"Well...?" Gale presses further.

I sat there with a stupid look on my face. I was trying to piece together my thoughts, but I had no idea where to go from there. Lukia grew increasingly agitated and began to unsheathe her blade.

"The fact you're drawing your blade against us means you knew about it, right, Lukia?" Gale still doesn't draw his blade, but his stance shifts, and he is ready to draw his sword at a moment's notice.

"I did. I've known for some time now." Her voice was shaky, and she was fighting every fiber in her being not to draw her sword. Everyone else follows suit, and tension rises.

"Answer Caleb.." Herk takes a step closer, and Lukia aims her gaze toward him.

It was placed all on me if their swords were to be fully drawn. I couldn't just continue to act dumb and not say a thing...

"When did you-"

"Answer the question!" Ivian cuts me off and prepares to pounce, but Gale raises his hand to stop him.

"I've had my suspicions, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt...until now. We heard thunder when no clouds could produce them. When that Stalker had given you that curse, its wall of illusion had disappeared, and we saw sparks of lightning in the distance. The drastic cause of your wounds was not made by the Stalker either. That's when I told them my suspicions."

"And not me," Lukia interjected.

"I also suspected you knew, but I couldn't tell for sure, so I kept it between us and you guys. And now we witnessed your power when the dragon was felled. So, I'll ask once again. Caleb, do you use Demon magic."

All eyes focused on me. I started to understand how the situation came to be. It was only a matter of time before I began to use my power, betraying my promise to my father, and now I have ended up here with my companions close to attacking me.

"Your suspicions are true, Gale. I can use the dark magics." There was no point in hiding it anymore after being confronted so directly. No way to escape or twist it around. Needing to accept that reality made me relax only a bit.

"You just accept the outcome after all that?" Yann spoke in turn.

"Lukia, stand down." My eyes trained on her.

"But Caleb-"

"It's okay. Don't interfere anymore. They have every right to look at me like a monster. I've grown up knowing that feeling from my father's wife and my siblings."

"Will you fight for your life?" Gale grasps his sword and slowly removes it from its sheath.

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"Even if I tried, I am in no shape to take on any one of you." Lukia tries to speak, but she stays still and grits her teeth.

"Then you won't resist if we kill you?" Gales's eyes dart between me and the others. I steadily examine their eyes. Reading their emotions. I felt something click in the back of my mind.

"I already said there isn't much point in me trying. Even so..."

"Yes?"

"I couldn't force myself to kill you guys for my sake. That isn't who I am, and that isn't the person I want to be as long as I live. I've become friends with each of you with the time I spent with everyone." My eyes grow sincere in the light of my emotional plea.

Lukia takes a step, but I interrupt her and approach Gale. He reacts with a defensive stance but quickly stops midway through the motion. Yann and Herk approach my flanks, and Ivian attempts to charge me, but Gale continues to hold him back. Drawing face-to-face with Gale, I stare at him.

"None of you want this either. You just wanted answers to a problematic question. Now you have it."

Gale's entire expression shifts. His lips quiver, and he bursts into laughter. Everyone stares at him with shocked expressions. His laughter becomes contagious—First, Yann and then Herk join him. The awkward situation perturbed me.

Lukia joined my confusion, but it grew on us as she couldn't help but laugh at each other. The forced, sudden, dramatic display from Gale and the others had faded away. I saw in their eyes the hint of regret. My gut feeling was right.

"At this point, it doesn't really matter, does it? Like you said." Gale sheathes his blade and tosses it to the side. "Forgive me; I had let my own fears get the best of me. Everyone else felt the same way."

"You could have just talked to us instead of putting on a show!" Lukia slapped Gale on the cheek as she spoke. He did nothing but accept the punishment. Herk tried to step in, but yet again, Gale stood his ground while keeping the rest back.

"I'm sorry, truly sorry to the both of you." Gale, with a sincere smile, extends his hand for forgiveness. Lukia reluctantly storms off, but I accept his hand.

"Don't worry about her, Gale, she'll return."

"It was something I was prepared for." Wiping his face with a piece of cloth, Gale softly rubs the red mark left by Lukia.

"And you're sure that everyone is okay about my secret?" I reached towards everyone. With a single thought, everyone nodded in total agreement. A soft smile peaked across the corners of my lips before I turned away. "I'll answer any of your questions if you so ask."

"There will be a time for that, Caleb. For now, you should rest. After tonight, you should avoid moving too much." Herk took some bandages and helped wrap up my curse while the others watched in silence. Lukia kept her distance but stayed close to camp.

Minutes pass, and Herk finishes the work with ease. The remainder of the night loses its tension, and it becomes still. Gale wanted to know if I trusted him and the others with the truth. He trusted me to respond to the accusations honestly and without a hint of deceit. At least that what I concluded myself.

Regardless of this sudden interrogation, my mind felt more at ease than I had ever before. Removing the strain and stress of such a big secret, I quickly lay to rest, and sleep came.

Gale continued to watch over me along with Lukia. She was frustrated but, in the end, relieved. Throughout her watch, questions were asked of her, and she responded with what she knew.

As the sun rose, I awoke to a refreshed new day.

"Are you able to walk on your own?" Lukia spoke to me as everyone packed up.

"Most likely not." My face told it all. I could hardly feel anything wherever the curse had spread to.

Soon after, we settled onto our mounts, Lukia continued to be my guide and caregiver during the remainder of the ride through the mountains. And by the time we reached the end of the mountain path, seemingly, all their thoughts had begun to remove the secret from their minds for my sake. Which the party soon returned to their old selves like nothing ever happened...