Sarah was looking at him, wondering what he had been through, even asking herself, "What would a person have to go through to feel this way? He's broken—like, totally—but he still talks like any normal person. He didn't even have any positive colors, all negative, and even six at that."
Lucian could feel many gazes on himself. He turned to Aurora before asking, "What are my colors, and how many are there?"
She looked at him before replying, "Six." Then she went on and listed all the colors he got and their meanings.
He simply nodded like he was expecting this answer. He could somehow tell the first emotion was grief. He felt that he couldn't save the ones who seemed to care about him the most, especially his nanny back on Earth who, at some point, tried to save him even if it cost her her life. She still did it.
The pride probably came from the necessary preparations he had made just to make sure he succeeded. The mischief was all his planning and schemes he had set in motion. As for the calmness, he was always calm. Even when he was getting bullied at school, he was always calm. He let his body relax while he let his brain do the talking.
The mystery was him wondering what this place was made of. If it was simple curiosity, it would have shown up that way, but he wanted to see it when he got his eyes back. So he wanted to know and understand how it worked. That was probably why mystery appeared.
And as for the anger, let's just say he was still pissed at people around him wanting to control him, especially the voice. He was angry about that, so he kept it to himself.
Looking around and seeing he was still getting stares, he simply let go of his lantern, letting it float up into the air. By now, it was already sunset, almost close to night time.
"Can we head back now? The others are probably back," he said. Then he stretched his hands to Aurora. She took them and led the way forward. The others came out of their trance and followed.
As they were walking, Sarah's gaze never left Lucian. She just kept staring until she heard the twins muttering, "Maybe that's why he never smiles."
She turned her gaze to them before asking, "How long have you known him?"
The twins looked up, surprised by her question, but still replied. Lucian had already given them orders to get close to her, so Lirien answered, "Long enough, but not long enough to know his past."
Sarah now looked at him with even more interest. They walked for a while, with Sarah continuing to ask questions about him. There was nothing to hide about himself; he could hear them. The twins didn't dive into much details about him and just told her the surface-level facts.
After walking for 20 more minutes, they got to the front of the inn. As soon as Lucian entered, he smelled the air. The thick smell of alcohol entered his nostrils, and he also sensed all their presences, meaning they were all here.
He turned to Sarah, telling her, "If you still want to talk, we can talk in my room with just the two of us."
While she was still there, he turned to the twins before saying, "Aurora will stay in your room." Then he told them, "Guide me to my room."
They led the way. Lucian turned back and nodded in Sarah's direction before he went upstairs. On the way, the others joined them.
"I want to be left alone. We will talk tomorrow," he said simply. So he left them there and continued all the way to his room.
Lucian entered his room and closed the door behind him. He moved to the bed and sat down, removing the blindfold for a moment to rub at his eye sockets. Though he couldn't see, the constant pressure of the cloth against his skin was sometimes uncomfortable.
Outside his room, Sarah hesitated. She had understood his invitation clearly—to come to his room for a private conversation—but now she found herself uncertain. Last night's encounter had been unexpected, overwhelming, and left her confused. The lantern garden had only deepened her bewilderment, revealing emotions she hadn't expected to feel.
"Are you going to stand there all night?" came Aria's voice from behind her, startling the centaur.
Sarah turned to see the fierce woman watching her with narrowed eyes. "I was just..."
"If you're going in, go in," Aria said coldly. "If not, then leave him be. He doesn't need more complications."
Sarah bristled at the woman's tone. "I don't think that's your decision to make."
Aria stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You know nothing about him or what he's been through. I've seen what happens to those who cross him. It's not pretty."
"Is that a threat?" Sarah asked, her own mana pressure rising slightly.
"Just a friendly warning," Aria replied with a smile that held no warmth. "Good night, centaur." She turned and walked away, her crimson dress swishing around her ankles.
Sarah watched her go, then turned back to Lucian's door. After another moment's hesitation, she knocked gently.
"Come in," his voice called from within.
Sarah entered, closing the door behind her. The room was dimly lit by a single lantern, casting long shadows across the walls. Lucian sat on the bed, his blindfold back in place, his posture relaxed but alert.
"I wasn't sure if you meant for me to come now or tomorrow," Sarah said, feeling suddenly awkward.
"Now is fine," he replied. "Please, sit." He gestured toward a chair near the bed.
Sarah moved to sit, her centaur body making the wooden chair creak slightly. "About last night..." she began.
"Yes, about that," Lucian interrupted smoothly. "I wanted to apologize."
This caught Sarah off guard. "You're... apologizing? For what?"
"For touching you without permission," he said simply. "I was disoriented, lost count of my steps. But once I realized what was happening, I should have stopped."
Sarah's face heated with embarrassment. "No, I... I should be the one apologizing. I came into your room uninvited, and then... I let things go too far."
Lucian tilted his head. "That's reminds me I was gonna ask you this earlier why did you come to my room last night?"
Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "I was curious about you. A mortal traveling with awakeners, commanding their respect and even fear. A blind boy navigating the world with such confidence. And those eyes of yours... I've never seen anything like them."
"My eyes?" he prompted.
"Yes. One is violet-blue, the other blood-red with silver streaks. They're... remarkable. Even though they don't function, they're unlike any eyes I've ever seen."
"When did you see them? I don't remember taking my blindfold off for anyone since I came to this inn," he asked, a cold expression on his face.
Then she replied, "Well, I saw them last night. Honestly, I'd say I was lost in them. You didn't have your blindfold on."
He paused, the memory slipping back into place—how he'd removed the blindfold and set it on the table, believing the room too cloaked in darkness for anyone to notice. The surprise flickered in his eyes. She had seen them—even in that kind of dark?
Lucian's expression remained neutral. "I didn't know that. The original owner of this body never saw his reflection after the change."
"Original owner?" Sarah repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"
He smiled thinly. "Just a figure of speech. This body was transformed by the experiments they performed on me. I sometimes feel like the old me died, and someone new took over."
Sarah leaned forward. "What experiments? Who did this to you?"
"That's a story for another time, perhaps," Lucian deflected. "Tonight, I wanted to ask you about the elven settlement. The twins, Lirien and Lirielle—they need to return to their mother's people. Can you guide them there?"
Sarah hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I can. The elven territories lie to the east, a three-day journey by hoof. I know the safe paths and have good relations with the border guards."
"Excellent," Lucian said. "They'll be ready to leave tomorrow, if that suits you."
"So soon?"
"Time is precious," he replied. "And the longer we stay in one place, the more danger finds us."
Sarah studied him for a long moment. "What happened to you, Lucian? Those colors in your lantern... I've never seen someone carry so much darkness inside them and still function."
For a moment, Lucian's expression remained unchanged, and a flash of fake expression pain crossed his face. "Living through hell changes a person, Sarah. It either breaks you completely, or it forges you into something harder than steel." He paused, then added softly, "I refused to break."