"St-standing…"
Garrick's voice was barely audible. His hands trembled violently as he stared at his daughter.
Lyria was still standing.
Unsteady. Her legs shook. But she was clearly standing.
"Father…"
The girl called softly, as if afraid her voice might shatter the moment.
Garrick covered his mouth with his hand. Tears fell silently.
"Lyria… you… you're standing…"
He took a step forward. Then another. Until his knees gave out.
Garrick dropped to his knees right in front of Josselyn.
The girl stepped back half a step. Her chest tightened.
"Thank you…!"
His voice broke.
"Thank you… thank you… thank you…"
He repeated it over and over. His head bowed low. His shoulders shook.
Josselyn froze. The man who had rejected them earlier was now kneeling before her, thanking her.
"Sir… you don't have to…"
"I do!" Garrick cut in quickly. He lifted his face, his eyes red and wet. "I lost hope… for years… and you…"
His voice failed again.
"…you brought it back."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then other voices began to rise.
"She really healed her…"
"That child is standing…"
"This… this isn't a trick…"
Their tone had changed.
No longer filled with suspicion. Now it carried awe.
Some of the villagers who had stood with crossed arms stepped forward. Their gazes were no longer sharp, but uncertain, slowly shifting into respect.
"We might have been wrong…"
"She really can do it…"
Village Chief Halvern suddenly stepped forward. The tension in his face had vanished, replaced with brightness.
"Enough!" he declared loudly, but this time with a different tone.
He smiled broadly.
"Everyone has seen it with their own eyes."
No one argued.
"This is proof," he continued, "that they did not come with empty promises."
Josselyn glanced around, seeing several villagers nod.
"So, from now on, as citizens of the Kingdom of Valenroth, we will support the needs of the royal delegation. Agreed?" Halvern asked.
But a sharp voice cut through the moment.
"No."
A young man stepped forward. His expression was still hard.
Josselyn recognized him. He was one of the men, besides Garrick, who had provoked the villagers that night in front of the lodging house.
"This is impossible," he said.
All eyes turned to him.
"It's just coincidence. Or a trick," he continued, glaring at Josselyn. "You can't trust them based on one event."
"Riven, enough."
Garrick rose slowly. His face was still wet, but his gaze had changed.
"No, Mr. Garrick," the man, Riven, insisted stubbornly. "We shouldn't…"
"She is my daughter."
The words cut him off.
Silence.
"The one standing there," Garrick continued, his voice low but heavy, "is my daughter."
Riven fell silent.
"And I saw it myself. Trick or not… what matters is that my daughter can walk again."
There was no room for argument in his tone.
Several other villagers spoke up.
"We all saw it."
"She was paralyzed for years."
"She couldn't have faked it."
Riven clenched his fists. His jaw tightened. Realizing no one supported him anymore, he stepped back.
Josselyn did not pay further attention. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly she felt something in her stomach.
Her hand reflexively pressed against her abdomen. She paused, trying to locate the source of the discomfort. Only then did she realize it came from her lower body.
More like a lingering tremor.
She drew a slow breath.
"…I should go back," she said softly.
Kael immediately turned. "Now?"
Josselyn nodded slightly. "I don't feel well."
Halvern, noticing the change in her expression, quickly approached.
"In that case, we won't keep you. Get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow."
Josselyn only nodded. She turned and walked out, followed by Kael and Howarth behind her.
~
Their steps were slower than before. The crowd faded behind them. Silence replaced the earlier noise.
Josselyn held her stomach for a moment, then let go.
'What's wrong with me?'
She frowned. Ever since leaving Garrick's house, she felt a pair of eyes watching her from behind. The back of her neck burned, as if someone was staring at her with fire.
Josselyn glanced back slightly. Sure enough, Kael was watching her.
"What is it?" Josselyn finally asked, stopping.
Kael did not answer immediately. He stepped closer. Then another step.
Until they stood side by side. Howarth leaned slightly toward them.
"Are you alright?" he whispered.
Josselyn frowned. "Why are you asking that?"
Kael's gaze did not waver. His eyes locked onto her.
"What are you feeling, Josselyn?"
The alchemist girl fell silent for a moment.
"Nothing," she replied, continuing to walk.
Josselyn looked away.
'I can't possibly say that suddenly I feel…' She bit the inside of her cheek. '…aroused.'
Kael nodded slowly, but his expression did not fully believe her.
"You released more energy than yesterday."
Josselyn turned to him.
"Your body should be reacting more strongly."
Her steps halted.
"You mean…" her voice dropped, "my body reacted yesterday?"
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly. "You don't remember?"
Josselyn stared at him blankly.
"What am I supposed to remember?"
Silence. Kael took a slow breath.
"You were acting strangely," he explained.
Josselyn felt something sink in her chest.
"Strange… how?"
"You said you were hot."
Kael's voice remained calm.
"Like you were overheated, but more than that."
Josselyn froze.
"You kept repeating it," he continued. "And you didn't seem fully aware."
Her breath caught.
"That's why I didn't let you come with me to pick them up."
The pieces began to fall into place.
The heat.
The exhaustion.
Then nothing.
A broken memory.
Josselyn stared at Kael, her eyes widening.
"Wait…"
Her hand moved quickly. She grabbed his sleeve.
"Why don't I remember it?"
Her voice dropped, almost a whisper. Fear began to creep into her chest.
Kael did not answer right away. His gaze shifted between her green hazel eyes.
When no answer came, her fear slowly turned into dread. Her grip tightened.
"Was my mother like this too?"
The question slipped out, recalling Kael's earlier mention of her mother.
Kael caught the emotion in her eyes.
"I don't know what your version will be like," he finally said.
Josselyn swallowed.
"But… your mother's body also reacted abnormally," Kael continued.
Josselyn felt her heart race faster.
"How?"
Kael shrugged slightly.
"It varied each time."
"How varied?" Josselyn pressed.
"Sometimes high fever. Sometimes loss of consciousness. Sometimes…" he paused briefly, "she wouldn't remember what happened afterward."
The wind seemed to stop. Only Josselyn's heavy breathing could be heard. Her hand still clutched Kael's sleeve.
"Tell me."
Her voice was deeper now. Serious, with a slight tremor.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes." This time her voice held no hesitation. "I have to know."
As if an invisible barrier around them had just shattered, the night wind passed gently between them.
A few seconds went by before Kael finally spoke again.
"Then… listen carefully."
~
Unnoticed by them, a few steps behind, someone tilted his head, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Howarth.
Amber eyes observed the two figures ahead. Then his gaze dropped to Josselyn's hand gripping Kael's sleeve.
"…I see," he murmured softly. He could not hear much of their conversation, but other sounds reached him clearly.
"So last night, she wasn't conscious." The crease in Howarth's brow slowly disappeared. "That's why she doesn't remember."
Howarth began to understand. But something was still missing, and unfortunately, he very much wanted to know what it was.
He quickened his pace. Slipping between Josselyn and Kael mid-conversation.
His arms extended, his right hand patting Kael's broad shoulder, while his left wrapped around Josselyn's smaller, fragile one.
"So, what secret is there that I should know?"