Liven woke with a sharp pain burning through her skull. The ache spread from her right eye, as though a dagger had pierced deep inside. For a while, there was only silence. Then, a soft hand brushed his cheek.
"Wake up… I thought I'd lost you."
It was Elya. Her eyes were swollen, yet there was quiet relief behind them. A black bandage covered Liven's right eye, and she was pressing it gently.
"My eye…" Liven whispered hoarsely.
Elya lowered her gaze. "It will never see again. But you're alive. And I'm still here with you."
Liven turned his pale face aside. From beneath the bandage, a faint crimson glow pulsed weakly, like the beat of a heart. For the first time in days, Vel's voice was gone. The silence inside him was not peace but the stillness before a storm.
He tried to rise, but Elya held him back. "Not yet. Darel hasn't left."
Liven froze. "What?"
Darel was still there. Zereth stood planted in the ground before him, his back turned. Elian, Tamar, Yurei, and Kael kept their distance. He was like a statue—motionless, yet alive.
Liven forced himself upright and began to walk. Elya cried, "Stop!" but he ignored her. He came up behind the man who had once been his master.
"Darel…" His voice was weak, but it was still his own.
The man did not move.
"I lost my eye," Liven said. "But inside me, I still carry what you gave me. A reason to live. You trained me. You cared for me. Then you abandoned me. What will you do now? Kill me?"
The wind stirred. The inscriptions on Zereth shimmered faintly. At last, Darel turned. His eyes were still void of emotion—but something had shifted.
"The moment I raised my sword against you… my soul shattered. Since drawing that blade… I have not been myself."
Liven felt the glow beneath his bandage slowly fade. "I haven't forgiven you," he whispered. "But I still understand you."
Darel gripped the sword again, but not to fight. Slowly, he dug into the soil and buried Zereth. "This will be my atonement."
Then he walked away. No one stopped him. Liven gave the sword one last look. Once an object of awe, now only a symbol of ruin—silent at last.
When the dust settled, Elya approached him carefully. "Liven… we might still be able to heal your eye."
"What? That's impossible!"
"There's a witch deep in the Karachin Forest. The Head Sorceress—an old woman, said to be from ancient generations. If anyone can help, it's her."
Liven hesitated. "It could be a trap… but what if it works?"
Darel, distant but steady, said firmly, "We have nothing to lose. Let's go."
Liven drew a breath. "Very well. Let's move."
"You can trust me," Elya said softly.
"…I do," Liven replied.
The journey began. Soon danger found them—a monstrous beast blocked the path.
"Liven, stay back!" Darel warned.
"Don't underestimate me!" she snapped.
"Sorry… your eye isn't working properly," he muttered.
The monster slipped past his guard. Liven surged forward, driving her knee up, and with a brutal strike severed its head. "You're right… sorry. Vel has me on edge," she admitted.
Hours later, they camped. Darel prepared food, Elya raised the tent, and Liven gathered firewood.
That night, Liven found herself in a place of blinding white. She usually saw only black. A voice echoed around her.
"Greetings, Liven," a godly tone spoke.
She spat, "Ha! Now I understand… What do you want, god?"
The god smiled faintly. "You must find Morwenya. Speak to her. Take what you need."
"How can I trust you? You might be lying."
"You will see once you go," the voice replied, fading into nothing.
Liven awoke to Elya calling her to eat. Outside, the wind roared like a warning of chaos to come.
The forest thickened, foul and old. "There's a house ahead," Darel whispered.
It stood shrouded in decay, broken and eerie. Inside, footsteps echoed—tik… tik…
Morwenya appeared, a swirling aura of black and violet wrapping around her.
"How are you moving like that?" Liven growled.
Morwenya's calm gaze lingered. "Your eye… the mark has spread. If it reaches your heart, you will die."
"Die? And I should trust you?" Liven laughed bitterly.
"I require a price," Morwenya said coldly. "Give me your two most precious powers, and I will heal your eye."
The demon's whisper coiled in Liven's mind: Don't do it. You'll lose everything.
"Don't!" Elya cried. "We're here for you, Liven!"
But Liven fell to her knees, muttering, "Take my power of obedience."
Morwenya absorbed it, and the ritual began.
When it ended, Liven's eyes shone white. She gasped as new vision awakened—she could see into people's souls, the colors of their spirits glowing before her eyes.
Morwenya's voice was steady. "Do you desire a guardian beast?"
"Yes," Liven answered without hesitation.
And so, Morvi appeared, binding itself as Liven's protector.
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