But Lucian stood still, his gaze fixated on the battle outside.
His face was expressionless, but inside, his mind churned with doubt and dread.
He heard their pleas, but he did not respond.
He knew why the boy had asked him to open the domain in the first place.
He knew that the boy had wanted them—his family—safe, away from the fight, away from Zhulthar.
They would only get in the way. Zhulthar wouldn't hesitate to kill them without a second thought.
And if that happened, Samiel's sacrifice would be in vain.
'But is this truly the prophesied one?' Lucian's doubts grew louder with every strike Samiel endured. The boy showed no signs of tapping into any hidden power, no miraculous surge of strength. He was just enduring, being beaten over and over again without fighting back. 'This... can't be him.' Lucian's heart sank. 'I've misjudged him. This isn't the one meant to free us. He's just... a boy fighting for his family...'