The forest was quiet again. Only the faint hum of insects and rustle of leaves kept Lith company as he sat on a moss-covered rock, staring blankly at the trees. His coat, torn and stained with dried blood, hung loosely from his shoulders. He exhaled, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. "...She's taking too long."
Nyx had gone to return Lee back to the nearby village, promise to come back once the boy was safe. Lith tried not to think about how pale Lee's face had been before they parted—the boy's eyes wide with fear, not of the monsters, but of him. The memory stung. Lith clenched his jaw, lowering his gaze to his hands. His palms were still faintly warm, and the sigils beneath his skin pulsed with a dim, golden light. He could still remember it—the way his wounds had sealed shut in an instant, how the pain vanished all at once.
It was the first time he's ever healed himself. But he hadn't even realized it back then—too dazed, too desperate. He reached awkwardly behind him, trying to feel the spot where the Fiend's claw had torn through his back. "Ah—!" He muttered, twisting and struggling to reach. "Why is it always in the hardest place to scratch?" He must've looked ridiculous—half bent, groaning in pain—until his fingers brushed the fabric of his coat. The rip was worse than he thought. His eyes widened. "The one Sister Seraphine made for me—!" His voice cracked a little. The stitches were cleanly split where the claws had struck and the inner vestments were torn too. For a second, he just stood there frozen, like a child about to cry. He sighed and rubbed his face. "...I'll need to go back to the church someday. Maybe she'll fix it again." The thought felt stupid the moment it left his mouth. He wasn't even allowed near the chapel anymore. But still, that tiny, foolish hope warmed his chest.
Then—thud.
The air shifted. He didn't need to look up to know she was back. "Is Lee safe?" Lith ask without turning.
"Alive," Nyx replied simply. Her voice carried the same calm weight as always—soft, low, yet sharp enough to cut through silence. "The villagers were... frightened. But they took him in."
Lith frowned, fingers tracing the torn edge of his sleeve. "Frightened?"
"Of you."
That made him stop. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he forgot to breathe. He lowered his eyes, staring at the ground. "... Figures."
Nyx tilted her head slightly, studying him like one might study a strange animal. "You do that often," she murmured.
"Do what?"
"Make faces like a wounded cub."
Lith blinked, unsure if that was supposed to be an insulat. "...I'm not—okay, maybe I am." He gave a small laugh that died almost instantly. "I just don't get it. I healed myself, didn't I? How does that make me dangerous?"
Nyx's expression didn't change. "You wish to know what you truly did?"
Lith looked up, meeting her violet eyes. "Please, tell me."
Sbe stepped closer, folding her arms behind her back. "Your power no longer follows mortal rules. Our bond fused your mana with mine. Your healing—" she paused. "—works like my flame. It restores by consuming."
"Consumes?"
"The life you took from the Fiend," she said, glancing at the blackened earth where they'd fought. "You drained the life around you without knowing."
Lith's mouth went dry. He stared at the lifeless patch—the heat, the surge, the impossible strength. "I...did that?"
"Yes."
He wanted to laugh, but no sound came. When he finally did, it was forced—shaky. "That's impossible. I'm no saint, and I'm definitely not divine. I was kicked out of the Church because my healing was useless! J can't even cure a fever, and now you're telling me I'm...what? Some kind of forbidden miracle?"
"Not a miracle." Nyx said sharply. "A paradox. The Divine Paradox. Your ability is what the ancient texts once called Reversal Grace—the power to restore by consuming. It was forbidden for a reason."
Lith's heart pounded. "Then...the Saintess was right to cast me out."
"No," Nyx said flatly. "She cast you out because she feared what you might become."
"Feared...me?"
"She knows what you carry." Her gaze lingered on his sigil. "That light isn't human, Master."
"Master', huh..." Lith muttered, watching the golden veins pulse under his skin. "If you're right, then I'll just stop using it. Simple."
Nyx said nothing. Silence was her answer
Lith forced a small smile, trying to ease the tension. "Don't look at me like that. I'm serious. I'll control it."
Still nothing.
