Powerless Boy is reborn as Lustful Elf
Chapter 48: Thalorin leaves

Chapter 48: Thalorin leaves

The walls here were quieter but no less alive, lined with smaller works of art, delicate sketches and faded paintings framed in wood that bore the grain of age.

Animals Alex didn’t recognize peeked out from parchment and canvas alike, some fierce and majestic, others strange, their forms just unfamiliar enough to stir curiosity and unease.

At last, they stopped before a door, tall and carved with curling patterns of ivy and stars.

With a theatrical sweep of his arm, Jusin pushed it open, the hinges releasing a soft, drawn-out sigh as if exhaling after a long wait.

He stepped aside, his hand still on the handle, and nodded toward the room within.

"Check it out," he said, the gravel in his voice softened with something like affection.

He gestured for Alex to enter first, his stance easy, but his eyes keen, watching for the boy’s reaction like it mattered more than he’d say aloud.

Alex paused at the threshold, the doorframe seeming to loom larger than it was, as if the very wood of the frame were made to test his resolve.

His fingers tightened instinctively around the strap of his pack, the leather biting into his palm, a familiar anchor in this sea of uncertainty.

The space between the door and the room beyond seemed endless, and in that small gap, Alex could feel the weight of his decision pressing down on him.

This doorway, this simple boundary, felt like the line between his old life, one of struggle, confusion, and solitude, and whatever this new life was shaping up to be.

He stepped forward, his footfall tentative, almost as if the room itself might react to his presence.

The moment his boots crossed the threshold, the air inside felt different, cooler, softer, as though it had been waiting for him.

His eyes scanned the room, taking in its vastness, the way the space seemed to open up before him, offering him both freedom and a quiet solitude.

The cream-colored walls, smooth and unassuming, reflected the gentle light that poured through a wide window, its glass clear but faintly tinted by the warmth of the afternoon sun.

The warm rays fell on the furniture, making the wood gleam with a polished luster, while the coolness of the walls provided a quiet balance,

A bed sat nestled in the far corner of the room, its frame sturdy yet unpretentious, constructed of dark wood that spoke of both reliability and simplicity.

The mattress, generously padded, was covered with a collection of pillows in soft hues of blue and gray, cool, calming tones that promised comfort after a long day.

But it was the small, unexpected detail that caught Alex’s attention, perched atop the bedcovers, amid the pillows, was a teddy bear.

It was simple, modest, a little brown creature with plush fur worn soft from years of gentle squeezes.

Its stitched smile was crooked, the kind of lopsided grin that seemed both endearing and a bit mischievous, as though it held secrets only the most attentive observer could uncover.

A laugh, small but genuine, tugged at the corner of Alex’s mouth before he could stop it. The teddy was so unexpected.

"We, uhm, didn’t know what to get as a welcome gift," Jusin said, his voice rougher than usual, betraying a hint of self-consciousness.

He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flickering toward the bear before returning to Alex with a sheepish grin, as though he expected the gesture to be received with awkwardness. "So we settled on that."

"That and a bowl of my favorite dish," Griesla added softly, her voice a quiet, melodic hum that seemed to fill the space with a fragile sense of comfort.

It was the first time she had spoken since the courtyard, and her words, though tentative, held a surprising tenderness.

The hesitance in her tone hinted at the weight of her silence, but beneath it, there was a subtle flicker of warmth, a small offering from the depths of her shadowed world.

Alex chuckled softly, the sound light and filled with a sense of relief, like the first breath after a long, tense pause.

"Thank you," he said, his voice quiet but sincere, and as he met their eyes, Jusin’s steady, warm hazel gaze, and Griesla’s soft, dim gray eyes, he meant it, deeply.

In that fleeting moment, the walls between them seemed to lower just a fraction, and the quiet kindness in their gestures, their words, felt like a gentle reassurance

The teddy bear, the dish, the room, it was more than Alex had ever expected.

It was a simple yet profound offering, a quiet promise of care that nestled in the warmth of their gestures.

It was a fragile yet undeniable bridge between him and this strange new life, a reminder that even in the midst of uncertainty, kindness could still find its place.

As the silence hung between them, Thalorin cleared his throat, a sound that cut through the moment with a faint rustle of his cloak.

He stepped forward, his golden hair catching the light, and for a brief second, his gaze lingered on Alex, measuring, perhaps, or contemplating.

"Now that I’ve seen Alex’s room," Thalorin said, his voice firm but with an undercurrent of regret, as though the act of leaving was more difficult than it seemed. "I’d love to stay, but I’ve somewhere to be, very urgently."

His words were clipped, almost apologetic, but the weight of something unsaid lingered in the air, an unspoken farewell.

He placed a hand on Alex’s back, a brief, solid pat, offering more comfort in the simple motion than words could convey. "Take care, Alex," he added, his voice softer now, "I’ll check on you soon."

Turning away, Thalorin addressed Jusin and Griesla, his voice softening, yet tinged with a kind of bittersweet finality. "Goodbye, my friends." It wasn’t just a farewell, it was a parting, one that felt heavy in the silence that followed.

His golden hair caught the light as he spun sharply on his heel, a flash of brilliance against the dim hallway.

Thalorin moved with a swift urgency, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow, his steps echoing with a force that left the air rippling in his wake.

His golden hair caught the light as he spun sharply on his heel, a flash of brilliance against the dim hallway.

Thalorin moved with a swift urgency, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow, his steps echoing with a force that left the air rippling in his wake.