely and turned toward Lucian, telling him to rest properly before standing up and grabbing the edge of Finn's shirt. She began pulling him toward the door, saying firmly, "Brother, get some proper rest… and come on, Senior Finn, you walk too slowly!"
Finn was dragged along behind her, trying to free himself as he complained, "Hey, let go already! I can walk on my own!"
Without stopping, Lyra replied calmly, "That's exactly what I said that day… but you didn't let me go either."
Finn muttered in annoyance, "That was different—you were injured, kid!"
Lyra glanced back at him and said flatly, "Hmm… and right now your brain isn't working, so I need to guide you."
Finn could only stare at her in disbelief, managing to say just one word—"What?"—as he realized he had just lost an argument to a seven-year-old.
Lucian watched the two of them leave, a quiet sense of relief settling in his heart. Seeing Lyra smile again after everything she had endured brought him a fragile kind of peace, something he hadn't felt in a long time. In that moment, he made a silent promise to himself—he would never let those useless, dark thoughts control him again, not when his sister's smile depended on his strength.
Evening had faded, and a cold, dark night had taken its place, yet this night felt completely different from the one filled with fear and death just days ago. Supporting Lucian carefully, Lyra brought him to the center of the garden, where a long dinner table had been arranged beneath the open sky, and all the children were already seated.
The moment Lucian and Lyra arrived, a strange silence spread across the garden. Lyra helped him sit beside her, but instead of excitement, all eyes were fixed on Lucian, whose body now looked almost fully recovered. The same question lingered in everyone's mind—how had someone so broken recovered so quickly?
Then suddenly, a young girl broke the silence, her voice sharp with fear, "He's still connected to that evil spirit… don't let him sit near us."
The others quickly followed, their voices rising one after another, "Yeah, he's the one who almost destroyed the whole village!" and "We could have died because of him… don't let him stay here, what if he turns into that monster again?"
The murmurs turned into a wave of hostility that filled the entire garden, their words striking harder than any weapon. Lucian lowered his head, trying to ignore them, but every word pierced through him like needles, forcing him to confront what he didn't want to believe.
His heart wavered, and slowly, those voices began to convince him—maybe it really was his fault… maybe he truly was the one who brought that darkness upon everyone.
Tears were about to form in his eyes when suddenly—
A loud slam echoed across the table, cutting through the noise and freezing everyone in place.
It was Lyra. Her silver hair had fallen across her face, and her grey eyes burned with anger as she slammed her hand against the table. "Why do all of you think my brother did this? What proof do you have?" her voice was sharp, filled with rage and defiance. "Who told you that my brother is responsible for all this destruction?"
A boy finally gathered the courage to step forward, his voice uncertain but firm, "Lyra… we know you saved us, but you can't defend a criminal like this."
"Criminal?" Lyra muttered through clenched teeth, her anger reaching its peak, just as Messi arrived. "Everyone, calm down! Why are you all arguing about something we already decided not to discuss?" Messi said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension.
She continued, "Elder Vyom will handle this matter with Ravencrest Palace himself, so there will be no more arguments."
Lyra turned sharply toward her, her eyes still burning, "Then why do they think my brother did this? Did you tell them?"
Below, Lucian gently held Lyra's hand, trying to calm her down, even as he felt himself breaking inside. He feared that this hatred might now turn toward his sister as well, and that thought weighed heavier than anything else.
Finn stepped in quietly, removing her hand from the table as he spoke in a low voice, "Calm down, Lyra… this isn't the right way. None of the seniors said anything—the spirits told the children themselves, and honestly… they don't seem to like your brother very much."
Messi once again drew everyone's attention, her tone steady and authoritative, "We understand that all of you are afraid, but this was no one's fault. It was a natural disaster, and now everything is over. Tomorrow you all return home, so for tonight… sit down and have your dinner peacefully."
The children fell silent after her words, but their eyes still lingered on Lucian and Lyra, filled with doubt and unease. As they leaned closer to one another, whispers spread quietly, "Lyra should stay away from him… this won't be good for her."
"Because of him… even her name will be ruined."
Those words pierced straight through Lucian's heart, leaving behind a cold, sinking realization. He began to feel that his very existence was becoming a burden on his sister's future and reputation, and in that quiet moment, he made a decision—he would have to distance himself from Lyra.
Finn released Lyra's hand, and she silently returned to her seat, unable to explain the truth no matter how much she wanted to. The entire dinner passed in a suffocating silence, and as soon as it ended, the children hurried away as if they could finally breathe again.
Lucian remained seated at the table long after everyone had left, his plate untouched, not a single bite taken. Lyra wanted to say something, but the words never came, and the garden fell into an uneasy stillness with only the two of them remaining.
"Lyra… you should go. We leave tomorrow," Lucian said quietly, his voice distant.
"But brother—" Lyra tried to interrupt, her voice rising slightly.
"Go!" Lucian cut her off sharply. "I want to be alone… I don't want to hear anything right now. Just go, Lyra."
Lyra stood there for a moment, unable to speak, before turning away after one last look at him. Her heart felt heavy with worry, but leaving him like this felt just as painful, as she slowly walked back toward her room with a restless mind.