Roxanna was flabbergasted when she heard Azul’s words. But when she looked at Mera again, she realized it wasn’t just the light in his eyes that was gone. He truly looked like someone who had completely lost the will to live.
"He’s still alive," Roxanna said softly. "As long as he’s still breathing... I think we can still save him."
Azul let out a bitter scoff and turned his face away. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Roxanna. He hated the way he was speaking to her, but he couldn’t stop the fear and hopelessness inside him.
"It’s useless," Azul muttered. "You can heal wounds on the body, but you can’t heal a broken heart with your blood."
"That’s not completely true," Roxanna replied at once. She leaned forward, almost as if she wanted to reach through the iron bars between them. "My blood might not be able to heal someone’s emotional pain, but I do have a way to help people feel better, even if it’s only for a little while."
She probably couldn’t use the Comfort Hug Buff on Mera since that passive skill only worked on her husbands. But she still had another passive skill, Guardian Blessing, which could protect someone from mental distress for a short time.
It wouldn’t solve everything, but it could give Mera a chance to breathe and with enough time, she believed he could slowly recover.
"Besides, you can make the Mind-Calming Medicine," she continued. "You made it before to calm Cyrus’s mind. I’m sure you can make something even stronger for Mera."
Azul didn’t answer right away. It was as if his own fear and worry had drowned out everything Roxanna was saying.
The moment Zeir finally forced the lock open, Roxanna immediately swam into the cell and wrapped her arms around Azul.
[Passive Skill Activated: Comfort Hug Buff]
[Azul’s Negative Emotions Decreased by 40%]
"Let’s not give up yet," Roxanna whispered. "You’ve waited so many years to see your family again, and now they’re finally here. So let’s treasure every moment we still have together."
"He’s suffering," Azul whispered. At last, he returned her embrace and took a shaky breath. "I can’t stand seeing him like this."
"He saved you once," Roxanna said gently. "Now it’s your turn to save him. Azul... we can still bring him back."
For a long moment, Azul stayed silent. Then he slowly lifted his head and looked straight into Roxanna’s eyes. "How can you be so sure we can still save him?"
"I just... know," Roxanna replied without showing even the slightest hint of doubt.
Because she had once been in that same place.
There had been a time when every single day felt like torture. The light in her eyes had disappeared, and she had truly believed she would never find hope again.
However, the moment she found a place where she truly felt safe, she slowly began to heal. Day by day, she realized that she deserved kindness as well, especially from her husbands.
That was why she wanted to give Mera that same hope, just as she had always tried to give hope to each of her husbands.
"Let’s at least try first, Azul," Roxanna said gently. "We’ll never know what will happen if we don’t even try."
Besides, what was Azul planning to do with Mera if he didn’t want to take him away from this place?
No, actually, she already knew the answer.
She knew, but she refused to think about it.
"Alright," Azul said at last. He nodded several times, making Roxanna finally let out a sigh of relief. "I want to take him home with us. If he still doesn’t get any better, then—"
"We’ll think about the worst-case scenario only after we’ve done everything we possibly can," Roxanna interrupted firmly.
Deep down, she wasn’t even sure they could make Mera comfortable in the Vixeria Settlement. He was a merman, after all, and he needed seawater from time to time.
Still, she believed they would find a way. The system had already given her the Cradle of Tides, so maybe it could also provide something that could produce seawater.
"Hey, I’m sorry, but we don’t have much time," Zeir reminded them. He had already forced open Mera’s cell and removed the chains that had been holding his arms against the wall.
Even so, Zeir didn’t try to carry Mera out because he was worried that the red-haired Prince, lost in his broken state, would mistake him for one of the Devourers.
On the other side, Mera didn’t react at all, even after the heavy chains slipped from his wrists and fell to the floor with a dull clang.
His head remained lowered, and his lifeless eyes stayed fixed on the ground. It was as though he hadn’t even noticed that he was finally free.
"Alright, we have to make you feel better first," Roxanna said.
Since there wasn’t enough time to heal Azul with her blood, she decided to let him drink the High-Grade Recovery Potion instead.
"Here you go."
She gently supported the back of his head and tilted it up before bringing the vial to his lips. Once he finished drinking every drop, warmth quickly spread through his body. Some of the deep cuts and bruises slowly began to heal before his eyes.
He wasn’t fully healed yet since the injuries covering his body were both severe and numerous, but it was still much better than nothing.
"Take this one to Mera too," Roxanna said, placing another vial into Azul’s hand.
With the second potion in his grip, Azul slowly pushed himself up and swam toward Mera’s cell.
Azul stopped in front of the open cell and looked at his older brother for a moment.
"Mera," he called softly.
Unfortunately, there was no response from him.
Mera remained in the same position, his head lowered as if he hadn’t even noticed that the chains around his wrists were gone.
Azul tightened his grip around the small vial before forcing himself to move closer.
"I brought you something," he said gently. "It’ll help your body heal."
Still, Mera didn’t react.
For a brief moment, Azul simply stood there, unsure of what to do. The silence between them felt heavier than the chains that had bound Mera only moments ago.
Roxanna watched from the doorway, her heart aching for the two brothers.
"Try helping him drink it," she suggested softly.
Azul nodded. He carefully knelt beside Mera and placed one hand behind his brother’s head.
"I’m sorry," he whispered.
Mera’s body tensed for a second, but he didn’t resist. Azul slowly tilted his head back and held the vial to his lips. "Just a little."
At first, the potion simply ran down the corner of Mera’s mouth. Then, after a few seconds, Mera swallowed on his own.
Encouraged, Azul patiently waited before letting him drink another small mouthful.
Little by little, Mera finished the entire potion.
A faint glow spread across his body as the medicine took effect. The cuts covering his skin slowly closed, and the bruises began to fade.
"Alright, let’s get you out of here." Azul carefully lifted Mera onto his back, making sure not to put too much pressure on his injured body.
"My new home doesn’t have a sea," he said with a faint smile. "But I can bring seawater back for you whenever you need it. It’ll be alright. We’ll figure it out together... so you don’t have to leave me again."
Mera didn’t answer. He simply rested his forehead against Azul’s shoulder, his vacant eyes staring into nothingness.
"Let’s go," Zeir urged.
The four of them were about to use the camouflage net again when the Devourers finally realized that the prisoners were escaping.
"Hey! They’re getting away!"
To be honest, Roxanna couldn’t believe it had taken them this long to notice that the prison cells had already been opened.
"They’ve spotted us!" she cried. "What do we do?"
"Please! Let us out too!" one of the prisoners suddenly shouted.
Some of the prisoners, like Mera, had already lost the will to live. But others still had enough strength and hope left to fight for their freedom.
Roxanna glanced at the Devourers rushing toward the prison tower, then looked back at the desperate prisoners reaching through the bars of their cells.
She wanted to save them. She truly did, but at the same time, she was afraid that stopping now would only make the situation worse for everyone.
Before she could make a decision, Zeir suddenly swung his weapon.
The blades at the ends of his double chains flew through the corridor, smashing every lock on the prison cells one after another.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The cell doors swung open, giving the prisoners a chance to escape.
Zeir looked back at Roxanna with a small smile. "Better this way, right?" he asked. He already knew his wife would never be able to leave those people behind.
Roxanna quickly nodded, relief filling her face. "Yes. Yes, thank you."
As for whether those prisoners would survive after this, that was no longer something anyone could control.