Evening settled over Insomnia like a slow descent of silver light.
The city's towers shimmered in the distance, glowing with threads of blue mana that pulsed toward the Crystal's heart. Outside, magitek trams drifted silently through the aerial rails. The sound was soft, comforting — the hum of a world at peace.
Inside the Blake apartment, that same calm felt fragile.
Dinner had come and gone quietly. Lyla hummed an old melody as she cleared the dishes, her movements slow but graceful. Dominic sat at the table, polishing his gloves with the absent focus of a man deep in thought. Sirius lingered near the window, hands folded behind his back, watching the barrier's shimmer.
He'd been silent most of the evening. The secret had grown too heavy to keep.
The Superior Restorative rested inside his jacket pocket — its faint glow pressing against his chest like a heartbeat. But before he could use it, he had to speak the truth.
He turned toward his parents.
"Mom. Dad."
Lyla looked up immediately, smiling. "What is it, dear?"
Dominic set the gloves down, sensing something in his tone. "You sound serious."
"I am," Sirius said.
He hesitated only a moment longer, then reached into his satchel and pulled out the worn leather journal. Dominic's eyes widened slightly — recognition flashing instantly.
"That's—"
"Yours," Sirius finished softly.
Lyla's brow furrowed. "You've read it?"
"Yes." His voice barely carried, but the word filled the entire room.
The silence that followed was heavy, almost sacred.
Dominic leaned back slowly, crossing his arms. "How long?"
"Since before I turned nine," Sirius admitted. "I found it by accident… but I kept reading because I needed to know."
"Needed to know what?" Lyla asked gently.
He met her gaze — crimson eyes trembling but resolute. "About you. About what's happening to you."
Her breath caught. For a moment, the only sound was the low hum of the magitek lights.
Dominic closed his eyes, exhaling. "We didn't tell you because we didn't want you burdened."
"I already was," Sirius said quietly. "I just didn't understand why. Until I read it."
Lyla sank into the chair opposite him, her hands folded in her lap. "You shouldn't have carried that alone, Sirius."
"I couldn't ignore it," he said. "You were getting weaker. I kept watching you pretend it wasn't happening. I—" His voice broke. "I couldn't stand it."
Lyla's eyes glistened, but she smiled softly. "Oh, my sweet boy…"
"I wanted to help," Sirius said. "So I started training harder. Hunting more. Saving Gil. I thought—if I got strong enough, maybe I could find something that could heal you."
Dominic's jaw tightened. "That's why you've been pushing yourself like this."
"Yes."
The truth settled between them like a weight lifted and a new one replaced.
---
Lyla reached across the table, her thin fingers brushing his hand. "Sirius… you've already given me more than medicine ever could."
He shook his head. "You don't understand. There's more."
Dominic frowned slightly. "More?"
Sirius hesitated, then drew the small case from his jacket. He opened it slowly.
The golden light of the Superior Restorative filled the room, bathing the walls in warm radiance.
Both parents froze.
Lyla's hand went to her mouth. "Sirius… where did you—?"
"I bought it," he said simply. "At the lower markets. Yesterday."
Dominic's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You what? Those are almost impossible to find—"
"I found one," Sirius said. "Or maybe it found me."
He set the vial gently on the table. "It's real. I checked. It reacts to mana like authentic alchemical mixtures do. I don't know how much it can help, but it's something."
Lyla's eyes shimmered with tears. "You… did this for me?"
"Who else would I do it for?" Sirius said softly.
Her tears fell freely now, silent trails glistening in the light. Dominic reached over, resting a hand on her shoulder, his own eyes wet despite his efforts to remain composed.
Lyla looked at Sirius through the haze of emotion, her voice trembling. "I didn't want you to know because I didn't want you to live in fear. I wanted you to be free to grow… not to chase hope on my behalf."
He smiled faintly. "But that's what hope is for, isn't it? To chase?"
She laughed softly through her tears, shaking her head. "You're too much like your father."
Dominic exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "And too much like Cor."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Sirius said quietly.
Dominic chuckled weakly. "You shouldn't."
---
Lyla's gaze lingered on the vial, the light reflecting in her eyes. "It's beautiful."
"It's yours," Sirius said. "Whenever you're ready."
Dominic looked from the vial to his son, then back to Lyla. "It's risky," he said. "Superior restoratives are powerful — unregulated. Too much mana could shock the system."
"I know," Sirius said. "But it could also stabilize her symptoms — at least for a while."
Dominic rubbed his temple, torn. "You shouldn't have had to make this choice."
Sirius' tone softened. "I didn't make it. It made me."
Lyla reached over and squeezed his hand again. "You're still just a boy."
He met her gaze, eyes steady. "Then let me be a boy who helps."
She smiled weakly. "How can I argue with that?"
Dominic sighed, then nodded slowly. "One dose. Just one. We'll monitor her carefully."
Sirius nodded, carefully unsealing the vial.
The golden light pulsed brighter as the cap came loose, filling the room with warmth. A faint hum filled the air — not just sound, but feeling, like mana vibrating through their bones.
Sirius poured the liquid into a glass of water and handed it to her.
Lyla looked at it for a moment, then back at her son. "You're sure?"
He nodded. "Completely."
She took a slow breath — then drank.
---
The effect was immediate.
A soft radiance spread through her skin, faint veins of light tracing down her arms. Her breathing steadied. The tension in her shoulders faded. She exhaled slowly, eyes fluttering closed.
For the first time in months, her color returned.
Sirius felt the tightness in his chest break — replaced by something lighter, fragile, and warm.
"It's working," he whispered.
Dominic's hand tightened around Lyla's. "Easy. Don't move too fast."
Lyla opened her eyes. They were brighter, alive with tears and light. "I can… feel it," she said softly. "It's like warmth in every breath."
Sirius laughed — an unguarded, joyous sound.
Lyla reached for him, and he knelt beside her, letting her pull him into a trembling embrace. Her voice broke against his shoulder. "Thank you."
"Always," he whispered back.
Dominic looked at them both, pride and relief washing over his face. "You did it, son."
Sirius shook his head. "We did."
---
Sirius stood at the window again, staring at the skyline. For the first time, his reflection didn't look like someone preparing for war. It looked like a son who had finally kept a promise.
He whispered, "One battle won."
Behind him, Lyla's voice came, faint but sure. "Whatever happens, Sirius… you've given me time. And that's more than I ever dreamed of."
He turned and smiled. "Then I'll give you more."
Dominic chuckled from the table. "Careful. The world might start believing you can."
Sirius grinned faintly. "Let it."
Outside, lightning flickered against the barrier — a flash that came and went like an omen. But for once, the storm didn't feel threatening.
It felt like acknowledgment.