Chapter 351: After All These Years

Regis stared at Anna as the image of a golden figure beneath an enormous finger surfaced in his mind.

’To think she was the Executor back then...’

He had never seen that person’s face clearly. At the time, even approaching the golden light had felt like asking to be killed.

’Hmm... They already know I have demonic power anyway. Telling her what happened might help my case.’

His gaze briefly moved towards Vanessa. However, there were things he could not explain without exposing the others as well, and admitting that he had been in Toran did not mean he needed to reveal everything.

"Yes," he answered. "I was there."

Levada shifted beside Anna, and Killian immediately straightened despite the pain in his side. Pandora’s fingers loosened around Regis’s sleeve as she watched the elven woman’s hands, while Aurelia moved closer from the other side.

Anna noticed all three reactions. They had barely enough strength to sit through having their wounds cleaned, yet they were preparing to fight two executors.

"I only want to hear what happened," she said.

"Brother..." Pandora looked towards him. "You don’t have to tell them everything."

Regis gave her a small nod before returning his attention to Anna.

"I was one of the children the cult kidnapped. They forced demonic power into us and made us do things for them."

He paused, remembering the villages they had entered and the people who had begged them to stop. Beside him, Vanessa lowered her eyes.

"Eventually, I managed to turn against them. That happened in Toran."

"You escaped during the summoning?" Anna asked.

"After it. There wasn’t anywhere safe to run while that finger was coming down."

"I was there too," Vanessa said.

Regis turned towards her, but she met Anna’s gaze and continued.

"They kidnapped me as well. What he’s telling you is true. Regis was the reason we got out."

Perto sat quietly beside her, his attention fixed on the ground. Further away, Morgana had stopped crying to listen, although Rumi still kept an arm around her.

Anna looked from Vanessa to Regis. "Did you create those black-red flames?"

"Yes."

"I thought another demon had appeared." She studied his face for a moment before adding, "I was waiting for you to attack me."

Regis could not help but smile wryly.

"Attack you? I thought I’d die just getting close to you. I couldn’t do anything about that finger, so I went after the power feeding the summoning instead."

Anna’s expression changed.

"The rivers of demonic power..."

"I absorbed what I could."

"You were the one making them disappear?"

Regis nodded, and Anna fell silent. She remembered how the pressure had lessened when she was almost unable to continue. There had been no reinforcements in sight, yet the power sustaining the summoning had begun to decrease.

She had never found out why.

"That gave me a chance to push it back," she said quietly.

Regis blinked before letting out a soft breath. "Then it did help..."

Anna nodded. His explanation did not answer every question, but it matched something she had witnessed herself.

"Thank you."

The unexpected words left him unsure how to respond. Killian glanced between them, while Pandora’s attention finally moved away from Levada’s hands.

"You can ask about him in Harmonia too," Aurelia said. "He’s helped a lot of people there. The Adventurer’s Guild knows him."

Auryn looked towards her younger sister. This time, she made no attempt to call her back, while Patti remained beside the group without interrupting.

"We can look into that," Anna replied.

The elven woman returned with fresh bandages, slowing when she saw the two executors. Anna stood and moved aside to let her approach.

"Let them finish treating you. We’ll speak again after you’ve rested."

"Are you taking him somewhere?" Killian asked.

"For now, he needs to stay here."

"Then we’re staying with him."

Anna glanced over the wounded gathered around Regis. "I wasn’t asking you to leave."

She and Levada stepped away, stopping where they could speak without disturbing the healer.

"Those three were ready to attack us," Levada said in a low voice.

"I noticed."

"They know the difference in our strength. Even in that condition, the slightest move against him would have been enough."

Anna looked back. Aurelia was helping the healer arrange the bandages, while Killian had finally lowered himself again. Pandora remained close enough for her shoulder to touch Regis’s.

"Then we should be careful about how we question him."

Levada let out a quiet breath. "We still have plenty to ask."

"I know."

