The forest was deathly silent, the kind of quiet that pressed down on you. Darkness wrapped around everything like a suffocating blanket, with the only light coming from Cedric's glowing bracelet. Its faint glow illuminated just enough to keep the oppressive shadows at bay. Celeste stirred, her crimson hair tangled and streaked with dirt, catching the faint light as her eyes fluttered open.
Celeste sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. She glanced around and saw Selina sleeping soundly nearby. Yawning, she stretched her arms and muttered, "You won't believe this, Cedric, but I just had the strangest dream where all of us… died. Over and over again."
Cedric, seated nearby and leaning against a tree, turned his gaze toward her, his face grim. "That wasn't a dream," he said. "We were caught in a hallucination spell."
Celeste froze mid-stretch, her eyes widening. "What?" she exclaimed, the remnants of sleep vanishing as adrenaline took over. She scrambled to her feet, scanning the surroundings, her voice laced with panic. "Where's Lucian?"
Cedric stood up slowly, his expression darkening. He looked away, avoiding her eyes. "He sacrificed himself for us," he said flatly.
"What are you talking about?" Celeste demanded, her voice shaking.
Cedric sighed, as if burdened by the memory. "After we were trapped in the spell, Lucian broke us free. But then… a monster attacked while we were still unconscious. He tried to wake all of us, but only I came to. We fought together, but the monster overwhelmed us. It dragged him away." His voice dropped lower. "He's most likely… gone."
Celeste staggered back, her legs nearly giving out. "No. No, you're wrong," she stammered, her hands trembling. "Lucian can survive anything. He's five times the survivalist I am. He can't… he can't just die like that!"
Cedric didn't respond immediately, letting her words hang in the air. After a pause, he said, "I'm telling you what I saw. He's gone, Celeste."
But Celeste shook her head furiously. "I don't believe you! He's alive. He has to be."
Cedric's voice turned colder. "Even if he is, there's nothing we can do. We can't afford to follow his tracks. We barely survived as it is."
"We have to try!" Celeste shouted, her fiery determination returning. "He saved us, Cedric. We owe him that much."
Their heated argument stirred Selina from her slumber. She sat up slowly, her white hair matted and her once-pristine clothes stained with dirt. She listened quietly as Cedric repeated his version of events, her expression growing darker with each word. Without saying anything, she rose and walked to the area Cedric claimed the fight had taken place. She knelt down, inspecting the ground carefully, her fingers tracing the marks left behind.
No matter how closely she examined the scene, the evidence didn't point to a battle—it pointed to the use of a single, overwhelming spell. The remnants of its power were unmistakable, and all signs suggested it came from Cedric. But then a troubling question lingered in her mind: what was Lucian doing during all of this? If Cedric was the only one fighting, the pieces just didn't add up. Nothing made sense.
After a few moments, Selina returned, her face hard. "Something doesn't add up," she said coldly, her voice cutting through the tension between Cedric and Celeste.
Cedric frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Selina didn't respond directly. Instead, she took a step back and raised her hands. "Heavenly Judgment," she intoned, her voice steady despite the strain the spell caused. A beam of pure, blinding white light descended from the heavens, piercing the canopy and pinning Cedric to the ground. He grunted as his body was forced down, his face slamming into the dirt.
"Selina! What are you doing?" Celeste gasped, stepping back in shock.
Being a healer primarily, heavenly judgement was selina's strongest offensive spell, even though its only useful to bind, it gave huge advantages in combat when she was a support, effectively restricting all kind of threats, but the problem was that, she suffered drawback depending on the strength of the target. If Cedric was the issue, Selina resolved to act decisively, even if it meant standing against her brother. Sibling ties meant little in the face of betrayal or deception, and if restricting Cedric was the only way to uncover the truth about Lucian, she wouldn't hesitate. Her mind was set—family or not, she would do what was necessary."Celeste, injure him!" Selina ordered, her voice sharp. "Do it now."
For a moment, Celeste hesitated, unsure of what was happening. But seeing the determination in Selina's eyes, she unsheathed her sword and stepped forward, driving it into Cedric's side, avoiding vital organs but causing enough pain to make him cry out.
"Stop this madness!" Cedric roared, struggling against the light pinning him down.
Selina's spell began to falter, blood dripping from her mouth as the strain took its toll on her body. She released the spell, and Cedric collapsed, clutching his wounds. "You've lost your mind, Selina!" he spat, glaring at her.
Selina wiped the blood from her lips and glared back. "I've seen the signs, Cedric. I don't trust you. Everything about this feels off."
Cedric sat up, wincing. "I swear on our king—on our father—that I had nothing to do with Lucian's death."
Selina's eyes narrowed. "Swear on Lunaria, the Goddess of Light. Not our father."
Cedric hesitated, his face twisting in frustration. After a moment, he closed his eyes and said, "Fine. I swear on Lunaria."
Selina watched him closely, her grip tightening on her staff. But nothing happened. She sighed, stepping back. "I believe you. For now."
She muttered an incantation, healing Cedric's injuries, though her own mana reserves were clearly depleted. Meanwhile, Celeste stood apart, her usual vibrant demeanor muted. She stared into the distance, her thoughts far away.
Cedric, now recovered, stood and addressed both of them. "I know you're still doubting me, but Lucian sacrificed himself for us. We can't let that sacrifice go to waste." He raised his bracelet, intensifying the light around them. "I promise, I'll get both of you out of this forest alive."
He bowed deeply, his face hidden from view, a small, unnoticeable smirk playing at his lips.