Chapter 123: Ifrith Denies entry

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Ifrith Denies entry

.....I wanted to."

The words hung between them, heavy with meaning that neither of them seemed quite ready to fully acknowledge. Celestial’s smile grew just a fraction wider, and Theon felt something warm spread through his chest.

"I’m glad you’re awake."

"So am I." Theon’s voice was quiet.

The moment stretched on, comfortable and warm, until a sharp crack echoed through the chamber and shattered the fragile peace like glass striking stone. Both of them turned toward the source of the sound, their bodies tensing instinctively, and Theon found his gaze drawn toward the door just as it burst open with enough force to slam against the wall.

Ifrith strode through the doorway, his presence filling the room as though he had every right to be there. His expression was composed, controlled, but there was something in his eyes that spoke of barely restrained emotion. When he saw Theon sitting upright, his carefully maintained mask cracked for just a moment, revealing a flash of relief that disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"Master."

Theon looked at him, noting the tension in his shoulders, the way he held himself as though waiting for something terrible to happen.

"Ifrith."

The Primodial demon took a step closer, and then his gaze landed on Celestial. The shift in his expression was immediate and unmistakable. His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened, and the relief he had shown just moments before transformed into something that looked very much like irritation.

"You actually got in."

Celestial turned toward him, and Theon noticed that she did not release his hand.

"I told you I would." Celestial replied

"I told you were not allowed inside." Ifrith said.

"And I told you that I needed to see him." Celestial replied.

Their voices began rising, the tension between them growing with every exchanged word, and Theon watched in silence as his headache began to return with renewed intensity.

"You were disturbing his recovery."

"I just wanted to make sure he was alive." Said celestial

"You could have waited." Ifrith replied.

"I had already waited eight days." Said celestial in a frustrated voice.

The argument continued to escalate, their words growing sharper and more heated with each passing moment. Theon closed his eyes briefly, wondering how he had managed to wake up to such immediate chaos.

"I begged you every day to let me see him." Celestial said while placing her hand at the edge of the bed.

"And I refused every day." Ifrith replied with a annoying voice.

"Exactly!" Celestial said while trying to defend herself.

"Because he needed rest." Ifrith said while pointing towards theon on the bed.

"But I needed to know that he was still breathing!"

The last words came out with an emotional rawness that silenced the room. Theon opened his eyes to find that Celestial’s expression had changed, the anger fading to be replaced by something far more vulnerable.

She looked back at theon, and her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I just wanted to know you were okay."

Theon stared at her for a long moment, understanding settling into his chest with the weight of truth. Whatever had happened during the week he had been unconscious, it had affected her deeply, had left marks that would not easily fade.

He raised one hand, and everyone stopped.

"Enough."

The room went quiet, the tension still present but muted now, and on hold. Theon sat against the headboard, still feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him, still aware of every ache and pain in his body despite the miraculous healing he had apparently received.

"I’ve been unconscious for seven days and would love to know what happened in my absence. So tell me what happened while I was unconscious.?"

Ifrith remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward. His expression was grim, his usual composure replaced by something more serious.

"After you collapsed in the forest, we carried you out. You weren’t responding, and we didn’t know how serious your condition was, so we left immediately."

Theon listened, his expression tightening.

"And the others?" Theon asked.

Ifrith nodded.

"They survived."

Relief crossed Theon’s face, but it was tempered by the knowledge that there was more to come.

"But..." Ifrith paused for a few seconds and continued. "When we reached the entrance of the forest, the instructors were already there. They were with the other students. Many of them were injured. Some could barely stand. Some were in much worse condition."

Theon’s fingers curled against the sheets as he asks. "What happened to them?"

Ifrith looked directly at him.

"The battle within the forest affected them."

Theon stared at him, his mind piecing together fragments of memory and understanding. The strange disturbances, the fighting, the power unleashed within the Ancient Forest had not been contained within its borders. It had spread and touched lives beyond those who had been present, had created consequences that he was only now beginning to understand.

"So they were caught in it."

"Yes."

Theon remained silent, thinking about how he had entered the forest with his own objective, focused on surviving and finding the Spirit Sovereign and protecting those around him. He hadn’t considered what the battle might have done beyond the place where it occurred, hadn’t thought about the ripple effects that would spread outward and affect people he had never even met.

His expression darkened as he asked one more question that’s been weighing on him.

"And how did we even get into the Ancient Forest?"

Ifrith answered calmly.

"The Forest of Spirits has a boundary. That boundary contains a teleportation spell. Anyone who crosses it is transferred toward the eastern region of the Ancient Forest."

Theon stared at him as a piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place as he said. "So that’s how it happened."

He leaned back against the headboard, and a tired sigh escaped him. The room was quiet for several moments, and then Theon noticed Celestial watching him again.

"There is something I don’t understand."

"What?" She said as she tilted her head.

"Why were you climbing in through the balcony?"

Celestial’s expression became slightly embarrassed, and Ifrith immediately sighed.

"Here we go." Ifrith said but Celestial ignored him.

"I tried to visit you."

"I heard." Theon said while raising an eyebrow.

"Every day apparently but Ifrith wouldn’t let me in."

Ifrith folded his arms and said in his defense "You were disturbing my master."

"I was worried about him." Celestial corrected.

"You were being dramatic." Ifrith said again.

Celestial glared at him and said "I was concerned."

"Too concerned that you had to break in."

Theon’s eyebrow twitched, and he looked toward the balcony before turning back to Celestial.

"You climbed all the way up there?"

Celestial nodded and said "I tried flying in, but the barrier stopped me."

Theon glanced at Ifrith, who looked completely unapologetic.

"So you climbed instead?"

Celestial gave him a small smile.

"What else was I supposed to do?"

Theon stared at her.

"You could have waited."

"I had already waited."

Her voice softened. " I was worried and didn’t know whether you would survive."

That softened voice with a hint of pure Truth silenced him, and Celestial looked down at their hands still joined together.

"I just wanted to see my betrothed."

Theon’s expression spiked in shock at what he just heard, and before he could respond, Lyra suddenly spoke.

"My brother doesn’t have a betrothed."

Everyone turned toward her, and Celestial blinked before smiling.

"Oh."

She crouched slightly so she could look Lyra in the eyes.

"You’re so adorable."

Lyra froze, her stern expression immediately melting in the face of the compliment. Theon stared at his sister, thinking about how much she really did like being praised.

Lyra crossed her arms, trying to recover her dignity.

"Well... you’re not a terrible choice for him."

Theon covered his face with one hand as he said in his thoughts *aren’t you the one who told me you would protect from things like this lyra.*

A faint laugh escaped Celestial, and then her gaze returned to him with renewed softness.

"I came here every day. On the first day, I begged Ifrith to let me see you."

Ifrith sighed and "He was unconscious."

"I know." Celestial replied

"He needed rest." Ifrith continued.

"I know that too." Celestial said in an understanding voice then she looked at Theon and said to him. "But I couldn’t stop worrying."

Theon said nothing as Celestial’s fingers tightened around his.

"When the barrier went up, I tried getting through it but It wouldn’t let me anytime I tried it struck me back."

"I imagine Ifrith was quite proud of that." Theon said then Ifrith gave a satisfied nod as he said "I was."

Celestial rolled her eyes at Ifrith "So I climbed in."

Theon glanced toward the balcony again, then back at her.

"You really climbed that entire distance just to see me?"

Celestial met his eyes without hesitation.

"Yes. That’s how far am willing to go to prove my love for you."