Liya's eyes widened when she heard Viktor's words.
Shock immediately filled her pale, colorless face.
"What... do you mean?"
She forced down the tremor in her voice, mustered up her courage, and continued asking Viktor.
It was as if a sharp, knife-like cold wind kept cutting across her face.
The clear pain it brought appeared not only on her cheeks but even reached deep into her heart.
Liya could barely keep her eyes open. She felt that the wind on this winter night had grown much stronger.
Viktor lowered his head to look at her, then slowly lowered the hand resting on top of Liya's head.
When she felt the warmth disappear from the top of her head, Liya was finally able to raise her head.
She looked at Viktor with trembling eyes, and there was clearly a strong sense of reproach in them.
She stared at Viktor's familiar face and questioned him somewhat angrily, "Let me go home alone? What does that mean?"
"What exactly are you talking about?"
Although she was questioning Viktor, a strong, inexplicable premonition kept rising in Liya's heart.
As if they were about to part, she suddenly shook her head, unwilling to accept the thought.
But at this moment, Viktor calmly said to her, "I'm going to be away for a while."
"I might be back soon, or it might take a long time."
Hearing these words, Liya was somewhat stunned.
How she wished what Viktor said was true, and that the bad feeling was merely her own illusion.
After all, it wasn't as if Viktor had never left before.
Sometimes for a short while, sometimes for a long time.
The longest time, Viktor had even gone with the princess as an envoy to the Kingdom of Kant.
That time, he was gone for a whole month.
So right now, she had no need to worry about Viktor leaving.
It wasn't as if he had never suddenly disappeared without saying a word. She should have gotten used to Viktor leaving so often long ago.
But why...
Why was this time the only one that made her feel so distressed?
It was as if... Viktor would never come back after leaving this time.
She couldn't accept it.
So Liya raised her head, stared into Viktor's eyes, and asked softly through her choked voice,
"So... where are you going?"
Viktor did not directly answer Liya's question.
He only calmly reminded Liya with a hint of concern, "After you go back, remember to discuss the compensation for the royal capital with Zora."
"She won't default on the debt. She knows everything."
Hearing Viktor's words, Liya stood silently where she was. One hand clenched tightly into a fist against her chest, pressed against her trembling clothes.
Her chest felt stuffy, and her breathing began to grow somewhat difficult.
Liya tried to take a deep breath, but her throat felt as though it had been blocked by a heavy stone.
And Viktor's voice continued, "During the construction of the royal capital, stay in Braeston for now."
"If you run into any trouble, go find Cocotte."
"Even if I'm not at home, you still have the support of a fifth-rank mage."
Listening to Viktor, Liya's mood grew heavier and heavier.
Her head buzzed. Viktor's words buzzed in her ears like mosquitoes, making her feel irritated.
"You..."
She tried to interrupt him, but Viktor's voice still did not stop.
"You're already better at handling things at home than I am. And the family can't be without its head forever."
"So after I leave, you can take my place."
Hearing these words, Liya's eyes widened.
Because this sentence seemed to completely confirm everything she had guessed.
It was as if Viktor would never come back.
She couldn't believe it, and she didn't want to believe it.
Liya could only shake her head frantically, staring at Viktor with disbelieving eyes as she questioned him for the last time in a trembling voice,
"Where... are you going..."
Viktor fell silent.
After a while, he reached out and gently grasped Liya's gloved hand.
The glove fit Liya's hand perfectly, tightly wrapping around her skin.
The several gemstones on it still carried flowing, multicolored elemental magic.
It was clear that she hadn't used it much.
But Viktor still slowly raised his left hand and pointed toward the Mage's Hand, which was embedded with six gemstones.
Suddenly, a faint multicolored magic power flowed from his fingertips.
It circled through the air along with the cold wind before gradually merging into each dazzling crystal.
The magic power slowly poured in like a stream, and its tremendous force became increasingly clear.
Looking at the Mage's Hand flashing with bright light, Liya lowered her head.
The six rays of multicolored light were reflected in her eyes, and she was too powerless to say a word.
For some reason, the dazzling light seemed to sting her eyes, making her heart ache even more.
"I've already updated the magic inside it for you."
"If you run into danger, use them.", Viktor spoke softly, calm as he always was.
Suddenly, Liya's gaze became distant.
As if she had remembered something important, her eyes widened slightly.
She remembered Viktor saying that as long as she used the magic contained in this glove.
