Chapter 23: Comfort

Carcel and Cornelius watched silently as Sera enveloped Jash in a protective embrace. Her relief was palpable, almost tangible—a stark contrast to the tension that gripped the room just moments before.

Though Cornelius observed carefully, his eyes still narrowed in thought. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

It was a brief moment of respite amidst the chaos and uncertainty.

Jash's eyes blinked continuously, revealing a confused but gradually focusing gaze with each flutter.

He looked up at his mother, then at his father, and finally at Cornelius. His body, still weak from everything it had gone through, eased slightly in Sera's warmth-filled arms.

"Mom... Dad... what happened?" Jash's voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

Sera tightened her embrace, tears of relief about to stream down her cheeks. "Y-you scared us, Jash. But it's fine now."

Interrupting the emotional scene, Cornelius stepped closer, his expression grave. "Jash, do you remember anything? Anything that might help us understand what happened?"

Jash furrowed his brow, trying to recall the events that had led to his current state. "I...I remember feeling a sharp pain, like something was tearing me apart from the inside."

His body trembled in Sera's embrace, worrying her, but he continued with a shaky voice.

"I-it felt like it changed m-me, but then everything went b-blank."

Carcel exchanged a worried glance with Cornelius. "That doesn't tell us much," he muttered, his icy expression relaxing as he added, "But at least you're awake."

Despite the warm family reunion, guilt overwhelmed Jash's very being. Only he knew that whatever he said was a half-lie. Yet lying was much better in this situation, in his opinion.

'There's no way anyone would believe in reincarnation and everything and then... the novel thing...'

Jash couldn't bring himself to utter the truth, as he himself had a hard time believing it, let alone accepting himself as a mere extra in some novel.

Bringing him out of his inner guilt, Sera gently stroked his hair; her gaze never leaving his face. "We'll figure it out, Jash. We have to."

Warmth coursed within Jash as he put the complex matter to the back of his mind and let himself enjoy the comfort of his mother's embrace.

At the same time, outside the room, the mansion's staff remained on high alert. The guards had returned to their posts, but the tension in the air remained palpable.

Emma, Caera, and Kesha stood just outside the door, concern etched on their faces.

Emma barely maintained her composure as regret consumed her fully, while Caera wondered what went wrong.

Kesha, ever observant, stayed alert to any unforeseen situation, her priority on guarding her master, Caera.

Taking note of their interactions, Carcel ordered them, "Leave for now. Just keep an eye out for anything unusual and report it immediately."

As the three nodded despite their hesitation and retreated a little, Caera stood rooted on the spot.

She didn't say anything but her stand was obvious, causing Carcel to rub his forehead slightly, knowing how stubborn his daughter could be.

Looking at Sera to get some help, he noticed her focus on Jash, and sighed a little.

"...Whatever. Just come in, Caera."

Without another choice, he acquiesced to her adamant request, allowing only her to step in.

Ignoring the slightly astounded Caera, Carcel turned his attention back to Cornelius, who broke the silence. "We'll need to run some tests to make sure you're truly out of danger."

Jash nodded weakly, still in Sera's embrace; his trust in his family evident. "Whatever is needed."

Sera helped Jash sit up, her movements careful and gentle, "You're fine, Jash. We'll get through this."

His mother's words comforted the unease he felt in his current situation as he resolutely waited for whatever tests he needed to go through.

His mind, still a complete mess, considerably calmed down due to his enhanced mental fortitude and his family's presence.

'I hope nothing goes wrong...' Jash prayed inwardly as he looked at his grandfather.

Cornelius prepared a series of diagnostic spells, his hands moving with practiced precision. As the magic enveloped Jash, a faint glow emanated from his body, revealing the extent of the internal damage.

The result was the same, however. It showed no damage, whether internal or external, except for his raised heart rate and large amounts of sweating.

"This... this isn't just a simple ailment," Cornelius murmured, his eyes widening in shock. "There's something... something sinister at work here."

Carcel's expression hardened. "Sinister? Dark magic or... Curse magic? Here, in our home?"

Cornelius nodded grimly. "It seems so. But who targeted Jash, why, and how..."

Sera's grip on Jash tightened protectively. "We'll find out who did this. And they'll pay."

Her eyes burned with the ferocity of a lioness as they seemed to blaze anyone who dared to look into her eyes.

Jash, despite his weakened state, murmured, confusion etching his tone, "Dark magic...? Curse magic...?"

Even though he knew the reason for their intense reaction, he couldn't show that.

After all, this topic was taught in the academy, or only those who experienced it knew.

Looking at the confused Caera, Jash mentally noted, 'As expected!'

'Acting a bit differently might not be much, but if I change all of a sudden, like a know-it-all... Now, that will cause a problem.'

Luckily, Jash was smart enough to understand his own situation and acted accordingly, or things might not turn out so well.

Why?

"Ahem." Carcel coughed before explaining, sensing the confusion of his kids.

"Curse and Dark Magic can be treated as forbidden, but they aren't completely. They are similar to the sinister sacrificial magic."

Noting the apparent shock, he gave the final verdict, "It also leads to possession by some evil spirit or other evil entities..."

Before he finished, Sera smacked him, making him hurriedly add, "Jash is fine, though!"

One look at Cornelius, who nodded, conveyed the seriousness of the situation to Caera.

Meanwhile, Jash felt cold sweat flow down his neck. 'Damn! Could it be an evil spirit? I don't know anymore...'

He had not even considered the possibility of it actually being something like that!

In that moment, the family's resolve solidified.

With grim determination, each wished to uncover the mystery behind Jash's ailment, no matter the cost.

And whoever was responsible for this dark or curse magic would face the full wrath of the Ramille family.

Jash didn't know yet that this small event would lead to the decimation of numerous dark mages and curse mages.

Not that they didn't deserve it.

However, at the moment, Jash was too absorbed in being comforted by Sera, putting everything to the back of his mind.

Finally, relaxing in her embrace, he fell asleep as the tension left him, allowing his family to go and quench their anger.

Excluding Caera, of course.

Unfortunately, Cornelius wasn't fully of the same mind and wouldn't let his son and daughter-in-law take any rash steps.

'Something is weird about everything...'

Little did they know, Cornelius himself was confused by the situation, sensing only a fleeting sinister presence.

Unable to grasp the root cause or find the perpetrator, he had his suspicions—different from Carcel and Sera.

Only Jash could confirm it, but would he now?