The shadows receded as Eren and Kaida erged from the void, stepping back into the grand throne room. The transition left a cold tallic taste in Eren’s mouth, like drinking water from a copper cup left too long in winter air. He rolled his tongue against his palate, trying to dispel the sensation while gathering his thoughts.
’I need to buy ti,’ he realized. ’Figure out what’s truly happening here before I commit to anything.’
Kaida watched him with those unsettling kaleidoscope eyes, her expression one of patient amusent—as if she were observing a child slowly working through a puzzle she had mastered centuries ago.
"There might be a problem," Eren said finally, his voice asured and deliberate. The humic pressed against his chest, its tiny form vibrating with what felt like agreent.
Kaida tilted her head slightly, her silver hair cascading like liquid moonlight over one shoulder. "Oh? And what problem might that be, Veilwalker?"
"Your top seven," Eren replied, gesturing toward the numbered elves who had resud their positions along the walls. "They may possess the elents as you claim, but the TUNA ritual requires precise execution. One misstep could disrupt the entire transfer." He paused, watching her reaction carefully. "Teaching them while performing might affect the ritual’s stability. The energy patterns are complex, and without proper preparation—"
A slow smile spread across Kaida’s face, transforming her features from rely beautiful to breathtaking—and sohow more terrifying for it. The smile never reached her eyes, which continued their kaleidoscopic shifting, reflecting colors that shouldn’t exist in the natural world.
"You needn’t stress yourself, Veilwalker," she interrupted, her voice smooth as silk. "I know the perfect person who might assist with this... concern of yours."
She began walking toward the grand doors of the throne room with asured steps that made barely a whisper against the polished floor. As they crossed the expansive chamber, she spotted Kiran lingering near the entrance, her mismatched eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Kaida gave a subtle nod, an almost imperceptible gesture that Kiran responded to with imdiate understanding. The slender elf stepped forward, her hands already weaving complex patterns in the air—the sa motions Eren had witnessed when she first transported him to this realm.
A shimring tear appeared in the fabric of reality, edged with that sa unnatural blue light that had characterized their earlier portal. Through the opening, Eren could make out glimpses of swirling mist and fractured landscapes—a chaotic collage of places rather than a single destination.
Kiran’s lips stretched into that disturbing smile he had co to associate with her—too wide, too knowing, filled with a manic glee that made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. She gestured toward the portal with a flourish, like a perforr inviting an audience to marvel at her greatest trick.
"What are you planning, Kaida?" Eren demanded, taking a step forward. The humic trembled violently against his skin, broadcasting its distress in waves that only he could feel.
Kaida turned to him, her expression serene despite the chaos of the portal beside her. "Trying to find a little help for our Veilwalker," she said simply, her voice silky with hidden intention. "Soone who understands the TUNA ritual as intimately as you do."
* * *
anwhile, in the Moonlight Kingdom, panic had settled over the palace like a heavy fog. Royal guards moved in organized patterns through the grounds, their calls echoing through the night air.
"Princess Lyra!" Captain Diana shouted, her voice carrying across the courtyard. Her normally immaculate appearance was disheveled, strands of auburn hair escaping from her severe bun as she directed the search parties. "Check the eastern gardens again! She might have returned while we were searching elsewhere!"
Queen Elysia stood on the palace steps, her face a mask of regal composure that barely concealed her mounting concern. Beside her, Princess Naia paced restlessly, her slender form tense with worry.
"We should have checked the stables sooner," Naia muttered, more to herself than to the queen. "She’s been spending ti with the horses lately."
Viva erged from a side path, her expression grim. "No sign of her in the library or the observatory," she reported. "But one of the stable hands ntioned seeing soone leaving on horseback several hours ago."
"Spread out further!" Diana commanded the guards. "Check the forest paths—"
"There!" Naia suddenly shouted, pointing toward the tree line. A slender figure on horseback was erging from the forest, moving slowly but steadily toward the palace. Even at a distance, the silver hair gleaming in the moonlight was unmistakable.
They rushed toward her, reaching the princess just as she slid unsteadily from her mount. Lyra swayed on her feet, her face unnaturally pale, dark circles shadowing her eyes.
