Kaivan opened his eyes, their gleam sharp as steel. "You don't understand what you're doing, Julian. Let her go… before you regret it."
Julian laughed again, cutting and merciless. With a brutal shove, he threw Thivi to the ground. She whimpered, tears pooling in her eyes. "Look at you. You can't save anyone, not even yourself."
Kaivan said nothing. His body bent like an arrow drawn in silence. Then, in one swift motion, he lunged. But Julian moved first, driving his knee into Kaivan's stomach. The impact folded him, stealing his breath. The Tome slipped from his hands, striking the cold floor.
Julian's eyes glittered as they fell on the book. "Finally," he whispered, stepping slowly toward it. "All of this… wasn't for nothing."
At the edge of the room, Felicia froze, her face a canvas of turmoil. Julian turned to her, smiling like ice. "Bring it to me, darling."
Felicia hesitated, her steps heavy. She crouched, fingertips brushing the coarse cover, and pain slammed through her. The world tilted, her skull aflame from within. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her temples. "AARGH!"
Her scream split the air, rattling the room. Julian's eyes narrowed with disgust. "Useless! You can't even manage a simple task!"
His kick landed hard against Felicia's side, sending her sprawling across the stone floor. Her whimper was faint but searing. Julian loomed above her, eyes brimming with contempt. "Pathetic. This is what happens when you spend too long with weaklings like them."
The sight tore something loose inside Kaivan, something dark, untamed. Breath ragged, body aching, he pushed himself up from the floor, his gaze locked solely on Julian.
Julian turned, a cruel grin twisting his lips. He spread his arms wide as though welcoming him. "Oh? You're coming to me?" he mocked. "Instead of running, you walk straight into danger? How amusing."
Kaivan didn't answer. He advanced slowly, one step after another, like a shadow closing in. "I can't end this from afar, Julian," he murmured. "To defeat you, I have to come closer."
Julian struck first, but Kaivan spun aside, his movement fluid, like water shifting around a stone. A low kick snapped into Julian's knee, sending him off balance. Without pause, Kaivan drove his knee into Julian's chest, knocking him down with a heavy thud.
Without delay, Kaivan dropped beside Felicia. Her body trembled, wracked by pain. He gathered her into his arms, fingers combing gently through her hair. "Hey… it's over. Come with me, Felicia. There's no reason for you to stay here."
But a voice behind shattered the fragile calm. Julian rose, swaying, fury burning in his eyes. He snatched up the fallen Tome and flipped it open carelessly.
"Just an empty book," he sneered, laughter slicing the air. "Why bother carrying this?"
Kaivan stood, slow and deliberate. His gaze was sharp, calm yet hiding a storm. From his bag, he drew a small bottle, the shampoo he'd brought from the workshop. He poured its contents carefully onto the floor around Julian.
"That isn't an empty book," Kaivan said, voice flat yet laced with quiet threat. "You're just too blind to see its meaning."
Julian hissed, anger flaring as he stepped forward , but the slick floor became Kaivan's hidden ally. Julian's foot slipped. He crashed hard, body striking the ground. In the chaos, Kaivan surged forward, driving his knee into Julian's face.
A crack echoed, sharp and final. Julian sprawled, clutching his bleeding nose. "Damn you! Coward!"
From the corner of the room, Felicia watched. Relief at seeing Julian fall mingled with a raw wound inside her chest. She lowered her gaze, hiding the tears that spilled despite herself.
Julian's cry of pain reverberated as he writhed on the floor, calling out hoarsely for backup that never came. "Quick! Take him down, the little runt!"
But heavy footsteps answered instead. From the doorway, Radit appeared , tall, eyes burning with fury. Without a word, he plunged into the remaining thugs. One by one, they fell beneath his strikes: heavy, precise blows, like a hammer breaking brittle walls. Within moments, silence claimed the room.
Julian lay beaten, wild eyes darting until they locked on Felicia. "Felicia! Don't just stand there! Help me, you fool!" he shouted, desperation twisting into rage.
Felicia didn't move. His voice was an empty echo now. Her mind clung instead to Kaivan's quiet promise: I will always be here for you, forever. The words felt like seeds sprouting slowly through the desert of her heart. She looked at Kaivan as he approached , not just as a savior, but as the last one still standing.
Kaivan knelt before her, brushing a trembling hand against Felicia's cold cheek. "Don't be afraid of being left behind," he murmured, his voice barely more than breath. "I'll always be here for you. Forever."
Felicia trembled, eyes asking a silent question: Will you really stay? Always?
Kaivan nodded. "Always."