Susan looked at Alex carrying what seemed to be a body covered in cloth in his arms.
She didn't need to ask to know what happened — it was evident from Alex's hollow, lifeless expression.
Tears began rolling uncontrollably down her cheeks at the sight of her son's broken state and of Marc's still form.
"Mom…" Alex said, his voice cracking.
Susan's soul twisted painfully — it was tragic and infuriating all at once.
She had waited a long time to hear him call her "mom" out of affection… and the moment he finally said it was in a situation like this.
Alex kept walking toward the riverside, his eyes fixed on the place where Susan had rescued him long ago.
She approached quietly and stayed by his side.
Once they reached the spot, Alex began digging with his bare hands. It was slow, grueling work, but he didn't care.
He spent hours like that, unrelenting. Eventually Susan joined him, tears slipping down her face as she worked.
She had also grown close to Marc, who had lived with them for a year. For her, this felt like losing a son — but she didn't ask questions yet. She wanted the burial finished first.
By the time they finished digging, sunrise was already brushing the horizon. They were both coated in mud, exhausted, but they kept moving.
Alex climbed out and lifted Marc's body. He lowered him gently into the grave, placing beside him the equipment he used to hunt.
Then he pushed the dirt back in — a task far easier than tearing it out.
When they finished, sunlight finally reached the site, casting a soft glow over the fresh grave, like a quiet farewell.
Alex remained kneeling before it, hands resting heavily on his knees.
Susan knelt and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart… I'm truly sorry," she whispered. She was hurting deeply herself, but she forced herself to stay strong — her son needed her more.
"What do I do, Mom?" Alex asked between sobs.
"You endure it, Alex," Susan said softly. "You suffer, day after day… until one morning you wake up and realize that you can live with the pain, coexist with it, and you learn to move forward." She spoke from experience.
"Let's get cleaned up. We'll talk inside," she added, helping him to his feet.
It was still early, and Eve hadn't woken yet. Alex went straight to shower, and Susan did the same in her room.
When he returned, Susan was waiting on the sofa with a cup of warm tea. She patted the spot beside her.
Alex walked over in a daze and sat down.
She handed him a cup, then shifted closer, placing a steadying hand on his back and rubbing gently.
"Can you tell me how this happened…?" she asked. Her voice was gentle, almost fragile.
Alex told her everything — every detail.
"Are you sure vengeance is what you want?" Susan asked. She was on the verge of crying, but she had to hold herself together long enough to guide him.
"What else can I do? The guards made it clear — with their silence, with their looks — that nothing will happen." Alex spoke quietly, but anger flickered through every word.
"You have your family," Susan said. "We understand what you're feeling, and we can help you walk through it… But it takes lots of time and patience."
A tear escaped her eye — she was struggling just as much.
Alex noticed and leaned in to hug her. For a moment, he had forgotten that she also lost someone. Susan had always treated Marc like family.
They sat like that for a long time, holding each other as their grief finally poured out. Susan began to sob, and Alex followed.
After some time, Alex pulled back slightly.
"For this one at least… the noble who killed Marc can't stay alive. I can't sleep knowing he's out there, walking free."
"Okay," Susan said quietly, "but promise me that's where it ends. Promise me on Eve's name."
Susan knew how much Alex loved Eve, so she went with this approach.
It was emotional blackmail, and she knew it — but if it kept him from falling any deeper, she could live with it.
Alex stayed silent for a moment. Then: "I promise."
Once the promise was made, they went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Eve would wake soon, and she would notice something was wrong immediately.
After some time, her voice echoed from the hallway.
"Mom?"
Susan and Alex stepped out of the kitchen with the plates.
"Brother!" she exclaimed, rushing forward — but she froze when she saw his face.
'That's the same face Mom had when Dad died,' she realized. And Marc was missing. It didn't take long for her to connect the dots.
Tears welled and fell. Alex knelt and held her tightly.
At nine years old, Eve had already lost two people she cared about. It was devastating.
After comforting her, they ate breakfast in heavy silence. Today, they mourned — tomorrow, they would try to pick up the pieces.
But Alex's mind wouldn't rest. His thoughts spiraled toward revenge — poisons, spells, opportunities — and he remembered the idea that sparked the day he killed the tier-2 monster: a new spell.
'Can I make the spell before the end of the year Exams?' He asked himself
Then, while thinking of the end-of-the-year test, another memory surfaced: a promise.
He had promised Marc he would try his best in the end-of-year test.
He intended to honor it. Which meant he had to return to the academy.
"I'll go back to the academy in a week," Alex said.
"You're sure?" Susan asked.
"Yes. I promised Marc I'd do my best on the last test."
"…All right," she said softly. "Just remember our promise."
"I will."
The week he spent at home was quiet and healing one, but beneath his calm exterior, Alex was calculating coldly.
When it was finally time to leave, Susan handed him his share of the Alchemy Shop's earnings. Business earnings reached a sky-high level after his modifications to the methods, and the amount was stunning.
Then Alex departed — carrying grief, resolve, and a chilling new determination.