Those blue-and-gold eyes lifted to et his. A faint smile curved on the sorcerer’s lips impossible to read, sothing between mockery and satisfaction.
"I will," he replied slowly, "but only because you fulfilled the condition. And because I won’t let my clan vanish into nothing."
Demian clenched his fists, fighting the tightening in his chest that had been strangling him ever since Valerie collapsed.
"I don’t care about your reasons," Demian said. "Just wake her. Now."
The young sorcerer exhaled deeply, as if weighing the cost of what he was about to do. Then he finally moved toward the tent where Valerie lay. As he passed Demian, he spoke softly so soft it was almost gentle, yet the threat beneath it was unmistakably cold:
"If you’re lying, Duke... I’ll make sure you learn what it feels like to lose everything."
Demian didn’t respond. He simply followed, each heartbeat slamming against his ribs.
Because tonight, only one thing mattered:
Valerie had to wake up. No matter the price.
The massive bonfire roared wildly at the center of the camp, its flas clawing at the cold night air with blinding shades of orange. The soldiers held their breath, while the captured witches stood motionless eyes sealed by magic, not daring to make the slightest sound.
In front of the fire, the young sorcerer stood tall. He exhaled slowly, his silvery hair swaying with the night wind, and his heterochromatic eyes gold and blue glimred faintly, as if swallowing the fire’s light.
"Place her above the flas," he said, calm and quiet, yet with a weight that made everyone’s skin crawl.
Valerie, still unconscious, was lifted carefully by Noel and Rex. They hesitated, especially when the towering fire surged beneath them. Demian imdiately stepped forward, grabbing Rex’s arm.
"Are you insane?" he growled, his face hard as stone. "That fire will roast her alive!"
The young sorcerer rely raised an eyebrow, almost amused by Demian’s panic.
"If I wanted to kill your woman," he said lightly, "I wouldn’t bother preparing a ritual this elaborate. A single spell would be more than enough."
Demian fell silent, though his jaw tightened. Fear, anger, and desperation collided in his eyes.
The sorcerer looked at him for a long mont before speaking again this ti with a seriousness he hadn’t shown before.
"You brought the remnants of my entire clan," he said. "You kept your promise. So I will keep mine."His gaze shifted to Valerie’s pale form. "This woman will not die... unless you are the one who breaks our pact."
Demian clenched his fists, but after a tense mont, he gave a short nod. He stepped back, though his eyes never left Valerie.
Noel swallowed hard as they positioned Valerie’s body atop a ring of glowing symbols suspended directly above the blazing bonfire. Strangely, the flas did not touch her; instead they flowed around her like drifting mist.
As the ritual began, the young sorcerer lifted both hands. The wind circled him, the flas shrank, then burst into a brilliant shade of blue and gold, the colors of his own eyes.
Chants slipped from his lips. Within seconds, the entire camp seed to halt its breathing.
Demian took an unconscious step forward, anxiety filling every line of his face. "If anything happens—"
The sorcerer turned slightly, giving Demian a look that was impossible to decipher.
"If I wanted to betray you," he said flatly, "I wouldn’t need to wait for the ritual. Trust , Duke Demian... I am far stronger than you think."
Rex reflexively grabbed his sword, but Demian raised a hand commanding silence.
The ritual intensified. The flas rose, fell, then twisted into a massive symbol in the air. Blue light wrapped around Valerie’s body, holding her as if in a strange, gentle embrace.
"Awaken..." the sorcerer whispered, his voice suddenly low, thrumming with power that made every hair stand on end. "Return... before that foolish man destroys half the world just to make you open your eyes."
Demian stiffened, but said nothing. His eyes reddened not from anger, but fear. Fear of losing Valerie. Fear of failing. Fear of running out of ti.
The flas flared violently then extinguished all at once.
Everyone froze.
Valerie’s body dropped slowly, caught by fading magic. Demian surged forward, catching her before she touched the ground.
"Valerie... Valerie, hear ," he whispered, voice trembling. His hands cupped her face, checking her breath, her pulse. "Please... please wake up."
Silence stretched for several long seconds.
Then Valerie’s fingers twitched.
Demian went still, his entire body turning rigid.
Her eyelashes fluttered...and slowly her eyes opened.
Valerie did not wake because soone touched her or called her na, she woke because of the ancient language reverberating through the air around her.The chant seeped into her skin, into her bones, dragging her consciousness back from the void.
Just as Valerie’s eyes fluttered open, the massive bonfire beneath her extinguished instantly collapsing inward as if blown out by an invisible force.Sparks and fragnts of light spiraled upward into the sky, vanishing without leaving even a trace of smoke.
Silence swept across the ritual grounds.Demian’s soldiers and the surviving witches alike stood frozen, staring at Valerie as she slowly pushed herself upright, unsteady, her eyes wide with disoriented confusion as if she had been violently thrown back into existence.
The next second, before anyone could react, Demian shot forward.
There was no hesitation in his stride, no trace of the pride or composure he usually maintained in front of his subordinates.
He reached Valerie, seized her, and pulled her into his arms, holding her with a desperation so raw it made several soldiers avert their gaze.His breathing was uneven, almost broken, and his fingers trembled where they gripped her waist.
"Valerie..."Her na fell from his lips like a cracked whisper, almost a plea.
No one dared speak.They had seen Demian lose control once before...but thi, this was different.Stronger. More visceral. More real.
This wasn’t re panic.Not guilt.Not responsibility.
This was sothing no one had ever imagined they would witness from a Duke of Morvex.
From the distance, Kaiser, normally so quick with sarcasm didn’t say a word.He simply exhaled slowly, arms folded across his chest.
"...Well," he murmured under his breath, too soft for anyone to hear,"I suppose I don’t need to question it anymore."
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