THE FALLEN ONE (TFO)

"No wonder those old mages insist on purifying cores through the atmosphere!"

Lucius gasped, slumping against the sweat-soaked wooden floor. His clothes clung to his skin, drenched and heavy, while strands of messy hair stuck to his forehead. Each breath came sharp and ragged, his chest heaving as if he'd just stumbled across the finish line of a marathon he barely survived.

The room around him was dark and suffocating, the windows sealed for months, trapping a stale, bitter scent of sweat and mana. No light, no fresh air — only the endless battle of wills between Lucius and the beast core that now lay in front of him, lifeless and hollow.

For the past six months, he had barely stepped outside his room and house. 

Every waking moment was poured into the absorption of the S-ranked core, a method far riskier and infinitely more gruelling than the traditional way — the patient purification of one's mana core through ambient atmospheric mana.

This was different.

This was a great conflict between two completely opposing entities...

The beast core fought him at every step, a seething entity with its own instincts and its own pride, refusing to hand over its vast, violent energy to a mere human. Its resistance had been staggering, nearly breaking him more times than he could count.

And it made sense. The core had belonged to an S-ranked Valgura — a beast whose raw mana alone could turn battlefields into wastelands.

Compared to it, Lucius had been the intruder. The thief. The challenger.

And yet, now... he had won.

Or at least, survived.

With a weary gesture, Lucius lifted the dead core with a flicker of telekinesis and stored the marble-like husk into his spatial ring. It made a dull clink as it disappeared — like the final toll of a victory bell only he could hear.

Another flick of his fingers, and the heavy curtains pulled aside, sunlight bursting into the room for the first time in half a year. Cool, fresh air rushed in, washing over his battered body like a balm.

He immediately noticed it — the difference.

His telekinesis felt sharper. Smoother.

Less like a foreign magic, more like an extension of his own hand, though barely an improvement compared to his core progression. 

Lucius smiled faintly despite himself. Even though he hadn't yet shattered the barrier to S-rank like he'd hoped, he now stood proudly at the absolute pinnacle of A+ rank.

At just eighteen years old.

Just last week, he had celebrated his birthday — a rare moment where everyone he loved and trusted gathered under one roof: Sia, Sara, Lavya, Mercy, Edward, Adrianna, Rebecca. Their laughter, the awkward toasts, the terrible singing — it all still lingered vividly in his mind. Even the cake was handmade by Sia. It was one of the happiest days of his life.

And Lucius had promised himself:

That night would not be a memory to cling to.

It would be the first of many.

Refocusing, Lucius decided it was time to test his new strength — but not before addressing a more urgent matter.

He sniffed himself and grimaced.

"...Yeah. Definitely a bath first."

After a much-needed shower, Lucius stepped into the corridor, freshly clothed and feeling a little more human. He spotted Lady Adrianna down the hall, carefully tending to some vials lined neatly on a small table. Her presence had become a quiet, reassuring part of the house lately.

"Good evening, Lady Adrianna," Lucius greeted with a respectful nod and a small bow, the stiffness of old formality softening into something warmer.

Adrianna smiled slightly without looking up, her voice smooth. "Good evening, Lucius. You look... alive again."

He chuckled softly under his breath and moved on, then he saw Rebecca, reading the same book for a hundredth time, though he never judged her, it was Mercy's first gift to her, after all. 

It had been Mercy and Edward's joint idea to have Rebecca — Mercy's fiancée and the mother of his child — move in with Sia and Adrianna after Lucius began his absorption training. Initially, the house felt crowded, and the sudden influx of people was awkward.

But seeing the way Sia's eyes lit up around Rebecca and Adrianna, Lucius agreed without hesitation. It wasn't just about the company; it was about healing.

Mercy now visited far more often, too, which meant Lucius stayed informed about political shifts, Beast Rim movements, and... occasional rumours about his own growing reputation, thanks to Goodman, his mere reference making the young man's blood and mana boil. Yet Lucius never really gave a good thought about the whispers regarding himself; he knew an inevitable confrontation was ahead... which ultimately prompted him to focus more on his ongoing matters. 

In those months, Lucius noticed Sia's health steadily improved. Adrianna had explained, with painstaking medical jargon, that Sia's body had simply collapsed under years of accumulated mana strain — a debt finally collected. Though something about the explanation seemed... too neat, too polished.

