The door opens, and Tyrion gracefully enters the room with an air of resplendent composure. He's clad in freshly changed clothes, a visual testament to his eloquent ability to swiftly adapt. In his hands, a soft blanket, a gesture imbued with a subtle touch of serendipity. Estoria, witnessing this, can't help but marvel at the mellifluous efficiency with which Tyrion transformed, contrasting with her own slower pace of change, a process she often found nebulous and time-consuming.
"Did you bully him? Why does he look like he'll cry anytime now?" Tyrion questions Estoria, as if she would do something like that.
"Of course not, Mom. Tell him I didn't bully Eston," Estoria turns to Ria, seeking a testimony to dispel any doubts.
"She's right. I'm just feeling some pain, but Mom said I'm also a dragon of light like her," Eston comes forward with the testimony instead.
"See, I TOLD you," Estoria glares at Tyrion.
"You're still suspicious," Tyrion says, covering Eston with the blanket and sitting down beside him on his other side.
"What am I suspicious about? If you're worried I'm going to lose control and hurt someone again, you're wrong," Estoria says with confidence, though a hint of uncertainty lingers in her expression.
"You better not vomit on my clothes again; I just changed," Tyrion says to Eston, pointedly ignoring Estoria.
"I won't. Actually, maybe I just might," Eston makes light of Tyrion.
Tyrion gives Eston a defeated look, doubting his words despite all the care he has given to him.
"Serves you right for ignoring me," Estoria blurts out without thinking twice.
"Why are y'all so mean to me? I even helped," Tyrion says, feeling the unfairness in the room.
"I was thinking about all kinds of dragons, but no one matches your description of awakening except the ancient dragon who killed both his parents, draining them of their blood during his awakening," Ria suddenly speaks, her words casting a shadow of pernicious uncertainty in the room.
Estoria says to Ria, "There's no way,"'surely it's not to that extent.'
Aluxio, right after getting out of bed, asks Estoria, "Are you feeling alright now?"
In a hushed tone, Estoria calls out, "Aluxio!"
Tyrion instructs, "Stay in bed, Romeo; you're the most injured one here,"offering support to help Aluxio stand.
"I feel fine, though. Look, my injuries are all gone." Aluxio lifts off his shirt to show Tyrion that he's healed.
"I forgot Ria healed you, but still, you should rest some more." Tyrion pushes Aluxio back into bed, struggling against Aluxio's attempt to get up.
Amidst all this, something appears to be amiss with Estoria again. She stays silent, hands covering her face.
"Are you not feeling well again, Estoria?" Eston asks, his own pain gradually increasing.
Everyone in the room freezes upon hearing this, as if afraid that any movement might come at the cost of their lives.
"It's... Aluxio," Estoria responds in a shaky voice.
"Get him out of the room," Ria says, realizing the gravity of what Estoria meant.
"Just a second, I won't go too near her. Let me see if she's okay, and I'll leave," Aluxio says, attempting to push Tyrion out of his way.
"Not a chance. Did you not learn from before?" Tyrion flat out refuses to move.
"Estoria, can you still hear me? Say something. Don't lose control like before," Ria says, moving in front of Estoria to block her view of Aluxio.
"Estori...Augh," Eston crunches down on his legs, whining in pain as his insides twist with a sharp pain in his stomach.
Tyrion immediately moves towards Eston, disregarding his current task.
"That was instant, and you were just complaining about me," Aluxio remarks as he also moves closer to Estoria and Eston.
"Don't come any closer than this, Aluxio," Ria warns, blocking him with her hand as Estoria refuses to speak anymore.
"Okay, I won't go any closer than this. Just make sure she's okay," Aluxio resigns.
Estoria could sense Aluxio get closer to her as her thirst only increased. With Aluxio moving closer, it was as if she hadn't drunk any water for days and was now parched, with water right in front of her. Yet, she couldn't drink it.
Unable to speak due to her thirst, Estoria ruthlessly bites into her own hand. Blood drips down her arm, staining her dress.
"Eww, why is everyone doing disgusting things today?" Tyrion stands back up from Eston's side, taking him away from Estoria's. "Wait... is she... alright?" Eston speaks with a labored voice.
Seeing the blood, Ria immediately pulls her hand from her mouth and starts healing it. Estoria's eyes, now uncovered, discover Aluxio looking at her with concern.
Estoria takes a stand, pushing Ria away with a force that sends everyone to the corner end of the room, even without direct physical contact.
"Wait, Estoria, think again. This isn't what you want. Just hold out for a bit," Ria tries to persuade Estoria to no avail as she moves closer to Aluxio.
"Estoria, try to regain your senses. Let's get your hand healed first," Aluxio says, moving backward as Estoria moves towards him.
Aluxio, seeing she's not responding or stopping, looks at her eyes, glowing with hungry red intensity. Without even blinking, witnessing the intense gaze in her eyes, Aluxio stops at the end of the bed.
"Ugh, whatever. Your mother will heal me afterwards anyways," Aluxio gives in at last.
"I have done enough for the day, your highness," Ria says in a sarcastic voice.
Estoria pushes Aluxio, causing his upper body to fall onto the bed.
