"Nolan."
Nolan nearly flinched at Lucian's voice behind him. He had been about to slip away and give the family some time alone, but stopped at the side door at the sound of his name.
He turned, catching Lucian walking toward him. "Ye — yes, Master?"
Lucian smiled quietly at the old man, who seemed to have aged a full year overnight.
"You probably already know this, but…" he said gently. "I'm not dying. And thank you — for everything."
Silence settled between them as Nolan's eyes went wide. It wasn't as though Lucian had never thanked him before, and it wasn't as though Raka hadn't already told him he would look into what Lucian actually had.
But hearing it directly from Lucian — the stubborn heaviness in his chest, the tightness he hadn't been able to shake, lifted.
Lucian gave him a small nod, dipping his head slightly. Then, without another word, he turned and went to join his wife and son in the living area.
