The king, momentarily taken aback by Mav's boldness, eventually stepped aside, revealing Adelfi's still form on the table. As he approached, the air grew thick with anticipation, each breath in the room held in collective silence. All eyes were on him, the weight of their expectations pressing heavily on his shoulders. His heart pounded in his chest as he moved closer to the girl. Before he began, he turned to the others, his voice steady but carrying an unmistakable gravity.

"Before I start, I need your word. Whatever you see here must not leave this room. Not a whisper to anyone—not even your own families."

"I promise," the king vowed, his voice cold as steel. "And if I find out that anyone in this room speaks a word of this, I will personally see to their execution." His words sent a shiver down every spine, the room’s tension sharpening to a knife’s edge.

Mav nodded, then turned his full attention to Adelfi. She lay motionless before him, her chest rising and falling so faintly that he had to strain to see it. She looked so small, so fragile—a stark contrast to the monumental task ahead. For a moment, a pang of guilt tightened around his heart like a vise.

"What am I doing?" The thought cut through his resolve like a knife. "She's just a child." His chest tightened, a dull ache blooming as guilt gnawed at him. "And I’m using her as a pawn." The realization hit hard, like a cold splash of water, leaving him shaken, but he forced himself to focus on the task ahead.

He clenched his fists, the cold realization settling in: his actions were necessary, but far from noble. The weight of countless eyes bore down on him, each one a silent plea, a desperate hope. He couldn’t afford to waver now.

"I have no choice," he reminded himself, though the words rang hollow. "If I want to survive that fight, I have to take every opportunity I can get."

With a deep breath, he pushed the guilt aside, focusing on the task ahead. The air buzzed with unspoken prayers, the tension thickening, suffocating. He wiped his palms on his tunic, his heart pounding in his chest. Then, extending his hand over Adelfi, he whispered, "Dark Blue Miracle."

As he whispered the incantation, time itself seemed to slow. The room’s temperature dropped, a cold chill seeping into his bones, yet the flame that engulfed Adelfi was warm, almost soothing in its glow. The contrast was unnerving, as if the world outside this bubble of light had been shut out, leaving only the ethereal glow and the rapid beating of his heart. The dark blue hue of the flame danced over her fragile form, licking at her skin like a protective veil, and for a brief moment, it brought back the memory of the relief he felt, when her mother had been restored to health by this same flame.

The others in the room marveled at the sight, especially Ana. She had never seen a blue flame as dark as this, even compared to her own bright blue flame from earlier. Seconds passed, and just as with Emily, the unconscious child's sunken cheeks began to fill out, and her skeletal limbs gained substance. The king watched in amazement, as if time itself was reversing to before his daughter had fallen ill.

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Suddenly, the child’s closed eyes stopped fluttering, and her breathing quickened, shifting from deep, slow breaths to rapid, shallow ones. Her eyelids twitched.

"Adelfi?" the king said, noticing the small movement.

There was no response, but after a few moments, her eyes twitched again.

"Adelfi!" he called out, his voice a mix of hope and fear. Then, as if startled by her father's voice in the midst of a normal slumber, her eyes slowly opened. She began to sit up, and Mav quickly moved to support her so she wouldn’t fall.

"It’s too dark—someone open the windows," he said, his voice firm but calm. Voithos hurried to obey, drawing back the curtains.

Sunlight flooded the room, illuminating her pale skin and golden hair. She blinked against the sudden brightness, rubbing her eyes like someone waking from a long nap, then slowly scanned the room.

"Papa?" she said, her voice soft and unsure as she spotted her father.

For a moment, the king was frozen, stunned by the sight of his awakened daughter. But when she called out to him again, he rushed to her, pulling her into a tight embrace, almost desperate, as if the warmth of his daughter’s body was the only proof that she was truly there, alive and whole. He held her as though she were made of glass, fragile and precious, his tears mingling with her golden hair. Each sob that wracked his body seemed to expel months of pent-up fear and sorrow, the sound reverberating in the silent room like the breaking of a dam. The sight of a monarch brought to his knees by such raw emotion sent a wave of empathy through Mav, stirring something deep within him.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around the unfamiliar place.

"In a potion shop," the king replied, his voice thick with emotion as he sniffled, trying to compose himself. "How are you feeling?"

"I’m fine… What are we doing here?"

"Nothing, nothing, just…" His voice broke as he continued to sob, his relief overwhelming. "Thank goodness you’re awake."

"Why are you crying, Papa?"

"I’m just… so happy," he replied, his voice breaking with relief.

Ana stood by, stunned by what she had just witnessed. The child she couldn’t heal earlier, even with her most powerful skill, was now sitting up, talking normally with her father. She looked over at Mav, who was also watching the scene, blinking back his own tears.

Then Ana grabbed his arm and pulled him into a corner. The closeness of the space seemed to amplify the tension between them, the air thick with unanswered questions. Mav’s eyes held a depth of resolve that belied his years, while Ana’s furrowed brow betrayed her inner turmoil, the weight of what she had just witnessed pressing heavily on her shoulders.

"What just happened?" she demanded in a hushed whisper.

"I told you I had a useful healing skill. Believe me now?" Mav replied, his tone even but tinged with a hint of weariness.

"But that’s just not possible," she insisted, still reeling from disbelief. "How could you have a more effective healing skill than mine when you only have a 5-point affinity with the Blue Flame?"

"I don’t know. It just works." he replied, evading the details.

"Hey, you’ll keep this a secret, right?" he continued, making a slicing gesture across his neck. "Don’t even think about telling your guild leader. You heard what the king said earlier."

"I-I won’t," she stammered, clearly shaken by the events.

At that moment, a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find the king standing there, looking down at him with a mixture of gratitude and awe.