As the meal continued, Grace noticed that some of the prisoners were still eating in silence, their eyes hollow with the weight of their trauma. Even though they were free, their minds were still trapped in Raven's nightmares. The overall atmosphere, despite the feast, still carried the shadow of their suffering.
And Grace hated that.
She suddenly stood up and clapped her hands. "Alright, that's enough of this depressing mood!" she declared. "We're free, people! And I won't let Raven take away our happiness, too!"
Some prisoners looked up, startled by her sudden outburst. Others barely reacted.
Grace grinned. "You all need a little magic in your lives!"
And with that, she began performing.
Illusionary Fireworks â She waved her hands, and the air above them exploded in a mesmerizing display of golden fireworks. The glowing sparks danced in the sky, fading into shimmering dust before vanishing. The prisoners gasped, some with wide eyes like children seeing magic for the first time.
Floating Orbs of Light â She conjured multiple glowing spheres that floated around the prisoners, gently swirling around them like fireflies. The warm light made everything feel peaceful.
Card Rain â A deck of cards materialized in her hands, and with a flick of her fingers, the cards burst into the air, raining down in an elegant cascade before vanishing into thin air.
Object Teleportation â She took a prisoner's spoon, made it vanish from her hand, and then poofâit appeared in another prisoner's pocket. The prisoners were baffled, checking their own pockets for surprise objects.
Self-Duplication â For a moment, two Graces appeared, mimicking each other's movements perfectly before merging back into one with a wink.
Phantom Choir â She created an illusion of multiple glowing figures that harmonized together in a hauntingly beautiful song, sending chills through the crowd.
Shifting Elements â She turned water into ice with a touch, then shattered the ice into sparkling snowflakes that melted into mist.
The prisoners stared in awe. Some of them, who had been eating half-heartedly, suddenly found themselves entranced by her performance. Even the taste of Patrick's food somehow felt richer, as if their senses were fully alive again.
And then... the first laughs began.
Small at first. Then more. Then many.
The weight in the air lifted, and soon, the prisoners were cheering.
Legend himself was watching, intrigued. He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I wasn't lying when I said Patrick and Grace make a great combo."
Patrick smirked. "Guess we do make a hell of a team."
Legend nodded. "You've done the impossible. You've taken broken people... and made them feel whole again."
As the cheering settled, some of the prisoners, their eyes still filled with wonder, looked at Grace with newfound curiosity.
One of them finally asked, "You're really skilled... but have you ever been through something like we have?"
Grace hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"I'm from Mystra," she said. "A planet known for its mystical arts and ancient wisdom. I was born with a talent for magic, and compared to the average magician, I was a natural. Too natural. That's why, three years ago, I was hired for a war."
The crowd grew silent again.
She continued. "It wasn't just any war. A massive alliance of ex-Celestic Police, ex-Celestic Justice members, and powerful warriorsâmany of whom were rankers from the Celestic Tournamentâgathered to challenge Raven."
Murmurs spread among the prisoners. Some of them remembered that battle. Some had fought in it.
"We weren't the main fighters," Grace explained. "People like meâsupport unitsâwere gathered from different planets to assist. Our job was to slow down Raven's forces however we could. My magic was mainly used for barriers, protecting allies, and firing elemental blasts to take down weaker demons. Against stronger demons, my spells weren't strong enough to defeat them, but I could slow them down."
Her expression darkened.
"But even with all of that... Raven got the last laugh."
The weight of her words settled in.
"He destroyed everyone," she said, voice tight with anger. "The strongest warriors, the resistance, all of them... wiped out like they were nothing."
A few prisoners clenched their fists, remembering the horror of Raven's overwhelming power.
"I was one of the few who survived," she admitted. "But because I hadn't directly participated in the battle, Raven didn't throw me in the lower-level prisons. I was placed in Level Two."
Silence.
"Raven loves breaking people," she continued. "It's not just physical torture. It's mental torture. He gets inside your head, twists your thoughts, makes you feel like there's no escape. If you break, he keeps you alive as a puppet. If you don't break... he kills you."
Some prisoners shuddered. They knew exactly what she meant.
Grace took a deep breath, then crossed her arms with a smirk. "That's why I hate seeing you all depressed. We survived, damn it! Raven didn't break us! And if we let ourselves be miserable even after escaping, then it means he's still winning!"
