Chapter 5: Parents?

(Minutes before Kadian Helkar arrived)

I was very scared to go see my parents, but even so… I gathered enough courage to tell Lady Irisha.

At first, she hesitated, but after explaining my feelings and doubts, I convinced her. She trusted me and gave me permission to make sure my parents would be okay.

"But no matter what happens, don't get close. Just look for a few seconds from the top of the mountain and come back quickly so you don't put yourself in danger." Those were her conditions, and I was about to break them as soon as I saw my mother being stabbed by a black-skinned, purple-haired demon.

"NOOOOO!!!" My father's scream resonated, reaching where I was, snapping me out of the shock that had enveloped me.

"No… It can't be true..." I said to the air, my voice trembling as my vision blurred due to the numerous tears beginning to fall from my eyes.

Impossible… My body trembled like never before, and I started to feel my heart compressing to such an extent that it made me fall to my knees.

There was a part of me that wanted to go help my mother, but my body wouldn't move. It simply didn't respond and stayed motionless as I watched my mother fall to the ground, and then the sand beneath her turned red. My mom is...

I stayed in a daze until a large explosion at the battle site brought me back to reality, making me refocus on the fight.

Drying my tears with my hands, I tried to follow the fight from where I was.

My father began to cast several spells of different elements at the demon, who only dodged them with some ease while approaching my father at an impressive speed.

Still trembling, I enhanced my vision with mana to see more clearly how the pitch-black demon pulled out three purple swords from his back and threw them at my father.

He managed to dodge two of them before deflecting the last one with his own sword.

Wait! His hand is… I thought as I saw one of my father's hands was cut and burned.

What should I do? Go or stay here… No! I can't think like this. It's best if I stay here. After all, if I go, I'll just be a distraction for my dad. I thought, clenching my fists. Besides, how could I help him? I'm not strong at all…

With a lot of anger and helplessness in my heart, I decided to stay where I was.

Continuing to watch the fight, I noticed how the swords my father had dodged and blocked were absorbed by a purple liquid that mysteriously floated on the battlefield.

When they finished being absorbed, they disappeared without a trace.

"What? But… what kind of power is that?" I asked myself, knowing nothing about that spell. In an instant, the demon was absorbed by the same purple liquid I had seen earlier.

"What? Where did he go?" I asked, noticing the demon had completely vanished.

My father, noticing his enemy had disappeared, jumped back with both eyes closed.

"What is he doing?" I commented. Standing completely still, it didn't take long for the same purple liquid that had absorbed the demon to appear behind my father, along with one of the demon's swords.

"Watch out!" I shouted in fear, trying to warn him before the hand holding the sword was completely immobilized. Quickly, my father turned around and easily cut it off. The purple liquid disappeared, and seconds later, the demon reappeared several meters away with the hand cut off.

I screamed without thinking, but luckily, they didn't notice my presence. I was grateful to the rain and wind for covering my mistake. But still, what happened? Why didn't he go through my father?

The demon, with a smile, said something that made my father furious because without thinking much, he jumped at the demon to stab him directly in the head. Yes! He will finish him!

For some strange reason, the demon didn't try to defend himself but instead made a move to attack my father, making it seem like he didn't care about his own defense.

My father managed to land the blow, or so it seemed when his sword went through the demon's head without causing any damage.

On the other hand, the demon was ready to attack him, but for some strange reason, he stood still again.

My father quickly adjusted his stance to cut off the demon's head, but before he could deliver the final blow, he fell to his knees, vomiting blood instantly.

"Dad…" I whispered before making a tough decision. "That's enough, I can't just stay here watching, I'm going over there." I said, getting up while still watching what was happening.

My father, still on his knees, slowly raised a hand while the demon yelled at him. Once his only hand pointed directly at the demon, several spikes emerged from the ground, mercilessly piercing various parts of his pitch-black body.

Yes! He did it! I thought, full of joy, seeing a pool of blue blood forming under the demon's body, held in place by the spikes.

My father fell to the ground after his last attack, writhing for a moment before I finally approached him.

"Dad!!" I screamed with all my might, catching his attention.

"Watch out!" He shouted with blood in his mouth just before the purple liquid appeared beside me.

Enhancing my body with mana, I barely managed to dodge the purple sword that shot out at an impressive speed from the liquid.

What is happening? I thought, confused, seeing the demon fall to the ground with uncontrollable laughter. What? Did he pass through the spikes holding him?

"Hahaha! You did well, pet!" He said, looking directly at my father. "Pushing me to these extremes… Who would have thought? Who would have imagined that someone like you would know gravitational magic? It was a great surprise! I admit it! But still…" He continued, standing up and pulling a sword from the purple liquid that appeared at his side. "This is your end. Die!" He shouted before piercing my father's chest.

