Seth's eyelids twitched before slowly fluttering open, revealing a pair of deep purple eyes.
Darkness greeted his vision, and for a moment, he suspected he had returned to the void where he had met the Devil King.
But as sensation gradually returned to his body, he became aware of the soft fabric beneath him, a bed. His eyes adjusted, sharpening as his ability to see in the dark returned.
His surroundings came into view, though there wasn't much to see. The room was barren- just cold brick walls, the bed he lay upon, and him.
Nothing more.
Thinking back to his last memories, Seth realized he must have passed out from blood loss due to his accumulated injuries and the instructors must have taken him away from Thornspire.
Despite the biting pain that still throbbed in his left shoulder and right arm-wounds yet to fully heal, he attempted to push himself into a sitting position.
But he couldn't.
A sudden metallic clang echoed through the darkness, and only then did he notice them- the cold, heavy shackles binding him to the bed.
Realizing he was bound by chains, Seth abandoned the idea of sitting upright, sinking back into the bed as the pain slowly crept over him once more.
But this pain was different.
It didn't stem from his wounded shoulder, nor did it throb from his battered right arm. This pain ran deeper- lodged within his very soul.
Emily's death still weighed heavily on him. The brief satisfaction he had felt after exacting vengeance on the noble children had long since faded, leaving behind nothing but grief and an unbearable emptiness.
With a faint creak, the door to the room swung open, allowing a sliver of light to seep in, casting faint illumination over the dim space.
A man stepped inside.
Of average height, he possessed dark hair and even darker eyes, his expression calm and unreadable. Though he wore a simple black tunic and pants, the sword resting in the scabbard at his waist left no doubt- he was a knight.
"You're awake…" Sir Vince said softly as he stepped further into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar so the light of the torch from the corridor could spill in, casting flickering shadows along the walls.
Seth ignored his statement. "Where am I?" he asked instead, his voice steady but cold.
Unfazed by his tone, Vince replied, "Right now, you're in a holding cell- reserved for criminals awaiting trial. From here, the usual paths lead to a proper prison cell, banishment… or execution."
"Oh…" Seth responded flatly, showing no hint of emotion. After a brief pause, he continued, "Then why am I here?"
Vince raised a brow- whether at the question itself or at the young half-blood's utter lack of reaction to the possibility of his own execution, it was hard to tell.
"Well," Vince said, his tone dry, "this is what happens when you're suspected of killing eight nobles, one commoner, and leaving another in a coma."
Hearing his own words aloud, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Is something funny?" Seth asked, clearly unamused.
"Oh, sorry," Vince replied, shaking his head. "I just remembered telling you to stay unnoticed by the nobles… Thinking back on that now makes me feel like a complete idiot."
Seth was about to speak when a sudden commotion erupted outside.
Vince frowned slightly before turning on his heel and exiting the room, leaving Seth alone once more with his thoughts.
Stepping into the corridor, Vince was met with the sight of two guards struggling to hold back a woman determined to force her way through.
"No one is allowed to see the prisoner," one of the guards stated firmly, raising an arm to block her path.
"I have to see him! Let me through!" Mira cried, her voice laced with desperation. Tearfully, she struggled against their hold, but no matter how hard she fought, the guards refused to yield.
"If you keep causing trouble here, we won't hesitate to use force," the second guard warned, drawing his sword from its scabbard, ready to strike.
Before he could take another step, a firm hand landed on his shoulder, halting him in place.
"There's no need for that. Let her through," Vince commanded, his grip steady.
"Y-yes, sir!" the guard stammered, startled, before hastily returning his blade to its scabbard. The other guard lowered his arm, stepping aside to let Mira pass.
Now granted passage, Mira wasted no time, hurrying past the guards until she stood before Vince.
As her gaze met his, her expression hardened, though fresh tears continued to stream down her face.
"I've already lost one... I can't lose another. I won't let it happen!" she declared, her voice trembling but firm.
Vince regarded her for a moment before offering a simple yet steady reply. "Rest assured, Miss Mira. I'll do my best to help him."
At his words, some of the tension in her shoulders eased. Though her grief remained, a flicker of hope steadied her trembling heart.
"Do you want to see him?" Vince asked.
Mira nodded without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Seth's mind drifted back to the events at Thornspire, replaying the choices he had made- wondering if anything could have been different.
Just then, the door creaked open once more. Sir Vince stepped inside, but this time, a familiar figure followed behind him.
The moment Mira laid eyes on Seth- his wounded body, the cold shackles binding him to the bed, her composure crumbled. She was already on the verge of breaking down.
Just then, his voice broke the silence…
"I'm sorry... I couldn't save her…" he sobbed, his voice cracking with guilt and sorrow.
Without a second thought, Mira rushed to his side, her arms wrapping around him as she embraced him gently but firmly.
"Foolish boy," she whispered through her tears, her voice thick with emotion, "It's not your fault!"
*****
"[Aquaris: Fluid Heal]"
After several minutes of their tearful reunion, Mira had calmed down enough to tend to Seth's injuries. Though first aid had been performed- evident by the bandages wrapped around him, the wounds were far from healed.
The deep cut on his shoulder slowly knitted together under her magic, and the pain, though gradual, began to fade.
Mira then moved to his right arm to heal the fracture, but as her magic met the injury, she frowned. The wound refused to heal.
"This isn't just a simple fracture," Vince observed, his tone calm but serious. "It's a fundamental injury. The boy has strained his arm beyond what it should have been able to bear. To heal it, a higher level of magic will be required."
Momentarily giving up on healing his arm, Mira looked up, her face filled with worry. "What will happen to him from here?" she asked softly.
Before Vince could answer, the door swung open, and two guards stepped inside.
"We are here to retrieve the boy," one of them stated.
Vince turned his attention back to Mira, his expression somber. "He will be trialed."