A few moments later, when Rona had calmed down a little, Anahita gently wiped away her tears, released her from the embrace, and said with a soft smile,
"Go, sweetheart. Call the other two. All three of you come here together."
"Okay…"
Rona wiped her tears with the back of her hand, nodded, and walked off with steps that were still a little shaky to call Goncha and Toncha—the two who still had their eyes tightly shut and their hands pressed over their ears.
Anahita's gaze then drifted unconsciously to the side, toward the boy who lay unconscious on the ground from the pain. Her eyes lowered, the smile faded from her face, and a heavy sadness settled over her expression.
At that moment, a cheerful child's voice rang out from behind her.
"Brother Lioran… Brother Lioran… I brought them…"
Before turning around, Anahita placed the gentle smile back on her face and replied,
"Good job, sweetheart. You did very well."
Then she looked at Goncha and Toncha. Her voice was calm and reassuring.
"How are you two? Are you hurt? What are your names?"
Goncha and Toncha first looked at each other in surprise, as if seeking reassurance from the other's gaze. Then they slowly lifted their eyes and stared at Anahita's calm, smiling face. Their voices still trembled slightly as they spoke.
"My name is Goncha…"
"My name is Toncha…"
"No… we're not badly hurt…"
Anahita's smile deepened a little. Her gaze moved between the two of them as she said,
"Oh… you two look very alike. You're twins, aren't you?"
Both of them nodded silently.
Then Anahita lowered her gaze and examined their bodies. The marks of the whip across Rona's back were still clearly visible, and red lines and bruises could be seen on Goncha and Toncha's arms and legs as well. She took a quiet breath and said in a gentle but serious tone,
"Well… it's good that you're not badly injured. But still, the three of you go stand beside Miran."
Hearing Anahita's words, the three children hesitantly walked over and stood beside Miran's unconscious body. Their gazes kept shifting between Miran and Anahita, silently wondering what was about to happen.
Anahita remained still for a few moments, staring at them. Three pairs of eyes filled with fear and expectation were fixed on her.
She took a calm breath and thought to herself,
I'm going to borrow a little of your mana…
At that very moment, deep within the inner world, Lioran sat cross-legged in the darkness. His eyes were closed, and his voice echoed through the empty space—cold and emotionless.
"You don't need my permission… do whatever you want."
"Thank you…"
Hearing Lioran's response, a faint smile appeared on Anahita's lips. She stretched her hand toward the children and, with a simple motion, softly snapped her fingers.
Snap…!
The sound of her fingers had barely faded in the air when a gentle golden glow suddenly blossomed around the children. It wasn't blinding—just warm, like sunlight appearing after a long night. A calm wave of light passed over them, touching their wounds as if gently drawing the pain out of their bodies.
The children looked around in disbelief, their eyes wide with wonder.
"Hey… you're glowing…"
"You are too…"
"What is this light? Why does it make me feel so calm…?"
A moment later, when they realized that the gentle warmth was actually closing their wounds, shock replaced their fear. Their eyes widened, and their mouths hung open in amazement.
"The wound on my hand is disappearing…"
"Mine too… it doesn't hurt like before…"
"How is this possible…? How are our wounds just vanishing…?"
The golden light shone quietly, and within the children's trembling breaths, it healed something deeper than just the wounds on their bodies.
When Anahita saw the wonder in their eyes, a gentle smile formed on her face—a smile born more from kindness than pride. In a soft, reassuring voice, she said,
"This is a healing spell of the light element.
A magic that doesn't just heal the wounds on your bodies, but slowly mends the wounds that have settled in your little hearts and souls as well."
The golden aura gradually faded, like a candle going out after fulfilling its purpose. But its effect remained—not only on their skin, but deep within them. The fear that had been tightening their small chests felt lighter now. Their breathing had calmed, and their eyes no longer trembled the way they had before.
Hearing Anahita's words, the eyes of all three children lit up. Excitement replaced their shock. Almost at the same time, they ran toward her and said with voices full of joy,
"Magic?! That's amazing, Brother Lioran!"
"I've never seen such beautiful magic before…"
"Yeah, me neither… Brother Lioran is so cool!"
For a moment, the forest filled with laughter and life—right in the middle of the same dark woods where, only a short while earlier, pain and death had been breathing.
Anahita felt warmed by their innocent praise. Suddenly, her eyes fell on the unconscious boy, and she extended her hand toward him.
With a calm, certain voice, she said,
"Your friend… is slowly waking up."
All three children followed the direction of Anahita's gesture at the same time. Their eyes locked onto Miran. He was still lying on the ground, but his chest was rising and falling unevenly, and a faint groan escaped his throat.
In an instant, all three ran toward him.
With a trembling yet loud voice, Rona cried out,
"Brother Miran… Brother Miran! Are you awake?"
Goncha and Toncha also called his name almost at the same time.
"Mirann…!"
Their voices were filled with both anxiety and hope, as if every time they spoke his name, they were trying to pull him back into this world.
Anahita stood a little farther away, watching the scene. A gentle smile appeared on her lips.
Miran let out a muffled groan and squeezed his eyelids tightly shut. His head felt heavy, as if his mind were drowning in a dark fog.
"Mm… where am I…? These voices… whose are they…?"
The cries and trembling voices around him tangled together. Then suddenly, from the darkness of his mind, an image rose.
His father…
A rough yet warm hand resting on the head of five-year-old Miran. His expression had been serious, yet filled with sorrow and trust.
"Take care of your sister and your mother…
From now on, you're the man of the house, my son…"
The words struck his mind like a hammer.
Miran's eyes suddenly flew open. His breathing quickened, and he jerked upright without thinking, shouting at the top of his lungs,
"Ronaaaa!"
But his vision was still blurred; everything spun around him. At that very moment, several small figures rushed toward him, crying and shouting.
Hands, hair, shoulders—
they all crashed into him at once.
"Brother!"
"Miran!"
"Miran!"
Their voices were filled with both fear and joy.
Their weight threw him off balance. With a groan, he lost his footing and fell back to the ground, the others tumbling down with him. Dust rose beneath them as their breaths tangled together.
Miran blinked. This time the image became clearer.
The faces… they were familiar. Very familiar.
His eyes widened, and in a voice that still trembled, he called their names one by one.
"Rona…?
Toncha…?
Goncha…?"
His gaze moved across their faces, as if trying to make sure they were real. His throat felt dry.
"Are you… alright? You're not hurt, are you?"
"Yeah… we're okay."
The twins said it with shaky smiles.
But suddenly Rona's composure broke. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke in a trembling voice.
"I'm sorry, brother… it's all my fault… If I hadn't insisted… if I hadn't wanted that water for my birthday… none of this would have happened…"
Miran opened his mouth to say,
"No, it's not your fault—"
But his words stopped halfway.
At that moment, it was as if everything suddenly came rushing back to him.
Where he was. Why he was lying on the ground. Why his sister was crying.
His eyes searched the surroundings anxiously.
None of the people who had caused this disaster were anywhere to be seen—
no shouting, no threats, no chains.
But when his gaze moved forward, he froze.
A red-haired man stood a short distance away, calmly watching them with a faint smile on his face.
Miran stared at him hesitantly.
'Who is that…?'
he wondered to himself, his mind racing.
'The others are gone… so maybe he's their leader…'
His hands clenched into fists without him realizing it.
' I have to talk to him… no matter what happens, I can't let Rona… on her birthday… become a slave.'