The sun had begun to set, its golden rays slipping through the small window when Kael stirred awake. His breathing was slow, his body heavy. For a moment, he simply sat on the edge of the bed, pressing a trembling hand against his forehead.
He wasn't tired—his body no longer ached from the earlier play with the boy—but his head throbbed with a dull, stabbing pain. Fragments of memory, like broken shards of glass, had pierced through him when he was with little Joe. He could still feel their weight lingering in the back of his mind, leaving a faint ringing in his ears.
The door creaked open. Kael turned his gaze and found the boy standing there, eyes wide with concern.
"Mister Licht, are you alright?" Joe's voice was small but worried.
Kael gave a faint nod. The boy immediately brightened and ran over to him, throwing tiny arms around his waist. The sudden embrace made Kael flinch, but he did not push the child away.
"Did you have enough sleep?" Joe tilted his head, studying him carefully.
Kael nodded again, silent as ever.
The boy's innocent eyes locked onto Kael's. He blinked, tilting his head. "Mister Licht… aren't your eyes supposed to be blue? Why are they red?"
Kael's body stiffened. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to the small mirror standing in the corner of the room. His reflection stared back at him—no longer the pale blue Robert had conjured, but the unmasked crimson that glowed faintly even in the dim light.
The spell had worn off.
Joe's lips parted in awe. "Your eyes… they're just like Hero Kael's! Father said he had red eyes, black hair, and a handsome face—just like me!" The boy puffed his chest proudly and laughed, his voice ringing with the carefree joy only a child could hold.
Kael did not laugh. But something stirred faintly at the corner of his lips—barely a breath, almost the ghost of a smile. It never reached his eyes, yet it was there, a fleeting shadow of what once had been.
At the doorway, Elric froze. She had just returned upstairs and caught the sight of Kael's almost-smile, and for the first time in a long while, warmth softened her stern expression.
She stepped closer, kneeling slightly to meet his gaze. "Do you feel alright now?" Her voice was calm, laced with quiet concern.
Joe tugged on her sleeve eagerly, pointing at Kael. "Look, sister! His eyes are the same as Hero Kael's!"
Elric glanced at the crimson glow in his eyes, her expression tightening. "It seems Robert's spell has begun to fade," she murmured, her tone low. "We should move before anyone else notices. The others are already waiting for us downstairs."
She turned to Kael, offering her hand. "Can you stand?"
Kael let her steady him as he rose to his feet. His movements were sluggish, his head still faintly pounding. Joe's lips quivered as he looked up at them, sadness brimming in his young eyes.
"You're not going to play again?" he asked softly, tugging at Kael's sleeve.
Before Elric could answer, Lucy appeared at the doorway carrying a small bundle wrapped in cloth. "I've packed some leftovers," she said gently. "It's not much, but it may help during your travels."
By the time they reached the lower floor, several of Elric's guards were already waiting near the entrance of the bookstore, their hoods pulled low. Robert stood among them, his sharp eyes scanning the streets outside. The moment he saw Kael descend, pale and unsteady, he rushed forward, slipping to his side to quietly support him without a word.
At the doorway, Lucy and Joe came to see them off. Elric paused, turning to face the woman who had once been a trembling palace maid but now carried herself as a wife and mother. She reached out, holding both of Lucy's hands in hers.
"Thank you," Elric said, her voice sincere. "Thank you for letting us rest here."
Her eyes dropped to Lucy's slightly swollen belly. Without thinking, Elric placed her palm over it, closing her eyes. A faint warmth spread from her hand, a shimmer of golden light enveloping Lucy briefly. It was a gentle blessing—an ancient spell of protection.
"May you have a happy family," Elric whispered. "I bless you."
Lucy's eyes welled with tears, and she bowed her head deeply. "Thank you, milady…" she murmured, her voice trembling with emotion.
As the company stepped out into the cooling evening air, Joe suddenly shouted from the doorway, his small voice cutting through the bustle. "See you again, Mister Licht!"
Kael halted mid-step. Slowly, almost uncertainly, he turned his head. His hand lifted, heavy but deliberate, and he waved back. No smile touched his lips, yet the gesture itself carried a quiet gentleness.
Lucy watched in silence, her gaze following them until they disappeared down the street. Her eyes drifted toward the plaza where a statue of Hero Kael stood, its stone figure watching over the city. For the briefest of moments, her breath caught. The scar at his collarbone, the crimson eyes, the silence—
She finally recognized him.
