We arrived in the dining room, where Eskel was waiting for us and Vesemir was preparing the meal. Upon seeing us, Eskel quickly stood and approached.
"How is he?" Eskel asked, concern in his eyes.
"He'll make it. He's resting, Ciri is keeping watch over him," Geralt answered in a calm voice, but the anxiety that was eating at him was clear.
Eskel let out a sigh of relief and sat back down on the bench that served as a chair at the table.
Yennefer and Triss also sat down, and Geralt took a seat across from them. A heavy silence filled the room until Yennefer broke the tension, her sharp gaze fixed on Geralt.
"So, Geralt, care to explain?" Yennefer asked, her tone direct and unmistakable.
Geralt hesitated, knowing he couldn't stay silent much longer. He felt torn between the trust he had in Triss and the unresolved tension with Yennefer.
Triss, noticing Geralt's hesitation, turned to Yennefer, her face still marked with some concern.
"Yennefer, don't force Geralt to reveal anything he doesn't want to," Triss said, her voice softening slightly.
"No, Triss. We need an explanation," Yennefer replied firmly. "What just happened is unprecedented."
Geralt lowered his gaze, his discomfort growing. He knew this whole situation would blow up eventually, but he wasn't ready to reveal everything. He hesitated to bring up the situation with Aiden. The guilt was eating at him, especially with Yennefer. Their relationship had ended on bitter terms after the wish, and now, discussing it would only add weight to his doubts.
Maybe seeing his hesitation, Vesemir intervened, trying to temper the situation, though his words didn't seem to calm the tension.
"How can we trust you?" Vesemir asked in a calm voice, but there was a gravity in his words.
Geralt raised his eyes to him. The guilt wasn't easy to ignore, but he knew he had to respond.
"How? Saving Aiden isn't proof enough that you can trust us?" Yennefer replied, frustration creeping into her voice.
Vesemir stayed silent for a moment, his gaze still locked on Yennefer. Then he answered in a darker tone, as if weighing each word.
"We thank you for your help, but that doesn't mean we should trust you. In all my years, I've learned that sorcerers often put their personal agendas first."
The tension escalated. Geralt, seeing the conversation getting more heated, shot a glance at Yennefer before speaking in a more serious tone.
"You can't just demand our trust like that, Yennefer," he said, his gaze cold. "And even if you save this boy, that doesn't obligate us to anything. You don't get to impose your vision on us."
The misunderstanding between them was growing, but Geralt knew arguing wouldn't help. The atmosphere needed to be calmed before things escalated further.
"It's fine, Vesemir. If Triss trusts her, then I do too," Geralt replied, trying to defuse the situation.
"Wow, incredible, looks like our relationship has come to this," Yennefer retorted, a cold, ironic smile on her lips. "I didn't know you hated me this much, Geralt."
Geralt looked at her, brow furrowed, before replying, "I have a good reason, don't I? After our last meeting."
Triss, unable to stand the heavy atmosphere any longer, spoke up, trying to calm everyone down.
"Enough! Geralt, Yen is my best friend, so you can trust her. And you, Yen, there's no need to bring out your claws. We're talking about a child, so put your conflicts aside and think about him!"
After Triss finished scolding them, Vesemir, with his usual wisdom, intervened to calm things down.
"Let's talk calmly while we eat."
We were served venison soup, and as the atmosphere settled a little, Geralt began to explain.
"Aiden and Ciri, as you can see, are very close."
"Mmh, true. I had the feeling that little girl was going to attack us just for trying something with that boy," Yennefer remarked, a slightly amused but curious smile on her lips.
"It's normal. They are the few survivors of the Cintra attack," Geralt replied, his expression turning more serious.
"Cintra?!" Triss exclaimed, surprised. It made sense, given that the Northern kingdoms had looked down on Cintra before the attack, but the complete destruction of the kingdom had forced everyone to reconsider their arrogance.
"Yes, Ciri was the princess, and Aiden was her appointed knight."
"But their relationship goes much deeper than that, since they spent their childhood together."
"Childhood friends, then?" Yennefer asked, a faint smile on her lips.
"Yes. Ciri is very attached to him, as he's the only close person she has left. She has an obsession with protecting him at all costs."
"Geralt, you know those feelings are very dangerous," Triss said, her tone becoming more serious.
"I know, Triss. But every time I try to talk to her about it, either she runs away, or she tells me I don't understand."
"Alright, fine, we're talking about the girl, but what I want to know is who this kid is," Yennefer asked, a bit more relaxed but still cautious.
Geralt took a moment before answering. The tension was still there, but he knew he had to be honest with them.
"And Geralt, stop looking at me like that. I've never seen you take care of a child, so why protect him?" Yennefer said.
Geralt paused, all eyes on him. He took a deep breath before responding.
