Lucien reopened his eyes and the pain was immense.
He felt the pain that lapped his bones, and it murmured, You survived, but you did not escape.
He glanced up at the dim, glowing ceiling of soft light and magical runes, healing runes, and saw they'd already started to fade.
The air was heavy inside his nose, it stung with the scent of antiseptic herbs bouncing against last night's cinders of Mana.
He attempted to wiggle his fingers — they were shaky and weak, but still responded to him.
That was enough.
"You're awake," Ren said.
His tone was matter-of-fact and placid.
Too calm for Lucien.
Lucien glanced slightly and could see from Ren was seated in a chair with both arms folded.
He looked like he'd been sitting there for a long time and was doing his best to hold it together still.
Across the room next to the window was Ken. He was holding a book, but he was looking at the images reflected in the window, rather than reading.
Derian stood at the other end of the room, with his arms crossed and a tight-lipped mouth. His fingers were still wrapped.
Iryss was in the foot of Lucien's bed—not exactly close, but not far away either. She appeared to have been deliberately positioned there.
Ellina was perched on a stool next to the bed, head drooping onto her chest, eyes red-rimmed.
Lucien took a deep breath.
"How long?" he asked.
"Two days," Ren answered.
Lucien let out a long breath. He had no idea what had occurred during those two days, nor what possibly could.
"The doctor said your hands will get better first," Ken added. "And your ribs are going to take a little bit longer."
Lucien had been on the point of making some jest on the subject.
His gaze shifted to Iryss.
Iryss seemed tired. Not physically, but inside. Something inside her had been gnawing away at her.
"You shouldn't have come, Iryss," Lucien murmured.
Iryss did not become defensive. She did not say otherwise. "I know."
A quiet filled the space, heavy and long. Then Derian spoke first. "Lucien, you were the bait."
He shut his eyelids briefly.
"Yeah, I figured that out."
"Seniors, Masks; that wasn't coincidence," Derian went on. "That was already pre-planned."
"No," Lucien replied. "That was invited."
His eyes lifted slowly. Who exactly had sent the invitation, he wondered aloud
He stayed silent. That reply stretched beyond a single word.
A slow groan came from the hinges as it swung outward.
A figure in scrubs glanced inside, noticed the cluster of top-tier pupils occupying every seat, then slipped away without a sound.
Ren leaned forward. "You will not attend any classes until—"
"I know."
"You will not be getting out of this bed for at least another week."
"I know."
"You're not fighting anyone," Ren said.
Facing sideways, Lucien let his gaze settle on Ren.
"And it was never going to be that way," he replied quietly.
Frown lines stayed deep on Ren's face.
Forward moved Iryss, just a single pace.
"Lucien," Iryss said in a steady tone, "there's something you need to be aware of."
"Yesterday, an individual with an extraordinary level of power visited you," Iryss stated.
When the walls began to shift, Ken stayed on his feet. Up came Derian, aligning himself without a pause.
Still standing as before, Ren's presence sharpened, locking in on where Lucien stood.
Something dark sat heavy in Lucien's chest, long before anyone spoke the name.
"Lord Azer," said Iryss.
Wakefulness tugged at Ellina, pulling her slow from her dreams.
Fingers slowly bent into the fabric. "What came next?" His voice carried unusual tone.
She said it quiet, eyes down. "Not a single word was spoken by him. Just standing there, then gone"
Fingers tapping slow, Lucien turned his eyes upward once more.
This one hurt more.
Her eyes narrowed on him. "Not even a flicker of surprise?" That was her question.
"No," Lucien replied.
He spoke. She stayed quiet instead of pushing back.
The door opened.
Feet padding across the floor, Eira appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened a little when she saw him moving. Over she came, voice lifting like wind through leaves. Not wasting time, she reached the bedside quick. Words tumbled out before silence could settle again.
"Please let me speak to Lucien," Iryss cut her off. "In private."
That term landed hard, catching each person off guard.
Blinking fast, Ren broke the silence just as Ken lifted his gaze from the pages. From across the room, Derian shifted toward them without a word. Stillness hung in the air after their movements.
She came to a halt beside Lucien, her voice quiet but firm. "Not happening."
One breath passed before he could respond.
The air between them tightened like damp thread pulled taut across knuckles
Everyone fell quiet.
"Well, that was fast," Ren murmured.
Close by, Ken shifted near Ren, his voice a stage whisper meant for all ears. "Half-dead man on a single bed. Two women along for it."
Ken continued, unfazed, to Lucien. "You're lucky. I'll never get to experience this kind of thing, I'm sure."
Shutting his eyes tight, Lucien muttered under his breath. "Just stop talking right there."
Her eyes stayed locked on Iryss instead of turning toward Ken.
"I am not leaving, and I will not follow your orders," she replied defiantly.
Quiet curiosity sat on Iryss's face. "This isn't a command."
"A request then?" That came from Eira. Silence sat heavier than words. No shouting happened.
Just air turning tight, thin, as if something sharp had slipped between them without noise
Fingers lifting slowly, Ren held them up like he always did when showing things were fine.
"This is clearly above my position and job description." Ken made an exaggerated sigh.
He muttered something about missing the ending.
It really bugged him.
Watching closely, Ken wore a grin that wouldn't quit—like every second fed his amusement
"This conversation concerns Lucien," Iryss said.
Eira answered without delay, "And so do I."
Frozen under their glare, Lucien tasted bitterness rise in his throat.
This pressure—he wanted none of it.
A whisper escaped him. "Enough." Heads turned. Eira. Iryss. Eyes locked.
"Give us a moment." He said in a very calm voice, even as pain coursed through his side.
Tightening her teeth, Eira met the reply with silence.
"I suppose that's fine," she eventually replied.
Eira faced the doorway, then paused close by.
"It shouldn't drag on," she said, her voice sharp like frost.
Then everyone departed except Iryss.
The moment the door shut, every way in disappeared.
Filled with silence now that Eira was gone, the walls seemed to lean inward.
Stillness settled around Iryss like dust on old books. Not a single step forward seemed likely just yet.
Motion waited beyond the next breath, uninvited. For now, nothing pressed her toward change.
She reached out for a—tiny-silver thing—from inside her coat's pocket.
He didn't know anything about that object.
Out of nowhere, Iryss stretched her arm across the space between them.
The object landed in Lucien's palm before he could react.
A single word came with it. "Take this."
It wasn't a request. Silence followed, heavy and close. His fingers closed around the shape without thinking
"What's that?" Lucien asked Iryss.
Footsteps tapping on stone, her voice dropped low. "keep it secret." She said.
Freed from Iryss's presence, Lucien sank into the pile of soft cushions behind him.
The weight lifted, he let his body settle deeper.
Each pillow gave slightly under his frame. Quiet filled the space where her voice had been. His breath slowed as stillness took hold. With no one watching, tension drained from his shoulders.
Time passed without notice.
Empty. That's how Lucien sensed it—like his core had gone hollow, drained of any spark.
Still, his mind stayed sharp.