The Road To Redemption

Lucian managed to locate the house that Sarai had been occupying. As he walked down the road, the lingering fear of the people was evident, given his formidable reputation. He stood outside the house, his heart pounding with trepidation that this may not turn out the way he hoped.

He had treated Visenya terribly, that he could admit, but he wasn’t ready to give up on them, not without showing her the depth of his remorse and the authenticity of his love. He wanted to prove to her that he was no longer the man he used to be. Visenya deserved someone who cherished her and he wanted to be that man more than anything in the world.

Lucian knocked on the door, his resolve unwavering. When the door swung open, he was met with Sarai's cold glare, her disdain for him clear as day.

"I'd like to speak to Visenya... please," he humbly stated his purpose.

"She isn't here," Sarai said curtly.

His senses heightened as he caught a trace of Visenya's scent, leading him to believe that Sarai was deliberately trying to hide her from him. He stepped inside the house, calling out her name as he roamed from room to room in search of her, but she was nowhere to be found.

"She was here," Sarai revised. "But she left a short while ago."

"Where did she go?" Lucian pried, his curiosity evident.

"I don't know," Sarai said, her tone tinged with frustration.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Lucian questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I mean... I do not know where she is," Sarai sassed, her annoyance seeping into her words. "We had an... incident, and she ran off. Caspian has been out looking for her for the past hour, but there are no tracks or remnants of her scent whatsoever. It's as if she just vanished into thin air."

"You said she left after an incident?" Lucian inquired, his concern growing. "What incident?"

Sarai hesitated, her eyes darting behind him towards Synora, who was wrapped in a blanket on the sofa. He instinctively followed her gaze, his attention drawn to the teary child with a bandage on the side of her face.

"What happened to her?" Lucian questioned, his tone laced with genuine concern.

“You happened.” Sarai accused, producing a puzzled look from Lucian. “What ever you did to Visenya, whatever you passed on to her… she lost control and burned her sister.”

“She didn’t mean to hurt me…” Synora whimpered. “It was an accident.”

"I know," Sarai replied, her voice carrying a somber tone.

Despite Lucian's seemingly innocuous steps towards Synora, Sarai swiftly positioned herself in front of her, shielding her from any potential harm.

He extended his hand, conjuring a mesmerizing blue flame from his fingertips. “I only want to help.”

The alluring sapphire flame captured Sarai’s attention, reminding her of its extraordinary ability to heal. She turned to Synora and carefully removed the dressings, revealing the gruesome burn that marred her sweet little face. Synora flinched in terror as Lucian drew near, reaching out with his hand ablaze.

“It’s alright.” Sarai assured her.

Synora shut her eyes, preparing for the pain that his flames would inflict upon her as he brushed his hand over her wounds. To her surprise, she was met with a soothing relief that emanated from his touch.

"All better." He said with a smile spreading across his face, a sight that Sarai had never before witnessed.

As Synora slowly opened her eyes, her fingers gently grazed the surface of her once-blistered skin. A mixture of astonishment and disbelief spread across her face as she realized that the scars she believed she would carry forever had vanished, as if none of it had ever happened.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Mommy," she said, her voice filled with wonder and relief.

Sarai's heart brimmed with joy as she knelt beside Synora, tenderly caressing her face, assuring herself that her healing was indeed a reality. She knew Visenya would never forgive herself for hurting her sister, even though it wasn’t intentional; the scars would be a constant reminder of what she had done, since Synora had no wolf to heal herself.

With profound gratitude, Sarai looked up at Lucian, never in her life imagining that she would have a reason to be thankful to him. It was rare for Dragon Lords to use this gift to help others, as it would shorten their extended lifespans by decades with each use. If given the chance, a Dragon Lord would rule for eternity. Therefore, Lucian's act of using his power to heal Synora was remarkably selfless.

"Thank you," Sarai’s words genuine.

Lucian nodded in response. "You're welcome."

Caspian burst through the door, his eyes zeroing in on Lucian, darkening with anger the moment he spotted him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I’m going to help you find Visenya," Lucian stated firmly.

"I don't need your damn help, and even if I did, what makes you think she wants to be found by the likes of you?" Caspian retorted, his tone dripping with venom.

"I'm going to look for her, whether you like it or not," Lucian declared. "I need to know that she's safe."

"Since when do you give a shit about her?" Caspian spat.

"I care," Lucian voiced. "I always have. I messed everything up between her and me, and I'll do everything in my power to fix it."

"Touching," Caspian snarked. "I find it amusing that you believe you deserve any kind of future with her. Go and find a woman you can actually procreate with and leave Visenya alone."

Lucian gave Sarai a miffed-looking side-eye. "Is anyone ever going to tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Caspian grumbled.

Sarai sighed heavily, dreading the fact that she had to be the one to drop this bomb on Caspian. "Visenya found her mate.”

"She did?" His tone held a hint of sorrow, though he tried to keep it contained. “Who is it?”

Sarai redirected her gaze towards Lucian. “He’s standing right in front of you.”

“No, seriously,” Caspian grew irritated. “Who is it?”

“This isn’t a joke, Caspian…” Sarai maintained. “Lucian is Visenya’s mate. He’s even marked her… I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“Me too.” Synora chimed in.

Caspian was overcome with disbelief. “There’s no way… How is that even possible?”

"I don't know," Sarai huffed, "but it's the truth."

Caspian's attention shifted back towards Lucian, his eyes filled with a newfound rage that far surpassed anything he had ever shown before.

“Outside… now.” Caspian demanded.