"Ciri was like a daughter to me recently, but when I met Aiden, I had this feeling of having known him forever. The bond I had with Ciri faded a bit, but it's still there, though much weaker."
"But it's mostly because they both carry the ancient blood."
As soon as those words left his lips, Yennefer slammed her hands on the table.
"Don't mess with me! The ancient blood has been gone for a long time!" she shouted, both anger and surprise in her voice.
"That's what we thought until today," Geralt replied calmly.
Vesemir stood up after those words and went to a corner of the room. He returned with two boxes containing white roses, one of which was frozen, with one frozen petal and another white petal.
Triss, seeing the flowers, couldn't hide her shock.
"Time flowers!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Yes, Ciri's are the true time flowers. As for Aiden, we don't know yet, but from the powers he's showing, he controls teleportation just like the ancient blood."
A heavy silence settled in the room, everyone processing this revelation. A few minutes later, Yennefer finally broke the silence.
"Geralt, you've really gotten yourself into a hell of a mess, haven't you?" Yennefer said.
"I know," Geralt replied.
"No, you don't! The ancient blood is coveted for its magical abilities and its unique properties," Yennefer said.
"Both of them will always be in danger. People say it's a blessing, but it's a curse."
"Geralt?" Triss asked, her tone more concerned.
"Yes, Triss?"
"You want to make Aiden a Witcher because of these flowers?" Triss asked.
"Yes, among other things," Geralt replied, his voice heavy.
"You're crazy, you know that?" Triss said, shocked by the revelation.
Eskel, confused, couldn't help but ask.
"Wait, what's going on? Why do you all look so complicated?"
Geralt took a moment before answering, glancing at the others.
"There's an ancient book that explains how we could create Witchers from these flowers, but Witchers much stronger than us."
"You were created by replicating this flower, that's why the trial is so painful," Yennefer explained.
"But the problem is that even though Witchers were created using this plant, the process, according to the book, is five times more painful than the Trial of the Herbs you went through. When you go through the trial with this plant, it's not just the body that's rebuilt, but your resistance to poison is improved, your magic becomes as strong as the most powerful sorcerers. And above all, they evolve constantly, like vampires. Of course, it's not in large quantities, but if you multiply 0.1 by 50 over 50 years, you'll be five times stronger than when you started."
A heavy silence fell over the room. None of us moved, each absorbed by the gravity of the words spoken.
-------------------------------
In a room lit by a single candle, a boy lay in his bed, while a little girl sat beside him, her face marked by fatigue and worry. Her eyes shone with tears that she struggled to hold back.
"Aiden, please, wake up," Ciri whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
The silence of the room was almost palpable, broken only by the sound of Ciri's tears, which flowed relentlessly. She couldn't stop crying, even though deep down she knew Aiden would wake up soon. But the uncertainty gnawed at her.
"Aiden, even though I know you're getting better, I can't help but be afraid," she continued, her breath catching with sobs. "Every night, I see grandmother. And every time I try to approach, she pulls away. Why can't I reach her? Why does she keep distancing herself from me?"
She bit her lower lip, trying to hold back another flood of tears, but the pain was too much. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she tried to pull herself together, to push away the fear that overwhelmed her.
"I didn't tell you, but I think my wish came true." She tried to laugh as she said this, but it was a hollow laugh, lacking joy. Anyone could see how much she was suffering.
She turned her gaze away for a moment, staring at the sheets on Aiden's bed, but she couldn't shake the images that haunted her thoughts. "I want to tell you everything, you know. The fact that I see scenes... scenes with a man wearing a skeleton helmet, and you fighting him, while I... I'm on the ground, unable to fight with you."
She closed her eyes, her heart tightening. "You bled for me, you fought to protect me, over and over. Every time the man or his soldiers tried to catch me, you were there, protecting me, but your wounds kept piling up, and I... I couldn't do anything."
A tremor ran through her voice as she tried to continue. "Until... until…"
She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears, but a strange instinct made Aiden place his hand on her head. Even though he was still unconscious, the touch brought a little peace to her troubled mind.
Aiden, though still unaware, seemed to react to her presence. Ciri looked up, her eyes filled with hope, but when she realized it was just an automatic gesture, she smiled sadly.
"Aiden?!" she whispered, but he didn't answer. She just smiled weakly, the warmth of his hand on her head bringing her a sense of security, like a small breath of comfort in this ocean of fear.
"Even injured, you reassure me." Ciri rested her head against the sheets, her body tired from hours of crying. But even exhausted, she couldn't find sleep. "This hand you placed on my head gives me a feeling of security... I feel less alone."
She slowly closed her eyes, feeling the fatigue creep into every muscle of her body. A final whisper escaped her lips before silence fell once more in the room.
"Aiden, I will become stronger. I will protect you, to keep from..." Ciri didn't finish her sentence. Her eyes fully closed, her breathing steady, mixing with Aiden's in a strange, peaceful silence.