"The power collected by the Hands formed high-density bandages of world energy that staunched the cracks in your core thanks to the guidance of the Ears." Menadion said. "The Mouth cast healing spells non-stop while the Eyes observed the effects of the therapy in real-time. It was thanks to the Eyes that I could work while the tower modified the treatment on its own as your condition worsened. "Whenever a spell or array lost effectiveness, the Mouth cycled through those stored in the Library and stopped the moment the Eyes registered a positive effect. You may consider this room useless since everyone here is healthy, but to me, it’s my greatest treasure after Epphy." "This is far from useless." Lith clenched his hands hard. "I wish I had it when Protector was wounded. When I lost Yurial. When I killed Phloria." He swallowed hard, struggling to overcome the guilt and sense of loss he still felt despite the passing of time. "The Infirmary would have bought me time. It would have given Yurial a chance. Phloria might still be with us if I brought her here and she saw the pain of her parents. Maybe she wouldn’t have moved on and I would have found a way to fix her core." "I’m glad you share my sentiment." Menadion had to float to put her hand on his shoulder. "But it also saddens me and your family." Lith looked up, noticing the tense expressions of the people around him. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin everyone’s mood." He took a deep breath to calm down. "Thank you for sending the kids away, Ripha. This wasn’t a lesson they needed to learn." "You’re welcome." She replied. "Are you alright, sweetie?" Solus too was pale, her face taut. She was lost in visions of her body floating amid a thick liquid. She could only get glimpses of the rest of the room while she drifted in and out of consciousness. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the weird sense of loss she had experienced along with a constant itch on her limbs she could not scratch. Solus massaged her arms and thighs, making sure they were still there. "I’m fine." She said, yet she was covered in sweat and it was getting harder for her to breathe. "Is it me or is the room getting smaller?" "Damn my big mouth. Let’s go outside." Ripha Warped everyone to an open space outside the palace. The blinding light from the sun and the wind snapped Solus’ mind and body out of the past and brought her back to the present. "There was nothing else to show you and I’d rather not go back to the tower for a while." Solus needed to sit down, her legs still shaking. "No problem. I’ll go get the kids." Lith Warped away. "Why didn’t you bring them with us, Ripha?" Rena asked. "And separate the children from their favorite snack?" Menadion shook her head. "There was no point upsetting them as well." "Good thinking, Mom." Solus used water magic to get rid of the sweat that made her clothes and hair stick to her skin. "I don’t want the kids to see me like this nor ask me questions I would be forced to lie to." *** The rest of the day passed uneventfully and so did those that followed. Lith spent his mornings experimenting with the new floors while Solus got used to having body casting. The greatest perk of reaching the violet core was that she was equal to Lith in everything but mana output. Her fusion magic and speed had greatly increased and she could now cast spells during a battle even without the Mouth of Menadion. In the afternoon, they taught the basics of Fusion and Spirit Magic to Aran and Leria now that she was caught up. "I wish I could go back to work." Kamila sighed while changing diapers. "Elysia now sleeps through the night and goes on adventures with Shargein and Valeron during the day." In the safety of Salaark’s palace, the babies were free to roam around in their Divine Beast forms, relying on Shargein for rest when they became tired and protection when someone didn’t recognize them and tried to capture them. "When you are working in the tower, I get terribly bored. Magic makes chores and cooking easier, but it also leaves me lots of free time." "You know you can practice magic, right?" Lith replied while Forgemastering an enchanted armor using solely the Elemental Storage. "I’ve reached the bottleneck before the green so no Accumulation." Kamila shrugged. "On top of that, I already practice magic in the morning and afternoon but don’t see any improvement." "I see." Lith finished merging the pseudo cores with the enchanted metal and then dismantled the armor with Creation Magic. "You need a sparring partner. Someone of your level you can fight against and learn from experience." "Jirni can barely move so I can either ask Valia or Quylla." Kamila nodded. "Quylla is pregnant too. Why not Friya?" Lith asked while working on a sword. "Because Quylla and I have a similar build and martial prowess whereas looking at Friya’s pretty face irks me. Especially when she kicks my butt." She grunted, making Lith laugh. "Speaking of Friya, we haven’t heard from her for a while. "Wasn’t she supposed to set a date for her marriage with Nalrond after he solved the issue with his life forces?" "Oh, shit!" Lith froze on the spot. "Did you forget about their marriage?" "Of course not." Lith shook his head. "I completely forgot to call her, though. I was supposed to do that right after I returned from the vacation with Mom." "Well, you are only a month late." Kamila laughed. "At worst Friya will melt your face and burn your ears from nagging." "That’s not funny. I-" A sudden pull to Lith’s consciousness alerted him of an incoming call. "Damn, you jinxed it. With my luck, this must be Friya." Yet it wasn’t. "Isn’t that Alundra’s rune? The elf lady of the Council?" She asked. "Aalejah, not Alundra." Lith corrected her. "What do you want?" "It’s nice to hear you again too, Lith." Aalejah Eventide said, her voice oozing sarcasm. "Do you always answer your amulet like that or am I that special to you?" "Get over yourself." He replied. "I answer like this to all those who ignore my existence until they need something from me." "You mean like you do with anyone who doesn’t live under your roof?" Her snarky remark hit a sore spot. Lith had yet to get in touch with Friya, Marth, and Zoreth for a while now. He kept postponing and forgetting in a never-ending vicious cycle. "Point taken. Nice to hear you, Aalejah. Is everything alright with the Council?" He asked. "Much better." She snorted in triumph. "The Council is fine. It took care of itself before you and will continue to prosper long after you’re gone. The elves, however, are a different matter." "What elves? The fallen from Zelex? Our allies from Setraliie? The ones in Jiera?" Lith asked. "Oh, right. I almost miss the times when I was the only elf roaming Mogar." She sighed. "It sure made things and conversations easier."