***

Regis endured the sting of having his remaining wounds cleaned as he watched the executors converse.

Anna had thanked him, but neither woman had said he was free to leave. They still needed to investigate him, and he had no idea what would happen afterward.

’There goes my chance at Grandella...’

He had been counting the time until he turned sixteen, looking forward to finally meeting Dahlia again. They had exchanged letters for years, and he had imagined telling her everything that had happened once they were together.

Now, he could not even be certain he would leave Paradis without being taken somewhere for questioning.

’How am I supposed to keep my promise like this?’

He lowered his gaze when the healer asked him to hold a bandage in place. Aurelia helped when his injured wrist made the task difficult, and he quietly thanked her.

Once the woman finished, she reminded him to avoid moving unnecessarily before going to attend to another patient.

Regis watched Killian shift to make room for her. His friend’s clothes were torn and bloodstained, and the attempt to sit comfortably made him grimace.

Beyond him, Vanessa was speaking softly to Perto. Morgana had fallen quiet against Rumi, while Aeola and Raxon stayed beside Marzana.

There were so few of them.

A memory he had been trying to avoid surfaced as he looked at their familiar faces.

’I won’t let another one of my friends die. Alaric will be the last...’

He remembered saying those words beneath the stars years ago. Back then, he had just grown stronger and believed that, if he kept going, he would be able to protect the people around him.

"Brother?"

Pandora’s voice brought him back. Regis looked towards her, only to realise that his vision had blurred.

A tear fell onto his robe.

He hurriedly raised his uninjured hand to wipe his face, but more followed before he could stop them.

"I promised..."

Killian opened his mouth, then closed it as Regis struggled to draw a steady breath.

He had already cried for Alaric. He had already sworn that he would never let it happen again. Yet after everything he had gained, he was sitting among the people who remained, unable to do anything for those they had lost.

Pandora carefully leaned against him, avoiding his bandages. Aurelia took his hand, and he held onto it as his shoulders began to tremble.

"I thought I could..."

His voice broke before he could finish.

Vanessa fell silent. Perto covered his eyes, while Morgana began crying again beside Rumi.

Nobody asked Regis to stop. Killian stayed beside him, his own head lowered, and for a while, they simply sat together.

***

By the time Anna returned, Regis had managed to steady his breathing. His eyes were still sore, and he accepted the water Aurelia offered without speaking.

Marzana lifted her head as the executor approached.

"Can we see Flonaralavenrosa now?"

Anna looked at the fresh bandages covering her wounds. "If you feel well enough to go. You’ll need help walking."

"Aeola and I will help her," Raxon said.

Marzana glanced towards Regis, but hesitated when she saw the bandages around his body. He had only just stopped crying, and she knew how much it had taken for him to bring them here.

"Regis..."

He lowered his cup and followed her gaze towards the centre of the city.

"You want me to take a look?"

She nodded slowly. "You helped us with our curses before. But I know this is different."

Her eyes moved towards Aeola and Raxon before returning to him.

"I don’t know who else to ask."

Regis remained quiet for a moment. Helping Equilla did not mean he would be able to do anything for Flonaralavenrosa, especially when even the nature of its curse was still unknown.

"I can look," he said. "I can’t promise anything before I’ve seen it."

Marzana’s shoulders relaxed a little. "That’s enough. Thank you."

"But I’ll need to rest a bit longer first." Regis glanced down at his injured leg. "I don’t think I can make it there yet."

"Then we’ll wait," she replied.

Anna looked between them before nodding. "Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll take you there."

"I’ll come as well," Levada added.

Regis met her gaze and nodded. He had not expected her to let him wander off without supervision anyway.

Marzana settled back beside Aeola, but before the conversation could end, Regis thought of something.

"Marzana... Does the Ancient Tree have a soul?"

She looked towards him and nodded.

"Yes. Flonaralavenrosa is said to be Goddess Yggdrasilia’s younger sister. She has a soul just like her, but she hasn’t had as much time to nurture it."