In the grand throne hall above, tension filled the air.

The lords of the five clans, Lucian, Mor’du, Stoick, and the rest of the gang were gathered for an emergency meeting that had already lasted over thirty minutes. Merida had already explained everything, how her wish had turned her mother and brothers into bears.

King Fergus sat upon his throne, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as weariness and stress weighed heavily upon him. Finally, he lifted his head, his gaze settling sharply on Lucian and Mordu.

"You have remained quiet long enough," Fergus said, his voice deep and firm. "Now explain yourselves."

Lucian stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully, while Mordu stood tall and calm beside him.

"The man standing next to me," Lucian said calmly, "is the legendary Demon Bear known as Mor’du. The one from all your ancient stories. He was once a prince who chose power over family. A witch gave him a spell that granted him immense strength... but turned him into a bear. He accepted that form and lived as a monster for years."

Fergus leaned forward. "Then how... how is he standing here as a man?"

"That is where my power comes in," Lucian explained. "I possess the ability to weaken and reduce the strength of curses placed upon others. I used my power on Mordu. I did not break the curse completely, for some magic is too strong to ever fully undo. But I lessened it enough that he could return to his human form, though he still carries the strength and spirit of the bear within him."

A spark of sudden, desperate hope lit up in Fergus’ eyes. He stood abruptly from his throne, strode down the steps, and gripped Lucian’s shoulders firmly.

"If you did that for him..." Fergus whispered, his voice trembling with emotion, "Can you do the same for my wife? For my sons?"

Lucian let out a slow, steady breath, looking the King straight in the eye. "Yes. It is possible. But I cannot do it alone. I will need your help."

_____

Deep beneath DunBroch Castle, in a dimly lit underground cell, Merida sat on the cold stone floor right in front of the iron bars. Inside the cell was a large brown bear, her mother, Queen Elinor.

Merida stared at her with heartbroken eyes, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. She reached through the bars and gently stroked the bear’s fur.

A small tug on her sleeve made her look down. Her three younger brothers, still in their bear cub forms were huddled beside her. Seeing their innocent, furry faces only made the pain worse. Merida pulled them into a tight hug, burying her face in their soft fur as fresh tears fell.

"I’m so sorry..." she whispered. "This is all my fault..."

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Suddenly soldiers arrived carrying thick ropes and a large rolling cage.

Merida stood up immediately. "What are you doing?!"

Just then, Fergus stepped from behind the soldiers. He placed his hands gently but firmly on Merida’s shoulders, holding her back.

"Do not fear, lass," he said softly, though his face was lined with worry. "We have found a way... a way to bring them back, at least partly. Trust me, lass."

_____

The castle courtyard was wide and open, filled now with soldiers from every clan, standing in a large, tight circle. In the very center stood the iron cage containing the massive bear that was once Queen Elinor. She paced restlessly inside, slamming her weight against the bars and roaring with terrifying ferocity, wild and frightened.

Lucian walked slowly toward the cage, and the crowd fell silent. The three little bear cubs trotted right behind him, clinging tightly to the fabric of his pants, terrified and seeking safety. He stopped in front of the cage and looked at Fergus, who gave him a solemn nod.

"Pull!" Fergus commanded.

The soldiers hauled on the thick ropes they had carefully secured. The ropes were attached to the cage and ran through sturdy posts, holding tight to the bear’s limbs and head. As they pulled with all their strength, the bear was forced down, pinned and unable to thrash or strike. It was necessary, Lucian needed direct, unbroken physical contact for the magic to work.

Lucian took a deep breath to steady himself. He reached through the bars, past the restraining ropes, and placed one hand firmly upon the massive head of the beast.

In his other hand, he held a woven net bag containing four glowing mana crystals, pulsing with bright, dense energy. The triplets pressed themselves against his legs, watching with wide eyes.

He closed his eyes and exhaled.

’Lessen Curse.’

Instantly, the bright glow of the crystals began to fade. Their brilliant light dimmed rapidly as streams of pure, visible mana flowed out of them and surged directly into Lucian’s body. The power was immense, far more than any normal person could ever hope to hold. Lucian gritted his teeth, his body trembling violently as the overwhelming energy rushed through his veins. He cried out in pain, his knees buckling slightly under the crushing weight of power.

He forced the energy outward, channeling it from his own body, through his arm and hand, and straight into the bound bear, while simultaneously sending a portion of the magic flowing down into the three cubs holding onto him.

Thick, dark black smoke began to pour out from the bear and the cubs, swirling upward in a dark, terrifying cloud. The smoke twisted and shaped itself, forming the hollow, grinning shape of a giant skull, hovering in the air for a heartbeat. Then, with a loud crackling sound, the skull shattered and vanished into nothingness.

The bear and cubs began to shrink.

When the smoke finally cleared, Queen Elinor stood in her human form once more, looking dazed and exhausted. Beside Lucian, the three triplets had also returned to normal. Three small, naked boys blinking in confusion.

But before anyone could cheer or rush forward, Lucian suddenly hunched over, clutching his chest.

He brought a hand to his mouth, coughing violently. When he pulled his hand away, it was stained with bright red blood. He dropped to one knee, his strength completely drained, his vision swimming. He looked at the blood on his palm and managed a faint, tired smirk.

"My body... really cannot keep up with this," he whispered breathlessly.

This was the heavy price using the crystals.

When Lucian had performed the spell for Mordu, it had been manageable enough as he had only needed to channel the energy of a single mana crystal, and the strain on his body had been light. But this time, the task was far greater; to weaken the powerful curse binding the Queen and the triplets, he had been forced to draw upon the power of four crystals at once. The sheer amount of energy rushing through him was overwhelming, tearing at his muscles and bones.

It would have been a completely different matter if he possessed a proper mana core, the natural vessel all mages rely on to store and regulate power. With one, this flow would have been smooth and controlled. But Lucian had no core. He was forced to use his body as the only pathway for this immense magic. That was why such severe strain had taken over his body, pushing him to cough up blood.

This was also exactly the reason why even the most nobles who don’t have mana cores only ever used mana crystals in the direst emergencies. Without a core to act as a filter or buffer, forcing raw energy directly through one’s own body was dangerous, painful, and came with a heavy, physical price.

Ariel and Astrid immediately rushed to his side.

"Are you okay?!" Ariel asked worriedly, wiping the blood from his hand.

Astrid supported his arm. "Lucian!"

"I am fine... just a little drained," Lucian reassured them, his voice hoarse. He looked past them, toward the cage, and seeing Elinor and the boys standing there, whole and human again, a genuine, warm smile spread across his face. The pain was worth it.

Merida’s eyes filled with fresh tears as she saw her mother and brothers restored. She ran forward with a broken sob. Fergus quickly grabbed a large cloak and opened the cage, covering Elinor as Merida threw herself into her mother’s arms.

"Mum...! Mum, I’m so sorry!" Merida cried, hugging her tightly. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Queen Elinor, still weak, gently wrapped her arms around her daughter, her eyes soft with love and forgiveness.

The three boys rushed over and jumped into the embrace as well, turning it into a full family hug.

Fergus stood nearby, watching with tears in his eyes, overwhelmed with relief.