No matter how far away he was, he would come back and appear beside her.
And at this moment, Liya had just been about to speak.
Viktor's calm voice once again came before hers, "But don't use them recklessly."
"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to reach your side immediately after you've used them."
Hearing this, the trace of hope that had just appeared in Liya's eyes suddenly froze.
She lowered her head and stared at the new magic flowing within each gemstone on the glove, then raised her head to look at Viktor.
The cold wind rose again. The light, freezing current brushed against the ends of Liya's hair, covering her eyes filled with frozen emotion.
Viktor's black coat also danced in the air, brushing past Liya's side.
"Brother..."
Liya could no longer hold it back. She clasped both hands tightly against her chest, and the tears that had been gathering for so long finally spilled from her eyes.
As the cold wind swept across her face, the crystal-clear tears fell like pearls from a broken string, lingering faintly in the air and reflecting endless sorrow.
Viktor put both hands into his pockets and lowered his head to look at the time he had left.
[Countdown: 00,00,59]
He raised his head again, gazed into Liya's tear-blurred eyes, and calmly said, "I have one minute left."
"If there's anything you want to say to me, or any other request you have, say it all within this one minute."
These words reached Liya's ears, and even the cold wind seemed to grow more desolate.
Liya pressed her lips together and lowered her head, unwilling to let Viktor see her in such a vulnerable state.
A bone-chilling coldness flowed into her nose, passed through her throat, and reached straight into her heart.
As if she knew clearly that this was their final moment of farewell.
Liya slowly parted her trembling lips and made that slightly trembling request, "Could you... give me a hug?"
Liya kept her head lowered as she moved forward little by little.
In the end, she hurriedly threw herself into Viktor's solid, warm embrace.
Her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, and she buried her head deep in his chest.
This one minute... It was the first time Liya had felt an embrace from her elder brother.
It was the first time she had felt that Viktor's embrace was so warm.
Even though she had long since stopped expecting it, even though her heart had gone cold long ago... But at this moment, only in this one minute, she didn't want to let go. She didn't want to leave.
Liya wished that time could remain frozen here forever.
However, time was always mercilessly passing. It would always take away all warmth and attachment.
Like a sharp knife slowly cutting across an already broken heart, making her taste all of that deep sorrow.
Liya could only wait as the time in her heart ticked away little by little.
Like the hands of a clock, ticking away.
Ding!
[Countdown: 00,00,00]
Time had finally reached the end.
And Viktor's departure was not grand or spectacular either.
It merely suddenly stirred up a fierce cold wind that swept across the high platform and through space.
The broad figure clad in a black coat then turned into countless specks of starlight, following the swirling wind and merging into the blazing Supreme Heavenly Gate.
Countless chaotic red souls surged frantically toward that pale light.
Standing before the Supreme Heavenly Gate, Liya still maintained her embracing posture, as if she hadn't noticed Viktor's departure at all.
Only when the hazy whiteness gradually subsided did the sky begin to fall with a pale, cold, silent snow.
Snowflakes danced in the cold wind, falling quickly.
Before long, the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow.
And without anyone there to support her, Liya helplessly fell to her knees on the ground.
Her legs were buried in the cold snow, while the cold wind wantonly tugged at her coat.
Why was it only now that she felt how cold this wind really was?
Liya wasn't sure.
But when a warm coat was gently draped over her, her body trembled slightly.
Liya slowly raised her head and looked upward.
Cocotte was sitting atop the clouds, looking at Liya, who was covered in a layer of white snow, her face filled with deep concern.
She gently placed a hand on Liya's shoulder and softly comforted her, "Liya, are you all right..."
"Viktor said that he would definitely come back."
Hearing this, Liya's body trembled violently, as if she were suppressing a powerful emotion.
She tightly gripped both sides of the coat, pulling them together and wrapping her body inside.
Finally, Liya could no longer hold it back.
The tide of tears broke through the dam of sorrow and poured down her face all at once.
A strong and clear sense of helplessness enveloped Liya. She no longer wanted to keep forcing herself to be strong, and burst into tears.
Her cries were loud, one after another.
That heart-wrenching sobbing seemed to drown out the entire snowfall, casting a deep layer of sorrow over the silent night.
Amid the vast white snow, pain completely entangled Liya.
The cold wind remained fierce, howling without end.
But only this clear grief covered Liya's small world.
She had no family left.