Inside the realm Alex made
"So you’re telling ," her mother said softly, "that you’re friends with soone this powerful?"
"Yes, mother," Elizabeth replied. Her voice was tired but warm. "I never thought I’d see you again. I thought he would only bring back father."
She leaned closer, resting her head against her mother’s chest, holding on like she was afraid the mont would vanish if she let go. Hours of tears had passed already, but the ache was still there, dull and heavy.
Her mother wrapped her arms around her, slow and careful, like she was holding sothing fragile that had already broken once.
"He must be a kind man," her mother said after a while. "To bring soone back from the dead... that’s not sothing you do lightly. It carries consequences. Heavy ones. For him to do it without hesitation..." She paused. "He must either be very kind... or very powerful."
Elizabeth smiled faintly. "Or both."
Her father laughed, a full, honest laugh that filled the space. It was the sa laugh she rembered from before everything went wrong.
"I’ll thank him soday," he said. "He reunited with my daughter. Gave back my wife. And most importantly—" he spread his hands dramatically "—relieved of kingly duties."
He laughed again, pleased with himself.
His wife turned and smacked him on the back of the head without warning.
"And who do you think that burden falls on now?" she snapped. "You think Lionhead will take the throne? Our daughter will carry that weight."
Elizabeth felt her mother’s hand tighten on her shoulder.
Her mother looked at her, really looked at her, eyes soft and heavy at the sa ti. "You’ve already lost too much. And now you’re expected to rule an empire that’s barely holding itself together."
Elizabeth swallowed.
"I don’t mind," she said quietly.
Both of them turned to her.
"I don’t," she repeated. "I’m scared. I won’t lie about that. But... I don’t feel alone anymore."
Her father’s smile faded, replaced with sothing gentler.
"You shouldn’t have to be brave all the ti," he said.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don’t want to be brave. I just don’t want to run."
Her mother brushed her hair back, the sa way she used to when Elizabeth was little. "That’s what scares ," she said softly. "You sound older than you should."
Elizabeth laughed quietly. "Everyone keeps saying that."
There was a silence. Not an uncomfortable one. Just the kind that settles after too many emotions have been poured out.
Her father broke it first.
"Tell about them," he said. "This... Adam. And his brother. And the girl."
Elizabeth’s expression softened. "They’re strange," she said. "Annoying. Reckless. Sotis scary. But they don’t look at like a crown."
Her mother raised a brow. "They don’t?"
"No," Elizabeth said. "They look at like I’m... ."
Her father nodded slowly. "That might be the greatest gift of all."
Elizabeth hesitated. "Mother... Father... there’s sothing else."
They waited.
"They’re not human," she said carefully. "Not really. They used to be. But now they’re... concepts. Things older than worlds. Stronger than gods."
Her parents exchanged a glance.
"And you’re safe with them?" her mother asked.
Elizabeth nodded without hesitation. "Yes."
Her father exhaled. "Then that’s enough for ."
Her mother studied her face, searching for doubt. She didn’t find any.
"Then we trust your judgnt," she said. "But promise sothing."
Elizabeth looked up. "Anything."
"Don’t carry everything alone," her mother said. "Not the throne. Not the grief. Not the future."
Elizabeth felt her throat tighten. "I promise."
Her father reached out and pulled both of them into a clumsy embrace.
"For what it’s worth," he said, "I think you’ll be a better ruler than I ever was."
Elizabeth laughed through tears. "You only say that because you don’t have to do it anymore."
"Exactly," he said proudly.
Her mother sighed, but there was a smile there.
They stayed like that for a while. No crowns. No empires. Just a family that had been broken and stitched back together in a way that still hurt, but held.
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
For the first ti since everything began, she allowed herself to rest.
Outside
"Where are they?"
Kahdijah floated above the Imperial Capital, legs crossed in the air like she was bored already.
She tilted her head, eyes half-lidded, then humd.
"Huh."
Her gaze sharpened when she felt it. A familiar weight. An Absolute. Weak. Bruised. Not fading, not dying, just... humiliated.
She laughed softly. "Oh, that’s embarrassing."
She dropped lower, drifting straight through walls and guards without slowing down, ignoring everything that wasn’t interesting. Nobody noticed her. Nobody could.
She paused in front of a single room.
"There you are."
She slipped through and reford inside.
Order lay still, staring at nothing, clearly awake, clearly annoyed, clearly too tired to pretend otherwise.
Kahdijah leaned forward, hands on her knees, peering at him like a curious cat.
"Well damn," she said cheerfully. "First ti I see you in person and you’re already flat on your back. I expected more from the great embodint of rules."
Lionhead didn’t look at her.
She clicked her tongue. "Let guess. Soone punched you. Hard. And not taphorically."
Silence.
She grinned wider. "Oh, that’s a yes."
Lionhead finally spoke, voice dry. "Shut up."
Kahdijah laughed. Not cruel. Amused. Like this was the highlight of her day.
"You know," she said, straightening, "I was hoping to et you standing. Regal. Stiff. All that ’everything must be in its place’ nonsense. This?" She gestured vaguely at him. "This is way better."
"Leave," Lionhead said.
"Relax," she replied. "I’m just visiting. Chaos etiquette. Drop in unannounced. Say sothing annoying. Leave when bored."
She circled him slowly. "So who did it? Was it an Abstract? No... those cowards don’t hit head-on. They poke and hide. This feels personal."
Lionhead’s jaw tightened.
Kahdijah stopped moving.
"Oh?" she said softly. "That face says it wasn’t subtle."
He exhaled. "You’re distracting ."
"Good."
She leaned against nothing, floating again. "ans you’re still alive."
Lionhead finally turned his head toward her. His eyes were sharp, tired, angry.
"If you’re looking for the one who did this," he said, "she’s at the Academy."
She blinked. Then smiled.
"Straight to the point. I like that."
"I’m not helping you," he added. "If you’re not from this world, you can figure it out yourself."
She waved a hand. "Relax. I didn’t co for directions."
"Then why are you here?" Order snapped.
She tilted her head. "Curiosity."
"That’s not an answer."
"It is for ."
She floated closer again, stopping right in his line of sight. "You sll like restraint. Like you’re holding yourself together with duct tape and pride."
Lionhead said nothing.
She chuckled. "Soone really did a number on you."
His voice dropped. "Get to the point."
Kahdijah’s grin softened just a little. Not kinder. Just... honest.
"You’re surrounded by monsters who wear crowns and pretend they’re heroes," she said. "And then three walking disasters showed up and punched holes in your worldview."
Lionhead stared at her.
"And now," she continued lightly, "Chaos walks in and you don’t even have the energy to threaten her. That’s rough."
He closed his eyes.
"Leave," he said again.
She shrugged. "Fine."
She turned, then paused.
"See you soon."
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