Zaek knocked on the door three times, his knuckles rapping sharply against the dark wood. He held his breath, hoping for a response—a shout, a footstep, even a plate being thrown at the wall.
?Nothing. Only a heavy, suffocating quiet.
?“Kid?” He leaned closer to the frame. “Could you open the door for a bit? I think we should talk.”
?He waited. The seconds stretched into agonizing minutes.
?He could have baited her. He could have shouted that they were leaving immediately, or that Tobias had been attacked. Surely she would have come running out, just like she had this morning.
?Surely...
?Zaek caught himself, letting out a weary sigh and resting his forehead against the door. No more lies. He didn’t want to deceive her again, even if he convinced himself it was for her own good.
?“Damn it... I really don’t know what to do in these situations,” he muttered to the empty hallway.
?He couldn't let her learn the truth about the murder—not yet. He couldn't fix her grief with a few pretty words, either. But he refused to just stand here while she withered away.
?Tobias’s voice echoed in his mind: A child can handle disappointment. What they can't handle is abandonment.
?The word felt like a physical blow. He had been so hyper-focused on protecting Aelira that he had forgotten to actually be there for her. He, of all people, should have known better. Born in the slums of Zephyr, an orphan from day one, he knew exactly how cold the dark felt when you were left alone in it.
?With a sudden, renewed resolve, a smirk returned to his face. Not his usual arrogant grin, but something sharper.
?He knocked one last time. “You sure you don’t want to open it? Fine. Then I'll just have to invite myself in.”
?He stepped backward, his boots clicking on the floorboards. Taking a deep breath, he braced his broad shoulders. He didn't use mana. He didn't need it for a simple wooden latch.
?He lunged.
?CRACK!
?The door didn't just open; the frame groaned in agony as the latch snapped under the weight of a man who shattered fortress gates for a living. Zaek stumbled into the room, sending a cloud of dust motes dancing into the moonlight.
?Aelira sat by the window, her knees pulled to her chest. Her silver hair shimmered in the gloom, her wide eyes darting from the ruined door to him, mouth slightly agape.
?“Sensei?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “What... what are you doing?”
?Zaek straightened his tunic, coughing awkwardly as he stood amidst the jagged splinters of the entrance. He scratched the back of his neck.
?“Like I said,” he grinned. “I’m opening up.”
?The shock in Aelira’s eyes flickered, swiftly replaced by a harsh glare. She didn't move from her spot. “I don’t want to talk.”
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?“Yeah, I know.”
?“Then why did you barge in?”
?He offered her a self-assured, smug smile—the exact kind that usually made her want to kick him in the shins. “Cause I can't leave you sitting alone in the dark. It’s bad for the complexion.”
?Aelira paused, momentarily thrown by his bluntness, before her face hardened. “Whether I’m alone or not is none of your business!”
?“Ggh. What do you mean it's not my business?” Zaek grunted, stepping over a chunk of the door frame. “It's very much my business when my only disciple starts acting like a broken doll.”
?“You didn’t care!” Aelira snapped, her voice finally rising. “You didn’t care what happened to Lassandra! You just wanted to get it over with!”
?“I did, but—” Zaek started, then sharply bit his tongue.
?I had no choice but to hide the truth, he thought bitterly. If I tell you what I suspect, you’ll go running right back to a manor that will swallow you whole.
?“Forget it,” Aelira whispered, the fight draining out of her. She turned her face back to the window. “Just leave me alone.”
?“Nope. Won't do.”
?“Fine. Stand there if you want. I’m not saying another word.”
?She entered what Zaek affectionately dubbed her 'Stationary Mode,' resting her chin on her knees and staring blankly out at the ghostly Lunarea flowers.
?“Tch. At least listen to what people have to say before you shut the world out,” Zaek said, leaning against the wall. He watched her profile in the silver light. “You think you’ve failed, don’t you? You think you broke your promise to Flora because we didn't find Lassandra.”
?Her eyes shifted toward him—a mixture of lingering anger and hesitant anticipation.
?“I’m telling you right now, kid. You didn’t fail.”
?“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice impossibly small. “I gave her hope, and then I brought her nothing.”
?“Finally, you’re listening.” Zaek crossed his arms. “Kid, it’s not your fault that the world doesn’t leave a convenient trail for you to follow. You found the letters. You talked to Flora and Marcus. You did the work. There is simply no lead left.”
?“Isn't the money issue suspicious?!”
?“No, it’s not,” Zaek lied, his voice steady as bedrock. “If she planned to return, she was likely sending home every bit of her savings to prepare for her new life. People do desperate things when they’re homesick.”
?“What about the mana?”
?“I told you: unconscious pouring. She was stressed, tired, and probably missing her mother. Mana reacts to emotions, Aelira. It’s a common phenomenon, even if you haven’t seen it yet.”
?“We... we should at least go back to the manor,” she stammered, desperation bleeding into her tone. “Look for clues there.”
?“I’m sorry, but no,” Zaek said, his tone turning absolute. “We’d be walking back for nothing. Six years is more than enough for any trace to vanish. If the Viremont guards didn’t find her then, we won't find her now.”
?“I made a promise…” Aelira’s voice finally broke. “What is the point of aiming to be a Hero when I can't even keep a simple promise?”
?Zaek pushed off the wall. He walked over, the floorboards creaking under his weight, and stood beside her to look out at the same moonlit garden.
?“Aelira. Heroes are not what you think they are. Remember what I’ve told you since day one.”
?She searched her memories, sniffing softly before she answered. “Heroes are just there to fight. To protect the people against inhumans. No more, no less.”
?“Exactly,” Zaek nodded. “Unfortunately, it is not a Hero's job to shed light on every shadow of the past. We aren't miracle workers, and we aren't detectives. We are here to protect the living.”
?“Are you telling me it’s fine to just leave things as they are? Just because she might be dead?”
?“No. I’m telling you that you did keep your promise.”
?She looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.
?“Go to Flora one last time before we leave,” Zaek said softly, looking down at his disciple. “Tell her the truth. Tell her that you looked, and that there are no clues left to follow. Tell her that you’ve done everything a person could possibly do.”
?“But that... that will hurt her.”
?“It will. But it will also give her the one thing she hasn't had in six years: Closure.”
?Zaek’s expression softened into something uncharacteristically gentle.
?“A promise isn’t always about delivering a happy ending, kid. Sometimes, it’s just about making sure someone doesn't have to wait in the dark alone. You did what you could. That has to be enough.”
?Aelira slowly looked down at her hands. The crushing weight in her chest shifted—it didn't disappear, but for the first time, it became something she could carry.
Would you still hide the truth from Aelira if you were in Zaek’s place?
