Zoe Helkar's Point of View
"You're a idiot, Drake." I said softly, trying to wipe away the tears streaming from my eyes, after confirming that Drake wasn't in his room nor anywhere else in the house. Why Drake? Why did you have to do this? Does she matter more to you than your family?
Leaving the house, I began to search for any trace of mana that Drake might have left, but finding nothing, a painful feeling began to press against my chest.
Drake…
The feeling spread further, as unbidden images of Drake in danger filled my mind.
Why? Why do I feel this way even after his betrayal? If he chose to leave, knowing full well the consequences…
Lost in thought, I finally found a trace after several minutes of searching.
Feeling slightly calmer, I started following the trail as quickly as I could, while focusing on maintaining the Helkar tracking spell at its maximum range.
I kept running for several minutes, watching as the sun began to rise, painting the horizon with warm hues. I kept running until I felt the presence of several people's mana along with Drake's, about eight kilometers away.
"Yes, finally, now I'll know how you're doing..." I muttered, starting to analyze the situation at that location.
What? No… no, this can't be happening. This can't be happening. I thought as I grasped the situation Drake was in, my breath suddenly becoming ragged, to the point where I could barely breathe.
I NEED TO BE FASTER. I thought with determination, before using a spell that would drain a significant portion of my mana. Expert-level magic: Ungravity.
After casting the spell in my mind, my body ceased to be affected by gravity. I wobbled briefly, before channeling more mana into my hands and legs, propelling me through the forest at a speed that made it feel like I was flying among the trees.
If I keep this up, I'll reach him in a minute, but… even then, I won't make it in time! I thought, as tears blurred my vision more and more.
No! Hold on, Drake! I screamed out loud, feeling how one of the men with Drake killed Paul, Angelica's brother.
I won't make it in time! I need to do something!! I NEED TO BE THERE TO PROTECT HIM!!! I thought desperately, a desire so intense it began to ignite a flame within my mana core.
For a few seconds, I started to feel the world slow down, and everything went silent, except for the sound of my heartbeat and my breathing, which became unnaturally slow. What is happening to me?
Immersed in this state, I clearly felt how the flame in my core spread through my body, until it reached the back of my neck, creating a burning sensation that quickly disappeared, before it began consuming my mana.
This place is… Drake
Without understanding or knowing how it happened, I began to see two places at once. I was in both places at the same time, before the world returned to normal.
One part of me was still racing through the dense forest at incredible speed, while the other stood in front of Drake, watching as five stone cannons launched by the enemy aimed to take his life.
Expert-level magic, Numbness.
The atmosphere around Drake froze, stopping the cannons and giving me just enough time to destroy them and move toward the two men attacking him, slicing them to pieces, leaving a bloody mess on the ground.
After watching them die, I began to feel dizzy, from the absurd amount of mana I had used in just a few seconds.
Cutting off the mana flow to my neck caused the part of me with Drake to disappear, bringing me mental relief.
Was that a spell? I thought, confused, before shaking my head. I'll think about this later. Right now, I have to heal Drake.
After a few seconds, I finally arrived, confirming the scene with my own eyes.
"Thank goodness… thank goodness..." I said in a trembling voice, approaching Drake, as tears streamed down my face again, at the sight of him in that state. "If I had lost you too… I don't know what I would have done..."
After superficially healing his right arm, I looked around, confirming Paul's death from afar, making me feel guilty for not arriving sooner.
"The next few days will be chaos." I said softly, surveying the aftermath of the battle.
"Z..." Drake murmured faintly, bringing my focus back to him. "Drake! Are you awake?" I asked, thinking he had recovered enough to be conscious, but when he didn't respond, I realized he had fallen asleep again.
"Zoe..." He finally said, making my heart pound.
What? Why are you saying my name? What do you mean by that? Confused, I tried to understand my feelings, but the more I searched within myself, the more a question arose in my mind.
What does Drake mean to me?
Mentally exhausted, I stopped repressing my feelings little by little, letting them bloom into something that wasn't right, something inappropriate for my position.
"Now I understand… I thought I felt this way because we lived together or because you were someone important to my father and yours, but…" I said, kneeling down and slowly leaning my head closer to his.
"But the truth, Drake, is that I'm in love with you." I continued, before getting close enough to feel his slow but steady breathing.