"She’s burning with fever," Naia gasped, pressing a hand to her friend’s forehead.
Captain Diana scooped the princess into her arms with surprising gentleness. "The healing chamber," she ordered. "Now."
* * *
Ti blurred for Lyra, fragnts of consciousness breaking through waves of darkness. Cool hands on her forehead. Whispered conversations. The bitter taste of healing tonics. The sensation of elental energy flowing through her body, nding whatever damage had been done.
When she finally opened her eyes fully, sunlight was streaming through the windows of the healing chamber. The room was quiet save for the soft bubbling of a potion brewing in the corner. She turned her head slowly, still feeling disoriented, to find four worried faces watching her.
Queen Elysia sat closest to the bed, her regal features softened with maternal concern. Naia stood beside her, relief washing over her expression as she noticed Lyra’s open eyes. Captain Diana maintained her professional stance near the door, though her usual stoicism was cracked by visible worry. Viva lingered near the window, her observant eyes missing nothing.
"What happened?" Lyra asked, her voice rasping slightly.
"We were hoping you could tell us," Queen Elysia replied, reaching out to stroke her daughter’s hair with gentle fingers. "You were found returning from the forest in a state of near collapse."
Lyra closed her eyes briefly, fragnted mories swirling through her mind. The stable. The midnight ride. The clearing. Rose. Their confrontation. And then... darkness.
"I need to speak with you," she said, her gaze finding Naia’s. "Alone."
Viva raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Captain Diana straightened, clearly reluctant to leave her charge.
"Please," Lyra added, her tone carrying the quiet authority she rarely exercised.
Queen Elysia studied her daughter’s face for a long mont before nodding slightly. "Very well." She rose with fluid grace, placing a gentle kiss on Lyra’s forehead. "Rest, my daughter. Whatever troubles you can wait until you’ve regained your strength."
The queen glided toward the door, followed by a hesitant Captain Diana. Viva lingered, her gaze eting Lyra’s with unspoken questions, before departing with one last concerned glance.
When the door closed behind them, Naia moved closer to the bed. "What happened, Lyra? We’ve been worried sick."
Lyra pushed herself up against the pillows, wincing slightly at the effort. "I followed Rose," she said without preamble. "Last night. She left the palace on horseback, and I... I needed to know what she was doing."
Naia’s eyes widened. "The kitchen servant? Why would you—"
"She’s not just a servant," Lyra interrupted, her voice low but urgent. "There’s sothing about her—sothing she’s hiding." She described the midnight encounter in the clearing, Rose’s impossible ability to negate her water elent, the strange power she had demonstrated.
"She just... canceled my elent," Lyra concluded, frustration evident in her voice. "As if it were nothing more than blowing out a candle."
Naia listened without interruption, her expression thoughtful. When Lyra finished, she remained silent for several monts, processing the information.
"Whatever she is," Naia said finally, "I believe she’s trying to help us."
"How can you know that?" Lyra demanded.
"I don’t—not with certainty," Naia admitted. "But think about it. If she wanted to harm any of us, she’s had countless opportunities. Instead, she’s had heal Eren and Elira in secret, watching over us." She placed a hand over Lyra’s. "Trust is rare in these tis, but sotis we must offer it even when uncertainty remains."
* * *
Outside the healing chamber, Viva lingered just long enough to catch fragnts of the princesses’ conversation before slipping away down the corridor. Her mind raced with implications as she descended the spiral staircase toward the lower levels of the palace.
’Rose is more than she appears,’ Viva thought, her steps quickening. ’And if what Lyra says is true, her powers could change everything we know about the elents.’
As she rounded a corner near the servants’ quarters, a figure stepped from the shadows—a slender elf with mismatched eyes and a smile that sent a chill down Viva’s spine.
"Hello, Viva," the figure said softly, revealing herself as Kiran. "Nice to et you again."
Viva reacted instantly, her hands already weaving the patterns of an illusion spell. Before the magic could fully form, sothing struck her from behind with devastating precision. As consciousness began to fade, she heard a second voice behind her.
"Take it easy, Luna," Kiran said to her accomplice, her psychotic lilt unmistakable even as darkness claid Viva’s senses. "That’s way too much."
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