A few prisoners straightened up, her words sinking in.
Grace grinned. "So, I'm gonna make sure you all stay cheerful. Because screw Raven! We deserve happiness."
A moment of silence passed.
Then, a few prisoners started clapping.
Then more.
And suddenly, everyone was cheering again.
Legend, watching the scene unfold, let out a rare, genuine smile.
"Perhaps," he mused, "this is the true power of a magician."
As the cheerful atmosphere filled Hellsgate, the once-depressed prisoners now talked, laughed, and bonded over the meal and Grace's magic. Legend silently observed the scene, arms crossed, his ever-stern face slightly softened by what he saw.
Meanwhile, Ianâalways on the lookout for a rare and exclusive documentary momentâhad been keeping an eye on something interesting.
He suddenly grabbed Jen, Olive, and Zack by the arms, whispering, "Guys, come with me. This is big."
The three looked at each other, confused, but followed as Ian led them with exaggerated stealth. Some of the prisoners, noticing Ian's secretive behavior, became curious and decided to tag along. Fuga, Clara, and Gorin joined, eager to see what was happening.
Ian tiptoed, leading them inside the castle. The dim corridors were eerily silent compared to the lively celebration outside.
"Where exactly are we going?" Olive whispered.
Ian smirked. "You'll see. Just don't make a sound."
They crept through the halls, following Ian as he moved with practiced sneaky steps. Finally, they stopped near a small room with the door slightly ajar. Ian carefully positioned himself, pulling out his camera and silently signaling everyone to stay low.
Through the small opening, the group could see inside.
Patrick and Grace.
They were sitting across from each other, engaged in yet another argumentâthough their usual sharp remarks now had a different undertone.
Ian pressed "record" and grinned. This is gonna be gold.
Inside the room, Patrick was leaning against a crate, arms crossed, while Grace sat with one leg over the other, flicking her blue hair back with an exaggerated hmph.
"I can't believe you're still a bossy control freak even after dying for a few seconds," Patrick scoffed.
Grace rolled her eyes. "And I can't believe you still complain about everything. You were supposed to thank me for saving you."
"Saving me? Excuse me, Legend saved us," Patrick corrected. "You justâ"
"I gathered the ingredients for your masterpiece meal," Grace interrupted smugly. "If it weren't for me, you'd be crying in a corner looking for food."
Patrick groaned. "You are so full of yourself."
"And you are so ungrateful."
Their voices were sharp, but the tension was... different. It wasn't quite the same biting hostility from before. There was something lighter about it, something familiar.
Then, suddenlyâPatrick's expression shifted.
His sarcasm faded. His posture relaxed. His eyes, for the first time, didn't hold annoyance but... something else.
"Grace." His voice was calm.
Grace blinked, caught off guard. "...What?"
Patrick looked at her seriously. "How do you feel?"
Grace hesitated. "What do you mean?"
"You know... now that you're alive."
Grace's usual confidence wavered for a moment. She glanced down, playing with the hem of her sleeve.
"...It's weird," she admitted softly.
Patrick nodded, as if he understood. "Yeah. Same."
Grace lifted her eyes. "And what about you? Feeling great to be alive?"
Patrick leaned back against the crate, exhaling deeply. "I don't know. It's... hard to explain."
For once, the room was silent.
Grace gave him a small, genuine smirk. "Well, if you're still complaining, that means you're definitely alive."
Patrick chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."
The two shared a brief, unspoken understanding.
And just outside the roomâ
Ian and the group were watching in stunned silence.
Ian very slowly turned his camera to the others, recording their reactions.
Jen's eyes were wide with interest.
Olive had an amused smirk.
Zack looked way too invested.
Fuga, Clara, and Gorin were frozen, their faces saying, Wait... are they actually flirting?!
Then, out of nowhereâ
"AHEM."
The entire group flinched.
They had been caught.
Patrick and Grace had turned toward the door, staring directly at them.
Ian panicked, immediately shutting off the camera and shoving it behind his back. "Ah-ha-ha! Would you look at the time?! Gotta go!"
But it was too late.
Patrick's eyebrow twitched. Grace's eye narrowed.
And thenâ
"I-A-A-A-A-A-N!!"
The castle shook as Patrick and Grace chased them out, their voices echoing through the halls.
Ian and the group ran for their lives, laughing all the way.