I know this is wrong, and I'll get into serious trouble if I'm found out, but… just this once in my life, I want to stop holding back my feelings. I thought, letting my mind grow hazier and hazier, as I leaned in closer to him.
Now, if I can say this for myself, I can say that… that I just want to be by your side, Drake. I said within myself, before finally kissing him.
…
After carefully placing Paul's body into a stone coffin, I set it beside Drake's and cast a barrier over the place before going to get Angelica.
When I arrived, I noticed she only had minor injuries, so I carried her in my arms to return to where Drake was, and then took everyone home.
After two long hours, I finally managed to bring everyone home, making my heart feel calmer, until the first thing I saw upon arriving was Kadian, standing in our garden.
Ahh… I exhaled. This will be complicated.
In silence, I gently placed everyone on the grass before approaching where Kadian was standing.
"You failed." He said, his gaze pointing toward the severe wound on Drake's right arm and the many burns and cuts all over his body. He's right… I failed.
"I didn't train you just because you're my best friend's daughter, but because you swore to protect my legacy, and now… you bring him back to me on the brink of death?" He said, looking me in the eye.
"I'm sorry, father." I replied, averting my gaze to the ground before kneeling before him.
"I know it wasn't entirely your fault because I saw the decoy in his room, but even so… thanks to your negligence, he will never wield a sword with that hand again." He said angrily.
It's true… "We'll discuss this later, for now, take Drake to his room." He said, casting a spell on Drake and Angelica to keep them asleep for the next few hours. "Because we need to take them home now."
…
When we arrived at the Yue household, the parents were horrified to see their daughter unconscious, especially when they realized that the coffin we carried held the body of their eldest son.
"No…" The mother said weakly, before breaking down and beginning to cry as she embraced the temporary coffin I had created.
How can a couple of bad decisions have so many consequences? I said, watching the father attempt to console his wife.
After a while, Angelica's father took his wife and children inside their house, then approached Kadian with a very angry tone.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR DAMN SON'S FAULT!!" He shouted loudly at Kadian, getting very close to him, until after several words and insults, he made a grave mistake.
"—ur son has always been a bad influence on mine! THIS TIME I SWEAR HE'LL PAY FOR IT!! I SWEAR HE'LL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!!"
Throughout the exchange, Kadian had remained calm, letting all those provocations slide because of what had happened with Paul, but upon hearing the threats of revenge against Drake, he couldn't hold back any longer, ceasing to repress his mana. In the blink of an eye, he changed the atmosphere into one so heavy that it reminded me of that ancient battle that took my parents.
I thought I could now fully withstand this pressure, but… it seems his power has grown even more since that time. I thought, struggling with all my might to stay on my feet, unlike Angelica's father, who fell to the ground, gasping in fear.
"I understand that you're in pain, but that's no excuse to threaten my son in front of me." Kadian said, before fully repressing his mana again. "So, if I see you near Drake, I'll kill you and your entire family."
Still on the ground, Angelica's father only muttered curses under his breath, clenching his fists tightly before replying through gritted teeth.
"Fine."
Getting up weakly, he walked away from us to enter his house, still muttering curses under his breath.
"...That's it, we'll get the hell out of here." He muttered to himself before finally entering his home.
…
Upon arriving home, Kadian immediately asked me to bring Drake to the living room, saying that Irisha would soon arrive at the house, surprising me with his certainty.
"But father, mother said she'd be away from home for two days." I said, at his sudden order.
"Bring him. I've already informed your mother to come quickly through our seal, so she'll be here soon." He said, preparing the table to place Drake on. "Understood."
That's right, since they're married, they can transmit feelings through the rune they obtained by sealing themselves to each other. I thought, before reflecting on the sealing of our race as I climbed the stairs.
Once I felt calmer, I carried Drake over my shoulders again and brought him to the living room, placing him on the table. It wasn't long before Irisha arrived, concerned by Kadian's sudden call.
Seeing Drake in that state, Irisha became very upset, but after several minutes of talking, Kadian managed to calm her down.
With Mother here, now we can try to heal Drake. I thought to myself before Drake's operation began to try to restore his right arm.
Since I had healed him superficially, Irisha had to reopen his flesh to then break his bones, which had been deformed by my clumsy healing.
Once she put all the bones in place, she moved on to healing each muscle, nerve, artery, and mana vessel in his arm part by part.
