In the quiet light of the room, Lane was now completely lost in his own world.
He sat very close to Luka, holding Luka's tiny hands in his own small ones.
He would sometimes bend Luka's fingers or measure them against his own palms.
It seemed as though Lane had left all his past pain behind.
Luka watched Lane in silence.
Luka himself looked just as small and innocent as Lane.
Yet there was a strange depth in his eyes.
He was watching Lane play, but his gaze repeatedly drifted to Lane's dust-covered shoes.
"Lane..." Luka suddenly interrupted him with gentle concern.
"Is your foot still hurting?"
"You said you fell in that open field."
Lane looked up from Luka's fingers.
"No Luka, I don't feel the pain right now," he said innocently.
"But when I was in that vast field with stones and high mounds of dirt..."
"There was plenty of light, but no path."
"While running, suddenly my foot slipped, and I fell straight into that pit."
"The moment I fell, my foot twisted badly, Luka."
"It was very deep, and that was when I felt the sharpest pain."
Just then, Yuki walked toward them and knelt down.
Carefully loosening Lane's laces.
As soon as the shoe and sock were removed, both Luka and Yuki held their breath.
The brutal marks of stone friction were clearly visible.
While falling and twisting his foot, it had scraped hard against a rough stone.
Completely peeling the tender skin near the ankle.
The area had turned red and blue due to the swelling.
Yuki examined the injury and looked at Luka.
"Lane, your foot isn't just twisted."
"The friction has badly scraped your skin, and the swelling is increasing."
"You don't feel it because you're distracted by play, but this wound is deep."
Luka stared at the swollen foot and then at Lane's face.
Amazed at how he was suppressing such a wound while playing with Luka's hands.
Yuki examined the area around the injury with his fingertips.
And let out a deep breath as he glanced at the empty corners of the room.
"Lane, there's nothing here that can be used as a bandage or to cover this wound," Yuki said.
Masking the helplessness in his voice.
But there was no trace of worry on Lane's face.
Instead, a light and carefree smile bloomed on his lips.
"But Brother, I truly don't feel any pain at all. I have no pain."
Lane said as casually as if he weren't talking about a wound, but about pleasant weather.
Hearing this, Luka's hand, which was in Lane's palm, suddenly froze.
Luka's face turned pale with shock.
He narrowed his eyes and searched Lane's face, as if trying to catch a lie.
"But... you were saying that you felt a very sharp pain?"
Luka asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Then how is it like this now?"
Lane began moving his tiny fingers across Luka's palm again.
"Yes Luka, when I fell into that pit, I was in a lot of pain."
"But I don't even know when that pain subsided or when it disappeared."
"Now, I don't even feel like there's an injury there."
Lane paused for a moment, trying to recall those moments.
"Once I climbed out of that deep pit... just a short time after that, the pain completely stopped."
"It's as if that wound doesn't even belong to me."
Luka's heart raced.
He looked at the red-and-blue wound that would have made any child scream in agony.
But Lane's face remained as still as a calm lake.
Luka couldn't understand if this was a miracle.
Or some terrifying consequence of that 'black door' and the 'vow.'
A strange mix of suspicion and horror rose in Yuki's eyes.
He leaned in, searching Lane's small eyes.
Which still held an unbothered sparkle.
"Do you really... not feel any pain at all, Lane?" Yuki whispered.
Lane chirped and nodded his head.
That same innocent smile frozen on his face.
"Yes Brother, I don't feel any pain at all."
Yuki couldn't believe his own ears.
He hoped that Lane was just trying to be brave.
He took a cold breath and reached out.
Then, suddenly, Yuki pressed his fingers into that deep, blue wound with all his strength.
Yuki's own breath hitched.
He fully expected Lane to scream in agony, to cry, or to struggle and pull his leg away.
He just wanted to see that 'human' reaction from Lane.
But Lane remained exactly as he was.
There was no flinch in his facial muscles.
That steady smile remained unchanged.
As if the wound belonged to a stone, not flesh.
"What are you doing!"
Luka's roar echoed through the room.
Luka violently shoved Yuki back.
Yuki stumbled away.
Anger and shock were clear in Luka's eyes.
As he protectively pulled Lane's leg toward himself.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"He is already badly hurt, and you are causing him more pain!"
Yuki's face had turned pale with horror.
His hands were trembling.
He realized that what he had just done would make any child scream.
But Lane... Lane was just smiling.
"I... I need... I need some rest," Yuki said in a faltering voice.
He couldn't bear to look at Lane's unchanging smile any longer.
He felt an unknown danger within that innocence.
He turned away quickly and retreated toward the dark corner of the room.
Luka very tenderly took Lane's swollen foot into his own tiny hands.
His fingers moved slowly around the blue-bruised wound.
As if he wanted to soak up the pain without even touching it.
Anger for Yuki still flickered in his eyes.
Lane watched Luka's bowed head and whispered softly.
"Luka... seriously, it didn't hurt."
Luka ignored Lane's words.
He lifted his head and fixed his sharp gaze on Yuki, who was standing in the corner.
"You pressed his foot on purpose, didn't you, Yuki?"
Luka's voice was cold and heavy.
"Am I right?"
Yuki, who was still staring at his trembling hands, was suddenly startled.
He faltered as he offered his excuse.
"No... no Luka, I just... it was an accident."
"Forgive me, my hand just slipped."
"Your hand slipped?"
A bitter smile appeared on Luka's face.
He protectively pulled Lane's foot closer.
"Do you think he's some lifeless object that your hand just 'slipped'?"
"Can't you see how deep his injury is?"
Luka held no old hatred for Yuki.
But in that moment, Yuki's strange and brutal act had ignited a protective fire within him.
He simply couldn't tolerate anyone taking advantage of Lane's innocence and vulnerability.
Silence fell over the room.
Yuki's gaze dropped to the floor.
And Luka began stroking Lane's foot again.
But a fear still lingered in his mind—
If Lane isn't feeling pain, then what exactly is he feeling?