The two of us were panting, breaths sharp and uneven, but i was still practically bouncing on her toes, fist pumping the air as the shimr of her transformation ebbed away.
“I—I won!” she declared, her eyes gleaming with unshaken confidence and a barely veiled arrogance. “You really aren’t very fast, are you?”
I staggered back in mock injury, clutching at my chest. “How could you say that? Not everyone’s blessed enough to turn into a little kitty-cat.”
Her mouth fell open, and without so much as a heartbeat of hesitation, she shot back. “It’s not a cat! I changed into a very rare kind of panther!”
I gasped theatrically, dragging air into my lungs and still wondering how this girl could call our mad dash through gnarled woods, across stumps, and over a sheer wall of stone close. “How much farther? I don’t see your place.”
She tilted her head, expression caught sowhere between triumph and mischief. “We’re here. Why else would I be celebrating?” she asked, already strolling forward.
“Cause you’re a little nace?” I muttered.
She shoved with surprising force, enough to make stumble back a step. “And you’re a sore loser.”
I gave a rueful nod, not bothering to deny it. Hardly a lie anyway. Still, no matter how I squinted, all I saw was the sa endless sprawl of forest. i moved past with a spring in her step, snatched up her share of the bags—another unfair handicap in our so-called race—and then… simply vanished with another few steps.
“What…?” I breathed, blinking hard.
I lingered, scanning the tree line with mounting suspicion, trying to piece together what in the world just happened. i had vanished before, but there had always been a telltale shimr. This ti? Nothing.
“What are you waiting for, Peter?!” her voice rang out ahead, disembodied but unmistakable. “Just walk through. There’s a barrier that hides this place.”
I decided not to ask why the forr champion, current champion too, needed to hide her ho. Instead, I retraced her steps.
On my third stride, a ripple shuddered across my body, and the world peeled itself open. Before stretched the lush garden, and beyond it, the ho revealed itself exactly as I rembered. “That’s… pretty neat,” I murmured.
i nodded so vigorously her hair bounced. “Dad hired so of the best builders for this place. It’s got all sorts of cool tricks.”
We crossed the threshold together. Inside, silence greeted us. No sign of anyone else, so we drifted toward the dining area and settled there.
i began unpacking her clothes, spreading them across the table as she plucked at stray fuzz with painstaking precision. “I had fun today,” she admitted, her voice lighter than usual.
I mirrored her, setting out the garnts she’d gifted . Even if I repaid her with lessons, it was impossible to gauge the full weight of her generosity. Clothes that could endure explosions? They couldn’t be cheap. “I did too.”
She smoothed a thin, white dress across the tabletop, pressing her violet stone against the seam of a pocket. “It would go well on this one.”
Color coordination wasn’t exactly my battlefield, so I only nodded with the grave air of soone pretending deep thought. “I bet it’ll look nice.”
For a mont she was quiet, though her gaze kept flicking toward then to the robes I’d laid out, dark with sharp, bright hems. Each ti her eyes lingered longer, sharpening with so unspoken thought.
“What?” I finally groaned, throwing up my hands with a long sigh.
She jerked her head away as if she hadn’t been staring in the first place. “Nothing… Just—”
“Just what?” I pressed.
“You shouldn’t touch it… you know… with your—” She faltered, cheeks heating as she stumbled over the words.
I broke into laughter, the sound easing the tension that had curled between us. “Co to think of it… after purification, I never bathed.”
Her eyes widened, and she gasped in exaggerated horror. “Is that what that sll has been? I was trying to be nice, but it’s been pretty bad.”
I lifted my arm and gave a cautious sniff. Honestly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been with the other elents. Fire felt different, like it had scoured from the inside out, leaving more purified than anything before.
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“Gross,” she whined, scrunching her nose. “Don’t do that.”
My laughter deepened at her dramatics. “Where’s your bathing room? I’ll try on the clothes after.”
“And burn Rojin’s old ones,” she muttered under her breath as she stood. “Follow .”
We left our belongings behind and wandered through the silent halls of the house. Doors eased open and swung shut behind us on their own. After a couple of minutes, she stopped and gestured toward a wooden sliding door. “This is it. Towels are inside. Left side is the bath, right’s where you can wash yourself.”
The door slid aside at my touch, revealing a small chamber that branched into two adjoining rooms. A stand lined the wall, several woven baskets stacked neatly on one side.
“You can put your clothes there,” i said, pointing at the baskets before spinning on her heel. “I’ll get cleaned too, so take your ti.”
I nodded, watching her vanish around a corner. “Thanks.”
She flicked her hand in a wave, and then she was gone.