Although the operation had started long before noon, it ended almost at sunset, with Drake's arm partially healed, because despite Irisha's great healing skills, we couldn't fully heal it.
As I suspected, several nerves and muscles didn't heal completely, so his movement with that hand will likely be slow and clumsy. With that limitation, it's most probable he'll never wield a sword like before. I thought sadly to myself.
Seeing me exhausted, Kadian sent me to my room, not before asking me to take Drake with me so he could rest as well.
…
In the early morning, the spell Kadian had cast on Drake wore off, and Drake woke up very early, immediately coming to find me in my room.
"Huh? Drake? Wh-What are you doing here?" I asked, struggling to open my eyes after he woke me up.
"Zoe, help me, please. I know Dad and Mom are home because I can feel their mana right now." He said desperately, lowering his head until it touched my bed.
This boy…
That morning I spoke with him for two hours, explaining what had happened with Irisha and Paul's body, omitting the part about Kadian and Angelica's father. Then I told him about his arm and the difficult situation he was in, advising him to accept everything our parents would tell him when they talked to him.
"Alright… thank you, Zoe." He said with his head down, an expression on his face that pained me just to see him like that.
"Don't worry, you'll see that everything will get better." I said weakly, hugging him warmly.
…
Kadian, after hearing the full story from Drake's mouth, slapped him so hard that he broke the furniture he was sitting on.
"I can't believe you acted this way after we gave you so much freedom all these years."
At the expected blow, Irisha and I just watched in silence as Kadian grabbed Drake by his shirt to lift him from the dust and debris he was lying on.
"Now we know you're capable of breaking the rules of this house, something that's very disappointing to me as your father."
After that, Kadian forbade him from going farther than the gardens of our house for the next three years, placing a magical bracelet on him that revealed his exact location to him.
…
By night, everything felt calmer, bringing a peace I hadn't been able to enjoy during all this time.
I think things will be a bit strange over the next few years, but I think it'll be best for him… I thought, before images of my first kiss crossed my mind, making me completely red as I hugged my pillow.
I-I can't believe I dared to do that, but… I don't regret it! Thanks to that, I already know what I want in life. I thought happily, as I remembered everything that had happened.
It's true! At that moment, I managed to use a new spell. I thought, standing up to look in the mirror I had in my room at my nape, searching for what had absorbed so much mana back then.
As I suspected, it's a rune. I thought, seeing the strange symbols on that part of my body. Wow, it's very different from the ones Father and Mother have.
That's right, I remember reading that each rune is different from one another and that no two are the same. I thought, going back to my bed. It also said that runes differ in power, so I wonder how powerful this one is compared to others.
I kept thinking about that until Kadian's mana suddenly approached my room, sending a chill down my spine.
That's right, he said we'd talk later. I thought nervously before sitting on my bed.
"May I come in, Zoe?" He asked softly after knocking on my door for a while.
"Yes, Father." I replied, trying to calm my nerves as I opened the door.
As he entered, Kadian immediately put up a barrier around my room, preventing any sound from passing through. What? What's he planning?
"Don't be scared, I'm doing this so Drake doesn't hear what I'm going to tell you." He said, sitting in a chair I had in my room.
"Zoe, I just received a letter from Dominic, your uncle." He said, making several memories of when I lived in the kingdom of Clifland flood back like a cold shower.
What? From Dominic? But…
"In it, he recounts what's happened in Clifland over all these years, including… the death of your aunt Rose, Dominic's wife." What?
"I don't want to overwhelm you with details, but I will tell you that our plan to leave the kingdom of Flok has been moved forward. Because I fear that if I don't act in the next decade, we'll be in great danger because of Boris, my brother."
"So listen, I want you to train Drake quickly in another way because, as you know, he won't be able to use the sword with that hand again. I want him ready before the next decade, because depending on the outcome of his final trial, I'll decide whether we leave him with some acquaintances or let him go free to live his life far from Clifland." He said, looking me firmly in the eyes with that particular golden gaze of our race.
"Alright, Father, I'll do that." I said, returning his firm gaze.
"By the way, Zoe, thank you for saving my son." He said finally, before deactivating the barrier and leaving my room.
Ahh… I sighed after he closed the door. I have little time to help you, Drake…
NEXT CHAPTER:
Chapter 18: Promises of love