Chapter 25:

After Olen left us and returned to his post, I told Seb about what happened to Ren, obviously omitting the part about our attempted heist of the treasury or our disastrous meeting with the Champions. Once I finished, he nodded thoughtfully. Without any further questions, he began treating her immediately.

First, he picked up a small jar of green powder from the shelf near the door and carefully poured a portion into a stone cup on his wooden table. He then mixed it with a transparent liquid that looked like water but at the same time didn’t. The combination turned into a clear green liquid. Seb filled a metallic syringe with the strange solution and brought the needle close to Ren’s purple arm.

The entire scene set me on edge, and I couldn’t keep silent any longer. “Wait! What the hell is that?” I shouted, taking a step closer.

Seb’s gaze met mine, his expression calm yet serious. “It’s a voidweave blend. It’s used to temporarily drain a mage of their mana.” He explained matter-of-factly.

I blinked in confusion, still not fully grasping what he meant, but he continued before I could ask more questions. “Your friend is suffering from something called a mana overdose. Using unrefined minerals will do that to someone who isn’t properly trained in handling them. When it happens, the excess mana floods their system, effectively poisoning them. The first step is to remove this surplus mana before it starts to cause irreversible damage. The fact that your friend has been in this state for more than a month and hasn’t died yet means someone has been stabilizing her condition. But stabilization isn’t the same as healing. Her body is still overwhelmed by the excess mana, as you can see from her purple arm. I need to drain the excess first before I can do anything else.”

His explanation made sense, but it still left me uneasy. I knew next to nothing about herbs or healing in general. It’s possible he just made this all up on the spot, and I wouldn’t even know.

“Don’t worry, Luca.” Annabel chimed in suddenly. “You can trust Seb. He knows what he’s doing.”

Trust him? I don’t even trust you!

“Relax already.” Seb snapped, clearly picking up on my doubt. “It’s just a simple mix of shadowroot, whisperleaf, mistflower, and soulvine, blended with Lunasol liquid. There’s nothing sinister in this blend. Now, can I continue my work, or would you prefer I stand here explaining about every plant until the sun rises?”

I’d never heard of most of those herbs, but realizing I didn’t have many options, I finally gave a reluctant nod. Saving Ren was my main concern.

With no further comment, Seb swiftly injected the green liquid into Ren’s arm.

Then, he walked over to his desk, setting the metallic syringe on the table before opening one of the drawers. He pulled out a light-blue – no, maybe light-green – ring. It was a turquoise ring. There was no mistaking it. He slid the ring onto his middle finger, and I noticed that besides this, he only wore one other ring: a plain golden band on his ring finger which was his wedding ring. That reminded me - we still hadn’t seen his wife, the other reason we’d come to Lind.

His hands started glowing with the turquoise’s light as he held them above Ren, slowly moving them over her entire body. The whole process lasted about ten minutes, and with each passing second, I grew more anxious. Axel had insisted that a turquoise stone would help Ren. Even Belferon - may he rot in Hell – had said the same. So, I clung to that hope, expecting Ren to open her eyes any second.

But nothing happened.

She remained unconscious.

“Why isn’t she waking up?” I asked, my voice coming out sharper than I’d intended.

Seb raised an eyebrow, his expression stern. “She’s been overdosed for over a month. One session isn’t enough to reverse the damage. I’ll continue treating her, but you need to have patience.”

“Luca, it’s okay.” Annabel interjected gently. “Seb is one of the good ones. He’ll always put others’ lives before his own. Ren is in good hands.”

She was trying to comfort me, but all I could hear were Belferon’s and Lida’s reassuring voices in Vorlexia’s infirmary echoing in my mind. The memory made my stomach churn.

“How long?” I pressed, barely keeping my emotions in check.

Seb sighed, seemingly understanding my desperation. “I’ve never treated a case this severe, to be honest. Mages who overdose usually don’t survive more than a week without immediate treatment. She’s been like this for over a month, and still hanging on, which is a good sign. I believe I can bring her back from this.”

“How long?” I repeated, my tone unwavering.

