Chapter 229: Chapter 229- Therapy

Clarissa finally loosened her embrace and glanced toward Zoe, her eyes softening. "Sorry, Zoe—are you alright too?" she asked gently.

Zoe gave a small nod, her voice calm but tired. "I’m fine."

Clarissa smiled, relief washing over her face. She reached out and ruffled Zoe’s hair lightly. "Good girl. You did great out there."

Zoe didn’t say anything, but a faint hint of pride crossed her expression for just a moment.

Not far away, Noah approached with wide eyes as he took in his master’s battered state. "My lord... I’m proud of you," he said, voice trembling slightly. "You fought bravely against your enemy. It was... inspiring."

Rafael, standing beside him, stiffened awkwardly. "A-ah, enough with the praise already," he said with a nervous chuckle, his cheeks slightly flushed.

But Noah continued with heartfelt sincerity, "No, really. I saw how hard you fought. You’ve earned my respect even more."

Rafael scratched the back of his neck, his tone flustered. "Alright, alright—stop it."

Meanwhile, Don had his arms crossed, watching Joe from the side with a grin. "Impressive as always, sir," he said respectfully.

Joe threw back his head and laughed. "Of course! I’m the strongest, after all! Ahahaha!"

Julian rolled his eyes. "Loud as ever..."

Joe smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

The team finally began to move toward the line of armored vehicles that had arrived to retrieve them. The engines hummed steadily, headlights cutting through the dim, dust-filled air left behind by the battle.

Glain helped Rafael into one of the cars, while Zoe walked silently beside Clarissa, her steps heavy but steady. Joe, still bursting with energy, slung his arm around Don’s shoulder and laughed. "Heh, feels like ages since I’ve seen a proper ride. Let’s go before I change my mind!"

Clarissa turned back, guiding Julian toward the nearest vehicle. "Come on, let’s get you some rest," she said softly.

Julian sighed, exhaustion written all over his face. "Yeah... rest sounds good right now."

As they climbed in, the doors shut one by one with solid metallic thuds. The medics quickly began treating their wounds, bandages, healing injections, gentle hands checking for fractures. Zoe leaned against the window, her eyes half-lidded, while Joe kept chatting with Don about how "easy" the fight had been earning himself several unimpressed stares.

Julian sat quietly beside Clarissa, watching the landscape slide by through the window. The field where Leo had fallen was fading into the distance, just a dark scar on the horizon now.

Glain, seated across from him, exhaled slowly. "It’s finally over..."

Julian didn’t answer at first, his gaze distant. Then he muttered, almost to himself, "Yeah... but somehow, it doesn’t feel like victory."

Clarissa glanced at him with a soft, worried smile. "Maybe but you’re alive, that’s enough for now."

Julian leaned his head back against the seat, his voice low but steady. "How’s everyone else doing?"

Clarissa glanced at him, her expression softening. "Emma’s still resting, she fell asleep not long ago. Celestia’s getting treated... she was poisoned by that centipede."

Julian’s tired eyes snapped open. "Poisoned? Is there an antidote?"

Clarissa nodded reassuringly. "Yes, it’s already been taken care of. But she’ll need to rest for a while. Though... she did try to argue her way out of the infirmary earlier."

Julian let out a faint breath of relief. "I see...." He paused for a moment, then asked quietly, "What about Veronica and Aya? Are they okay?"

"They’re safe," Clarissa replied with a small smile. "Both are resting now. You don’t have to worry."

"That’s... good to hear." His shoulders finally relaxed, some of the tension fading from his face.

But then his gaze dropped to the floor, voice laced with guilt. "Sorry... I couldn’t protect everyone with my shadows. I should’ve—"

Clarissa quickly interrupted, her tone gentle but firm. "Don’t. You don’t have to apologize." She leaned closer, her eyes full of warmth. "We’re grateful that you protect us, Julian, but we don’t want to be a burden to you. This time, we all fought together. We proved that we can stand beside you, not behind you."

Julian looked at her, speechless for a moment. Then a faint, tired smile crossed his lips. "...Yeah. You did."

Zoe silently nodded, her expression calm but her tail, now visible in her half-human form flicked in quiet satisfaction. Julian gave a faint smile and reached out to pat her head gently, his fingers brushing through her dark hair.

Clarissa, who had been watching from the seat beside him, blinked and puffed her cheeks a little. "That’s unfair..." she murmured under her breath. Then, hesitantly, she leaned her head against Julian’s shoulder, her cheeks warming. "I... I want one too," she said softly, her tone half-playful, half-shy.

Julian looked at her for a second, too tired to argue and then sighed, the corner of his lips lifting faintly. "Alright, alright..."

He reached up and ruffled Clarissa’s hair, his movements slow and gentle. Clarissa’s face turned a deeper shade of red, but she didn’t pull away instead, she let out a quiet hum, eyes closing in contentment.

Zoe, who noticed it, crossed her arms with a small huff and muttered, "You’re enjoying that too much."

Clarissa chuckled softly but didn’t deny it. "Maybe I am."

Zoe, not wanting to be left out, quietly scooted closer until her shoulder pressed against Julian’s other side. Without a word, she rested her head against his arm, her silvery hair brushing against him.

Julian gave her a sidelong look, too exhausted to protest, and sighed before gently running his fingers through her hair as well.

Both Clarissa and Zoe seemed to melt under his touch, their expressions softening, Clarissa humming softly in contentment, while Zoe closed her eyes, her wolf ears twitching in comfort. The peaceful warmth between them contrasted sharply with the chaos they had just survived.

Julian exhaled slowly, his voice low and dry. "Did you two forget that I’m the one who needs rest here?"

Clarissa giggled, not even lifting her head. "We’re helping you recover faster," she said with a playful tone, her voice light and teasing.

Zoe nodded lazily, still leaning into him. "Mhm. It’s called emotional therapy," she murmured, clearly enjoying the comfort.

Julian could only shake his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite his fatigue. "Unbelievable..." he muttered.

But neither of them moved away and truthfully, he didn’t mind.