Julia sat at her desk, engrossed in the various reports spread before her. The weight of recent events still hung heavy in her heart, and her husband's absence seemed to cast a shadow over everything. As if that wasn't enough, a fresh wave of challenges had emerged – challenges to her business, to her stability.
Lost in her thoughts, she furrowed her brows, fingers tapping absentmindedly on the polished surface of the desk. How to tackle these problems without resorting to drastic measures? That was the question she was grappling with, a puzzle she was determined to solve.
But just as she was starting to formulate a strategy, a sharp knock on the door shattered her concentration.
*Knock**knock*
"Enter," she responded,
An aged maid hurried into the office, her voice edged with panic. "Madam, something's happened to the Young Master!"
It barely took her a second to register the information, stand up and disappearing from the office. She then reappeared in Elian's lab where a scene of concern unfolded before her. Elian lay on a couch, his face marred by blood, Lysandra kneeling near the couch with an unyielding grip on his hand. Oblivious to Julia's presence, Lysandra was absorbed in her own world of distress.
The sight of blood on her son's face jolted Julia's heart, a surge of worry coursing through her. Swiftly, she managed to steady herself, pushing aside the initial shock.
She approached the couch, her fingers gently tapping Lysandra's shoulder to draw her attention.
Lysandra's gaze finally shifted, her voice quivering as she uttered, "Madam…"
In response, Julia offered an assurance tempered with calm resolve. "He will be alright."
"Okay" she said but was still tightly holding Elian hand
Julia noticing it said "Can you please leave the room for a moment?"
".....But...," Lysandra's inner struggle was palpable, torn between her duty as a maid and her overwhelming concern for Elian. Though Julia's words held the tone of a query, she recognized the unspoken command beneath them. Yet, leaving Elian's side, even momentarily, felt impossible. Reason why she entrusted the task of notifying Julia to another maid.
Observing the steadfast determination in the maid's gaze, Julia let out a resigned sigh before gently speaking, "Could you please give me a little space? It would be helpful." She aimed to expedite the situation without unnecessary delay.
A sense of relief washed over Lysandra as she recognized that Julia didn't view her defiance harshly. She complied and retreated to a corner, her gaze fixed on the scene before her, her lips nervously caught between her teeth.
Gently, Julia reached out and placed her cool hand on his warm forehead. She first made a quick scan of his body. The results were clear – extreme mental exhaustion, his eyes and optic nerves, or rather what's left of them, had been pushed beyond their limits. Confusion mingled with concern, a furrow forming on her brow as she contemplated how one could reach such a state. Yet, action took precedence over questions.
As Julia closed her eyes, a gentle furrow formed on her brow, revealing her deep concentration. From her hand, a faint, pale glow emitted, casting a delicate luminescence upon Elian's features. Flowing through her fingertips, Julia's healing energy connected with the young boy's body, orchestrating unseen currents of revitalizing magic. Throughout his form, these mending energies coursed, restoring and renewing. With a serene expression, Julia's unwavering focus persisted, dedicated to mending all of her son's injuries.
Finally, after what felt like a timeless moment, Julia gently retracted her hand. The healing session had concluded, yet due to his mental exhaustion, Elian would slumber for a while.
With her son now safe from harm, Julia's focus shifted to seeking answers. Throughout the healing, she had observed the near incapacitation of his eyes, leading her to strongly suspect a self-inflicted cause. Determined to unveil the truth, she felt an urgency to comprehend the precise events that had transpired.
From a corner of the room, Lysandra observed, awe-struck by Julia's healing prowess. Yet, this awe was eclipsed by the overwhelming relief that surged within her, as Elian's vitality was visibly restored.
However, her contemplations were swiftly disrupted.
"Lysandra, can you enlighten me on how this occurred?"
There was a flicker of hesitation in Lysandra's eyes before she ventured, "He was engaged in an experiment that spiraled out of control."
Unsatisfied with the answer, Julia probed further, "What was the experiment about?"
"I... I'm not entirely sure," Lysandra responded hesitantly, torn between loyalty and honesty.
Suspecting Lysandra's omission, Julia pressed on with a furrowed brow, "What was he attempting to achieve?"
"I... I can't say," Lysandra faltered. She knew the truth, but Elian's trust was sacred, and she could never betray it, even to Madam.
Realizing that Lysandra was withholding vital information, Julia shifted her attention to the other witness and asked aloud . "Show me the recording."
[No.] Zero One's response was unyielding.
Julia's curiosity was only piqued further. "Why?"
[Master wouldn't consent to your viewing.] Zero One's tone remained firm.
With clarity, Julia understood the dynamics at play. She discerned that this situation was intertwined with one of Elian's closely guarded secrets. Lysandra likely possessed the knowledge, yet given Elian's inherent mistrust, coercing the truth from her might strain their delicate relationship irreparably.
With no alternative left, Julia made up her mind to patiently await Elian's awakening in order to uncover the mystery.
..
A day later,
In a spacious yet modest chamber, a lone figure rested upon a generously-sized bed, lost in tranquil slumber. This scene formed a poignant contrast to the other two individuals sharing the room.
The initial figure was a young maid, her presence marked by her stance at the bedside. Her fingers clutched the folds of her skirt, her countenance etched with concern and the hint of teary distress. Her gaze remained fixated on the serene sleeper.
The second presence embodied a woman of mature years, her ebony tresses cascading elegantly down her back. She was cloaked in a simple black robe, its plainness accentuating her allure. With measured grace, she cradled a cup of coffee, sipping it with deliberate languor while her gaze wandered through the open window, where the garden beyond beckoned.
Following an uninterrupted sleep of a full day, the slumberer began displaying subtle signs of rousing. The two women in the room promptly detected these subtle shifts, their gazes focused on him as they awaited his full awakening.
Finally, the young boy opened his eyes, fixing his gaze upon the two women. In a chilly tone, he uttered, "Hello."
Both women sensed the unexpected frostiness in his words, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor. and both immediately knew the reason.
"It's been a while, El." Julia said.