Back in Solmere, life moved as if nothing had happened.
On the surface—everything was normal.
Laughter.
Planning.
Preparation for the journey ahead.
But beneath that calm…
Zee and Llandra were watching.
Closely.
They had seen it.
The stillness.
The black in Jax's eyes.
The way his body had gone rigid for just a moment too long.
And yet—
Jax acted like nothing had happened.
So they played along.
---
That night, the manor was alive with music, laughter, and far too much Pixie Mead and Fairy Cider.
The mood was light.
Loose.
Carefree.
But Zee and Llandra had a goal.
And they pursued it relentlessly.
They stayed close to Jax.
Too close.
Teasing.
Provoking.
Pressing him for answers—not with direct questions…
But with distraction.
Temptation.
Persistence.
"Come on," Llandra murmured at one point, her voice soft but deliberate. "You expect us to believe that was nothing?"
Zee leaned in from the other side, her tone sweeter—but no less insistent.
"You can tell us."
Jax smiled.
Deflected.
Redirected.
Every time.
And eventually—
They stopped asking.
Not because they gave up.
But because they realized…
If he wasn't going to talk—
They could still enjoy the attempt.
And by the end of the night—
No one was complaining about the outcome.
---
Morning came.
As it always did.
Jax woke first.
Entangled in limbs, hair, and soft complaints from those not ready to move yet.
Carefully, skillfully, he extracted himself from the chaos and made his way downstairs.
Breakfast began.
Simple.
Familiar.
Comforting.
It didn't take long before footsteps followed.
Zee.
Llandra.
The first two to join him.
The same two who had been the most persistent the morning he awoke.
They didn't waste time.
"You're going to tell us now," Llandra said, leaning casually against the counter.
Zee nodded.
"You owe us that much."
Jax chuckled softly, flipping something in the pan.
"Do I?"
Their expressions didn't change.
Not playful anymore.
Focused.
Concerned.
Jax sighed.
"…Alright."
He paused.
Thinking about how much to say.
"Last night… I felt something."
That got their attention immediately.
"A surge," he continued. "Like something tried to force its way into my system. My body."
Zee's brows furrowed.
"A spell?"
"Something like that," Jax said.
Llandra crossed her arms.
"And?"
Jax shrugged.
"And nothing. It passed."
That answer didn't satisfy them.
And they were about to press harder—
When—
"—and then I told him, if your wings can't keep up, that sounds like a personal problem—"
Nyxian's voice echoed down the stairs.
Loud.
Animated.
Completely unaware of the conversation she was walking into.
Jax immediately pivoted.
"…and then it was gone," he finished casually, turning back to the stove.
Nyxian entered mid-sentence—then stopped.
Everyone was looking at her.
She blinked.
"…What?"
That's when she noticed.
Or rather—
Didn't notice until that moment.
She looked down.
Then immediately froze.
Pixelle and Lexi, perched on her shoulders, followed her gaze.
Then reacted at the exact same time.
"Oh!"
Both fairies vanished in a blur, darting back upstairs in a panic.
Nyxian stood there for a second longer.
Processing.
Then slowly crossed her arms.
"…Were you all just going to let me stand here like that?"
Jax smirked slightly.
"I was about to remind you we have staff coming in today."
She narrowed her eyes.
Then turned toward the stairs.
"I'll be right back."
As she walked away—
There was a very deliberate sway in her step.
Jax watched.
Of course he did.
He didn't even try to hide it.
When she disappeared upstairs, he glanced back at Zee and Llandra.
"…Business errands this morning."
They exchanged a look.
They knew what that meant.
And more importantly—
They knew he was finally going to talk.
---
Breakfast gathered everyone.
Bunny arrived last.
Walking carefully.
Very carefully.
Nyxian noticed immediately.
"…Rough night?"
Bunny gave her a look.
"I regret nothing."
That was all the answer anyone needed.
The table erupted into quiet laughter and not-so-subtle commentary.
Bunny took it all in stride.
Proud.
Unapologetic.
Sore—but victorious.
---
After breakfast, the group split.
Zee, Llandra, and Lexi joined Jax.
Not to businesses.
Not today.
Instead—
They headed straight to the city capital.
Jax activated his Tele-Stone.
"Council meeting. Immediate."
There was no hesitation.
Within minutes, confirmations came through.
Portals opened.
Leaders arrived.
Eight in person.
Six more through Tele-Stone projection.
The room filled quickly.
Serious.
Focused.
Waiting.
Jax didn't waste time.
"I was targeted last night."
Silence.
Immediate.
Heavy.
Zee watched the room shift.
Llandra didn't move.
"They used a curse," Jax continued. "Long range. Complex. Probably coordinated through multiple mages."
That got reactions.
Murmurs.
Concern.
Vaelrith leaned forward slightly.
"And?"
Jax shrugged.
"I removed it."
Simple.
Too simple.
"That's not the problem," he added.
The room stilled again.
"The problem is—they can do it."
That landed.
Hard.
"Next time," Jax said, "it might not be me."
That changed everything.
Llandra's father frowned.
"Spellbreakers can mitigate—"
"Not everywhere," Jax interrupted calmly. "Not fast enough. Not against something like this."
Silence returned.
Waiting.
"What do you suggest?"
Jax leaned back slightly.
Thinking.
Then—
"We stop reacting."
All eyes on him.
"We change the battlefield."
That got their attention.
"They've been targeting us directly," he continued. "So we stop playing that game."
A pause.
Then—
"We hit their supply lines."
Vaelrith's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Define supply."
Jax met his gaze.
"Mages."
No one spoke.
But everyone understood.
"We don't go after the crown," Jax continued. "Not yet. We go after what makes them dangerous."
Llandra exhaled slowly.
"You're talking about sabotage."
Jax smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
A shift in the room.
From defense—
To offense.
"One day," Jax said. "I leave for Nyxian's homeland. We attack in four days. I will be ready."
A beat.
"That's when we start."
No one asked how.
No one asked where.
Because they already knew—
If Jax had a plan…
It was already in motion.
And somewhere in the Empire—
They were about to learn—
They hadn't won anything at all.