She opehe door and stepped aside, motioning for Jason to ehe room was grand, almost intimidating. The walls were lined with shelves crammed full of aomes, scrolls, and books.

  Paintings depig battles, ndscapes, and symbols Jason didn't reize hung in ornate frames. Swords and statues in bck, gold, and jade adorned various pedestals, each pced with deliberate precision. A rge window dominated one side of the room, revealing snoed mountains under a pale gray sky.

  Ra's al Ghul sat behind a grand mahogany desk, his sharp features illuminated by the warm glow of an oil mp. A jade dragon statue sat on the desk, seemingly watg over the papers scattered beh it.

  His pierg eyes studied Jason for a moment before he subtly gestured for Talia t the boy closer.

  Jason, still captivated by the snowy expaside, took a few steps toward the window, ign Ra's for the moment. Talia cleared her throat softly, drawing his attention.

  Ra's rose gracefully from his chair, g his hands behind his back. His presence was anding, his movements deliberate. "How are you feeling today, boy?" His voice was calm, yet carried a weight that dematention.

  Jason turo face him, his expression guarded. "Aside from this weird emptiness in my chest and the fact that I 't remember anything meaningful beyond my name? I'd say I feel just fine." His tone was sarcastic, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of frustration.

  "Also, bg out st night and waking up in bed with no memory? Yeah, that's ing."

  Ra's nodded slowly, his gaze shifting to the window. He spoke without looking at Jason. "What do you remember from st night?"

  Jasoated, briefly gng at Talia before answering. "Everything up until the moment you told me I was dead and brought back to life. After that, I felt... sick, like something was g at my ihe hing I knew, I woke up in bed. It was like I bli the dining table and found myself elsewhere."

  "And you recall nothing of what transpired during that time?" Ra's inquired, turning his head slightly to observe Jason's rea.

  Jason shook his head, his brows furrowed. "No. Nothing."

  Ra's exhaled softly, as if weighing his words. "I see."

  Jason crossed his arms, his tone growing sharper. "So, since I've answered your questions, how about someoells me what actually happened?"

  Talia g her father, who gave a subtle nod of approval. She spoke carefully, her voice steady. "You bcked out. In that state, you attacked everyone in your line of sight."

  Jason's eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face. "You're kidding, right?"

  "I am afraid she's not," Ra's interjected, his voice as posed as ever.

  Jason took a step back, running a hand through his hair. "Being brought back from the dead was ohing—I'm still ing my head around that. But going on some rampage without remembering it? That's... terrifying."

  "You must calm yourself," Talia interjected, her tone firm but not unkind. "And mind your tone when speaking to my father."

  Jason shot her a gre but bit back a retort. "Calm down? What if it happens again? What if I hurt—or kill—someone and don't even know it?"

  Ra's stepped forward, pg a steady hand on Jason's shoulder. His gaze was firm but uanding. "Your s are valid, child. Rest assured, we will help you recover your memories and rid you of whatever lingers from your resurre. You are not alone in this."

  Jason took a deep breath, his jaw tight as he wrestled with his emotions. "Fine. But what about my family? Do they know I'm alive?"

  Ra's offered a faint, enigmatic smile. "With every step you take on this journey, ao your questions will e. For now, trust us. Trust the process."

  Jason's eyes narrowed slightly, skepticism flickering in his expression, but he said nothing. What choice did he have? He didn't uand what was happening to him, and for now, this pce—the League—was his only option.

  After a moment of silence, Jason exhaled heavily. "Fine. How long is this gonna take?"

  Ra's stepped back, his posture rexed but anding. "That depends on you. For now, you are one of us. You will be treated as family, not as a stranger."

  Jason mulled over the words, uainty lingering in his eyes.

  Ra's extended his hand toward Talia. "My daughter will see to it that you settle in and have all you need."

  Jason finally nodded. "When do we start?"

  Ra's allowed a small smile. "Right now. Follow me."

  Without another word, the two mehe room, leaving Talia behind. She watched them go, her expression unreadable as the heavy door clicked shut behind them.

  Ra's al Ghul led Jason to a dimly lit chamber, its air thick with the earthy st of aged stone and faint traces of inse. The room was minimalistic, almost austere, with four mats ly arranged in a square formation on the cold ground.

  The only illumination came from a few dles pced in the ers, their flickering fmes casting long, wavering shadows.

  "Sit," Ra's instructed, his tone calm yet anding. Jason obeyed without question, l himself onto one of the mats.

  The atmosphere became heavy with silence, broken only by the distant crackle of the dles. Jason gnced around, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. The space felt a, sacred even, as though tless rituals had taken pce here over the turies.

  Ra's settled onto the mat opposite Jason and reached for a matchstick. He lit two sticks of inse from the bundle pced in the ter of the square, their thin trails of smoke spiraling upward and dispersing into the air.

  "Earlier, you mentioned feeling a sense of emptiness within," Ra's began, his voice steady as the smoke drifted between them. "Could you eborate on that?"

