Chapter 37: The Unspoken Truth
Darkness pressed in.
Lyrian's consciousness flickered in and out, his body barely clinging to the fragile thread of awareness. His limbs refused to move, but he could still feel the weight of hands gripping him—firm, steady.
Reynard.
Even through the haze, he recognized the presence, the unyielding grip that kept him from slipping away entirely. The battle was over. The beast was dead. Yet the silence that followed wasn't one of relief.
It was heavy. Unnatural. They had seen.
Then—
"Lyrian!"
Elyreina was the first to reach him. She dropped to her knees beside him, her breath ragged, hands trembling as she checked his wounds. Too much blood. Too cold. Her fingers pressed against his pulse, and she barely exhaled when she felt it—weak, but still there.
But what truly unsettled her wasn't his injuries.
It was what she had felt when he unleashed that final attack.
That flame.
The Evernight Ember still clung to the air, its lingering heat warping the very space around them. It wasn't just magic. It was something deeper, something that made her stomach twist with unease. The fire hadn't just burned the beast—it had consumed it, reduced it to nothing.
"…That wasn't normal magic."
Selene's voice was quiet but sharp, cutting through the suffocating silence.
Dorian, still clutching his wounded shoulder, exhaled. "No. It wasn't." His voice was rough, edged with something Elyreina didn't like.
Elyreina didn't move. Didn't look up.
She could feel their stares.
Selene again. "You knew, didn't you?"
Her stomach dropped.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze. Selene's expression was unreadable, but her fingers were still curled near her bow, as if she wasn't entirely convinced the battle was over.
Elyreina's hands curled into fists. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Dorian scoffed. "Don't lie. You moved the second you saw that fire. Like you were expecting something like this."
She clenched her jaw. Because yes—she had always known something was wrong. Lyrian had never been normal. His mana, his resilience, the way he survived things he shouldn't have.
And the forbidden spell—the one that had brought him back.
She had ignored it. Forced herself to push it aside. Because if she admitted it—if she truly faced what it meant—
Then what was Lyrian now?
"…I suspected during the trial."
Reynard's voice was calm—too calm. He still held Lyrian's unconscious form, his expression unreadable. "I wasn't certain before. Now, I am."
Selene exhaled, her eyes narrowing. "That flame burned through the beast's corruption. That shouldn't be possible."
Dorian hesitated. "…It wasn't just that." His voice was lower this time, something like understanding creeping into his tone. "That thing—it was healing from everything we threw at it. But the moment his fire touched it… it didn't regenerate. It couldn't."
Selene's grip on her bow tightened. "That wasn't just fire."
A leaden weight settled in Elyreina's chest.
She knew.
She had always known.
But she wouldn't let them say it.
Before anyone else could, she rose to her feet, placing herself squarely between them and Lyrian. Her stance was protective, unwavering.
"It doesn't matter."
Selene blinked. "…Excuse me?"
Elyreina's golden eyes burned. "I said it doesn't matter." Her voice was sharp, final. "Whatever his power is, it saved all of us." She met their gazes, unflinching. "Unless you think you could've taken that thing down yourselves?"
Silence.
Reynard studied her, his face unreadable. Dorian glanced away. Selene's lips pressed into a thin line.
Finally, Selene exhaled. "…I don't like this." Her voice was quieter now. "But I don't plan on telling anyone." A pause. "For now."
Dorian ran a hand through his hair. "Tch. Fine."
Elyreina didn't relax. She wouldn't—not until she was sure they understood.
Then—
"…Elyreina."
Reynard spoke again. This time, his tone was softer.
She turned toward him sharply, but his expression wasn't hostile. If anything, it was almost… understanding.
"You're protecting him," he said simply.
Elyreina's throat tightened.
"…Of course, I am."
A beat of silence. Then, finally, Reynard sighed.
"Then I'll protect him too."
Her breath caught.
He turned to Selene and Dorian. "This doesn't leave us."
Selene crossed her arms. "I already said I wouldn't talk."
Dorian sighed. "Yeah, yeah. My lips are sealed."
Only then did Elyreina's shoulders loosen, just slightly. But the unease in her chest never fully faded.
Because this was only the beginning.
They had seen what Lyrian was capable of.
But, was that really what he was capable of?