"Ah, Eston, cover your eyes," Tyrion says, covering Eston's eyes as if they weren't already shut due to physical pain.
Eston, unable to even stand on his own, has to rely on Tyrion. Tyrion holds Eston's waist tightly to keep him upright.
"What is happening?" Ria questions the situation unfolding before her.
Estoria moves towards Aluxio's body on the bed, towering on top of him. She puts her hand on his neck, inching her nails into his skin, the other hand rests on his chest, While her hair falls down on both sides of his face covering the view.
Estoria stares for a second at Aluxio's face, and he gazes back in surprise and a hint of pain, his hands on top Estoria's hands on his neck.
"Can you let go of my neck? It substantially hurts," Aluxio speaks, pain present in his words.
Estoria moves her hand from his neck, noticing the fresh and dried blood on his shirt. Suddenly, she pushes her mouth onto his neck, sucking the freshly made wound.
"That feels weird and ticklish," Aluxio struggles away from her unsuccessfully.
"I really wish I could use my powers right now, but hold on, Aluxio. I'll heal you," Ria says, sighing at the sight.
Estoria, feeling a little better after drinking a bit of the blood, moves away from his neck, staring at him, blood dripping onto Aluxio's mouth from hers.
"Are you done now?" Aluxio speaks, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.
Estoria nods and then shakes her head in uncertainty.
"What does that mean? You want more?" Aluxio's eyebrows furrow in confusion.
Estoria's eyes move from Aluxio's eyes to his lips as she inches a little closer to him.
"What's happening now?" Eston asks, unable to see.
"It's starting to feel wrong to be here. You better keep your eyes closed, Eston. You don't want to see this," Tyrion says, thinking Eston might react strongly after witnessing Aluxio being so close to his sister.
"How is your pain now, Eston? Any better?" Ria asks, continuing to sigh, unable to do anything.
"Yes, it's better now, but I feel a little weak and sleepy," Eston answers. "This might go on for longer; you should take a nap in the meantime," Tyrion suggests, holding Eston's head and putting it on his shoulder.
"I miss your father so much right now; he's never here for anything important," Ria once again sighs.
After a while of staring at each other intensely, Estoria rubs her bloody hand all over Aluxio's face as he shuts his eyes tightly. Suddenly, she gets up and leaves the room.
"What was that for?" Aluxio tries to wipe the blood off his face with his sleeve, which is also covered in blood now.
"Is it over now?" Tyrion asks as Ria moves closer to Aluxio to heal him again.
Tyrion also tries to move towards Aluxio, but Eston, hugging him and sleeping on his shoulder, pauses Tyrion right in his tracks.
"Are you doing alright, brother?" Tyrion asks Aluxio, his eyes fixed on Eston's face as he sleeps like an angel.
"Yes, never felt finer before," Aluxio says, coughing, sitting straight at the end of the bed. Ria heals him, her powers a little slow this time, as if the battery is running out.
"Can you go and check on Estoria? Her hand was also injured," Aluxio asks of Tyrion, but he is unable to hear Aluxio after seeing Eston's face so close to him.
'He's really... pretty,' Tyrion thinks to himself as he stares deeply. He realizes Aluxio is calling his name. "Yes, brother?" he says in a lost voice.
"Nevermind, continue on whatever you're doing," Aluxio says after seeing Tyrion seeming a bit distracted.
"Yes," Tyrion answers, staring back at Eston's face. 'Pretty him? I mean, his eyelashes are pretty long, and his mole under his eye looks so cute. I want to touch it...' Tyrion's thoughts run wild.
"You're good to go now; it wasn't as bad as before," Ria finishes healing Aluxio. "Now, please take Eston to his room with Tyrion while I go after Estoria."
"Alright, please do inform me of her condition. Let's go, Tyrion," Aluxio says, moving towards Eston and Tyrion.
"I can just take him myself," Tyrion says, picking up Eston in his arms.
"Do it your way then," Aluxio follows Tyrion, carrying Eston. "Wow, he's passed out like a baby," Aluxio observes.
"Don't look at him. Just open the door when we reach the room and leave," Tyrion says, getting angry for some reason.
"They'll be fine, right? Sigh," Ria says, going after Estoria after they leave with Eston.
"Where is she now? If Isaac was here, we could've found her location by now. He was so confident when he said he'll take care of the twins, and to not worry," Ria complains as she roams around the mansion, looking for Estoria.
Ria looks on the balcony for Estoria and notices the guests arriving. "Oh right, I forgot about the birthday banquet. It's almost time, and we are still a mess. I can't have her going to her birthday with blood-stained clothes. I have to find her quickly."
Ria instructs all the servants to find Estoria immediately and leaves to call for Isaac.
Ria runs to Isaac's barricaded office, pushing her way in and breaking in just the time it takes for her to walk over to the door.
"Sorry, Isaac's precious barricaded office. It's an emergency. I'll fix the door afterward," Ria rushes in and pushes everything on the shelves onto the ground, breaking every artifact and mana stone in her sight.
"The barricade breaking probably alerted him already, but this is not enough. He has to come right at this moment. So, for a careful measure, I'll send the alert as many times as I possibly can," Ria says, breaking almost everything in that office, which looked more like a storage room that had a blast in it now.