"So, how long have you been planning this?" Myra asked. She pulled out a stool and sat across from him.
Kairos gave a small smile. "Since before I even stepped into the castle. Maybe even earlier. I never liked how the weak are treated in this realm."
He paused, his gaze distant. "Have you seen what the Trial of Blood does to those who finish it?"
"Yeah. I know," Myra replied, voice low.
Kairos blinked. "Ah, I forgot. I'm cooking."
He stood up and stretched. "Myra, why don't you help me?"
"No… I'm not good at it."
"Come on," he said with a chuckle. "It's just the two of us. You'll be more relaxed without your mother breathing down your neck."
Myra groaned. "True. Learning with her around is the worst. She never stops yelling."
Kairos handed her a knife. "Come here."
Myra walked over. "Alright. What do you want me to do?"
"First, wash your hands."
She nodded and turned on the tap. After a few seconds, she turned it off and wiped her hands on with a kitchen cloth. "Done."
"Good. Here's the knife. Start with these carrots."
"Looks easy enough." Myra began cutting. "Hey, this is easy."
"Careful," Kairos warned.
"Why?" she said without looking up. And in that same moment—she winced.
"Ah! I cut my finger!"
"I told you," Kairos said calmly. "Quick. Wash it."
Myra obeyed. Kairos walked out of the kitchen, then headed to his room were he grabbed two cloths.
"This should do," he said as he headed back to the kitchen.
"Apply pressure with this one," he said. "Then wrap it with the other."
"Kairos," Myra raised a brow, "you know I can regenerate, right?"
He blinked, then chuckled. "Ah, I forgot."
"You forgot, and I forgot. I washed my hands like a human."
Both of them laughed lightly.
"Just sit down," Kairos said. "I'll handle the rest."
She nodded and sat again. Kairos chopped and stirred in silence for a while.
Then—
A scream.
High-pitched. Broken. From inside Kairos's room.
Myra stood instantly. "Is someone in there?"
"Yeah," Kairos replied. "It's Lizzy."
"Lizzy? She's here?"
Kairos didn't answer. He was already halfway to the door. Myra followed, close behind.
Inside, Lizzy was crouched on the floor, shaking. Her hands clutched her head, her breathing wild and shallow.
"Lizzy?" Myra whispered. She stepped forward and extended her hand.
"No—don't kill me, Mom!" Lizzy shrieked, crawling backward. "I didn't mean to kill you! Please! Please forgive me! I had no other choice but to do it, am sorry."
Myra froze mid-step.
Kairos caught her wrist gently and stepped forward instead.
"Lizzy," he said, his tone soft. "It's alright. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."
Lizzy cowered near the bed, her back pressed to the bed. "Stay away! Don't hit me please! I'll do what you want."
"I'm not going to hit you." Kairos knelt down and crawled closer. "It's me."
As he extended his hand, Lizzy suddenly lunged forward and clawed at his face.
Three shallow cuts opened on his cheek. Blood trickled down.
Myra gasped, hand over her mouth. But Kairos didn't flinch.
He slowly tucked Lizzy's messy hair behind her ear. His touch was gentle.
"Lizzy. It's me. Kairos."
Her eyes widened. The fear melted into confusion. Then sorrow.
"I… I didn't know," she whispered. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry—I'm so sorry—"
Kairos pulled her into a hug.
"I know," he whispered. "I understand my friend."
The room went quiet for a while. Myra stood in the doorway, watching them. Her eyes flicked between the blood on Kairos's face and the way he held Lizzy—like she was something fragile.
After a few moments, Lizzy calmed. Her breathing slowed. She leaned into him, still crying but less hysterical now.
Kairos helped her sit up properly. "You're safe here. No one's chasing you."
Lizzy nodded weakly. Her voice was hoarse. "I… I saw her again."
"Your mother?"
Lizzy nodded. "She was chasing me with a knife in her hand. I tried to run but she caught me and started stabbing me in the stomach." She paused. " She was asking me why I killed her."
Kairos glanced at Myra.
Myra looked away.
He turned back to Lizzy. "It was just an illusion, and illusions aren't real. So forget all about it."
Lizzy looked at him. "Do you… think I'm evil?"
Kairos didn't answer right away.
Then he shook his head. "I think you're lost. Not evil. And I think being lost is something we all go through."
Silence again.
This time, it was Lizzy who broke it.
"Why are you so kind to me?" she asked quietly. "Even though am annoying- I can't basically do anything on my own."
Kairos smiled faintly. "Because i understand what it means to suffer, even if I don't speak of it. At some point, I've felt lost, tired, or broken. That memory—quiet and buried—became the reason i reach out when i see someone else struggling. It's not always about fixing things. Sometimes, just being there matters. A kind word, a steady presence, or even silent company can be enough."
Myra blinked at that. She had never heard him say anything like that before.
Lizzy leaned her head against his chest. Her eyes finally closing. "Am so happy I have you."
Kairos looked down at her, then at Myra.
"Can you finish the stew?"
Myra tilted her head. "I thought I was bad at cooking."
"You'll learn."
She turned without a word and walked back to the kitchen.
Kairos gently lifted Lizzy onto the bed. He covered her with a blanket and sat on the floor beside her, watching her breathe.
It was only now, in the quiet of the room, that he allowed himself to feel the pain from the scratches.
" Ouch that hurts, I wish I had regeneration abilities.
They stung, but he welcomed it.
Pain reminded him he was alive.
And alive meant he still had things to protect.