Luka, who until now had been watching Lane's peaceful face.
Slowly turned his gaze downward.
As soon as his eyes landed on Lane's foot.
The serenity on his face vanished in an instant.
The deep mark on Lane's foot still appeared a vivid, angry red.
In the dim light of the dungeon, the wound looked even more gruesome.
Lines of worry etched across Luka's forehead.
He extended his hand to touch Lane's foot.
But pulled back in fear of waking him.
There was a strange helplessness in Luka's eyes.
He blamed himself for not being able to protect Lane from this suffering.
Yuki, watching all this from the corner, read the sadness descending upon Luka's face.
He was amazed that the injury which had no effect on Lane was tearing Luka's heart apart.
Lane was in a deep sleep.
Without the slightest realization that there was a wound on his body.
But for Luka, that red mark was like a burning ember.
Yuki realized that here, the pain wasn't being felt by the body, but by the soul.
Luka's face had fallen.
And the moisture in his eyes screamed that he would give his life.
In exchange for even a single scratch on Lane.
Yuki let out a cold breath.
He understood that in this dungeon.
The bond of the pain felt for one another was deeper than any bond of blood.
Yuki's eyes were fixed on them, but his mind was elsewhere.
Seeing Lane asleep in Luka's lap made him ache for his younger siblings.
He remembered how they too would fall asleep with their heads in his lap, so carefree.
Those tiny hands that would clutch the corner of his shirt.
And that innocent warmth when they would cling to his neck in their sleep.
Yuki's throat tightened.
He could still feel that comforting sensation in his arms.
But it was all just a memory now.
Suddenly, Lane's eyes were wide open.
Lifting his head from Luka's lap, he sat up straight.
He brushed the dust off the floor with his tiny palms.
And looked into Luka's face.
Luka's expression was still shrouded in that same sadness.
His gaze still fixed on the angry red wound on Lane's foot.
Lane tilted his head, searching Luka's eyes.
His voice was soft, yet it held a strange pull.
"You were awake? If you were awake, why didn't you tell me?"
"I was waiting for you to wake up."
Luka blinked rapidly, as if pushing back tears.
He tried to force a smile onto his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Gently, Luka reached out and placed his hand on Lane's shoulder.
Exactly the way an elder consoles someone younger.
"I woke up quite a while ago..."
There was a heaviness in Luka's voice.
"But you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to disturb you."
"I just want you to rest a little longer."
Yuki watched all this from afar.
He noticed that even though Luka and Lane were similar in stature.
The way Luka sat—keeping his back straight and guarding Lane's every move—made him appear much older than Lane.
Lane was still caught in the haze of sleep.
But Luka stood as a wall between the darkness of the cell and Lane's pain.
It was silently clear that Luka had left his own innocence behind so he could protect Lane's.
Lane placed his small hand on Luka's wrist and looked into his eyes with great hope.
"Luka, you told me not to go outside, so see... I didn't go at all."
"I listened to you, didn't I?"
There was a hint of innocent pride in Lane's voice.
Then, pointing toward the heavy door of the cell, he whispered.
"Can we go outside now?"
For a moment, Luka's eyes softened.
But as soon as his gaze fell back onto the bright red wound on Lane's foot, his face hardened.
He gently pulled his hand away from Lane's grip and made his voice a little stern.
"No!"
Lane's smile froze.
Luka continued, his words holding a sharpness born only out of deep concern.
"Until your foot is better, you aren't going anywhere."
"Do you understand? Not even a single step."
Luka's harshness stung Lane.
He didn't say a word; he simply lowered his sad face toward the wooden platform.
He wasn't even looking at Luka anymore.
Leaning his small frame against the wood as if trying to hide his disappointment in its cold touch.
In the silence of the cell, Lane's slumped shoulders were hurting Luka far more than any scolding ever could.
Seeing Lane's fallen face, Luka's heart melted.
He cast aside his sternness and leaned in closer to Lane.
"Alright, listen..."
Luka's voice was now velvety and soft.
"Once your foot heals, I won't stop you at all."
"I'll go with you myself, wherever you want."
"Is that okay now? Now stop making that face."
Lane looked at Luka sideways, his sadness just beginning to fade.
When suddenly, sounds began to echo through the silence outside the cell.
Tap... tap... tap...
The sound of heavy boots hitting the stone floor grew steadily louder as they approached their cell.
With every step, the echo became heavier.
The sound drew near, and then the heavy door creaked open.
A guard entered, the clinking of food containers in his hands.
Without looking at anyone, he placed the fresh food container down and picked up the old one.
But something was off.
This guard, who usually shouted or acted bossy, was deathly silent today.
Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
And there was a slight tremor in his hands.
His eyes darted around the corners of the room as if he were afraid of an invisible shadow.
He didn't snap at Yuki or yell at the children.
His breathing was fast and shallow.
And he hurried out of the room in an instant.
As if the very air of that cell were suffocating him.
He wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible.
The cell door slammed shut with a heavy thud.
Leaving behind a terrifying silence.