The castle gates closed behind them with a low echo.

  Lysera walked ahead, hands folded behind her back.

  "Do you understand now why Father prohibits you from going out alone?" she asked calmly as they entered the main hall.

  Maelis kept her head lowered. "Yes."

  Lysera stopped and gently patted her head. "Good."

  Then her lips curved faintly. "So next time you're sneaking out, let me in too."

  Maelis blinked.

  Then she smiled.

  Vlad exhaled quietly.

  "How did you know we were out?" Maelis asked, curiosity returning to her voice.

  Lysera gave Vlad a sideways glance. "I saw him fidgeting through the corridor like a guilty thief. It was painfully obvious."

  Maelis slowly turned toward Vlad.

  "So you were followed."

  "I didn't know she was behind me," Vlad said quickly, almost defensively.

  For a brief moment—

  All three of them laughed.

  The tension from the alley loosened.

  Just a little.

  Lysera's expression softened as she examined them both.

  "I've healed what I can," she said. "But Vlad was foolish enough to reopen his old wound."

  Her gaze shifted to him — sharp now.

  "I'm taking him to the physician. Maelis, go back inside."

  "Okay," Maelis replied quietly.

  But before leaving, she stepped toward Vlad.

  "You dropped this in the alleyway."

  From her palm hung the necklace she had bought earlier.

  The small stone caught the corridor light.

  "I'll put it on for you."

  Her fingers carefully fastened it around his neck.

  It felt heavier now.

  "Thanks," Vlad said softly.

  Maelis hugged him.

  Not playfully.

  Not teasingly.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Tightly.

  "Thank you for saving me."

  Then she turned and walked away.

  Vlad touched the stone.

  Its surface was cool.

  "I'll protect her next time," he murmured.

  His gaze drifted toward the distant training grounds.

  His foot shifted in that direction—

  Suddenly—

  Lysera grabbed him by the collar.

  "No," she said flatly. "You can protect her later. First, you get treated."

  She dragged him down the corridor despite his weak protest.

  The physician's door opened.

  The old man looked up.

  He rubbed his temple immediately upon recognizing the patient.

  "You did it again… didn't you?"

  His eyes fell to the faint red seeping through Vlad's clothes.

  Vlad avoided his eyes.

  Outside the room, Lysera paused at the doorway.

  "Go back to your room after this," she said calmly. "If I see you anywhere near the training grounds, I'll tell Father about today."

  Vlad stiffened. "…Okay, Sister."

  She studied him for a second longer — as if weighing whether he'd listen — then stepped out.

  In the corridor, Aldric was waiting.

  "Shall we go somewhere quiet, Uncle?" Lysera asked.

  Aldric nodded. "Kaira is sleeping in the garden. Let's go there."

  They walked through the moonlit courtyard, the night calm in sharp contrast to the alley's chaos.

  Lysera glanced at him sideways. "I wonder when that dragon will finally kill you."

  Aldric gave her a tired look. "Hey…"

  Despite the remark, he said nothing more.

  When they reached the garden, Lysera explained everything — the thieves, the slave market mention, Vlad's use of the spirit power, the reopened wound.

  Aldric listened without interrupting.

  When she finished, he exhaled slowly.

  "I thought we exterminated every slave ring in Draven," he murmured. "I'll have Erik investigate."

  Lysera nodded.

  "And Vlad," Aldric continued, his tone sharpening slightly. "We need to stop him from using the spirit's power while he's still this weak."

  Lysera folded her arms. "I doubt he'll listen. He's probably training in his room right now. I told him not to go to the training grounds."

  Aldric's eyes shifted toward the castle.

  "She was right about him…" he muttered.

  Later, he stood outside Vlad's door.

  Even before knocking, he could feel it.

  Mana was circulating inside the room — uneven, strained.

  He knocked once and entered.

  Vlad straightened immediately.

  "I wasn't training or anything," he said quickly.

  Aldric raised a brow. "I didn't say anything."

  Silence lingered.

  "Did Sister tell you what happened today?" Vlad asked.

  "Yes," Aldric replied. "And I came to talk about it."

  Vlad listened carefully.

  Aldric stepped closer.

  "I want you to promise me something."

  Vlad's fingers tightened slightly at his sides.

  "You will not use the spirit's power again until your body is strong enough to endure it."

  The words were firm.

  "But if I hadn't used it," Vlad said quickly, "I couldn't have protected Sister—"

  "No." Aldric cut him off. "I don't want to hear that."

  His voice wasn't loud.

  But it carried weight.

  "What you did today was reckless. You could have died."

  Vlad lowered his head.

  The room felt smaller.

  He understood.

  He didn't agree.

  But he understood.

  "…I promise," he said quietly.

  Aldric studied him for a moment longer.

  "Good. Now get some rest. If you keep circulating mana like that, you'll worsen the wound."

  He turned toward the door.

  "One day, you'll be strong enough to control spirits properly. But not like this."

  Then he left.

  Vlad remained standing in the dim light.

  The room was quiet.

  He touched the necklace Maelis had placed around his neck earlier.

  The stone was cool against his fingers.

  He looked up at the night sky beyond the window.

  "Wait for me, Sylvie," he whispered softly. "I'll show you the world… like I promised Lord Leon."

  The wind outside stirred faintly.

  But this time—

  He did not reach for it.

  The room felt unusually quiet.

  The mana in the air had finally settled.

  Slowly, Vlad turned toward his bed and sat down. The mattress dipped beneath his weight, and the fatigue he had been holding back all evening rushed in at once.

  His body ached.

  His chest burned faintly where the wound had reopened.

  But his eyes remained steady.

  "Two years…" he murmured to himself.

  His fingers tightened around the green stone resting against his collarbone.

  "I'll train for two years."

  His voice was quiet, but firm.

  "And then I'll join the Black Squad."

  He lay back slowly.

  The moonlight slipped through the window, casting a pale glow across the room.

  Vlad held the green stone in his palm as his breathing gradually softened.

  His grip slowly loosened.

  The stone slipped gently against his chest.

  And at last—

  He fell asleep.