The evening air was heavy with silence as the moon cast its light over the sprawling estate. Basil stood in the courtyard, staring out into the darkness, his mind swirling with the realization of the pain he had caused Lira. The conversation he had had with her earlier lingered in his thoughts. He couldn't escape the guilt, nor the regret. She had been the one person he had tormented relentlessly, and yet here she was, still standing by his side.
As he walked through the courtyard, the soft rustling of footsteps broke his thoughts. Turning, he saw Lira approaching him. Her expression was calm, but there was a weight to her gaze, a solemnity that made Basil's heart clench.
"Lira," he called softly, and she halted in her tracks.
"You're still awake, Young Master?" Lira asked, her voice low.
Basil nodded, gesturing for her to sit beside him on the stone bench beneath a large tree. The soft glow of lanterns illuminated the quiet garden, casting long shadows on the ground. There was a long pause, and then, with a deep sigh, Basil spoke.
"I don't understand why you came back, Lira. Why didn't you just leave? Why did you endure everything I did to you?"
Lira's eyes softened, and for the first time, Basil saw a flicker of something behind her calm exterior—something that felt like sorrow, regret, and a hint of warmth. She sat beside him, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
"Do you remember when we were children?" Lira began, her voice steady. "Back then, I was just a commoner, no one special. I had no name, no noble blood, nothing that would allow me to belong in a place like this. But then, I met you. You were my only friend. I always felt like I didn't belong here, but with you, it didn't matter. You were kind to me, Basil. And I... I didn't want to lose that."
Basil looked at her, his heart tight with emotions he couldn't quite name.
"So, I decided I would do anything to keep you by my side. I realized that if I didn't become strong enough, I'd lose you. I couldn't let that happen," Lira continued, her voice growing soft, almost a whisper. "So I disappeared. I left without a word, without telling anyone where I was going. I... I couldn't bear the thought of being weak anymore."
Basil's throat constricted as he listened. He had always thought she left because she grew tired of him, tired of his cruelty. He never knew the truth—the reason behind her departure was so much deeper than he could have ever imagined.
Lira took a breath before continuing, her eyes distant as if lost in the memory. "I found her. Your mother. The Dragon Queen."
Basil's eyes widened in shock. "My mother?" he whispered.
"Yes," Lira nodded. "She approached me one day, after I had been training for some time. She told me she had been watching me, that she had noticed my desire to become stronger. She asked if I was willing to train for you, to become strong enough to always be there for you, to protect you if need be. I... I couldn't refuse."
Basil's heart pounded as he tried to process her words. "But... how? How could you go to Dragon Land? How could you train with dragons?"
Lira smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. "I was just a child, Basil. A commoner. But I wanted to be strong. I didn't care who I had to train with or how difficult it would be. I wanted to protect you. Your mother... she took me in. She trained me. The dragons taught me to fight, to control my strength, to endure pain that I never thought possible."
A tear welled up in Basil's eye as he listened. He had never known that Lira had been through so much, that she had fought so hard just to stay by his side.
"But after all that training, I returned here, thinking I could finally stand by your side, thinking I could be strong enough to protect you..." Lira's voice trembled. "But instead, I found a different version of you. One who didn't care. One who hated everyone, including me. I didn't know what happened, Basil. I didn't understand why you treated me the way you did. I tried so hard to be strong, and yet... you still pushed me away."
Basil's chest tightened as he realized the pain he had caused her. The cruelty he had shown to the one person who had always been there for him. A sob threatened to escape his throat, but he bit it back.
"I... I didn't know. I didn't know what I was doing," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I thought... I thought you had left me because of my behavior. I never understood. I didn't know how much you had gone through. How much you sacrificed..."
Lira's eyes softened, and she reached out to place a hand on his. "I didn't expect you to understand, Basil. But it hurt, seeing you like that. Seeing you fall further into despair and hatred. And when I came back, I was hoping you would change. But I didn't realize the depth of the darkness you had already fallen into."
Basil's heart shattered as he finally understood the weight of Lira's sacrifice. "I... I'm so sorry, Lira. I was so lost. I hurt you in the worst way possible. I can't even begin to make up for it."
Lira's voice softened, but there was a quiet strength in it. "You don't have to make up for it, Basil. Just... don't hurt anyone again. Don't hurt yourself. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to be this... this monster."
As her words sank in, Basil couldn't hold back anymore. His tears flowed freely, his body shaking with emotion as he finally allowed himself to feel the weight of everything he had done. Without thinking, he pulled Lira into a tight embrace, his sobs muffled against her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, Lira," he choked out.
Lira's hands hesitated for a moment before she gently wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay, Basil. It's okay. I'm here."
And in that moment, the broken pieces of Basil's heart began to mend, as he finally realized that he wasn't alone.
Lira was there, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could still change.