"NOOO!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs before charging at the demon.

"Now it's your turn, brat." He said, turning around, but just before the demon could move a muscle against me, he was brutally stabbed in the back.

"Don't think… you'll do the same… to my daughter… bastard!" My father said, blood in his mouth making it hard for him to speak.

The demon, after that last attack, stood still for a second.

"How are you still alive? I broke your damn mana core!" he said before my father decapitated him with his sword.

"Why... why are you here, Zoe? You should be... protecting Lady Irisha," my father said before collapsing to the ground.

"Don't talk anymore, please. Hold on, I'll try to heal you," I said, quickly filling my hands with mana.

"It's useless. The demon damaged my mana heart and... and broke my core," he responded, dying.

"No! You can't leave me! Please... hold on..." I said as tears once again flooded my face.

"Forgive me, daughter. I promised you I would come back... that I would be like before, but... I've failed you," he said weakly as his breathing grew slower.

He's right, it's useless... I can't heal him, with his core broken I can't do anything... I thought, filled with helplessness and fear.

"From... from what I could feel last, it seems Lord Kadian did it," he said, looking at me weakly. "Daughter... I'll... tell you everything through him, so... hold on," he continued, gradually losing the light in his eyes.

What? What is he talking about? I thought as dozens of questions started flooding my mind.

Confused, I began to feel the presence of Lord Kadian to my left.

I looked at him and saw he had several wounds and cuts all over his body, especially one on his neck and shoulder that made me wonder how he was still alive.

He also had a tough fight... I thought. discarding immature ideas that came to my mind for not helping my father in his battle.

With almost his entire torso covered in blood, he looked at me without anger or anything similar. "Zoe... what's his condition?" he asked in a worried voice.

"I tried to heal him... but I can't because the demon damaged his core," I replied, hoping Lord Kadian would give me a solution.

"I understand..." he said, looking at my father before signaling me to step aside.

As I did, Lord Kadian continued walking until he stood inches from my father. Slowly, he crouched down and placed his ear next to his mouth.

"Are you sure, Kurt?" Lord Kadian asked as he returned to his previous position. "Y-yes, I want her to continue... continue with my wife's legacy and mine."

"...Alright, I will fulfill your last request, dear friend," said Lord Kadian after looking at my father for a few seconds.

What are they talking about? I thought as desperation flooded my mind again. Is he going to help my father or not!?

Suddenly, the air around us became heavier than usual, and at the same time, my father began to glow. I stood still, thinking that Lord Kadian was healing him until my attention was drawn to a light coming from behind me. I turned and saw that my mother's body was glowing just like my father's.

"Come closer, Zoe," Lord Kadian ordered, signaling with his hand. "But..." I responded hesitantly. "They will be fine, don't worry."

Gaining courage from those words, I approached slowly. I kept walking until Lord Kadian gently grabbed my head and positioned me next to my father.

"Forgive me, daughter, just remember that... what we did and will do was and is for your good, we love you," my father finally said with a slight smile and tears in his eyes.

Before I could ask my father or Lord Kadian what was happening, my father's body lit up completely in a flash, then vanished without a trace.

"Dad...?" All that was left were the scraps of his clothes, his sword, and his armor on the sand.

I slowly turned around, and just like my father, my mother had also completely disappeared, leaving an empty space in my heart.

"Mom...?" I said weakly, losing all hope.

Just before I got lost in a cascade of thoughts and feelings, my gaze focused on Lord Kadian, who began coughing blood uncontrollably.

After a few seconds, he regained his composure, instantly creating a small golden sphere in his hand. This sphere quickly approached me, passing through my chest, reaching my mana heart, and then my core.

Instantly, the feeling of confusion and emotional pain I felt from losing my parents was replaced by a strange warmth that invaded my entire body, to the point that it made me fall to my knees on the sand.

What is happening to me? I thought, confused by the sudden changes in feelings I was experiencing. Once it was over, my body felt calm, without the urge to cry or think wildly.

"Ahh… Ahh… Ahh…" I exhaled heavily from the recent experience. Why do I feel calm? Why? Why...

"I-it seems it worked." Commented Lord Kadian before collapsing on the sand. "Worked? What are you talking about?" I asked after approaching him.

Upon closer look, I realized he was paler than usual, and his breathing was very slow. He's unconscious… it's useless to ask him anything now.

After thinking about what to do for a few seconds, I decided to take him to the camp for Lady Irisha to examine, but first, I made a hole in the sand with magic to bury my parents' clothes.

After the feeling of warmth gradually faded away, the pain in my heart returned once again.

Why? I asked myself as I cried silently, looking at my parents' graves. Why...

...

While carrying Lord Kadian, I noticed his breathing was getting slower.

