Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3377

"I see." Lith nodded, thinking back at his own tormentors back on Earth and how he would have reacted had they ever apologized to him.

Derek would have hated Ezio forever anyway but at least he wouldn’t have wanted his father dead. As for Chris….

Had the young Wainright shown sincere remorse for his actions and accepted a fair sentence, things would have probably gone differently. Justice would have made revenge pointless and Derek wouldn’t have tarnished Carl’s memory with bloodshed.

"Do you want company?" Kamila held his hand, recognizing the signs of his struggle against his old demons. "Maybe, if I come and explain-"

"Thanks, but no thanks, Kami." Lith returned her touch. "This is something I have to do alone."

***

Griffon Kingdom, city of Albast, an hour later.

Agra opened the windows of her home, grunting at the cloudy sky. It was only an hour past dawn in that part of the Kingdom but sunlight was scarce.

"Wake up and enjoy the few hours we have before the heat makes us sweat bullets, sleepyheads." Clouds meant a milder weather but no one in the family liked the darkness.

Not after that day.

"What’s for breakfast, Mom?" Liru raised the luminous stone he usually kept on his nightstand, fending off the shadows in the dining room.

"Whatever you want, dear." She replied. "Just made your mind quickly because Dad needs to go to work."

"I’ll take eggs, bacon, and a strong tea." Borj emerged from the master bedroom, yawning like a bear. "Today will be a long day and I need energy."

He was the only one who slept like a baby every night. Back when the Void had descended from the sky and slaughtered the bandits like cattle, Borj lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Back then he was too focused on trying to find a way to protect his family and suppressing the pain to notice much. All he knew was that one moment he was struggling to keep his guts in and the next he had woken up in Albast’s branch of the Mage Association.

His family was safe, his wounds gone, and nothing they carried had been stolen. To him, it was a happy ending that had turned into a fairy tale when the Royals had compensated Agra and Borj for their trouble.

They had received a new house they could have never afforded on their own, a few magical trinkets, and a three-year tax exemption. One year for each member of the family.

The only thing he knew about the Void came from Agra’s voice and Liru’s nightmares. Borj felt guilty for not remembering anything and left out of what troubled them.

Even worse, he had no idea how to help them aside from pretending everything was alright and being there for his wife and son when they needed him.

"I’d believe you, if you didn’t say that every single day." Agra scoffed. "You’re gaining weight."

"It’s my beautiful wife’s fault." He said, hugging her and feeling her shudder when a darker cloud eclipsed the sun. "She’s too good of a cook. If you have to blame someone, blame her."

"You also say this every single day." She chuckled.

"The sun rises every day but that doesn’t make its light less charming." Borj turned on the lights, making the house as bright as day.

The light stones were another of the gifts of the Royals to help the family cope with their trauma. Liru and Agra sighed in relief and resumed their preparations for the day.

’Agra tries to be strong for our son and refuses to keep the lights on 24/7 but it’s not doing them any good. She still trembles in front of her own shadow and Liru has a panic attack whenever I ask him to put down the light stone.’