The heavy silence in the room was only broken by the crackling of the dimly lit candles. Lucas remained motionless on the bed, his weak body still adjusting to its surroundings. He could feel Lady Mariana's intense gaze on him, her eyes filled with worry, frustration, and something else—hope.
A hope he couldn't give her.
The weight of Elder Gideon's hand on her shoulder kept her from pushing further. He, too, was tense, his eyes unreadable as he studied Lucas' blank expression.
Then, finally, Gideon exhaled.
"We need to call a physician." His voice was calm, yet firm. "If he's awake but unable to speak… there could still be something wrong."
Lady Mariana tensed. "But he's already awake—"
"I won't take any risks," Gideon cut her off gently. "We need to be sure."
Without waiting for a response, he turned toward one of the servants still lingering near the door. "Go. Summon Physician Aldric at once."
The servant bowed deeply before rushing out of the room.
Lucas felt his heart tighten.
A physician. Someone who could check his body… who might realize he wasn't Xavier.
Damn it.
His fingers twitched under the blanket, but he forced himself to remain still. Stay calm. Play the part.
The minutes that followed were painfully slow. Lady Mariana refused to sit down, pacing the room as her robes swept across the wooden floor. Elder Gideon remained standing near the bed, his sharp eyes still watching Lucas.
Lucas kept his gaze low, barely reacting, letting them assume he was too disoriented to process anything.
Then—
The door opened.
A man entered, older but not frail, dressed in deep green robes with silver embroidery. His graying beard was neatly trimmed, and his expression was calm yet unreadable.
This was Physician Aldric.
And from the way he moved, the quiet power that lingered in his steps, Lucas knew immediately—he was a cultivator.
His Qi was controlled, but its presence was undeniable.
Lucas had to fight the instinct to shrink back.
Lady Mariana turned to Aldric immediately. "He's awake," she said quickly. "But he won't speak. He's just… staring." Her voice cracked slightly.
Physician Aldric didn't respond right away. He simply nodded and approached the bed, his sharp, knowing eyes assessing Lucas carefully.
Then, he spoke.
"My lord," he greeted Elder Gideon respectfully before turning back to Lucas. "Let's begin."
Lucas' muscles tensed as the physician reached out, pressing two fingers against his wrist. A pulse check. But it wasn't just that—Lucas could feel a faint warmth seeping from the physician's fingertips.
Qi detection.
The physician was examining his internal energy. Looking for abnormalities.
Lucas swallowed hard.
Would he be able to tell?
Aldric's expression remained unreadable as he continued his silent assessment. His fingers moved from Lucas' wrist to his forehead, checking for fever, then to his chest, lightly pressing against the weak body beneath the sheets.
Then—
Pain.
Lucas barely had time to react before a sharp, searing pain exploded in his skull.
Agh—!
It was like something inside him shattered.
Images. Voices. Flashes of light.
He sucked in a breath, his vision blurring as fragmented memories flooded his mind all at once—
A courtyard bathed in sunlight. A young man training with a sword, sweat dripping down his face.
Laughter. A familiar voice—"Again, Xavier! You're too slow!"
Pain. Darkness. Blood. A sharp sensation of something piercing his side.
A fight. A betrayal. A name—someone's name—slipping away before he could hold onto it.
Lucas gasped, his body jerking violently.
Lady Mariana let out a sharp cry.
"Xavier!" She grabbed his shoulders, her eyes wild with panic as she turned to Aldric. "What's happening?! What did you do?!"
The physician remained unnervingly calm, even as Lucas shuddered under the weight of the fragmented memories.
"He's reacting," Aldric said simply. "His mind is trying to recover what was lost."
Lady Mariana's grip on Lucas tightened. "But he's in pain! He—"
"He's been through severe trauma, my lady." Aldric finally turned to look at her. "This is to be expected."
Lady Mariana still looked horrified, but Elder Gideon placed a firm hand on her arm.
"Let him finish." His voice was steady. "We need answers."
Lucas barely heard them.
The pain was relentless, images and voices colliding in his mind like a storm he couldn't escape from.
But then—
Just as suddenly as it came—
It stopped.
The fragments faded, leaving only a dull, throbbing ache behind.
Lucas' chest rose and fell rapidly, his breath uneven.
Aldric finally pulled his hands away. He observed Lucas carefully before speaking.
"…His memories are fractured."
Lady Mariana's lips parted slightly in shock. "Fractured?"
Aldric gave a slow nod. "They're there, but they're disconnected. Like shattered glass that hasn't fully pieced itself back together." He exhaled. "It will take time."
Lady Mariana turned to Lucas, her expression softening into something more pained.
Elder Gideon's face darkened slightly. "…Will he recover?"
Aldric hesitated for the first time. "There is no certainty in these matters." He glanced at Lucas again. "He is alive, and his body is recovering… but his mind will take longer."
Lucas didn't react.
It was the perfect explanation.
He didn't have to lie.
Didn't have to fake a full memory loss—only confusion.
Elder Gideon crossed his arms, his gaze sharpening. "And his attack? What do you make of it?"
Lucas felt a chill run down his spine.
Aldric was quiet for a moment before answering. "…It is still a mystery." He glanced at Lucas again. "Do you recall anything, Xavier?"