He hesitated. “Let’s give it two weeks. I can’t guarantee she’ll wake up by then, but I believe we’ll see some improvement.”

With that, he slid the ring off, returned it to the drawer, then looked at me thoughtfully before slipping it back onto his finger again, as if reconsidering something.

“Let me treat you as well.” He said, eyeing my bruised face. “Looks like you took quite a beating.”

I sighed as he moved closer. “I did.”

He reached his turquoise-imbued hand toward to my face and began healing it.

“So, who attacked you?” he asked casually.

Annabel chimed in. “You can trust him.”

I hesitated for a moment. “Some girl.” I said, recalling my fight with Sona and then the one with Lida before that. “Well, actually there were two.”

“Two girls? I’m not even sure what to ask, pal.” Seb raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “Were you two-timing?”

“Is he - Is he trying to joke with you?” Annabel blurted, incredulous and nearly laughing. “Where’s the serious Seb I knew? Who is this guy?”

I could feel the pain in my face gradually easing as I replied fairly quickly. “Nothing like that. One of them lied to me. When I called her out, she snapped. And the other one...she was just a crazy bitch.”

Seb’s expression remained neutral. “I see. My wife is pretty even-tempered, so I can’t say I relate.”

I shook my head. “It’s not like that. Both are no one to me.”

He nodded, though he didn’t look convinced. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked.

“My chest. My stomach.” I replied. Honestly, I was in pain pretty much everywhere.

He nodded before shifting his glowing hand to my chest, his expression turning thoughtful. “Tell me the truth.” He said suddenly. “I’ll back up any story you told Olen and Den, but did Axel send you here for something specific? If so, what is it?”

“He did.” I admitted, knowing lying wouldn’t help. He seemed too sharp.

“Why?” he pressed.

“He thought you could help my friend.” I replied, only half-truthful.

“There has to be more to this...” He murmured. “Who are you to him, exactly?”

I paused. How would I describe my relationship with Axel? Perhaps opportunistic was the best definition.

“I don’t really know.” I admitted.

Seb looked dissatisfied with my answer, but unfortunately for him, that was the best I could give.

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“What does he want?” he asked, shifting his question.

“You can tell him the truth. I don’t think Axel would mind.” Annabel said, but I didn’t think that was the right approach. Talking about the calcite didn’t seem like a smart move yet, so I dodged the question.

“He’ll be here soon enough. He can tell you himself.” I replied firmly.

Seb’s expression darkened at the thought of Axel coming to Lind, and I wondered what Axel had done to make his friend and former companion so angry.

He took a deep breath, calming himself.

“What did he do to make you so mad at him?” I dared to ask.

Seb’s brow furrowed. “He’s a shit friend.”

I felt like I got the general idea, so I didn’t push further.

The turquoise ring on his finger dimmed, and I noticed most of the pain in my body had faded.

“That scar on your cheek is too old to heal.” He remarked.

“It’s fine.” I said. “It’s a reminder.”

Seb nodded in understanding as he put the ring back in the drawer. “Other than that, we’re done here.”

“Thanks.” I said, feeling much better.

He nodded. “Come on, I’ll take you to an inn nearby. You can sleep there and come back in the morning.”

I shook my head and gestured toward Ren. “No. I’m staying right here and it’s not open for debate.”

Seb looked stunned. “Listen, it’s almost midnight...Just go to the inn already.”

“You can trust him, Luca.” Annabel chimed in for support, unbeknownst to him, but I stayed firm.

“I’m not leaving her.” I insisted.

Seb sighed, holding my gaze in silence. “I’ll call Olen back and have him force you out.” He said sharply.

“Luca, please don’t make him mad.” Annabel pleaded, but I ignored her.

I stayed quiet, refusing to budge. I felt like he was bluffing.

I was right as eventually, after a short stare-down, he sighed, giving in. “Very well.” He conceded. “What are your names?”

“Luca.” I replied. “And that’s Ren.”

He nodded again and spoke, his stone softer now. “Wait here. I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow.”

