The neighborhood changed as they walked — buildings more run-down, the air thicker with smoke and grime. It was the kind of place people pretended didn't exist.
"This is it," Lyra said softly.
She pushed open the creaky door of a crumbling house. The moment they stepped inside, a sharp, metallic scent hit them. Sera paused, nose wrinkling. Zane's instincts kicked in — something was wrong.
Then they heard the cough.
A harsh, rasping sound tore through the silence. In the middle of the single-room home, a boy lay curled on the cracked floorboards. His skin was pale, almost gray, and his clothes hung loosely on a frame far too thin for a thirteen-year-old. His lips were chapped, his breathing shallow.
And then he coughed again—violent, painful.
Black blood splattered the floor.
"LUCA!" Lyra cried, rushing to his side and cradling his head. Her voice cracked with panic. "I-I was only gone a moment—"
Zane didn't hesitate. He dropped beside them, checking the boy's pulse. His hands were freezing, and his heartbeat weak but steady.
The boy slowly opened his eyes.
Bright, unnatural blue eyes — clear as a frozen lake. Beautiful... and haunting.
"...Lyra?" Luca rasped. His gaze fluttered to Zane. "Who...?"
"It's okay," Zane said gently. "We're here to help."
"He's been since the fever started," Lyra choked out. "We couldn't afford medicine. Our parents... they went into debt trying to save him. They sold everything. Even their lives."
She wiped the blood from Luca's lips, hands trembling. "They loved him too much to let him die. And the debt collectors—" her voice cracked, "—they didn't care."
Sera stood frozen, absorbing it all. Then, without a word, she stepped outside. Moments later, she returned with a cloth and a small bottle of salve from her pouch.
Zane looked at her. "You carry that?"
She shrugged. "Mom insisted. 'A lady should always be prepared for injuries... or idiots.'"
Zane returned to Luca, worry tightening his chest. "This isn't just an illness..."
Sera nodded. "I think it's magical. A curse. Or something worse."
Luca coughed again, and Zane placed a hand on his chest, channeling a bit of his Void energy — not enough to hurt, but enough to scan.
Dark energy clung to Luca like smoke... but it wasn't Void. It was something else. Wild. Corrupt.
Zane's jaw tightened. Someone did this to him.
"We'll fix this," Zane said quietly.
Lyra looked up at him, eyes full of a fragile hope. "You... really mean that?"
"We're not leaving him ."