Trigger warning:This chapter contains a depiction of self-inflicted injury as a fictional plot device within the story's magic system. This is not an endorsement of self-harm in any form. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a crisis line in your country.
------------------------------
Five minutes pass in complete silence. No one tries to speak or break the atmosphere. Linus looks at each of them in turn. He, too, is at a loss for what to say.
Elder Loujt finally breaks the silence. He sets his hot chocolate down on the kitchen island and straightens his back.
"I apologize. If it were not for my own arrogance, we would not have wasted our mana and our time." He bows deeply to the room.
"El—" Sonia catches herself before the name slips out and clears her throat instead. "Uncle, please do not do this. No one here is to blame." She moves instinctively to soothe him.
