The soft sound of crackling fire filled the room, mingling with the scent of herbs and disinfectant. Light streamed in through the narrow windows of the guild's infirmary. The bed was rough, but warm.
Elen stirred.
Her eyelashes fluttered open. The ceiling was unfamiliar. Her arm felt tightly bandaged, but there was no pain.
She blinked slowly. Her body felt light—too light.
Then she remembered.
The monster. The fight. The blood. Her collapsing.
Her gaze snapped sideways—
There he was.
Cassian.
Asleep, slumped awkwardly on a wooden stool next to her bed, chin resting on his chest, breath steady.
She sat up too quickly.
"Ah—"
The sound jolted him awake.
Cassian blinked rapidly, lifting his head. His eyes were red-rimmed, his face pale, but he looked at her with a strange mix of relief and awkwardness.
"You're awake," he said softly.
Elen stared.
"You… carried me back?"
He nodded.
"...Healed me?"
"Sort of," he mumbled. "I only managed basic healing, and not for long. The guild healer did the rest once I brought you back."
She fell silent. For once, her sharp tongue held back.
"…Why?"
His lips parted, but no words came out at first.
"I wanted to run," he admitted quietly. "I tried. But… my body wouldn't let me."
She frowned, confused. "What?"
Cassian sighed. "It's hard to explain. I don't understand it myself. I want to survive, to keep to myself, but… my body always stops me. It acts before I can choose."
There was no pride in his voice—only quiet frustration, and maybe, something like shame.
"I hated it," he added. "Still kind of do."
A long silence settled.
Elen looked down at her hands, then to the freshly changed bandages on her side. Her memories were fuzzy, but she remembered the green light—the warmth seeping into her wounds. And his face. Terrified, yet determined.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Cassian blinked.
"What?"
"I said thank you," she repeated, louder this time. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away.
It was the first time she'd said anything to him without sarcasm or irritation. The first time she looked at him not as a burden—but as someone real.
And when he heard it…
Cassian froze.
His breath hitched slightly.
The first time... a girl has ever thanked me.
He couldn't remember such words in his previous life. Back then, he had been selfish. Ruthless. People around him only cursed his name in whispers—or yelled it in pain. No one had ever looked at him with gratitude.
And now… in this fragile moment, a warmth filled his chest.
"…You're welcome," he whispered, softer than he intended.
Later that afternoon, Cassian stood near the guild counter, sipping lukewarm tea while Mira, leaned on the counter, staring at him with eyes wide.
"You what?!"
Cassian flinched slightly. "I… healed her. Barely. I mean, I used the basic Heal spell from the church-issued booklet."
Mira blinked. "Wait, wait. You only got that book yesterday! How did you manage to even cast magic?!"
"I don't know. It didn't work at first. I kept failing. But then…" He looked down at his hand. "I remembered a line. 'Feel the pain.' So I… cut myself. Just a little."
Mira's mouth opened in horror. "You what?!"
"It helped me focus. The magic worked. Not well—but enough to keep her alive."
She stared at him like he had grown a second head.
"You learned magic in a single day, while under pressure, by hurting yourself—just to save someone who's been nothing but rude to you?"
Cassian shrugged weakly. "My body wouldn't let me run."
Mira folded her arms, expression unreadable. But there was a flicker of something behind her eyes—was it admiration?
"…You're really strange, Cassian," she muttered. "But… I think you did something incredible."
Cassian smiled faintly. "Thanks. I guess."
Mira's lips curved into a small smirk. "Maybe you're not as helpless as you look."
That evening, Cassian stood near the infirmary window, the booklet in his hand. He whispered the chant again.
This time, a soft green glow rose from his palm without pain or struggle.
He had done it.
Even if it was weak now… it was his.
He turned slightly, glancing at Elen resting quietly in bed, her breathing even.
"I'll get stronger," he murmured. "I don't care how long it takes."
To Be Continued…