After the earth calmed and the clouds of dust and smoke began to dissipate, the air was thick with the smell of ash, the sky still glowed with the remnants of the explosion, and the sea in the distance seemed to rage, as if mourning what had happened. Lucien ran through the rubble, his eyes frantically searching for his friend, his chest heaving with fear and anxiety.
Suddenly, amidst the shattered ruins, he spotted a kneeling figure. He approached hesitantly, and the sight shocked him: Saruto, on his knees, his head bowed, his hands dangling, motionless. His face was covered in ash and blood, his clothes were torn, and the aura that had surrounded him was completely gone.
Lucien knelt beside him and placed a hand on his trembling shoulder, but there was no response. He whispered in a broken voice, "Saruto… answer me, you fool… you're alright, aren't you?"
No one replied. Only silence remained. Lucian raised his head to the sky, clenching his fist tightly, his eyes blazing with anger.
Then he heard light footsteps behind him. Camellia, her face pale, tears streaming down her face, approached with fear and regret. But before she could get close to Saroto, a sharp, cold aura emanated from Lucian, freezing the ground around him in an instant. He roared with a fury no one had ever witnessed in him before: "Stop! Don't come any closer!"
Camellia froze, the air around her feeling like needles against her skin. Lucian turned to her, his eyes glowing a deadly blue, and said in a voice dripping with menace: "Saroto is in this state because of you. If Saroto doesn't wake up… know that this kingdom of yours… will be utterly destroyed."
Queen Morgana and King Seraphel took a step back, their faces frozen with terror. Even Camellia herself fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face, whispering in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean for this… Forgive me, Saroto…"
But Lucien said nothing. He simply turned away from her, cradled his unconscious friend in his arms, and vanished.
In the kingdom of Luin, the main entrance was teeming with guards, all of whom recognized Lucien, the family heir's friend. When they saw him carrying the unconscious Saroto, none of them hesitated. They immediately parted the way, bowing respectfully and with a mixture of bewilderment. One of them said in a troubled voice, "Master Lucien… what happened to him?!"
But Lucien didn't answer. His face was frozen like an ice statue, and his voice was faint: "Just clear the way… He needs to rest."
He entered the palace with quick steps until a middle-aged man appeared, his black hair neatly styled and his eyes violet. It was Ethan, Saruto's mentor and loyal servant, one of the most powerful men in the Luwin family. As soon as he saw him, he said in a quiet but anxious tone, "I've brought him in at last… Take him to his suite."
Servants moved swiftly, and Saruto was placed on a wide bed inside a secluded room on the upper floor of the palace, surrounded by a cloud of darkness.
Lucian stood beside the bed, his eyes following his friend's weak breathing. He was about to speak, but Ethan raised his hand with a slight gesture and said, "Stop… You don't need to tell me what happened. I'll find out for myself."
Lucian froze, asking in a low voice, "How will you find out?"
Ethan approached quietly, then sat down beside the bed. He reached towards Saruto's head and traced a violet circle bearing ancient symbols, placing it lightly on his forehead. The next moment, streaks of black light, interspersed with threads of memory and spiritual energy, moved across his vision.
Ethan's eyes closed, and a series of images flashed before him: the battle in the ruins of Sparda, the struggle between them, the princesses' blood, Saruto's collapse, and then the colossal explosion that obliterated the ruins.
A long time passed before Ethan slowly withdrew his hand and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and looked at Lucien, who was watching anxiously. "So, you know now?" he demanded. "What happened to him? Is he going to die?"
Ethan smiled faintly, despite his obvious exhaustion, and said reassuringly, "Relax, Lucien… nothing fatal happened to him. This is normal for anyone in the Luwen family."
Lucien frowned and asked incredulously, "Normal? What are you talking about?!"
Ethan glanced down at Saruto's still body. "When a member of the Lewin family experiences a powerful emotional shock—a combination of grief, anger, and despair—their energy intensifies within them. Unable to cope with this surge, it spirals out of control, causing them to lose consciousness."
He approached the bed and carefully draped the blanket over Saruto. "You could say he's asleep within his soul right now, rebalancing himself from within. So don't worry about him."
Lucian paused, then asked softly, looking at his friend's face, "And when will he wake up?"
Ethan sighed. "No one knows," he replied quietly. "It depends on Saruto himself. If he wants to come back, he will. If he's not ready yet, he'll remain lost in the depths of his soul."
Lucian remained silent, gazing at his sleeping friend. "If you don't come back on your own," he said in a low voice, almost as if making a solemn promise. "I'll bring you back myself, my friend."