I need to hurry, I can't let him die too. I commented before increasing my speed. When we were about 10 meters from his tent, the fabric door moved, revealing Irisha sitting next to a stone table.

"Lady Ir-Irisha, I… I couldn't—" I said, stuttering.

"I know what happened, Zoe… but for now, please just bring him in and lay him on the table." She said in a pleading tone. "As you command…" I nodded sadly.

Carrying him inside, I gently placed him on the table. "Should I leave, Lady Irisha?" I asked as she slowly approached due to her husband's condition.

"No, Zoe, stay, I'll need your help." She said before securing Lord Kadian's limbs and neck with sturdy stone shackles that wrapped around him. "Alright, I'll be ready for your orders." I replied, stepping aside.

Creating water at the tip of her palm, Lady Irisha began cleaning Lord Kadian's wounds one by one before healing them with magic.

Every so often, she asked me to open the door to dispose of the water, blood, and sand residues.

She treated him for hours, and each time she worked on a new wound, Lord Kadian would occasionally move from the pain, but the stone shackles held him firmly on the table.

"AAAHHH!!" Lord Kadian screamed when Lady Irisha reached the wound near his neck. She spent several minutes cleaning it before she could close it with powerful healing magic.

What powerful magic… I commented to myself. Once she finished, Lady Irisha fell to her knees, her breathing increasingly labored.

"Zoe… help me back to bed, I've used too much mana." She said, and I quickly ran to assist her. "Please, take Kadian to the other tent to rest, and after that, rest yourself as well." She said, already lying in bed.

"As you command." Seeing him again, I noticed he no longer had any wounds on his entire body. He's completely healed….

Once Lady Irisha released him, I had to lift him onto my back to carry him again and take him to his tent. Leaving him there, I went silently to my family's tent, finally having a moment alone.

The whole way, I stayed silent, having no words for everything that had happened. Inside, I went straight to my bed, lying down and burying my forehead into it.

Why? Why did things have to turn out this way? Why—. All the emotions I had released an hour ago by crying returned, making my chest feel strange.

Why…. It was a strange feeling because the thought that my parents would no longer be with me pierced my chest, causing more and more pain.

The pain continued until it was replaced by many tears, which then calmed my being enough to fall deeply asleep.

...

Huh? Where am I? I asked myself upon waking, still sleepy. What? Did I fall asleep on the furniture? Why?

"Hello, daughter," said a familiar voice behind me, making me remember everything that had happened in the past hours. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for not keeping my promise."

Turning quickly, I saw my father polishing his sword, sitting at the entrance of our garden.

Dad… My eyes quickly filled with tears, making me very emotional.

"Dad!" I shouted, running towards him, but before I could get too close, he raised his hand as if to tell me not to come any closer.

"Daughter, I'm just the mana that Lord Kadian extracted." My father said before continuing what he was doing. "But still, what I'm going to tell you is the truth, so please listen to me."

What? Mana? Does that mean he's still…

"I know you always wondered why your mom and I were so determined to follow Lord Kadian." He paused for a moment before continuing. "So, I'll tell you the things that happened in the past and what's to come soon."

"I was born to protect the Helkar family, and when I was young, I didn't really like the idea. But when I met Lord Kadian, I saw that he wasn't like the rest of the Helkar family. He didn't see me as disposable, he treated me like family. Thanks to him, I survived multiple times, and thanks to him, your mom and I were able to be together. We owe him everything. That's why your mom and I promised to serve him until our last days."

He paused again and stood up, handing me the sword he was polishing. "We won't force you to do it, but we hoped you'd do the same, take care of Lord Kadian and his family, support them in their goals."

"I still don't understand…" I muttered. "I can't wrap my head around it…"

"My only daughter, I want you to continue our legacy so you can be safe from the things that will come, things I'll tell you once you surpass me." He smiled.

"I love you, my daughter. You're our legacy, the legacy of your mom and me." Then, everything around us faded before I woke up.

Once I opened my eyes, everything was dark. Is it already night? 

I felt a tickle on my cheeks and tried to stop it, only to realize I was crying.

Was that a dream or did it really happen? I wondered. No, it wasn't a dream. That was my father…

Slowly, I got up and wiped my tears. I don't know what I'm going to do in the future, but for now, I'll stay with the Helkar family, waiting for a goal.

Just before I heard a loud scream outside the tent. "Zoe!"

"What's going on, Lord Kadian?" I responded, quickly running out of my tent. When I came out, I saw Lord Kadian looking really worried, like there was an emergency.

"It's Irisha, she's going into labor, I need your help." Without thinking, I nodded and followed him to Lady Irisha's tent.

When we got in, the first thing I heard was Lady Irisha's groaning in pain. This doesn't look good… I thought, seeing her sweating and twisting a bit from side to side.

