Chapter 10: Separation

The silence in the room was heavy, hanging like mist between two hearts burdened by grief and confusion. Henrry finally broke it.

"Why did you come after me?" he asked Mclery, his voice low and tense. "They were taking me away. You should've stayed behind. Why did you jump into the portal?"

Mclery, sitting across from him, looked down at his hands, guilty and uncertain. "I couldn't let them take you like that," he replied. "I tried to stop them… I really did. But the moment I touched you, the portal pulled both of us in."

Henrry didn't say anything. The wound of his father's death was still fresh, and Mclery's presence—though comforting in a strange way—felt like a painful reminder.

Before either could say more, the door to the chamber opened with a faint creak. Several robed figures entered, their steps soft, faces calm. They wore pale green and white garments adorned with natural symbols—leaves, vines, and glowing herbs stitched into the fabric. Members of the Aushadhi Clan, the most skilled healers of Abron. Without a word, they approached Henrry and Mclery, gently placing their hands on their foreheads and chests. A faint glow surrounded them, and a warm sensation swept over their bodies. Whatever cuts or bruises they had were healed within moments.

Mia and his companion with distint features red-hair boy with slight tone skin who had brought them through the portal stood silently at the back. The Aushadhi clan members spoke quietly to the red-hair boy in a language the others didn't understand, then nodded and left the room as quietly as they had come.

The boy turned toward Henrry and Mclery with a slight smile. "You're both healed now," he said. "The Aushadhi clan took care of you."

"My name is Ronnie," the boy said. "We need to leave soon. It's not safe to stay here too long."

Mia stepped forward. "Right now, we're in the Doved Belt, a territory protected by the Aushadhi Clan. But our Infinity Clan can't remain in one place for long. The Imperial Clan is actively hunting us, and we're hiding here… temporarily."

With that, Ronnie and Mia turned and stepped out. After a few minutes, Henrry and Mclery followed, stepping into the open space outside the chambers.

Mia looked up as they approached. "We need to go now. If we leave immediately, we'll reach our destination by nightfall. We have to take you to Master Ujaraq only seventh- rank mage in infinity clan—he's the only one who can guide you from here and also help you understand everything."

Henrry and Mclery began walking with them when suddenly Ronnie stopped.

"Mclery," Ronnie said, turning to him, "you can't come with us."

Henrry blinked in disbelief. "What? Why not?"

Ronnie sighed and explained, "To use magic or powers in Abron, your body must possess 'mana'—a kind of energy in the surroundings, without mana you can't use magic or knight. The Aushadhi Clan told us that Henrry, you have mana in your body. But Mclery… you don't. Without mana, he won't be able to defend himself or even protect others. We can't afford to take risks."

Henrry stepped forward, defiant. "He came all this way for me! He risked everything! And now you want to leave him behind?"

Mia intervened gently. "Henrry, please try to understand. If we take Mclery, we'll have to protect both of you, and that divides our strength. Right now, that's a risk we can't afford."

"But what will he do here?" Henrry asked, frustrated. "He came for me!"

"I already spoke to Master Uri of the Aushadhi Clan," Mia said. "She's agreed to keep Mclery safe here. They'll give him a role—something useful but far from danger."

"What kind of role?" Henrry asked suspiciously.

Ronnie gave a half-smile, half-laugh. "They've offered him a position as the 'Herb Boy'. He'll take care of the herbs in the clan's healing gardens."

Henrry opened his mouth to argue again, but Mclery stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"They're right," Mclery said softly. "I don't want to be a burden. And I definitely don't want to put you in more danger. If staying here helps keep you safe, then I'll do it."

Ronnie clapped his hands once. "See? Your friend gets it."

Mia glare at Ronnie and intervene his talk " Mclery, Herb Boy are cover for you so that attacker doesn't recognize you and Aushadhi Clan is peaceful Clan they don't participate in war so you will be safe here."

Henrry clenched his fist but didn't argue further he knew that this is best outcome.

As the three of them prepared to leave, Mclery suddenly ran up to Henrry, holding something in his hand. It glinted in the sunlight—a silver ring.

"This," Mclery said, "fell near Uncle James. I found it after the attack. I… I kept it for you."

Henrry took the ring and examined it, puzzled. "This wasn't my dad's," he said. "I've never seen it before."

Mia leaned closer and gasped. "That's not an ordinary ring. Look at the symbol… it belongs to the Beast Clan."

Everyone froze.

"That means," Mia continued, "the person who attacked you… the one who killed your father… was from the Beast Clan."

Henrry's fist clenched tightly around the ring. His eyes burned—not with tears this time, but with rage.

"Thank you," Henrry said quietly, still gripping the ring. "You gave me a piece of the man who killed my dad."

Then, without warning, he pulled Mclery into a hug. It was tight, almost desperate.

"Take care of yourself," Henrry whispered. "I'll come find you. As soon as I can."

Mclery hugged him back, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "You too"

As Ronnie, Mia, and Henrry started walking away, Henry turned one last time, waving at his friend. Mia waved too, while Ronnie smirked over his shoulder.

Mclery watched them disappear into the distance, his heart heavy with worry and longing. A part of him wanted to run after them, but he knew that wouldn't help.

Henrry, too, kept glancing back as they moved through the woods. He trusted Mia and Ronnie… but deep inside, a question remained:

Will Mclery really be safe here?