Agatha took him in and placed him on the floor near the fire in her parlor to keep him warm. She noticed that his skin was slightly darker than most races she had seen, and despite his young age, his body already showed signs of strength and robustness.
After hearing Kael explain what had happened to his brother—that he had been abducted by nobles seeking revenge on Damon for humiliating them—Agatha asked when the attack had taken place.
Kael replied that it had already been a day and a half.
Agatha stood up from the couch beside the spot where Kael lay near the chimney. She walked toward a table next to the couch where several vials, tubes filled with different liquids, and medical instruments were neatly arranged.
As she searched for a scalpel, she explained that prana used to wound someone usually took three days to completely fade or become undetectable.
She then told him that if he truly wanted justice for his brother, he would need someone powerful enough to force the king to attend the hearing. That would also compel the noble house involved to appear.
"The only people capable of doing that," she said, "are those at the Raider Base: the head of the Raider Research Department, the head family of the Kulkan clan, or the captain of the Windrunners. For anyone else, arranging a meeting with the king would take more than three days."
Kael lowered his gaze to the floor, his hands tightening into fists as the weight of Agatha's words settled on him.He had thought that simply finding Agatha, the dryad healer, would solve everything. But now he also needed to find one of the powerful figures she had mentioned.
However, when he thought about Damon, he refused to let despair consume him.
"I'll do anything for my family," Kael said firmly.
Agatha looked at him for a moment before replying, "I will help you, but in exchange for something."
Kael lowered his head slightly. "I don't have much money, but I'll do whatever I can to repay this debt."
Agatha shook her head lightly. "I do not need money. I only want one favor from you… four years from now."
Kael hesitated for only a second before agreeing. Nothing could be more important than Damon.
After finishing their discussion, Agatha told him to rest since tomorrow would be a long day. But before he could relax, he saw a white-haired girl eagerly running toward him, vines still visible across parts of her face.
Nywell
Euphelia insisted that they should not waste any more time and instead go directly to meet her master in Malhruk.
Nyara nodded and guided them toward the center of the room, where a small tree stood with intertwining roots spread across the floor.
Nyara lay down against the roots, and Rose and Euphelia followed beside her.
"What is your master's name?" Rose asked.
"Agatha," Nyara answered.
The three of them joined hands and softly muttered, "Agatha of Malhruk."
Within three minutes, they arrived.
When they opened their eyes, they found themselves beneath a ceiling painted with a magnificent giant oak tree whose countless roots spread outward while a lantern glowed at its heart.
They looked around the room. It was simple, containing only a table, a couch, and an adjacent bedroom.
Near the chimney, Euphelia spotted two figures and immediately recognized the boy as Kael.
Without waiting for Rose or Nyara, she rushed toward him, forgetting that her dryad-green features had not completely faded yet.
She stopped in front of him and knelt to his level, paying no attention to the other person beside him.
Meanwhile, Nyara and Rose stood up. Seeing Euphelia already beside the boy, Nyara walked toward her master and greeted her respectfully.
Agatha looked at her and asked, "Why is a royal and a raider in my house?"
Nyara was once again amazed by how her master seemed to know everything.
"They came to Nywell searching for you," Nyara explained. "They were looking for a dryad healer. Since I sensed they were not bad people, I decided to bring them here."
Agatha simply shook her head before turning her gaze toward Kael and Euphelia.
Rose then walked over to Euphelia and finally recognized the boy she had been speaking to.
It was Kael.
Agatha spoke first.
"The sooner we find someone capable of ensuring the king's presence, the sooner we can identify the remnants of prana left on the victim. If we wait too long, the traces will disappear."
Kael lowered his head, looking dejected.
As he sat there, he noticed Euphelia kneeling beside him. For the first time, he realized that her hair was completely white.
"Don't worry," Euphelia said reassuringly.
"Rose has friends who can help us arrange a meeting with the king."
She shot Rose a meaningful glance, silently begging her not to deny it.
Rose listened to her master's words and then nodded.
"Yes, I do have friends who work directly under the king."
Kael immediately tried to stand up and thank her, but the pain in his healing shoulders and hips stopped him. He nearly lost his balance before Euphelia gently held him in place.
"Don't force yourself," she said. "You still need to recover."
Agatha looked at Euphelia and Rose. She could easily see through their lie, but chose not to expose it. Instead, she turned her attention back to Kael.
"Well, one problem has been solved," she said. "The three of you should return home. As for me, I need to prepare my tools."
She then glanced at Nyara.
"Nyara, heal him."
Nyara nodded and stepped forward.
Since Kael still could not stand properly, he bowed deeply from the floor.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
He was genuinely grateful for everything they had done.
Nyara placed a hand on him and channeled her prana. Although her healing abilities were limited to minor injuries, it was enough to ease much of his pain.
Agatha then said, "Go home and tell your brother the good news."
Kael nodded.
As she watched him, Agatha noticed once again how expressionless he always seemed. Yet behind those calm eyes, she could see things no child should ever have witnessed or experienced. It was as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Kael turned toward Euphelia.
"Let's go back."
But Euphelia shook her head.
"No. I'll return with Rose."
He simply nodded and began walking toward the door.
Then, gathering all her courage, Euphelia suddenly rushed forward and hugged him from behind.
"Everything will be alright," she whispered.
Kael froze in surprise.
For a brief moment, he didn't know how to react.
Then he turned around, gently held her hand, and smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
The atmosphere immediately became awkward.
Agatha, Nyara, and Rose all started coughing at the same time, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
Rose crossed her arms and sighed.
"Euphelia, behave yourself."
Euphelia's face instantly turned red with embarrassment.
After calming down, they agreed to meet in front of the king's palace the following afternoon.
Kael said his farewells and left.
Later, Rose and Euphelia traveled back through the prana paths. Euphelia still needed to meet with her father.
As they journeyed home, only one thought occupied her mind.
She would do everything in her power to help Kael.