Lux's Dragon-Sized Epiphany

"You're not the same kind of person. You never were!"

Sylas's words kept Eno awake all night. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard them echoing in her ears.

The words were like a poisonous thorn, driven deep into Eno's heart, leaving her restless and anxious.

The girl wanted to tell herself that it was all the vile mage's nonsense, baseless speculation without a shred of evidence, a complete and utter pack of lies.

But unfortunately, she couldn't convince herself that easily.

In fact... when she thought back to how Lux had treated her before, she felt even more unsettled.

Could it be that Miss Lux had grown so close to her because she was a mage too?

How could that be!

No, no, no! Miss Lux couldn't be like her, an evil Magic Corruptor!

She was so radiant!

She was the brightest light in Eno's dark life!

This had to be that vile Sylas deceiving her!

But... if Eno tried to see things Sylas's way, she couldn't find any evidence to refute him.

Lying on the thin pad inside her cell, Eno felt as though her mind were full of mush.

She didn't know whether what Sylas had said was true.

And she didn't know what she should do if it was true, or how she could face Lux.

She didn't even know whether she should ask Lux to confirm it. If she didn't, she'd be too anxious to eat or sleep; if she did, the answer might leave her just as anxious.

Tossing and turning, she only managed to fall into a fitful sleep shortly before dawn. When Lux came to visit her the next morning, the dark circles under her eyes were startling.

"What happened to you?" Lux asked, taken aback by Eno's panda eyes. "Did you... not get enough rest?"

"I—I really didn't sleep very well." Eno hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "I've been a little uneasy."

"Uneasy?" Lux blinked. "Is it because of that book? I remember it was an epic tale. It shouldn't have kept you up all night..."

"It's not because of the book, Miss Lux." Eno shook her head, feeling a little calmer. "It's because of—you."

"Me?" Lux's eyes widened in astonishment. "What... about me?"

"Miss Lux." Eno finally gritted her teeth and asked the question. "Are you a mage too?"

Lux froze.

The sudden question left her mind blank for a moment.

She had never imagined that Eno would ask her that!

What left her even more at a loss was that she had no idea how to answer.

Tell her the hurtful truth?

Or hide it behind a lie?

"Karya, what should I do?"

"Follow your heart, Lux." Karya, who usually had an answer for everything, offered no perfect solution this time. "This is something you'll have to face sooner or later, and a choice you have to make."

Something she'd have to face sooner or later...

A choice she had to make...

Lux blinked. Looking at the pleading, hopeful light in Eno's eyes, she finally took a deep breath.

"...That's right. I am." After checking that there were no Magic Seekers nearby, Lux nodded gently. "I'm a mage. I knew for certain that I was one when I was nine."

As she spoke, Lux took Eno's hand again. A ball of light danced in her palm like a sprite.

Eno's mouth fell open in shock.

She had never imagined that Lux really was a mage.

Even harder to believe was that Lux admitted it so openly, without trying to hide a thing.

"You're one too..." Eno murmured. "Why are you willing to tell me...?"

"You asked me, which proves you're willing to trust me." Lux had figured it all out, and she smiled as she answered. "And I... am willing to trust you too."

"Is that a penitent's weapon?" Eno pointed at Lux's sword. "Is it?"

"You know about that too?" Lux raised her eyebrows in surprise. "My aunt found it for me back then. It can suppress the surges of magic inside me."

"So it really is true!" Eno's expression turned complicated in an instant. She felt a little disappointed, a little relieved, and a little at peace. "It really is true."

"It always has been." Lux nodded, then smiled again. "We're the same kind of person."

The same kind of person?

No, that wasn't true!

"I didn't mean that!" Eno instinctively drew back, shaking her head again and again. "You're a respected young lady, and I'm just a farmer's daughter..."

Eno had been trying to say something nice, to defend Lux, to make it clear that Lux wasn't a shameful Magic Corruptor.

But for some reason, those words stung Lux.

A respected young lady, a farmer's daughter!

Over the past little while, Lux had often come here to visit Eno. Though the cold Nullstone bars stood between them, she had never felt that there was anything separating them. They could share their stories and feelings, and experience each other's happiness and sorrow.

But at that moment, when Eno said, "a respected young lady, a farmer's daughter," Lux felt an invisible barrier forming between them, threatening to divide them into two separate worlds!

The barrier was so solid that Lux felt almost suffocated. In that moment, she felt a little disheartened.

Karya said nothing.

Or rather, Karya felt that he shouldn't say anything just then.

He was waiting for Lux, waiting for her to make a choice.

Would she let go of Eno's hand, accept that this barrier existed, and remain the noblewoman on its side...

Or would she simply swing a hammer, smash the barrier, and shatter something that should never have existed in the first place?

Come on, Lux. Make your choice!

Lux didn't make Karya wait long.

With deft movements, she traced a few runic circuits across the Nullstone bars, then took Eno's hand again.

This time, Lux said nothing aloud, but Eno heard her thoughts.

"We're the same kind of person—the kind who, even when they believe magic is evil, still use it to protect their family."

"???"

"You've told me so many stories. Now it's your turn to hear mine. It all began when my uncle left..."

"..."

"..."

Using magic to communicate, Lux finally told Eno her story.

Throughout it all, Eno bit her lip hard and didn't say a word. She simply held Lux's hand tightly. If Lux hadn't been so well trained, Eno would probably have hurt her by then.

"I once thought about not telling you any of this." Lux's voice was slow but firm. "But after looking deep inside myself, I realized that sometimes, when I look at you, it's as if I'm looking at another version of me."

Eno was utterly stunned.

She had never imagined that Lux had gone through something so similar to her own experience!

In a way, Lux had also been "coerced" by Karya. It was just that Karya wasn't Codora and hadn't made Lux do bad things; he had only urged her to learn magic.

Once she realized that, Eno finally felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She let out a long breath, then gently released Lux's hand. At last, a smile appeared on her face.

The light in her life had been touched by the glow of magic for a long time. Yet even in the darkest abyss, it still shone so brightly.

How wonderful.