Ilyria's strains can fix this.
Even sleepers won't feel it.
Moriana whispered, eyes shut.
"Zuryal."
Her eyelids trembled as she clamped them tighter.
Zuriel's effective against diseases.
Moriana cracked one eye open, then the other.
Why? She isn't sick?
Her eyes widened in daze.
Damn it… what the hell is it then?
Moriana narrowed her gaze and tightened her jaw.
I'll try it then.
She tightened her fist on her thigh.
A year ago, I couldn't pull it off. But I'm done doing nothing.
Yulia's face flashed in her mind—beside her when she woke, hugging her; another image: Yulia carrying her over her shoulder in the inn's hall. The memories stabbed through her heart like arrows.
Her fist shook on her thigh. The lamp's flame shivered, throwing a quivering shadow across her face. She ground her teeth until they clicked, then let the word drip off her tongue like poison:
"Glerias…"
Sweat beaded on her chin. Her breathing quickened. Even so, Moriana smiled—confident, excited, her face twitching with strain. Her features hardened under the crushing pressure.
Hurry… I have to find it.
Before Glerias rebounds on me.
A spectral display opened before Moriana's face—packed with countless white points, each glowing with a different intensity. She grinned and focused on Yulia's condition.
The spectral points weren't still. Some pulsed all at once as if breathing; others watched her with a cold flicker. For a moment she felt as if she stood before a silent crowd staring into her.
Incredible… Glerias shows me her whole life laid out in front of me.This board—it's not light, it's Yulia's own lifetime.
Every white dot is a moment she's lived.The old Handlers wrote about a black point hiding somewhere among them…
the mark of whatever is devouring her.I must find it and destroy it, the damage won't just heal—it'll be wiped out,
gone from her life completely.Like it never even happened.
Moriana moved her finger slowly, propping her elbow with her other hand to keep from missing a single point. Pain tightened her features; one eye squinted.
It's like reviewing a tape of her life, second by second.
The backlash… damn it, I didn't expect it to hit this fast.
Sweat poured harder. The confidence and excitement drained from her face as her shaking finger skimmed the spectral field. Her eyes reddened, her heartbeat kicked faster, and her finger kept tracing.
Not yet… I'm not done yet!
Tiny veins burst at the corner of her eye. A red thread ran down her cheek. She didn't care. Her exhale came short and sharp.
Blood and sweat tapped on the wooden floor; the room swallowed the faint sound as the oil lamp's flame began to shiver on the wall.
"Ah—hh."
Where the fuck is that damned black point?!
A deep tremor seized her. She opened her mouth, forcing more out. Her face began to slacken; her eyes rolled upward.
Damn it—I'm going to pass out!
If I don't cancel it, then…
Suddenly every white point on the panel turned black. Her grip loosened; her body went slack.
Huh?… What the hell is going on?
A voice sounded behind her—distant. A hand touched her shoulder. One word followed.
"Mom."
The word echoed in her skull even after the sound was gone, leaving a cold resonance in her chest. The brief touch froze her, a ringing emptiness sealing her off from reality for a heartbeat.
Moriana could barely open her eyes.
Who's… there?
Her eyes then dimmed and returned to normal. The spectral panel faded like dust. She swayed hard, bracing a hand on the chair leg, head tipped back as blood slid down her neck.
Her breathing turned heavy and ragged.
She slipped off her chair, clutching the edge of Yulia's bed. The top half of her body hung from it while her legs melted to the floor.
There is something went wrong.
No way… I won't accept this.
She muttered, trying—desperately—to invoke anything else.
"Nai—rith…"
"Lumi—"
She tried to speak the names, but her eyes shut and her face drowned in her blood.
At that moment, Yulia's eyelids parted slowly, heavy as if carrying the whole night. In a hoarse, broken voice, she whispered:
"I hope that's enough for you."
She closed her eyes again. A single tear slipped onto the pillow.
"Good night…promise-breaker."
****
Morning light slipped into Yulia's room, meeting Moriana's eyes. Her eyes trembled, then opened with effort. Dark circles shadowed her face.
She pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes. When she looked at the bed, it was empty. Her eyes widened. In a hoarse whisper, she said,
"Yu… li…?"
She touched her face with shaking fingers. No trace of blood. She looked to the bedsheet and saw nothing there either, as if the night before had never happened.
She stepped out with heavy feet. In the lounge, Yulia sat on the couch, legs stretched out, in a bathrobe, a book in her right hand and steaming cup in her left.
Moriana froze. Yulia noticed and turned. Sunlight washed across her pale face, a beauty, slightly marred.
"Good morning, Mori."
Moriana stared for a beat, studying her friend. When she answered, her voice was ragged with fatigue.
"Mor… ning, Yuli."
"Tell me—how are you feeling?" Moriana whispered, her gaze running over Yulia's body.
"As you can see," Yulia said, eyes tracking the lines on the page. "I woke up, bathed, made my drink… then washed the bedsheet and hung it to dry. A perfect morning, I guess."
Moriana yawned hard until her eyes watered.
"You know you're not allowed to do any—"
Yulia cut in, closing the book slowly between her hands."Thanks… Still, breaking that promise hurt."
She set the book aside, staring into the empty air.
"For a moment… I wanted that to actually work"
She let out a long sigh, laced her fingers behind her head, and turned toward the inn's courtyard.
"In the end… I still don't wanna die this early."
Silence pressed down for a heartbeat. Yulia tightened her lips into a faint smile, trying to hide the weight of her words. Moriana's lips trembled. She inhaled to speak——when Vida stepped through the inn door, a small basket on her arm, loaves and bundles of herbs peeking out. With a nod and a light smile, she said,
"Finally awake… Yana."
"Morning, Vida," Moriana said, her voice carrying a smile, though her face couldn't hide the sadness beneath it.
"I'll be right back as soon as I'm done," Vida said, already hurrying to the little kitchen to put away the things she'd bought.
Moriana lowered her head, biting her lower lip as she stepped closer to Yulia.
"Let me try again, Yuli! There are other strains we can test."
Yulia nudged her back gently, her hand trembling on Moriana's abdomen.
"Don't tell me you still don't get it. Exim has no effect on me…
And what happened that night… scared the hell out of me."
Moriana lifted her eyes again, unable to meet Yulia's for long. Yulia offered a tiny smile—barely a movement of her lips.
"It's okay… really. I'm just glad you tried."
Moriana's lips quivered, but before she could speak, Yulia stood up and faced her.
"Come on. We should get ready. It's almost noon."
Moriana scratched her scalp and muttered,
"Damn… I haven't packed a thing. Did they say when we're leaving?"
"No need today," Yulia said, heading to the water tap in the corner of the lounge.
"We're leaving tomorrow."
Moriana's eyes widened a little.
"Why? We've got nothing left to do here!… Whose idea was this?"
"Mine…" Yulia replied immediately, opening the tap and holding her cup under it.
"Today is the Frostwane Festival in Valdar…"
Moriana tilted her head, brows knitting slightly."Frostwane?"
Yulia glanced up from the kettle, steam curling around her face as she smiled faintly."It's the end-of-winter festival," she said, turning and cradling the cup in both hands.
"I want us to go together. It's been so long since we enjoyed anything."
Right then, the door swung open. Gord stepped in, followed by Hairan and Zarius.
Zarius clapped once, grinning, his voice bright:
"All right, beautiful ladies, everything's set! Lunch at Eldoria's best table, and prime spots saved in the main square for tonight's End of Winter Festival! Get ready for a full day!"
Vida reappeared in the lounge, smiling.
"And I've finished shopping for tomorrow's trip."
Yulia's eyes shone. A wide smile lit her pale face.
"Wonderful! Thank you, all. Let's make it a day to remember!"
They all nodded with practiced smiles. Moriana's gaze drifted over each of them until her eyes narrowed. A thin, bitter smile touched her face. They'd all decided to make this day as bright as possible—for Yulia's sake.
From afar, behind a tree in the courtyard, a shy, watchful gaze peeked through the open doorway behind the group. Then came a steady voice — the same one that had echoed in her mind last night:
"Mom."