Reincarnated as a Healer : Why are my powers so filthy?
Chapter 53: squeezed

Chapter 53: squeezed

Leon’s eyes squeezed shut, his breath hitching, and he came, his release spilling across her fingers, hot and sudden, his groan quiet but raw.

A gust of wind surged outward, the forest’s whispers faltering, the trees falling silent for a moment, as if the Crimson Veil had paused to listen.

Terya rose smoothly, licking one finger with a sly glance, her green eyes sparkling.

"See? You’re not broken. Just... recharging," she said, her smirk wide but warm.

Leon exhaled, breathless, his face flushed. "That was..."

"Effective?" she teased, leaning in to kiss his lips, slow and soft, her breath mingling with his.

"Yeah," he said, his grin shaky but genuine.

"You don’t need fire to be a hero," she said, brushing his cheek, her voice soft, free of its usual tease. "You just need to keep moving."

Leon nodded, his heart still racing, the wind bond pulsing strong in his chest.

"Thank you," he said, his voice quiet but earnest.

"Anytime, hero," she said, winking.

They stood for a moment longer, the silence returning, but now the forest didn’t feel so loud, the whispers muted, the red mist curling lazily around them.

__________

Dawn in Vyrneth felt wrong.

The light filtered red through the thick mist, casting long, jagged shadows across the forest floor.

The trees had shifted again—Leon was sure of it.

What had been a straight path now twisted into a bone-white maze of roots and thorns, branches curling in unnatural spirals, their bark pulsing with red veins.

The air was heavy with the stench of copper and rot.

Leon adjusted his pack, his reforged dagger glinting at his belt, his linen shirt clinging to his sweat-damp skin.

Terya crouched beside a moss-covered trunk, her green eyes narrowed, her chainmail creaking softly.

"The woods are alive. Literally. They moved while we slept," she said, her voice low, her usual smirk tempered by caution.

Zara stood a few paces ahead, her massive axe thudding against her back, her silver hair damp with sweat, her breathing uneven.

The curse marks on her thigh pulsed brighter, spiraling up her leg like molten coals.

"It’s flaring," she growled, her voice tight with pain, her blue eyes sharp but strained.

Leon stepped forward, his pack sliding slightly. "Let me—"

"Do it quick," she said, cutting him off.

She lifted the edge of her armored skirt, exposing the jagged red glyphs scorched into her skin, glowing with a heat that radiated outward.

Leon knelt, his hand hovering over her thigh, then pressed his palm gently to the edge of the mark.

Her skin was hot, sweaty, trembling, the curse’s energy clawing at his senses.

A golden glow flickered beneath his fingers, his core healing magic struggling against Vyrneth’s oppressive air.

The light dulled the curse’s pulse, easing the pain for a moment.

Zara sucked in a sharp, low breath, her blue eyes locking onto his, unreadable but intense.

"You’ve got warm hands," she muttered, a faint smirk breaking through her grimace. "Try not to enjoy it too much."

Leon flushed, his grin sheepish. "Too late."

Terya chuckled from behind, her staff leaning against her shoulder. "You two want a blanket, or should I just watch?"

Zara’s gaze didn’t leave Leon’s, her voice dry. "Watch and learn, breeze girl."

Leon stood quickly, brushing off his palms, hiding the faint burn mark on his hand. "Okay. Better?"

Zara rolled her shoulder, her breathing steadier. "It’ll hold. For now."

The forest suddenly hushed, the whispers fading into a heavy silence.

Then came the sound—a low, guttural roar, like stone grinding on bone, echoing through the trees.

Terya was first to react, her knives flashing into her hands, her eyes sharp. "That’s not a tree," she said, her voice low.

Leon tensed, his hand twitching toward his dagger. "Dreadwraith?"

Zara’s voice was grim, her axe shifting slightly. "A scout, maybe. It’s hunting."

Another roar, closer, shaking the ground.

Leon tried to conjure flame—"Fireblade"—but nothing came, not even smoke.

Terya placed a hand on his wrist, her touch warm, grounding, her chainmail brushing his arm.

"You’ve got me," she said, her green eyes steady. "Use that."

She stepped closer, her chest pressing against his arm, her warmth steadying him.

"Picture the air. Feel it move. Then push," she murmured, guiding his hands outward, her breath hot against his ear.

Leon exhaled, closing his eyes, focusing on their bond, the wind magic pulsing strong in his chest.

A soft current formed around his fingertips—gentle at first, then sharper, a breeze sharpening into a blade.

He slashed his hand forward, and a wind arc shot out, slicing through a hanging branch. It snapped and crashed to the ground, the red sap hissing.

Terya whooped, her grin wide. "That’s my hero!"

Leon’s grin broke through, a thrill sparking in his chest despite the forest’s weight. "Okay. I’ll admit... that felt good."

"Better get used to it," Zara muttered, her blue eyes scanning the trees, her axe ready. "The Veil’s not slowing down."

The mist thickened again, curling low to the ground, the whispers returning, louder, more insistent.

Leon tightened his pack, glancing at the path ahead, the red skies churning. "Let’s move before that roar gets a body."

Terya touched his shoulder, her fingers lingering, her voice soft. "You’re doing fine, Leon. Really."

Zara said nothing, but as she passed, her fingers brushed his elbow, brief but deliberate, her blue eyes flicking to his with a spark of something—trust, maybe, or curiosity.

The road into Vyrneth stretched ahead—blood-red skies above, shadows below, the scent of iron lingering in the wind.

Leon had stopped counting how many times the path twisted back on itself, the trails shifting as if the forest itself was playing tricks.

Blood-weeping trunks stood where open paths had been, their bark oozing red sap, dripping like syrup from jagged cracks. .

"It’s like the forest’s playing a 4D horror game," he muttered, brushing aside a low-hanging branch slick with sap, its touch cold and sticky. "No save points. No pause button."

Terya, a few paces ahead, gave a dry laugh, her green eyes glinting in the red glow. "Yeah, I lost you again. But I get it, you are nervous again.," she said, her chainmail creaking, her short cloak swaying with her steps, revealing the curve of her hips