"It didn't give Elfiam back, so it's not enough. Nothing will ever be enough." Clila glowered at the noble youth's corpse in spite, noticing the stark difference between Elfiam's peaceful expression in death and Shet's features transfixed in terror.
"But it's everything I can get, and it will have to do."
***
Before leaving, Lith secured Shet Frorl's horse as evidence and handed it to the local Constable after pressing charges against the marquises. After that, he and Clila Warped back to the Unicorn's Pot, where Kamila waited for him and Solus in the lobby.
"How is Elfiam? Is he alright?" She asked, yet looking at her husband's face and noticing the youth's absence gave her all the answers she needed.
She just refused to accept them and prayed to be wrong.
"Elfy…" Clila replied, yet grief choked the words in her throat. "My brother is dead. There was nothing even Magus Verhen could do, and Elfy passed away in my arms."
Kamila's eyes widened, not knowing what to do or say that wouldn't sound trivial or idiotic. She ended up sitting on the nearest chair, the tragic news and its obvious consequences hitting Kamila harder than she could take.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Clila." Lith said. "If there's anything you need or that I can do for you, you just need to ask."
"Thank you. Then please, answer my questions." As rage and adrenaline left her body, the young girl's knees buckled, and Lith had to help her sit. "Was there really nothing you could do to save Elfy? I thought Healing magic is akin to a miracle."
"I wish it were true." Lith sighed. "Every injury can be treated and healed, yes, but timing is essential. If soone had given Elfiam first aid, kept him stable until my arrival, I could have saved him.
"Unfortunately, we were too late. Elfiam had lost too much blood, and his body went into shock. I repaired his organs, but there is no spell that can restore their functionality in so little ti."
It was the current theory that Healers had developed to explain why so patients couldn't be healed even by tier four or five magic. Only Awakened knew about mana cores, and that once cracked, they couldn't be fixed.
"I see." Two silent tears streaked down Clila's face, quickly followed by more as the pain from her loss finally sank in. "Gods, Elfy. We've left him alone in the middle of the road. We must…"
She tried and failed to stand up. Clila would have fallen on the floor if Lith hadn't caught her in ti.
"My little brother." She clung to him, clawing at his shirt as her heart and voice broke. "My little Elfy is gone!"
Clila scread like a wounded animal, bawling her eyes out with no care for who watched or listened to her. Without the rage and the thirst for revenge giving her strength, she was but an empty shell.
"Let's give her so space." Lith Warped with Clila to Solus' room, where no one would disturb her.
Kamila was right beside them, and not knowing what to do, she left to check on the babies. It was an irrational fear since she had left them in the Doomslayer crib and Elysia was under the Guardians' protection, but she needed to make sure.
She found Solus standing outside the room. She had been waiting for the mont to take physical form again, and when she did, there was no place for her anywhere. She couldn't help Clila nor could she see the babies without a key.
"Is everything alright?" Kamila asked, noticing how pale Solus was and the pain in her face. "Did sothing else happen?"
"No, it's not." Solus shook her head. "Please, I don't have the strength to talk about this now. Can you please just open the door?"
Kamila nodded, and the two won barged in, finding two happy and calm toddlers playing with their colorful toys. Solus and Kamila picked up the babies and held them tight.
They listened to the sound of the tiny hearts and lost themselves in the warmth of the babies' skin.
"Mom?" Valeron asked as Solus' tears wetted his onesie.
"It's alright, baby." She sniffled. "Everything is alright now."
anwhile, Lith held Clila, letting her cry and scream until she lost consciousness. Then, he tucked her into bed and let her sleep with one light on, so that when she woke up, she wouldn't get scared from the unfamiliar room.
When Lith returned to his own suit, Kamila was still nervous, while nadion had helped Solus to calm down a bit.
"What happened?" Kamila saw that Lith's eyes were empty and his eyes cold like it hadn't happened since Solus' kidnapping.
She extended a tendril of Spirit Magic for a mind link, but he dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
"I'm sorry, Kami, but not this ti." He said. "You are pregnant, and Ral would feel everything you feel. This will have to suffice."
He handed his communicator to her and pointed at the empty area where once Elfiam's rune was. Kamila took it in her hands, and the vague feeling of loss she experienced since hearing the news beca all too real.
"Here's what happened." Lith's voice was deadpan. "A rich, idiot kid ran Elfiam over and left him for dead."
Kamila beca as pale as a ghost as she made the obvious connection with Lith's trauma.
"Sadly, the idiot was right. Elfiam's core was already cracked when I got to the scene of the accident, and there was nothing I could do. So, today Clila lost her brother, I lost Carl all over again, and Solus relived her death." Lith clenched his hands.
"At that point, I picked up the trail of the murderer and Clila, and I went to exact justice."
"Justice, or revenge?" Kamila hated herself for it, but she had to ask.
Depending on the answer, she and the entire Verhen Household had to prepare for what would co next.
"Justice." Lith nodded. "I introduced myself at every step and stated the reason for my presence. I did nothing to those who followed my orders and hard only those who tried to kill ."
"Good." She sighed in relief. "What about the culprit?"
"After collecting irrefutable evidence of his cri, I executed the sentence on the spot after asking Clila to exercise her bereaved rights. She asked for the maximum." Lith replied. "I gave him Elfiam's death, down to the last detail.
"Then, I called the Constables and gave them all the collected evidence. The rest is in their hands."
"Is there anything you need? A hot drink? Sothing to eat?" Kamila asked.
"I need ti." Lith sighed. "Most of all. I need to get out of here. Yet it has to wait. I won't leave Clila alone. Not until I know she's safe from others and herself."
Lith knew from experience how grief and getting revenge hollowed the soul. Without Elfiam, Clila had no one to live for. Without vengeance, Clila had nothing to look forward to.
"Now she's as empty as I was." Lith said after a pause. "I won't let her take the sa path I did."
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