  Jason hadn't given the feeling much thought before, but now that Ra's mentio, he let his mind wander, searg for the words to expin. "It's not the kind of emptiness you'd feel when you're missing something obvious—like my memories, for insta's… different."

  Ra's hummed softly, a thoughtful sound that invited Jason to tinue.

  Jason's brows furrowed as he tried to articute the sensation. "It's more like a hunger—something deep and insatiable. No matter what I do, it feels like nothing could ever fill it. But I don't know what it's craving."

  Ra's regarded him with a ptive expression, his fingers steepled in thought. "That feeling could be a side effect of your resurre. Death often leaves its mark in ways we mediately see or uand. Or—" he added after a pause, "it could stem from a ck of purpose."

  Jason's jaw tightened slightly, mulling over the implications of Ra's words. Before he could respond, the quiet creak of the door drew their attention.

  A League member entered silently, his movements fluid and respectful. He carried a tray with a small ceramic kettle and two delicate cups.

  Without a word, the man approached, set the tray down near Ra's, and bowed deeply before retreating bato the shadows, the door clig softly shut behind him.

  Ra's poured tea into the two cups with a practiced grace, the liquid steaming faintly. He handed oo Jason, ted it with a raised brow.

  "This tea is brewed from a rare herb," Ra's expined, his tone calm and measured. "It soothes the mind and nerves, preparing one for introspe."

  Jason took a tentative sip, the warmth spreading through him as the earthy, slightly bitter fvor settled on his tongue. Ra's waited until Jason had taken another sip before speaking again.

  "In two minutes, we will begiating."

  Jason frowned slightly. "Meditating?" His skepticism was evident.

  Ra's gave a faint, almost amused smile. "Yes. Meditation is a powerful exercise. In your case, it will help calm the storm within and allow you to look inward. This space is iionally secluded to free us from distras."

  Jason's frown deepened. "I'm ly the meditative type."

  Ra's remained uurbed. "You need not worry. I will guide you. Do not expect immediate results, but with time and practice, meditation may reveal what your soul seeks—and perhaps fragments of your memories."

  Jasoated but eventually nodded. "Alright. Let's give it a shot."

  Ra's positioned himself with his legs crossed, his posture regal yet rexed. Jason mirrored him, albeit less gracefully.

  "Do not attempt to silehe void thoughts in your mind," Ra's began, his tole but firm.

  "That voice isn't you but thoughts swirling around the universal sciousness. identifying with it and theing it will only create struggle within yourself. Instead, focus on your breathing and take no thought. Let yaze rest on the smoke from the inse. Take deep, measured breaths aach from that voice."

  Jason inhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the swirling smoke. The room seemed to shrink, the world beyond its walls fading into insignifice.

  "Now, close your eyes," Ra's instructed. "Focus solely on your breathing. Let every other thought pass by like a stream. Do not hold onto them. Let them flow."

  Jason closed his eyes, his breathing steady but tentative. The sound of his owhs filled his ears, mingling with the faint crackle of the dles. For the first time in what felt like forever, his mind began to quiet.

  ****

  [Later that evening]

  Talia approached her father's chambers, her soft knock barely audible against the thick wooden door. "Father," she called.

  "Enter," came Ra's measured reply.

  She stepped inside, finding him standing by the rge window, his silhouette framed against the moonlit expanse of snowy mountains. He seemed deep in thought, his hands csped behind his back.

  "Did I catch you at a bad time?" Talia asked, her tone polite but curious.

  Ra's turned, his expression unreadable but calm. "It is fine."

  Talia stepped closer, her mind teeming with questions. As the oasked with overseeing Jason, she needed crity. "How did the exercise with Jason go?"

  Ra's exhaled softly, his gaze steady. "It was a first step. There were no visible results, but progress is not always immediate."

  Talia nodded, her thoughts drifting to the events of the previous night. "What do you think happeo him? You saw his eyes, didn't you? There was… nothing there but darkness."

  Ra's sighed, his voice carrying the weight of his thoughts. "I did. From what I observed, his mind appears fractured—disjoihe disunity between his body, mind, and soul is evident."

  Talia tilted her head, her brows knitting in fusion. She uood the words, but the implications uled her. Still, she pressed on. "And this emptiness he spoke of? Do you think rec his memories would sooth that feeling?"

  Ra's turned back to the window, his gaze distant. "I doubt it. The scar of death is imprinted on his soul. Even if his memories return, the cold sense of emptiness may remain."

  Talia studied her father's profile, sensing there was more he wasn't saying. She knew him well enough the subtle tension in his shoulders.

  "There's more, isn't there?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

  Ra's finally met her gaze. "Resurreg someone is not without sequehe universe has a way of maintaining bance. I fear we do not yet know the price Jason has paid for his soul—or how the Lazarus Pit has influenced his return."

  Talia's lips pressed into a thin lihe weight of her father's words settled heavily ohe act ing Jason back wasn't just araordinary feat; it was a gamble with stakes they couldn't yet prehend.

  For the first time, doubt crept into her heart. Had they truly helped Jason? Or had they simply ed him to a burden no one could bear?

  *****

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