Chapter132

Linora's POV

I didn't know if it was because of the blood I had lost, but it felt as though I had been asleep for an eternity. Time stretched endlessly, dissolving into something intangible and distant.

Perhaps my soul had drifted back to Magmell.

In the haze of semi-consciousness, I began to feel faint stirrings within myself. Even though my eyes remained closed, my awareness started to return, like the faint glow of dawn breaking over a dark horizon.

I could feel my blood flowing again, warmth gradually spreading through my body, chasing away the suffocating chill that had enveloped me. The pain that had gripped me seemed to dissipate, replaced by a soothing sensation, as if I were being cradled in an unseen embrace.

I was still weak, but I was undeniably alive.

And this… this was nothing like how I had felt in Magmell.

In this half-dreaming, half-waking state, my mind wandered through a vivid tapestry of memories. I saw fleeting glimpses of familiar faces, sunlit streets of Hybrasil, and fragments of moments I had cherished—or lost—along the way. These dreams, vivid and elusive, felt like reminders of unfinished business, urging me to wake up and continue my journey.

Time passed—minutes, hours, perhaps days. It was impossible to tell.

At last, I felt the heaviness in my eyelids begin to lift. My body stirred slightly, reclaiming control bit by bit. With great effort, I slowly opened my eyes.

Above me was a familiar ceiling.

This… this was unmistakably my bedroom.

This was my room in Hybrasil.

I blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. A flood of questions rushed into my mind, one after another.

Hadn't I… died?

Was this some illusion of Magmell?

But no—Magmell hadn't looked like this. That realm had been cold, shadowy, suffused with an otherworldly stillness. This was something else entirely.

I turned my head stiffly, my gaze sweeping across the room. Everything was as I remembered it, down to the smallest detail. And yet, it all felt distant, as though I were looking at it through a veil.

Before I could gather my thoughts, the door to my room creaked open.

"Oh, Lianora! You're awake!"

The voice, trembling with emotion, belonged to my mother.

I shifted my gaze toward the doorway and saw her rushing toward me, her face etched with both joy and tears. She dropped to her knees beside my bed, gripping my hand tightly, her voice breaking as she spoke.

"My darling, my sweet girl, you're finally awake!"

"Mother…" My voice came out as a faint whisper, hoarse and unfamiliar to my own ears. I tried to sit up, but my body refused to cooperate. Even lifting my hand felt like an insurmountable effort.

"Stay still," she urged gently, her tears streaming down her cheeks in steady rivulets. Turning to the maid nearby, she called out, "Go fetch Mr Lee at once! Tell him Lianora is awake!"

Moments later, my father appeared at the door, frozen in place as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Then, all at once, he was at my side, gathering me into his arms. His voice, thick with emotion, was a mix of laughter and tears.

"Lianora… oh, my sweet Lianora. You're back. Seven months… it's been seven months…"

"Seven months?" My words barely escaped my lips, brittle and rasping like a breeze through dry leaves.

My father nodded, his hand brushing over my hair as though to assure himself I was real. "Yes, my dear… seven long months. We thought…" His voice faltered, choking on the weight of words left unsaid.

"What about the war?" I asked, my voice stronger this time, though still shaky.

For a moment, my father looked surprised by the question. Then, he smiled softly, as if to reassure me. "It's over. The war is over. The Sky Cities and Tirfothuinn have reached an accord. The Five Cities are united once more under a new treaty. There's no need for you to worry about such things anymore."

A wave of relief swept over me, loosening the knot that had been coiled tight in my chest.

"And Tirfothuinn?" I pressed, my heart beating faster now.

"I've heard that under the leadership of Matthew Duskmire, things are thriving," my father replied matter-of-factly.

Hearing his name sent a tremor through me, a delicate but unmistakable ripple of emotion.

He was all right.

From my father's tone, I could tell that his interactions with Matthew had been purely formal, limited to matters of diplomacy. And it seemed Matthew had no idea that my soul was no longer tethered to Deborah, that I had returned to my original body.

I closed my eyes briefly, swallowing the surge of feelings that threatened to rise.

"How…" My voice cracked. "How was I… brought back?"

My father's expression tightened, and he glanced toward my mother, who let out a quiet sigh before answering.

"It was Chad."

Hearing his name struck me like a thunderclap.

She continued, her voice laced with sorrow. "Chad knew of Lugh Edwards' schemes long before the rest of us. He came to us with a plan—a way to safeguard the family through a staged death, to preserve the Lee bloodline. He prepared everything."

A shadow crossed her face. "But even he didn't anticipate the massacre at Hybrasil. He couldn't have known Lugh would go that far."

I turned my gaze to her, my heart pounding. "You knew?" My voice rose slightly. "You knew all of this?"

She nodded silently, her eyes filled with guilt.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The words spilled from my lips, a mixture of disbelief and hurt.

My parents exchanged a glance, and my father sighed heavily. "You weren't ready to know, Lianora. At the time, you needed to be protected from the cruelty of it all."

For a moment, I couldn't find my voice. Waves of emotion crashed over me—anger, grief, and, most of all, guilt.

All this time, I had been wrong about Chad.

His plans, his actions—everything he had done—had been to protect me and my family. And yet, I had doubted him, resented him, even hated him at times.

"Where is Chad now?" I asked, my voice trembling with urgency.

My mother's eyes darkened, and she looked away.

"Mother… Father…" My tone sharpened. "Where is Chad?"

After a long pause, my father sat on the edge of the bed, taking my hand gently. His voice was quiet but heavy with meaning.

"Lianora… your soul was bound to another through the Necrobind spell. And as you know, Necrobind requires a life to be exchanged for a life."

I stared at him, my breath caught in my throat. "And?"

He met my gaze, his expression unreadable. "In the end, it was Chad who cast the spell. He sacrificed his life to return your soul to your body."

The air left my lungs in a rush, leaving me hollow and numb.

Chad…

Chad had sacrificed himself for me.

"But how?" I whispered, my mind reeling. "I never knew he was a sorcerer…"

My father nodded. "His father was a warlock. Chad inherited his abilities, though he rarely used them."

My vision blurred as tears welled in my eyes. The weight of realization bore down on me, suffocating and inescapable.

"His last wish…" My voice cracked. "What was it?"

My mother stepped forward, her voice soft but resolute.

"His last wish was for your happiness."