Chapter 48 Perhaps... Is Redemption
Evelyn's POV
His voice was rough and hoarse.
"It's me."
I nodded firmly. "It's me. We're both okay now."
Kane finally seemed to come back to himself. His gaze fixed on my face, then looked at his own blood-covered hands, then at the mess all over the floor, followed by a wave of deep panic and guilt.
He instinctively tried to back away, trembling slightly. "Did I... hurt you?"
"No! You didn't, I promise!"
I quickly stepped forward and grabbed his hand tightly, not letting him retreat. "I'm here, right here!"
He suddenly reached out and pulled me tightly into his arms.
The hug was so forceful that it almost suffocated me, as if he was afraid I would disappear.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his voice shaking. "I didn't mean to scare you... I saw them touching your things, touching our things... I... I was afraid they would destroy every trace you had left for me..."
"I know... I know..."
I gently patted his back, the way you would comfort a child. "It's okay, Kane, it's all over!"
Kane wouldn't let go. He clung to me like a wounded child with nowhere to turn, his body still trembling slightly, completely different from just moments ago.
"Don't go..."
He murmured softly, his voice carrying an unprecedented vulnerability. "Don't leave me... don't go..."
"I won't go, I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here."
I gently patted his back and continued softly, "I'm not going anywhere, I'll stay by your side, okay?"
Kane finally loosened his grip a little, but he still held my hand, his fingertips unconsciously pressing against my pulse, as if confirming I was still there.
He looked around the destroyed room, his brow deeply furrowed, his eyes full of guilt.
"It's too messy here... dirty, and it smells like blood."
He said somewhat awkwardly, as if he didn't want me to see him like this. "Evelyn, you go out first... wait for me in the hallway. I'll clean up on my own."
"I'll help you clean up."
My gaze swept over every corner of the room. "Didn't you say this was our place?"
"But..."
"No buts."
I guided him along, carefully stepping around the broken glass and wood chips on the floor, making my way to the only relatively clean spot in the corner of the room—a small rug under his desk that had miraculously survived.
"Sit here."
I pressed on his shoulder, guiding him down onto the rug.
Kane looked at me completely at a loss, like a puppy that had done something wrong, his eyes constantly watching me.
I sighed, crouched down, took out a clean handkerchief from my pocket, and carefully wiped away the remaining blood on his hands. I moved gently, afraid of hurting him.
"Kane, look at me."
I raised my head, looking seriously into his eyes, which reflected my image.
"To me, you're just Kane."
He suddenly lowered his head, pressing his forehead against mine, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, as if breathing in my scent to calm the storm inside him.
"Evelyn..."
"Promise me you won't leave me."
"I won't, I definitely won't."
He hugged me again. This time, it wasn't that suffocating force, but a gentle embrace filled with tenderness and need, as if confirming I was still there.
After a while, I felt Kane finally beginning to calm down.
I gently pulled away from his embrace, softly pressing his shoulder. "I'll tidy up the room, you sit here for now, okay?"
"No, you can't."
Kane hugged me tight again, then had me take his spot as he stood up.
Kane took a deep breath and slowly let go of me, standing up. I didn't know what he was thinking—that movement looked very forceful, like he was struggling with himself, but he didn't speak, and I didn't dare ask.
"I'll clean up."
His voice was still somewhat hoarse, but had returned to its usual tone. Only his eyes still clung tightly to me, afraid I would disappear the next second.
He raised his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing through the air.
"Restore."
As his spell took hold, I watched as the scattered pages on the floor were pulled by invisible hands, automatically flying back to the bookshelf. The torn paper healed in golden light, even the creases disappeared.
The deformed wardrobe made creaking sounds and actually repaired itself, returning to its original state. The wood chips and glass shards on the floor vanished piece by piece without a trace.
Even the pungent smell of blood and unpleasant odors in the air were replaced by a faint, fresh scent like sun-dried pine.
In just a short time, everything had miraculously returned to its original state.
Except for... the broken door lock, and the rug on the floor where we were sitting.
Kane lowered his hand, his face frighteningly pale, his fingertips still trembling slightly. I'm not an expert on magic, but I could tell—what he had just done had taken a lot out of him.
My heart felt heavy with fear.
The devil-like version of him from before, and the him now who spent his magic to make me happy, overlapped in my mind, sending a shock through me unlike anything I had ever felt.
"Done."
He turned his head, trying to give me a smile, but the exhaustion in his eyes couldn't be hidden. "I'll fix the door lock properly later, then it'll be fine."
I looked at him, feeling inexplicably sorry for this Kane—someone who seemed so strong yet needed me to stay.
I stood up, wanting to pull him over to rest for a bit, but just as I was about to stand, I felt something hard under the carpet.
It was an envelope stuck in the gap between the carpet and the floor.
I pulled it out, puzzled.
The envelope was deep purple, with a wax seal bearing a complex crest with a bird spreading its wings in the center.
Another letter.
I turned the letter over. Kane also leaned in. I felt him lean in, his brow slightly furrowed. We both stared at that line of cursive writing.
"To: Kane and Evelyn"
"Principal Seraphina Ashworth."
I read the name aloud, my heart sinking.
"Looks like she's moving faster than I expected."
After reading it, Kane didn't show much surprise, still maintaining his calm demeanor.
"She knows?"
I looked at him nervously.
"With all the commotion here just now, it would be hard for her not to have noticed."
Kane casually adjusted his cuffs, covering the feather marks on his wrist that hadn't completely faded. "Let's go. Since the principal personally summoned us, we should go."
"Will you be punished? Should we get our story straight first..."