Offered to the Triplet Alphas

[Raven]

Asher peered at me, his gaze lingering longer than usual, before turning toward the distant walls with a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe you are saying this," Asher said.

I lowered my eyes.

"Me too," I admitted, my voice quiet. "I can't believe I want those people near Ezra again, but... my knowledge, my experience, my powers... they're not enough to heal Ezra. The curse is interfering with the treatment. Nothing's working. I... don't know what to do. There's no way I can neutralize the curse's resistance. I've tried everything."

"Everything?" Asher's voice sharpened, and he turned to face me. "Really? Have you really tried everything? Or are you just too afraid to try everything you've got? Afraid that you'll make it all worse?"

"What do you mean? Do you think I'm holding back because I'm afraid of making things worse?" I shot back, my frustration rising.

"Yes," he said, his tone unwavering. "Because there's a way to slow down the curse and neutralize its resistance, even though it's temporary. But that method... it's only effective if you're willing to do what it takes, even if it's difficult." I shook my head, disbelief creeping in.

"The only way to even slow it down is if we have a dragon's blessing. But forget about blessings - we don't even have dragons in hell."

"Not alive, no," Asher said, his voice low and steady, "but dead, yes. And they're here because they want to be here. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to bring their skeletons into Hell or display them in the lounge of Helxton." I stared at the carpet of leaves crushed beneath my shoes, the memory of Helxton flooding my mind. My heartbeat quickened as I recalled everything that had happened there.

Asher placed his hand on my shoulder, studying me intently as though waiting for me to realize something important.

"Dead or alive, a dragon's blessing can always help," he said.

"But no dragon has ever blessed a demon. Not just demons, it takes celestials centuries, sometimes lifetimes, to receive a dragon's blessing. The dragons have only ever blessed a select few, and they're all in paradise." Asher smiled, a soft laugh escaping him as he lowered his head.

"What's so funny?" I glared at him, my frustration building.

He didn't answer right away. Silence hung heavy in the air, each second stretching like hours. My chest tightened, my impatience growing with every passing moment.

Holding my gaze, Asher said.

"Raven... it's time you step out of my shadows and see your own light."

He placed his palm over my chest.

"For once, listen to your heart. The heart of a true healer. The heart that is blessed by a dragon."

"W-what? My heart? Have you lost your mind? When did that happen?" I stammered.

"Follow me."

He started walking towards the walls, and I reluctantly followed him. My mind raced with thousands of thoughts. Every moment I had spent beneath the dragon skeleton in Helxton flickered in my mind. We walked in silence for minutes until we reached the concrete gate that Ezra had destroyed after he completed FA.

"Why did you bring me here?" I clenched my fists, trying to keep my rage at bay.

"After they took Ezra to the bunker... try to remember. Where did you go that night? What questions did you ask? What answers did you receive?"

That night...

***

The only place that ever brought me peace was Helxton. I felt more alive with the dragon's dead skeleton than with alive people walking in skin and flesh.

So, that night... I went there again, carrying all my emotions, all my helplessness.

The only thought that consumed me was: I never wanted to feel that helpless again.

And the only question I asked was: what would I do if Ezra went berserk again?

I often talked to the dragon about things I'd never dare share with anyone else. Each time, all I received in return was a sense of lightness, a peaceful heart, as if the dragon somehow understood me in ways others couldn't. But that night...

I was kneeling before the dragon skeleton. Numb. Lost. Defeated. And then a soft crack shattered the heavy silence both within and around me. Before I could lift my gaze, a small claw bone fell from the dragon's skeleton, landing right in front of where I knelt.

***

Coming out of my memories, I stared at Asher.

"That was... just a coincidence," I said, my voice shaking. "The dragon's claw fell, and I just happened to be there. It meant nothing special."

"Dragons, especially dead dragons, don't make mistakes, Raven," Asher said firmly, holding my gaze. "There is no greater healer than a dragon, and they chose you. They responded to the purity of your heart and blessed you. So that night, when you felt nothing but helpless, you unknowingly came up with the solution to the very problem you face today."

"A demon... being blessed by a dragon. This has never happened before," I muttered, the words feeling foreign in my mouth. The concept itself was too alien to believe.

"There will be a lot of things happening for the first time. A dragon has blessed a demon for the first time and it happened to you. It saw something in you that even you failed to see. It's time, Raven. Time to respond to your calling, to embrace the true purpose of your life, dragon-blessed."

I shook my head, averting my gaze.

"No. This is... it's ridiculous. If the dragon had blessed you, it would make sense. But why me? I am... nothing." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm no one."

Asher's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile.

"The dragon chose you because you are Raven Xipher and you will meet yourself soon enough. The reason it could have never been me is that Asher doesn't have what it takes to heal others. Asher was - and will always be - inferior to Raven." I froze under the weight of his words, my eyes widening as goosebumps prickled along my skin. My fists clenched tightly at my sides, and my breaths turned shallow, each one trembling with tension.

My eyes searched his face for mockery, for any trace of sarcasm - but there was none. Just raw, irrefutable sincerity.

A burning sensation rose in my chest.

He wasn't just saying it. He meant every word.

"It's not just Ezra's life that depends on whether you accept this blessing," Asher continued, his prophetic voice charged with urgency. "Through you, many will find their purpose, their second chances, their new beginnings. So today, you must accept the dragon's blessings, Raven."

Swallowing hard, I turned away, running clammy fingers through my hair. My mind swirled with tangled thoughts, and I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to find clarity.

"Ezra needs you." Asher stepped closer. "He's stronger now, which means his powers are more dangerous than ever. The old ways won't work on him. That's why you need to create new ones. To do that, you need to push past your fear, your insecurities, your self-doubt. You need to trust yourself."

With every gust of wind that rustled around me, my mind felt less cloudy. But there was an unfathomable restraint within me, as if there were invisible shackles holding me back from setting free and accepting what was logically the best option I had right now.

Asher walked in front of me, his eyes reading my soul.

"Your purpose is much greater than what's holding you back. You can search for the old healers. I won't stop you. But I choose to trust the healer inside you. So ask yourself: can you entrust Ezra's life to the very people who broke him?" Never.

My fists loosened and my head lowered, almost involuntarily.

"Feel free to punch me, but... I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time and the right time has finally come..."

Asher's hand rested gently on my nape, and before I knew it, my forehead was resting on his shoulder. My thoughts scattered, my mind going blank for a fleeting moment.

"Father might have given up on you. I never did. I never will," Asher said.

I gritted my teeth, swallowing hard against the wave of emotion that crashed on me.

I lifted my hands, the instinct to distance myself from him taking hold. But the urge to push him away faltered briefly before it drowned beneath the weight of exhaustion - the days of mental and physical strain crashing down on me all at

once.

Closing my eyes, I let myself absorb the strength of the proximity that somehow... held me together.

At that moment, something changed deep inside me.

I didn't believe in the dragon's blessing as much as I believed in Asher's trust in me.

I knew exactly what I had to do now.

I will save Ezra.

No.

No matter what it takes, I will save my brothers from the curse at all costs.