The man who had walked beside Elric was not just a traveler named Licht.
It was him.
The Hero who was supposed to be dead.
For a fleeting moment, Lucy smiled faintly to herself, whispering words no one else could hear.
"Welcome back, Hero Kael."
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The carriage swayed gently along the dirt road as the sun sank behind the distant hills. Inside, Kael leaned weakly against the inner wall, his breathing shallow and uneven. His lashes trembled faintly, a thin sheen of sweat glistening against his pale skin. Robert, seated across from him, watched every movement with unease.
He had seen Kael collapse twice that day — once in the morning, and again after sunset. Though he had checked his pulse, there was nothing outwardly wrong. His heartbeat was steady, his breathing normal, and yet… something within him seemed to unravel slowly, as if being drained by an unseen force.
When the carriage door opened, Elric stepped in, holding Kael's sword in her arms. The scabbard had been repaired, the black leather newly bound, faint traces of silver etching glimmering along its edge. She knelt down beside Kael and spoke softly, "Kael… can you hear me?"
Kael's eyelids fluttered open, revealing the deep crimson hue beneath — unmasked now, shimmering faintly in the dim light. His gaze shifted to the sword, as Elric gently took his hand and guided it toward the hilt.
The moment his fingers brushed the weapon, faint black smoke — visible only to him — began to drift from his skin, swirling toward the blade before being absorbed into it. The air inside the carriage seemed to cool, the oppressive heaviness around Kael's form easing slightly. He exhaled slowly, his expression softening as if the fog in his mind had lifted.
Elric and Robert exchanged glances. His pallor began to fade, color slowly returning to his cheeks. "Should we make a stop?" Elric asked cautiously, studying his face.
Kael's lips parted, his voice faint but clear.
"Just… go. I can rest here."
His tone carried quiet resolve — not commanding, but certain.
Robert hesitated before finally nodding. "Then I'll ride with the coachman and watch the road. You stay here with the young master."
Elric nodded once in return. Robert opened the carriage door and stepped out, closing it softly behind him. The vehicle resumed its pace, slower now, the wheels turning with deliberate care so as not to jolt the passengers inside.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves filled the silence. Kael's hand still gripped the sword tightly, as though afraid to let it go. His breathing had steadied, though his eyes remained closed.
Elric watched him quietly. The soft lantern light flickered across his features — serene yet fragile, like a man balancing between the edge of waking and a memory that refused to fade. She could sense the weight behind his silence, the questions he never voiced.
She wanted to ask — about the memory fragments he saw, about the pain that kept returning — but she stopped herself. Kael had never been one to speak easily. His silence was his armor. So she waited.
When she shifted, intending to move to the opposite seat to give him space, his hand moved. His fingers brushed against her sleeve and caught it gently, halting her.
Elric froze, her heart skipping a beat. His eyes were still closed, yet that small gesture spoke clearer than words. It was not a command — only a quiet plea. Stay.
She sank back into her seat beside him. For a moment, neither spoke. The world outside the carriage blurred into dusky hues, the only sound the steady rhythm of hooves and the whisper of the wind.
Kael tilted slightly, resting his head against her shoulder. His body was warm, heavy with exhaustion. Elric stiffened at first, startled, then slowly relaxed. A faint, tender smile crossed her lips — a rare softness she rarely allowed herself to show.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "You should rest."
Kael didn't respond. His breathing grew slower, steadier, until it merged with the quiet hum of the carriage. Elric leaned back slightly, careful not to disturb him.
Outside, twilight deepened into night. Robert, riding alongside the coachman, glanced through the small window. He caught a glimpse of Elric sitting still, Kael's white hair resting against her shoulder. For the first time that day, his expression eased.
Perhaps, he thought, this moment — quiet and fragile as it was — was enough to keep Kael tethered to the present.
Inside the carriage, Elric lowered her gaze to Kael's hand, still clutching the sword. The faint glow that once emanated from it had faded, replaced by calm darkness. She reached over and brushed a strand of white hair from his forehead, her touch feather-light.
"Sleep," she murmured. "We'll protect you this time."
The carriage rolled on through the deepening dusk — the road long, the night endless — but for a fleeting moment, within that small, dim carriage, peace seemed almost real.