He groaned and stood, dusting himself off. "Fine, forgot it. Let's move before it gets dark."
But before he could take a step, Nys spoke. "Give me that."
He blinked. "My coat? Why?"
"Just do it."
He handed it over, hesitant. A faint blue glow shimmered abover her palm—sodt flames curling through the air. "W-Wait, are you burning it?!" Lith panicked, reaching for it, but she caught his wrist.
"Stay still, Master."
The glow spread smoothly, Washing away stains, mending tears. When she let go, the coat was whole again—clean, warm, new.
Lith's eyes widened. "What—how—you can fix clothes too?!"
"It's restoration," she said. "Draconic mana. Simple."
"Simple, huh..." He turned the coat, marveling at every seam. Then smiled, genuinely. "Your amazing, Nyx."
Her gaze flicked to him briefly, unreadable. "...You can do the same."
"Eh?"
"You and I are one now," she murmured." If I can restore, so can you—in time."
Lith frowned. "...That doesn't sound like a good thing."
"It depends on what you restore."
Her wounds lingered as they walked. The sun dipped low, painting the trees in amber light. Nyx's steps were soundless; Lith followed, his coat swaying gently.
They passed a small lake, its surface clear as glass. Lith knelt, scooping water to drink. "Ah...cold, but refreshing."
Nyx stood nearby, quiet.
"Hey," Lith said. "Can I ask something?"
"Ask."
"What do you think I should do now? I mean... I can't go back to Church, ad I can't stay wandering forever."
"You seek meaning," she replied. "Then find it."
"That's...vague."
"There is temple," Nyx replied. "Fat north, beyond the frozen plains. It was once devoted to beings like me—and perhaps, those like you. The answers you seek may lie there."
"A temple in the north, huh..." Lith looked at the fading sun. "Sounds like a long trip."
"It will be."
He smiled faintly. "Then I guess that's where we're going."
For a moment, silence settled again. The wind brushed past them, carrying the scent of pine and distant rain. Nyx walked beside him quietly—her eyes flicking toward the horizon, as if searching for something that wasn't there.
The Nyx asked softly. "... Lith."
"Hm?"
"You speak of wanting to find answers. But what do you truly seek?"
He blinked. "Hmm. What I... truly seek?"
"Yes." Her tone was calm—fragile underneath. "You could run, hide, or live quietly. Yet you always end up where flames burn. Why?"
Lith stared at his hands, faintly glow. "I don't think I walk toward danger," he said quietly. "It just finds me. Maybe because I can't walk away when someone's hurt."
He let out a short, almost embarrassed laugh. "When I was younger, I thought healing was about fixing what's broken. But that's not enough. The Church only heals those who can pay, the nobles hoard blessings, and the poor—" his fists tightened. "—they're left to die. That's not mercy. That's business.
Nyx listened silently.
"I want to change that," he continued. "To protect those I care about. To prove that even the weakest gift has meaning. Healing should belong to everyone—not just those who can afford it."
A quiet pause. Then Nyx asked again, "And what if they reject you again?"
Lith smiled faintly, a little sad. "Then I'll keep trying until they can't."
Nyx's gaze lingered. Something flickered there—not quite admiration, not quite sorrow.
"...You re strange," she whispered. "For someone abandoned by the world, yet still trying to save it."
"Maybe that's why I was abandoned," Lith said with a soft grin. "If no one else will do it, then someone has to start."
Nyx looked down at her reflection. "And what about me? I have no world left to protect."
Lith smiled softly. "Then borrow mine for a while."
She turned to him, startled.
He shrugged. "Until you find your own, that is. You don't have to wander alone anymore."
Her violet eyes flickered—faintly, like a star before dawn. "...Foolish human," she murmured, but her tone had softened.
"Yeah," he said, smiling. "I get that a lot."
As they walked away, Lith caught his reflection in the lake. For a heartbeat, his eyes weren't gold—they were slit, dragon like, glowing faintly before fading back to normal.
He blinked, heart pounding. "...Maybe it's just light."
But Nyx, already walking ahead, didn't turn. Her lips curved—faint, knowing.
"It has begun," she whispered.