Lucius suspected there was more to it.

But after Mercy's dry warning about "women's matters," he wisely let the subject rest.

For now.

The house itself had become something different over the past half year.

It wasn't just a base anymore.

It was alive.

Adrianna and Rebecca quickly settled in, each bringing a quiet, stabilising energy that the place had sorely needed.

It amazed Lucius how easily they slipped into his and Sia's daily life — helping where they could, never overstepping. Adrianna treated Sia's and his own injuries with a stubborn thoroughness, often scolding them for moving too much or "forgetting they weren't immortal."

Rebecca, on the other hand, seemed to take it upon herself to ensure the house never felt heavy or tense. She laughed often, teased Mercy when he visited, and even dragged Lucius into random conversations when he got too lost in his own mind. 'To think she once hated us...' Lucius thought to himself, one good thing about time is, it changes, which he appreciated.

Mercy's visits became more than just convenient updates; they became an anchor.

News from beyond their walls — conflicts flaring up, beasts migrating, political tides shifting.

Lucius learned to listen carefully. To read between the lines.

He wasn't a naive boy anymore; every word mattered, which is why, despite Adrianna's multiple reassurances, Lucius couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't fully explained about Sia's condition.

Mana exhaustion? Sure. That made sense.

But there were moments — rare and fleeting — when he caught Sia looking away, her smile just a little too brittle, her eyes clouded with something she quickly hid.

And there were whispered conversations between Adrianna and Rebecca late at night, when they thought he wasn't listening.

Still, he kept Mercy's advice in mind. Some battles weren't meant to be fought head-on.

At least not yet.

Sia was improving. That was undeniable.

And for now... that was enough.

Of course, Lucius's open secret hadn't stayed secret for long.

Even during his absorption, the sheer presence of the S-ranked core had been impossible to fully mask for an A-rank mage. 

Adrianna had sensed it first, stepping into his sealed room briefly to check on him, only to stagger backwards as the oppressive mana clung to her like smoke. Rebecca followed soon after, concern sharpening into something close to alarm.

Edward, ever the helpful one, casually dropped the final bomb:

"Oh, by the way, that core he's absorbing? It's from the Valgura.

Lucius killed the thing alongside Mercy after tracking and baiting it!

Also, bagged the spy who was supposed to be tailing him. 

Quite the lad, isn't he?"

The stunned silence that followed was almost comedic.

Adrianna and Rebecca were speechless for a good five minutes — a rare feat by itself.

According to their estimations, Lucius had, at best, been evenly matched with Adith, the spy.

But to have not only defeated him, but also taken down a creature that would normally require a full elite squad? Even if Mercy was by his side?

It earned him something rare from the two women:

Genuine, wide-eyed respect, although Rebecca was pissed Lucius endangered Mercy's as well as his own life, though her bombardment of tantrums were avoided when Mercy mentioned it was his idea to hunt that beast, a once in a lifetime opportunity they simply couldn't miss. 

The praise that followed — carefully worded, respectful — warmed Lucius more than he expected.

Not because he needed validation.

But because, in this strange new family, he was slowly gathering around himself... their acknowledgement mattered.

And then there were Sara and Lavya.

If Adrianna and Rebecca brought stability, Sara and Lavya brought chaos — the good kind.

They were practically fixtures at the house now, dropping by almost every day under the excuse of "training" or "checking up" on him.

The truth was simpler:

They missed him.

The trio fell back into an easy rhythm: sparring until their bodies ached, collapsing on the grass outside with bottles of water, trading old stories, teasing each other relentlessly.

Sara's quiet strength and Lavya's fiery sarcasm filled the house with a warmth Lucius hadn't realised he craved until it was there.

It was almost easy to forget, in those moments, the burdens they all carried.

The wounds that hadn't healed.

The futures they still fought toward, stubborn and desperate.

Lucius and Sia made sure every guest who crossed their threshold felt welcome, never letting the air grow too heavy. Even though, somewhere along the line, their own private moments — once so frequent, so natural — had become rarer.

A necessary sacrifice, Lucius supposed.

But sometimes, late at night, he caught Sia looking at him with that familiar glint of mischief, as if plotting some way to steal him back for herself, he is her 'little one' after all.

And in those moments, he swore he'd find a way to make space for them again.

No matter how busy life became.