"Unfortunately for you, Tomoe is someone who can calmly think of his next step, even if he is at checkmate," explained Mavislin as she helped Wald to recover his Elemental Energy.
"I know that... But that wasn't why I fainted," replied Wald, much to Mavislin's shock.
The Valkyrie tilted her head to the side before realizing that Wald might be affected by something other than overwhelming emotions.
"Do you mind if I ask you why?"
"If you can keep a secret, then I'll show you..." answered Wald softly as he tried to sit up.
The Valkyrie nodded and gently pushed him back down.
"Just point to me where it's hurting, and I will see if I can cure it," instructed Mavislin.
The purple flame head nodded and pointed to his left leg, to which the Valkyrie gingerly rolled up his pants before gasping in shock.
"The Husks are back, and I fought with them a week ago... At first, I didn't know, and I thought they were just normal Dark enemies, but one of them managed to touch my leg, and now it looks like this. I can still feel it, so..."
"So you can still feel your leg being Corrupted and bits of it falling off..." finished Mavislin as she could see Wald's face in suffering.
The purple flame head nodded before turning to face away from the Valkyrie. Mavislin knew that a Mage would have difficulty resisting the Corruption state for a few Chimes, let alone an entire week. So that means the poor thing must've been suffering.
"Please don't tell Phanm about this... I don't want him to know that I've gotten hurt again. And this time, it's fatal..." muttered Wald, trying his best not to break down.
"You shouldn't hide things from your closest friends in the dark... That's what Tomoe did to you; I'm sure you don't want Phanm to feel the same way you did," reasoned Mavislin, placing a gentle hand on his little flame.
To Wald's surprise, the Valkyrie was not burned by the flame and gently stroked it like a fluffy animal.
"I don't think I can tell him my condition. I want to fight alongside until I can't anymore... Besides, I heard that there's no cure for it, so I've already noted that this mission would be my last," said Wald, weakly and trying his best to eliminate the evil thoughts.
The Valkyrie was silent before leaning down to Wald's little flame and giving it a small kiss, causing the poor flame head to combust and jump back up.
"Wh-wha-wha-what do you think you are doing?!" asked Wald, blushing beetroot red.
"Giving you comfort? I heard cuddling can be good as well... You want me in this form or a smaller form or..."
The Valkyrie stood up from the bed and snapped her fingers, producing a puff of smoke that covered and transformed her physical body.
As the smoke cleared, it revealed Mavislin in her adult form with slender thighs, long braided hair, and an ample bosom with a lovely black dress that showed both her curves and chest. Something short-circuited in Wald's mind, and the poor guy's flame burned brightly.
"I prefer you in the normal form! This... This is too much!" screamed Wald, quickly turning away.
Mavislin laughed before sitting back on the bed and giving Wald a warm embrace, much to the poor guy's fear and heart. The purple flame head struggled but eventually fell victim to the embrace and relaxed while returning the favor.
"You know... Maybe a hug from time to time isn't so bad..." muttered Wald as he looked shyly at Mavislin.
"It isn't, and you should embrace people when you can. While you still have it. Also, I might have the solution to your leg issue, but you might not be the best fan of it," answered the Valkyrie, pulling away from the hug to look at Wald's face.
Mavislin widened her eyes as she realized that Wald was crying the whole time.
"What would be the solution?" asked Wald.
"You have to become a Corrupted being and fully embrace that part of you. You can live normally and not die with your reasoning and power intact. However, it would mean that you acknowledge being a Husk. Some might not be okay with it."
"Would the Arks be after me?"
"Not unless you actively hurt the inhabitants of the Domain. But I guess most Mages would be wary of you..."
"Then I'll politely decline. If I do become one, I want everyone in the vicinity to use all of their power to kill me. I don't want to be something that everyone calls an enemy. That's not living normally anymore," reasoned Wald.
"Alright, let's go have dinner," said the Valkyrie, gesturing Wald to get up.