CHAPTER 88: SOUND BODY, BROKEN MIND

Cecilia’s palms glowed faintly gold as she pressed them over Noah’s chest, pouring streams of restorative energy into his battered form.

He lay unconscious on the cold stone floor, his breath shallow, his body trembling with each rise and fall of his chest.

Sweat beaded her brow, not from exertion but from fear. Every second spent here was a second closer to being discovered.

"Come on, come on." She whispered under her breath. "Just a little more. Stay with me, Noah."

The faintest flicker of color had returned to his skin, but she could still see the shadows beneath his eyes, the deep grooves carved by pain.

She could see it within him and it broke her heart. It wasn’t just his body that had been mangled. His soul bore scars she could not mend. Scars that had nothing to do with Soul Burn.

The door creaked open, and she snatched her hands back, heart leaping. Fortunately, it wasn’t anyone that shouldn’t be there.

Professor Oliver stepped into the dim cell, his expression grim. His tall frame blocked most of the torchlight behind him, his face cast in shadow, but the sharp disapproval in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Cecilia," he said in a low voice, "put the hood on. Now."

She blinked, momentarily confused, then glanced down at the dark cloak draped across her shoulders. Her hood had dropped, revealing her face, and she hadn’t even known.

Hastily, she drew it up over her head, shrouding her face. "I— I’m sorry," she said quickly. "I wasn’t thinking."

"You never do when you’re worried," Oliver muttered, folding his arms.

He glanced at Noah, then back at her. "Do you want to be caught redhanded in the middle of the Authority’s prison? One slip is all it takes. And we both know Osiris Lawless is not the type to look away."

Her lips pressed tight. "Thank you... for sneaking me out in the carriage. I owe you."

Oliver exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Don’t thank me yet. And don’t expect another favor like this. You’ve already stretched me farther than I’d like."

Cecilia looked back at Noah, her voice softening. "He’s suffered so much, Oliver. I can see it even with his eyes closed. The pain carved into him, the strain... he’s endured things that would have broken most grown men. His soul is shredded."

Her hands trembled slightly as she brushed Noah’s hair from his forehead. "Judging by the extent of the damage, he may never... he may never be the same again. His mind could be fractured permanently."

Oliver’s jaw clenched, but before he could reply, footsteps echoed down the corridor. Two men in dark uniforms appeared, their silver insignias glinting faintly in the torchlight. Investigation Authority agents.

Cecilia pulled her hood lower, turning her head so that the shadows swallowed her features. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as the men approached.

"Stand back." One of them ordered curtly. "Standard procedure."

Cecilia stepped away, making sure her face was hidden.

The other agent knelt, producing a key from his pocket. He fitted it into the locks binding Noah’s wrists. With a click, the magic suppressing cuffs fell away, clattering against the stone. The sound echoed in the cell like a bell tolling freedom.

"Take him." The first agent said flatly.

Cecilia did not hesitate. She bent, slipping her arms beneath Noah’s frail body, lifting him as gently as if he were made of glass.

He was lighter than she expected, far too light, his wasted frame evidence of weeks, no, months, of torment. She cradled him close against her, the weight both a burden and a vow.

She shouldn’t have let this happen. Not to Noah.

She knew she was a hypocrite for this. After all, she wasn’t that righteous or noble.

The only reason she was going this far was because she knew Noah personally. Because she saw herself in him.

If it had been another random Stone-tier student, she wouldn’t have gone this far.

Oliver stepped to her side, and together they followed the agents. The path wound through a maze of cold corridors, with the staircases spiraling upwards.

At last, daylight spilled in, and the iron gates of the Authority’s courtyard opened before them.

There, waiting with quiet dignity, stood the academy’s carriage. Its blue crest gleamed in the sun, the seal of Camelot’s Royal Academy standing out against it. The agents ushered them inside.

Once the doors closed and the wheels rattled against cobblestone, Cecilia pulled back her hood, no longer caring about discretion. The windows were enchanted. No one would be able to see her from outside.

She laid Noah across the cushioned bench and resumed her healing, golden light spilling over his body in slow, steady waves.

Oliver sat opposite, his arms crossed. His eyes softened slightly as he watched her work. "How is he?"

Cecilia’s face tightened. "The problem isn’t his body." She said quietly. "I can restore his vitality, repair his wounds, and fill him with enough strength to keep him alive. With food and exercise, he’ll eventually regain full use of his body."

"But his mind..." She shook her head, fingers tightening over Noah’s hand. "His mind has been torn apart. The Authority did more than torture him. They fractured him. I don’t know if I can piece him back together."

Oliver frowned, looking at Noah’s gaunt face. "Then he may never be whole again."

Her voice dropped, almost a whisper. "I just hope... I just hope he’ll find a way back. That he’ll still be Noah Webb when he wakes."

Silence filled the carriage, broken only by the rumble of wheels. Then Oliver leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Cecilia. I need you to understand something."

She glanced up at him, startled by his heavy tone.

"I hope all you’ve done here is worth it. Because if the Authority discovers the truth... that you snuck out of the academy, that you interfered in their custody, they won’t see it as mercy."

"They won’t see it as loyalty to your student. Instead, they’ll see it as you being the mastermind behind this whole thing." His jaw tightened. "They’ll call it treason. And they will execute you without hesitation."

Her hand trembled, but she didn’t stop the flow of light. She looked back down at Noah, his chest rising faintly with each breath, and her expression hardened with determination.

"Then let them," she murmured. "If saving him costs me my life, it’s still worth it."

Oliver leaned back, sighing heavily, but said nothing more. After all, he’d said it all already.