Quickly, I cleansed my hands with water magic and began to help her.

Mother, I hope everything you taught me wasn't in vain. I thought, as I circulated my mana through Lady Irisha's body. After several minutes, I found the exact points of certain organs and, by influencing them, helped her enter labor.

When a baby is born, it takes mana from the mother, but Lady Irisha's mana levels are really low… This is dangerous, if she can't hang on, they'll both die. 

Several minutes passed, and the tension was becoming more obvious. Lady Irisha didn't have much strength or mana to give birth, and the fever she had was threatening to kill her.

Lady Irisha grabbed Lord Kadian's hand tightly while screaming loudly, just before a huge flash of light appeared in the sky, illuminating the entire tent for a few seconds.

"What is that!?" I screamed in fright. "I don't know, but it doesn't matter, whatever it is, it doesn't involve us. Focus on her," Lord Kadian said as he saw the baby starting to come out.

I quickly assisted her, and after a few minutes, she finally gave birth, revealing Lord Kadian's baby.

The baby had white hair, with red eyes like his mom's. Without wasting any more time, I took him to the crib they had set up a few days ago and wrapped him in some blankets to keep his temperature steady.

"Irisha? Irisha!?" Lord Kadian yelled as he saw Lady Irisha wasn't reacting. "Relax, she just fainted from the effort, she'll be fine after resting for a few hours." I said to calm him down.

Thank goodness she held on, I don't know what I would have done with another loss…. I thought before the sky lit up again, then darkened once more.

"I see… thanks Zoe." he said more calmly while looking at the sky from our tent. "And how's my legacy? How's Drake?"

So his name will be Drake. I thought to myself. "He…" I paused when I checked him.

Right! He didn't cry at all. "He… he's not breathing." I finished my sentence fearfully.

"What? What are you talking about?" he said, surprised, as he moved me aside to examine him.

"Shit! His core isn't generating mana." he said nervously. How can it not generate mana? If that's true, his mana heart won't be able to pump mana to the rest of his body, and his organs will collapse inevitably.

"I need to do something…" said Lord Kadian desperately. I slowly backed away and pulled the hood of my cloak over my head, trying to hide the shame and guilt I felt for not realizing Drake's condition sooner.

"I've got it!" Lord Kadian exclaimed before gathering an absurd amount of mana in his right hand. What's he going to do?

The mana he expelled turned into a golden liquid that quickly enveloped his entire hand. Confused, I watched with my own eyes as that very hand pierced Lord Kadian's mana heart.

But wha— I thought before another flash of light lit up the sky for a few seconds.

"Divine Level Magic, Divine Transfer!" he shouted before slowly pulling out his right hand in a fist shape.

What's that? A sphere? Wait! His chest… I thought as I saw Lord Kadian now holding a golden sphere, and his chest was intact.

Lord Kadian moved the small golden sphere towards his son's body. But when it was about to touch his skin, the sphere refused to enter Drake's body.

"Damn it! It lacks mana!" Lord Kadian yelled. "Step back with my wife, Zoe!"

I quickly took Lady Irisha to a corner of the tent, and just as I was about to return, I saw the sky light up again for a few seconds.

Why does the sky keep lighting up? I thought a bit anxiously.

Lord Kadian ignored what was happening outside, and quickly began gathering more mana from his core. He did this for a few tense minutes, and when he finished preparing, he started attracting the surrounding mana particles, creating a dense atmosphere inside the tent.

Once the mana gathered in the tent, he drew it into the palm of his hand, and then moved it slowly towards his son's body, making it suddenly shine.

But… that's too much mana for a baby! He won't survive!

After several negative thoughts passed through my mind, the baby cried, calming Lord Kadian.

"Phew… It worked." he said weakly. "Lord Kadian, are you okay?" I asked, seeing him very tired and with a lost look.

"Yes, I just need to rest…. By the way, Zoe, take care of my son and wife, I'm going outside to recover mana before I faint." he said before stumbling towards the exit.

"I must hurry, my core is paying the price for using many divine spells in one day." he whispered to himself before leaving the tent.

I still have many questions in my head…. I thought. And I'm sure that if it weren't for my father's words, I wouldn't know what to do now.

As I approached Drake, I noticed how he was slowly calming down. I kept watching as I reflected until an idea came to mind.

Yes, if my father's words are true, I'll use that. I'll use Lord Kadian's appreciation for my parents to become part of the Helkar family. They can't refuse, after all, they owe me a family. I thought while remembering my father's last words.

"Right? Little brother." I said with a slight smile before withdrawing to organize things for tomorrow while thinking about the future.

J口ちHひ丹: From this point on, the story will be told from the protagonist's perspective, so if you want to keep reading, please support me. It helps me keep writing and improving <3.< em>