"Linus." Miranda grabs her husband’s sleeve and whispers his name.

She has been watching, and she can feel it. The tension has weight.

"It’s okay, Liz." Linus whispers back. "Our son can handle it. We should all take a step back and give him room."

He guides the parents away as he speaks. Maurice, Leila, and Claudia are too stunned to do anything but follow.

They move several steps back. But none of them stop watching.

------------------------------

Liam stands completely still, eyes fixed on Elder Loujt and his two companions. Unblinking.

Maeve glances at Sonia. Sonia glances back. They both nod.

The next second they move at the same time. Sonia steps in front of Elder Loujt and grabs his sleeve, pulling firmly. Maeve puts her hand flat against Liam’s chest and steps between the two groups.

"Stop it." Sonia says, her voice steady, Light threaded quietly through the words.

"Knock it off." Maeve says, same firm tone, no Light. She turns so she is facing both sides at once. "Both of you, stop. We are in a hospital. I do not know what is happening here, but it ends now."

The authority in her voice is absolute.

Every man in the standoff takes one step back.

Both women exhale in relief.

Sonia turns to Maeve. "I am sorry. And thank you for your concern, and you are welcome for mine." She pauses. "I also need to apologize. Some of what happened that night happened because of me. I made things worse and I am sorry for that."

She gives a small, genuine smile. "And thank you again for checking on me just now. I know I already said it, but I mean it. You both thought I was in danger and you were ready to help. That means a great deal to me."

She takes a step back, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" Maeve asks.

Sonia blinks. "I..." She stops. If she mentions Thea, Maeve and Liam will want to come along. If she says nothing, they will keep pressing. She has no good answer.

Elder Loujt chooses this moment to speak for her.

"We are here to see Thea Montrose." He says it deliberately, watching for the effect.

Everyone reacts exactly as he predicted.

Sonia startles. Maeve’s breath catches and her brow furrows. And Liam...

Liam’s jaw locks. His frown deepens. He takes a step forward.

Maeve stops him again without looking at him. "Don’t."

"What do you want with Thea?" Liam’s tone carries no warmth. Neither does his aura or his posture.

Elder Loujt smiles.

Which infuriates Liam further.

"I believe our presence here would be of benefit to her." Elder Loujt says, unhurried. "We simply wish to introduce ourselves."

"Don’t you dare go near her." Liam’s voice drops to a growl.

"We are not here to harm her. We only want to talk." Sonia steps in. She knows Elder Loujt’s method. He reads situations by testing reactions. But she has a feeling Liam Monfort is not going to be an easy test subject for anyone.

Liam’s gaze snaps to her. The sharpness of it sends a chill down her spine.

"This is a hospital. Thea is restricted to family visitors only." He turns back to Elder Loujt.

"Unless you are planning to force your way in."

"Alright, that is enough. From both of you." Maeve snaps. She is standing squarely in the middle now, no longer closer to either side. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"I am going to say this one more time. This is a hospital. Where sick people are being treated. Where some of them are recovering. And where some of them are lying in a coma, fighting to stay alive."

"You two are not going to ruin that for anyone. Back off."

Maeve takes a breath, pulling herself back.

She does not notice it herself, but a faint green glow with a hint of gold is emanating from her. Liam is too focused on Elder Loujt to catch it. But Elder Loujt, carrying the highest magic level in the room, notices immediately. He looks at Maeve with entirely new eyes.

This woman is younger than the Princess. And yet her Light is stronger. How is that possible? Who taught her?

And then something else registers. Something he should have caught earlier if he had not been so busy goading a man half his age.

Liam Monfort is operating at roughly the same magic level as him. If this had actually come to a fight, it would not have been easy.

Elder Loujt exhales slowly. His entire bearing shifts. The cold, mocking pressure he has been projecting dissolves, replaced by the warm and unhurried version of himself that is far closer to his natural state.

He inclines his head toward Maeve and Liam in a small but genuine bow.