Lucas froze.
This was it.
He could feel everyone's eyes on him, waiting.
He swallowed. Act the part.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity—Lucas slowly shook his head.
Lady Mariana's breath hitched.
Elder Gideon let out a slow exhale. His expression darkened.
"We still don't know who attacked him." His voice was low, cold. "But I have my suspicions."
Lady Mariana turned to him sharply. "You think it was—?"
"The Cultivation Academy." Elder Gideon's jaw tightened. "Where else?"
Lucas felt his stomach twist.
The academy?
Elder Gideon's eyes narrowed. "Someone there must have wanted him dead." His tone was laced with undeniable certainty.
Lucas remained silent.
He didn't know anything about Xavier's time at the academy, but… if his father was this convinced, then maybe there was something there.
Something he would need to uncover.
Lady Mariana swallowed hard. "…What do we do?"
Elder Gideon's expression hardened. "We wait."
Aldric nodded slightly. "His body will recover, but he should not be pressured. Give him time. Let his mind heal at its own pace."
Lady Mariana hesitated, looking at Lucas once more. Her hand reached for his again—gentle, careful.
Lucas allowed it.
Even if it wasn't his place…
Even if she wasn't truly his mother…
There was a strange warmth in her touch that reminded him, just for a fleeting moment, of the one he lost.
His sister.
His chest tightened, but he ignored it.
For now, he had to focus.
Lucas lay back against the soft mattress, exhaling slowly as the physician finally pulled away. His body still ached—his limbs weak, his head throbbing from the earlier surge of fragmented memories.
But none of that mattered right now.
He needed to get stronger. Fast.
As Elder Gideon and Lady Mariana continued their discussion with Physician Aldric, Lucas turned his attention inward, his breathing steadying as he instinctively reached for the flow of Qi in the air.
The moment he focused—
A rush of energy surged toward him.
Lucas clenched his jaw. The Qi in this world was far richer than what he had known in his previous life. It wasn't chaotic or wild, but dense, powerful, almost suffocating in how easily it surrounded him.
It was like plunging into deep water after living in a dry desert.
Yet, as soon as he tried to absorb it—
Pain.
A dull, irritating pressure ran through his body, like trying to force a river through a cracked pipe. The energy hesitated, struggling to flow properly, unable to distribute itself evenly.
Lucas frowned.
His meridians were… weak. Too weak.
Far weaker than he had been in his previous life. No wonder Xavier had nearly been beaten to death.
He could feel the fragile state of his internal pathways—the Qi barely trickling in, constantly meeting resistance, as if his body itself was rejecting it.
Lucas gritted his teeth.
This body's condition was unacceptable.
If he wanted to survive in this world—if he wanted to gain control over his new life—he needed power. And he needed it fast.
For now, he could only focus on small, controlled absorption. Anything more, and the meridians might rupture entirely. He forced himself to take slow, steady breaths, drawing in only as much energy as his weak body could handle without pushing it to its limits.
The process was frustratingly slow, but it was progress.
His eyes remained half-closed as he quietly cultivated, filtering the Qi carefully, letting his body adjust to its new limitations.
At the other end of the room, he could hear the conversation between the physician and his parents.
"…He is stable for now," Physician Aldric said, his voice calm yet firm. "His body will recover in time. But his mind…" He paused. "That will take longer."
Lady Mariana's hands tightened in her lap. "Is there anything we can do?"
Aldric hesitated before speaking. "Tell me… who was the person dearest to him?"
Lucas' breath slowed slightly.
Elder Gideon frowned. "Dearest?"
Aldric nodded. "Someone he had a deep bond with. Someone who might be able to trigger a strong emotional response."
A silence settled between his parents.
Lady Mariana's lips pressed together before she finally admitted, "Xavier… wasn't particularly close to either of us."
Aldric studied her carefully. "No close friends? No confidants?"
Elder Gideon's expression darkened slightly. "He was gentle, but distant. Kept to himself. If he had someone truly close, he never made it known to us."
Lucas kept his expression neutral as he continued cultivating, absorbing the smallest trickles of Qi while listening carefully.
Then, after a moment, Lady Mariana spoke hesitantly.
"There was… a girl."
Aldric's gaze sharpened.
"A girl?"
Lady Mariana nodded. "Her name is Selene Fairchild. He cared about her—deeply."
Lucas could hear the weight behind her words. Even though she and Elder Gideon hadn't been close to Xavier, they knew. They had seen it.
Aldric's lips pressed together thoughtfully. "And this girl… how did she feel about him?"
Elder Gideon exhaled, his expression unreadable. "She claimed to love him."
There was a brief silence before Aldric finally spoke.
"…Summon her."
Lady Mariana looked at him in surprise. "Now?"
"Yes." The physician's gaze was firm. "If Xavier had any deep attachments left in this world, it may be the key to stabilizing his mind. Bring her here."
Elder Gideon nodded to one of the servants. "Go. Find
Selene Fairchild. Bring her at once."
The servant bowed deeply before rushing out the door.
Lucas remained still.
He didn't react.
But inwardly, he was already preparing himself.
Whoever this Selene Fairchild was—
She might hold answers.
And he needed to be ready for whatever came next.