Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 376: Cleansing Lucas 2

"Step back a little," Jennifer said softly, her hands glowing faintly as she withdrew the last thread of healing qi, "his condition is stable now, but I need room to work properly."

"We’re not leaving," Lira replied immediately, her voice tight with emotion, "just tell us what you need."

"Give me the space to do my duty," Jennifer answered calmly, "you hovering won’t help him heal faster."

"Fine," Selene said after a short pause, "but we stay close."

"Xavier," Nyx said quietly, leaning closer to him, "can you hear us clearly now."

"I can," Lucas replied hoarsely, "and I feel much better than I should."

"That’s because you scared us half to death," Henrietta said, her tone sharp but trembling underneath, "do you have any idea what it felt like watching you burn like that."

"I do now," Lucas said gently, "and I’m sorry."

"Sorry doesn’t cover it," Lira muttered, rubbing another layer of ointment onto his arm, "don’t ever do that again."

"Lira," Lucas said, "mirror."

"A mirror," Selene echoed, startled, "why do you want to see that now."

"Please," Lucas insisted quietly.

Selene hesitated before saying, "All right," and a moment later added, "I’m holding it, don’t move."

"...So that’s how it looks," Lucas murmured after a long silence.

"Stop staring," Lira said quickly, "it’s only scars."

"They’re not ordinary scars," Lucas replied, still calm, "healing stopped because the inferno carried abyssal darkness."

Jennifer stiffened slightly and asked, "You can feel it still circulating."

"Yes," Lucas answered, "it’s threaded through my meridians and clinging to my core."

"That explains why the ointments aren’t working," Jennifer said quietly, "they’re being rejected."

Nyx clenched her fists and said, "Then we should cleanse it again."

"We already did," Selene replied, "that’s why he woke up at all."

Lucas nodded slowly and said, "If you hadn’t thought of meditating and cleansing me together, I would still be unconscious."

"Or worse," Lira whispered.

"I would have slept for days," Lucas continued, "maybe slipped into a coma."

Henrietta exhaled shakily and said, "Don’t say things like that so casually."

"It’s the truth," Lucas replied, "the dark energy is stubborn, I’ll have to filter it out bit by bit."

"How long," Nyx asked softly.

Lucas paused before answering, "As long as it takes."

"And until then," Jennifer said carefully, "you will not overexert yourself."

Lucas gave a faint chuckle and replied, "I don’t think my body will allow me to."

"Good," Lira said firmly, "because you’re not fighting anything anytime soon."

The ice belle pressed closer to his head and said in a small, strained voice, "You scared me."

"I know," Lucas replied softly, "but I’m here now."

"Don’t do that again," she said, gripping him tighter.

"I’ll try," Lucas answered quietly.

"No," Selene said firmly, "you will."

"...All right," Lucas said after a moment, "I will."

Nyx rose quietly from her seat beside the bed, careful not to disturb the fragile calm that had settled in the tent, and as she looked down at Lucas her eyes lingered on his scarred face for a moment longer than necessary before she spoke.

"I’ll inform the king and your father," she said softly, her voice steady despite the tension she carried, "they deserve to know you are awake."

Lucas nodded slowly, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing against his thoughts, and answered, "Tell them I’m alive and recovering," knowing full well how close everyone had come to losing their composure when they saw him carried across the abyss.

Nyx gave him a firm look and added, "Do not try to move while I’m gone," before turning toward the tent entrance.

"I won’t," Lucas replied, though inwardly he knew his body would not allow him to even if he tried.

As the tent flap fell closed behind Nyx, the quiet became heavier, broken only by the faint rustle of cloth and the subtle movements of those gathered around him, and Lucas took a slow breath that made his burned skin sting faintly as he turned his gaze toward Lira.

"Lira," he said, his voice low.

She leaned closer at once, concern etched into her face as she answered, "I’m here."

"I need a mask," Lucas said after a brief pause, already anticipating the reaction, "something simple that can cover my face."

Lira’s hands stilled and she frowned, confusion mixing with worry as she asked, "A mask," then followed with, "Why would you need that."

Lucas closed his eyes for a moment, the memory of his reflection in the mirror still vivid in his mind, the charred skin and uneven scars refusing to fade no matter how much healing energy was poured into them, and he replied calmly, "Because this is not something I want the entire camp staring at."

"That doesn’t matter," Lira said immediately, her voice tightening, "none of us care about that."

"I know," Lucas answered quietly, "but they will."

Selene stepped closer, her expression thoughtful as she spoke, "You’re thinking about morale," then added, "about how soldiers see their leaders."

Lucas opened his eyes and looked at her, acknowledging the truth in her words even as he said, "And about focus," because the last thing he wanted was pity or fear following him through the camp.

Henrietta crossed her arms and said, "You’ve never cared about appearances before," her tone carrying a mix of disbelief and concern.

"I still don’t," Lucas replied, his voice steady despite the dull ache spreading through his meridians, "but war camps are full of whispers and I don’t want to become one."

Lira hesitated, then nodded slowly and said, "I’ll get one for you," already turning to leave.

"Thank you," Lucas replied, watching her go before releasing a long breath that felt heavier than it should have.

As silence settled again, a bitter thought surfaced in his mind, and before he could stop himself he murmured, "It’s strange."

Selene tilted her head and asked gently, "What is."

"The empress," Lucas said, his lips curving into a faint, humorless smile as the image of her veiled face came to him, "she had to hide her face from the world until i healed her."

Henrietta’s expression softened as she listened, understanding dawning in her eyes.

"And now," Lucas continued, his thoughts echoing the words, "it seems it’s my turn."

"You’re not hiding forever," Selene said firmly, refusing to let the idea settle.

"I know," Lucas replied, "just until I cleanse the inferno and abyssal residue from my body," because he could still feel it threading through his meridians like dormant embers waiting for a spark.

The ice belle drifted closer, hovering beside his head, her small form radiating quiet concern as she pressed against him and whispered, "You’re still you."

Lucas felt something loosen in his chest at those words, and despite the pain and exhaustion he allowed himself a faint smile as he thought, scars or not, he was still standing, still breathing, and still moving forward.