"I apologize. I have been inexcusably rude. My name is Loujt." He gestures toward Sonia. "I am her uncle. I arrived in Solarys yesterday and only then learned that my niece had been admitted to the hospital. I was concerned. She told me about all of you and what you did for her that night. I came to offer our gratitude and to introduce ourselves properly."

Maeve and Liam both look at Elder Loujt, then shift their eyes to Sonia, asking without words.

Sonia nods. "Yes, this is my Uncle Loujt. We really are just here to offer our gratitude."

Maeve glances at Liam.

"That does not change the fact that Thea cannot receive visitors outside of family." Liam’s tone has lost its edge but none of its firmness.

Elder Loujt nods graciously. "That is unfortunate. I had hoped to meet all of you." He smiles, and there is no trace of what came before. "Well, niece." He turns to Sonia. "I think it would be best if we come back another day." He looks back at Maeve and Liam. "When all of you are able to meet us somewhere outside the hospital."

Maeve gives a reluctant nod and crosses to Sonia to exchange numbers.

Liam does not move. He watches Elder Loujt and the other two men without blinking.

Elder Loujt stands at ease, smiling, every inch the patient uncle waiting for his niece to say her goodbyes.

"Thank you, Maeve. And I am sorry about all of this. Please keep me updated if there is any news, okay?" Sonia says.

"Of course. Thanks again, Sonia. I will be in touch." Maeve smiles.

Sonia leaves with Elder Loujt and the other two men without looking back. Maeve and Liam stand and watch until the group passes through the exit doors and disappears.

Only then does Liam exhale.

"Who are they? I don’t believe they came just to say thank you. Do you?" He asks, still looking at the door.

No answer. He turns.

Maeve is standing with her arms crossed, looking at him with eyes full of quiet displeasure.

"What?" He asks. "What did I do?"

Maeve shakes her head and walks past him toward where the parents are waiting.

Liam follows. "Maeve. What did I do?"

"If you cannot figure that out yourself, you do not deserve to know." She rolls her eyes without turning around.

"What does that even mean? I was protecting you. You know that, right?" Liam presents his case to the back of her head.

They bicker all the way down the corridor, while the family trails behind them, smiling.

------------------------------

"So you are saying Arthur’s soul came to you. He visited a place inside you called the Soul Palace. And there you two had a conversation, in which he told you he will come back and that he is recovering." Alicia finishes, more to herself than anyone else.

Julian chuckles. "Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?"

Theo only smiles. He knows how it sounds.

"I honestly do not know what to think. I really do not have the qualifications to decide what is absurd and what is not anymore. Not since I found out about magic and mana and elements and all of it." Alicia smiles awkwardly.

"By the way, how did you get in? Liam said this floor is restricted." Julian changes the subject suddenly.

Then yawns.

"Oh. Sorry. I forgot you are a patient who needs rest. I will go after I answer." Alicia starts to get up. "Apparently my name is on the authorized visitor list. Liam is not taking any chances with security. He has teams of two Sentinels posted at every point on this floor."

"Yeah, okay. I think I could use some sleep." Julian yawns again.

Theo and Alicia step out of the room together.

"I will come back tomorrow, Thea. Let me know if you need anything." Alicia says.

Theo nods. "See you."

He heads back to his own room.

------------------------------

Sonia walks along the sidewalk with her hood up, shielding her hair from the quietly falling snow. Both hands in her pockets, she is heading toward the bus stop.

"I am glad you agreed to walk away, Elder Loujt. It was the right thing to do. Maeve was right. That is a hospital. There are patients there that we need to consider."

No response. Sonia turns around.

"Elder Loujt?"

Two men. But no Elder Loujt.

"Where is he?" Sonia asks.

They stay silent.

Sonia’s patience runs out. "As your Princess, I am ordering you to answer me. Where is Elder Loujt?"

Dae, the one who speaks, answers quietly.

"He went back to try to sneak in. To see Thea Montrose."