***

“You shouldn’t have done that, Luca!” Annabel scolded as I lay on the wooden floor, my head resting on the pillow and my body covered by the blanket Seb had given me before leaving.

“Done what?” I asked.

She was overreacting, in my opinion. I had everything under control, and I didn’t think I’d been too rude.

“Argue with him!” Annabel shouted. “He’s helping you! You can’t act so selfishly!”

I sighed and turned away from her. I didn’t feel like I owed anyone an apology, especially not to her, who I’d only known for two days.

“Don’t ignore me!” she yelled, but I kept silent.

“Oh, that’s how it is, huh?” she asked, her tone laced with anger. “Then I won’t let you sleep!”

With that, she began singing a famous children’s song at the top of her lungs:

“In the land where dragons soar,

Past the hills and oaken door,

Children sing of magic bright,

Guided by the moon’s soft light.”

“Stop it.” I muttered, cutting her off, but she continued undeterred.

“Oh, not a fan of that one?” she teased. “Then how about this one:

In twilight’s glow, beneath the stars,

I see your face, dear lady Vella,

Your eyes, two gems of sapphire blue,

Reflect the love I hold for you.”

I interrupted her again, but she simply moved on to yet another poem. This went on for the next five minutes until I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Knock it off already.” I snapped.

“I will - once you admit that you were wrong.” She said with a triumphant smile.

I couldn’t believe she was a grown woman before her death.

“No.” I said firmly. “I’m not going to apologize for doing what I think is right.”

“Ugh!” Annabel groaned. “You’re the same as Axel. Prideful, just like him.”

“Whatever.” I muttered, turning my back on her again, trying to get some rest.

***

Belferon, Jhad, and Kenneth visited me in my nightmares again, draining away precious hours of sleep.

When I finally managed to rest somewhat peacefully, Seb woke me as he entered the workshop. A quick glance at the window revealed it was already early morning. He gestured for me to go back to sleep, but I didn’t listen. Instead, I watched as he put on his turquoise ring and treated Ren once more. She stayed unconscious, just like before.

Meanwhile, Annabel was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if she was mad at me. I quickly reminded myself not to worry too much about it. She seemed like a nice person - or spirit - but it’s not like we were friends or anything. I barely knew her.

Noticing I’d been awake the whole time, Seb invited me to join him for breakfast. “I’m going to make some pancakes. Care to join?” he asked.

I hesitated, but my stomach growled in response, so I reluctantly agreed.

“Don’t worry.” He reassured me as we left the workshop. “No one else lives here. Just me and my wife. Your friend will be safe here on her own.”

In the kitchen, he quickly gathered the ingredients and expertly mixed them into a runny batter. Then, he grabbed a frying pan from one of the cabinets and set it on top of a bright orange stone surface that reminded me of sunstone.

“Is that...sunstone?” I asked, bewildered. In a world where magical stones were heavily regulated, it seemed absurd that they had an entire block of sunstone. And for what? Cooking? That seemed like a total waste. In the capital, most people used a simple hearth.

“No.” Seb shook his head. “It’s just stone. Granite, to be precise. But it is covered in sunstone powder, though.”

“Sunstone powder?” I repeated, confused. Did they really crush an entire sunstone into a powder instead of making a ring out of it?

“It’s wild, I know, but my wife is a genius.” Seb smiled proudly as he poured some oil onto the hot pan, which immediately began to sizzle. “The sunstone coating heats up when a mage comes in touch with it, just like any mineral would.”

I understood the concept, but I still found it surprising that they’d ruin a sunstone to create this powder. Wouldn’t it have been cheaper just to get a hearth and use the sunstone's fire magic to light it up?

“Do I smell pancakes?” A cheerful feminine voice called from the upper floor, and I assumed that must be Seb’s wife, Leia. It sounded joyful, similar to Annabel’s, who was still missing the entire morning.

“Yes!” Seb shouted back before turning to me. “She’s crazy about pancakes.”

We heard her rushing down the stairs.

“Oh, and by the way.” Seb said suddenly. “Do me a favor and don’t mention Axel Bane to my wife.”