The door clicked shut behind , and I turned to undress, setting my clothes into one of the baskets before stepping through the already open doorway into the bathing area.
The flooring shifted beneath my feet, transforming into smooth white tiles, squared and gleaming, with a drain at the center of the long chamber. Four shower heads lined the wall, each accompanied by a neat cluster of bottles.
I squinted at the array, but without any clue what was what, I simply twisted the knobs until the water hit a tolerable heat and grabbed a random container, squeezing a generous portion into my palm.
It had been far too long. The realization of just how grimy I truly was hit like a weight, and I scrubbed myself with ruthless precision. Scouring every nook and cranny, working soap into my hair and over my body twice just to be sure.
By the ti I shut the water off, a deep sigh slipped from , muscles slack with relief. I padded back out, a towel draped around , but stopped when my gaze caught on the baths.
The next room’s floor bore the sa tiled stone, but beyond it sprawled a vast single pool that dominated the chamber. Steam curled upward in lazy sheets, clinging to the walls before escaping through a wooden vent that funneled it outside.
Luna won’t mind the water, right? Not like either of us are bothered by this kind of heat anymore.
Without another mont of hesitation, I slipped in, easing my body into the steaming pool. My breath hitched at the sudden heat, skin prickling, until the tension lted away and a long groan reverberated through the chamber.
Inside, Luna stirred, her form unfurling from her quiet cultivation and purification. I like this place, she murmured, her leaves wilting just slightly, stretching in comfort.
I mirrored her, sinking deeper into the water, letting my body grow weightless. Yeah… pretty soon we’ll be heading back to the others though. Maybe I can get you so new food.
She shifted faintly, answering with the calm ripple of thought. That would be nice. Eating through you was interesting, too. I wouldn’t mind trying it again… even if it was a little strange.
I chuckled, trying to imagine what drinking blood must have tasted like from her perspective. But then again, I didn’t have to imagine. I could experience it if I really wanted. Still, I decided firmly: I was more than fine never living as a vampire rose or blade of grass ever again.
I drifted further into relaxation when sothing inside tugged. It wasn’t a physical pull, but an undeniable presence thrumming in my core. Even Luna startled.
The heck was that? she demanded, suddenly taut with alertness.
Another pulse echoed through my Inner Realm, reverberating deep within, and even Wyrem finally stirred, grumbling awake in clear agitation.
Peter, sothing is stirring inside your black-hole, Wyrem grumbled, his tone edged with irritation rather than concern.
I stiffened, muscles tightening as I closed my eyes and let my awareness slip inward, responding to both Luna and him.
I’ll check. I think it’s the soul bound in the tentacles, I explained, though unease threaded my words. And Wyrem, I wouldn’t mind talking about why you’ve been so quiet lately, too.
Wyrem gave a languid spin in his usual spot, curling in on himself before settling with deliberate nonchalance. We’ll talk again soon then. Once you’re back with the snake, wake . I’ll explain everything. No need to worry about disturbing .
The casual dismissal caught off guard. If Wyrem wasn’t even pretending to posture, then whatever this was had weight. I didn’t press him further. Instead, I let my consciousness plunge fully into the Inner World.
“Hello?” My voice echoed into the void, swallowed by endless darkness. I waited, straining for any reply.
The silence stretched, then fractured sooner than before. A voice answered, clearer now, no longer muffled by fatigue. It was smooth yet ancient, deep but carrying the faint croak of sothing weathered by ti. “I’ve been calling for a while. Were you able to hear this ti?”
The sound resonated differently, steadier, carrying an unsettling calm that only underscored its age.
“Well, that’s good,” the soul continued, spilling words as if a dam had broken. “It’s nice to finally speak with soone again. It’s been so long I can’t even rember. You know, it’s terribly difficult to hold a conversation with only yourself. I tried with my clansn, though, staring at them hardly counts as speaking, does it? And flying for centuries with a psychotic monster at my side offered… less than ideal companionship. eting you was a relief, you know. Sleeping with all those eyes constantly on was unbearable. Can you imagine? After being accustod to endless slumber, suddenly finding even rest uncomfortable? Quite sothing, really. There was this one ti—”
“Please.” I cut through the rambling torrent. “We’ll have plenty of ti for stories later, but I’d like answers if you can. Why is this happening? Why are you helping ? And why have you been showing your mories?”
The soul faltered, a murmur rippling through the void. “Shown you…?” His voice carried puzzlent, as if turning over an unfamiliar word. “I didn’t show anything to you… did I? Hmm. Maybe I—” The sound wavered, drifting back into distracted thought before snapping into focus again. “Anyway. I can explain the rest.”
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