I assumed he didn’t want to upset her. He said Axel was a bad friend to them, but there was probably more to it than just that.

I nodded. “What do you want me to say instead? About how I found you?”

Seb shook his head. “It’s okay if you mention that you heard about us through Axel. Just don’t say he sent you here or that he’s coming soon.”

“Pancakes!” A relatively short and thin woman with long red hair shouted happily as she ran into the kitchen. Her face looked extremely young, with a scattering of freckles across it. She wore a dark-blue robe, with black pants and a white buttoned short underneath.

The moment her eyes landed on me, she looked spooked, spun around completely, and then exited the kitchen as quickly as she had entered.

“Uh, Seb?” she called out from the corridor. “Who’s that?”

“Yeah, sorry, honey, you were fast asleep last night, so I couldn’t tell you.” Seb said, his voice apologetical. “He’s a friend of Axel. I’m treating his companion in the workshop as well.”

“A friend of Axel?” She asked, her voice shy, peeking into the kitchen from the corridor.

I figured I might as well introduce myself. “Yes. My name is Luca. It’s nice to meet you.”

She stayed silent, still hiding in the corridor, and Seb whispered to me. “Don’t take this personally. Leia’s a bit anxious around new people.”

Just a bit?

It was obvious that Annabel hadn’t exaggerated when describing Leia.

“H-Hi, Luca.” She said hesitantly, taking a tentative step into the kitchen while avoiding eye contact. “My name is Leia Thornwood. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

It sounded so monotonic that I couldn’t shake the feeling this was a rehearsed introduction. Still, I nodded and managed a small smile. Considering that the damned calcite was bound to me now, and she might hold some knowledge about its mysteries, I knew I needed to win her trust somehow.

Meanwhile, Seb had already finished preparing the first batch of pancakes. They looked seared to perfection and were incredibly fluffy, reminding me of how my mother used to make them. He pulled what I assumed was chocolate syrup from one of the cupboards, then set two ceramic plates, placing a pancake on each. He put one plate in front of me and the other on the opposite side of the table, near where Leia stood.

He walked over to his wife and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, which she returned.

“Are you heading out today?” he asked, lightly touching her robe.

She nodded. “Yes. I want to check the suntraps I set in the woods.”

Seb nodded knowingly, while I stayed confused. Suntraps? What’s that?

“I think I’ll eat the pancakes later.” She said abruptly, clearly uncomfortable with my presence.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take some with you?” Seb asked, but she shook her head.

Seb nodded, and she turned to leave. As she was about to exit the kitchen, she stopped suddenly and glanced back at me. “How is Axel?” she asked softly, sincere curiosity in her voice.

I hesitated, unsure what to say. It’s not like we were really friends. It was just a convenient lie.

“I think he’s fine.” I replied, settling on the safest answer I could think of.

“I see. That’s good.” She whispered, a melancholic smile on her lips, and then left.

***

After breakfast, I returned to Seb’s workshop to keep an eye on Ren.

Seb offered to move her to his clinic in the village center, but I refused. My experience in Vedem was enough to put me on constant edge.

Realizing he couldn’t change my mind, he sighed and reluctantly left me alone in their house while he went to the clinic for work.

“Leia should be back in the afternoon, so she’ll probably cook something. Meanwhile, you can have the leftover pancakes if you get hungry.” He said before locking the door and leaving.

I wasn’t worried about being locked in. I knew that if I wanted to, I could pick my way out easily. I’d already examined the lock the moment he left and felt reassured when I saw it wasn’t a complicated model. If I could get hold of a single hairpin, which I assumed they had somewhere - given Leia’s long hair - it would be enough.

I walked around the workshop and picked up the pair of stones Seb had used the previous night to light the room. Now, under the morning light streaming in from the window, I could tell they were both orange and resembled sunstones. Upon closer inspection, I realized they weren’t actually orange but black. Similar to the block in the kitchen, the orange color was just a coating, though it didn’t cover them completely.

A sudden knock on the door startled me, followed by a familiar voice - Den’s. “You’re there, aren’t you? Open up.”

My heart sank at the sharp tone of his voice. What could he want?