Selene Voss tilted her head, a teasing smile playing at her lips.
"So it was love at first sight?" she said lightly. "Then he must like you. A lot."
Eya Verdane blinked, as if the idea had only just taken shape in her mind. "Is that so?"
"It has to be," Selene replied, laughing under her breath. "You look like you've wandered into this blind."
There was something about the other girl—unguarded, almost painfully sincere—that softened Selene's usual edge. It was hard not to like her.
Eya hesitated, her pale cheeks warming faintly. "I… don't really understand that sort of thing. No one's ever treated me like that before."
Selene frowned. "With a face like yours? That makes no sense."
"Maybe…" Eya's gaze drifted, distant and uncertain. "People were afraid. Of my master. No one dared get close. Not even to play."
Selene opened her mouth to ask more—your master is…—but the question died halfway out. Hadrian's earlier warning flashed through her thoughts like a blade. She swallowed it down.
Eya turned back to her, suddenly intent. "Soror… you weren't just saying that to comfort me, were you?"
"About what?"
"That he… truly likes me…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, fragile as spun glass.
Selene smiled, softer this time. "From what you told me? I think he does. But you won't figure that out by asking me." She nudged her lightly. "You'll have to feel it yourself. Or just ask him outright."
Eya fell silent.
For a long moment, she simply stood there, thinking—really thinking—like someone trying to grasp something new and dangerous. Then something in her expression shifted. A decision, quiet but firm.
Selene noticed the change, brows knitting slightly—
"Mm?" Eya suddenly sniffed the air, her expression turning curious. "That's strange. What's that scent?"
Selene inhaled. The breeze carried only the clean, green smell of the Vale. "Just plants. Grass, trees…"
"No, no…" Eya's eyes widened. Then she clapped her hands once, delighted. "Ah! I remember!"
"What?"
"There's a kind of herb around here. Very special. Its fruit is delicious. Come on—I'll show you."
Selene hesitated. "Maybe we shouldn't wander off. They might be done soon."
"Who knows how long they'll take?" Eya said breezily. "Why stand around waiting like fools? It's close. Just nearby."
Before Selene could object, Eya had already taken her wrist, warm fingers closing with surprising strength, and pulled her along.
Selene sighed, half-annoyed, half-amused—and let herself be led.
They walked.
And walked.
And kept walking.
After a while, Selene frowned. "You said it was close. If we go too far, they won't find us."
"Almost there," Eya said without turning back.
A few moments later, she stopped abruptly. "Here."
Selene stepped forward—and felt her stomach drop.
They stood at the edge of a cliff.
Mist churned below like a living sea, swallowing the world beneath. The drop was sheer, endless, enough to make even a trained adept's pulse hitch.
"It's… high," Selene murmured.
Eya nodded. "This isn't even the highest point in the Vale. There's somewhere ahead that's even more beautiful."
She released Selene's hand and walked toward the edge.
Selene's breath caught. "Hey—be careful!"
Eya didn't answer.
She reached the brink, dropped to her knees, and leaned out over the void, peering down. Then she laughed—a bright, delighted sound.
"They've ripened!"
Before Selene could react, Eya pushed off and vanished over the edge.
Selene froze.
Her mind went blank.
Then—
A flicker of movement.
Eya sprang back up from below, landing lightly at the cliff's edge as if she'd merely stepped off a curb. In her hand dangled a cluster of fruit—small, round, glowing red like embers.
Selene let out a shaky breath, clutching her chest. "What are you doing?! You nearly scared me to death!"
"I went to pick these," Eya said simply, walking back to her.
"You risked your life for fruit?"
Eya paused, studying her. Something complicated flickered in her eyes—something Selene couldn't quite read.
Then she smiled. "It's worth it."
She lifted the cluster.
The fruits were beautiful—each one the size of a small plum, smooth and translucent, gleaming like polished jewels.
"They're gorgeous," Selene admitted. "What are they called?"
Eya didn't answer directly. "They only grow once every few years. Sometimes decades. We're lucky."
She plucked one and offered it. "Try."
Selene accepted it, turning it over in her fingers. "What is it, exactly?"
Instead of answering, Eya popped one into her own mouth.
She bit down.
Juice burst free—dark, rich—and stained her lips a deep violet. Almost instantly, color flooded her pale cheeks, blooming like sudden heat beneath snow. Her eyes softened, glistening, her whole expression turning… hazy. Warm.
Selene stared.
Even as a woman, she felt something in her chest hitch at the sight.
Eya swallowed, then smiled lazily. "Go on. It's very sweet."
Selene hesitated—then bit.
The effect was immediate.
The fruit exploded with flavor—sweet, lush, intoxicating. But more than that, warmth surged through her body, spreading from her throat down into her chest, her belly, her limbs. It wasn't just heat—it was comfort, thick and heavy, soaking into her bones.
Her cheeks flushed. "That's… strange."
Eya handed her another. "Have more. These are rare. They're said to be very good for women."
Selene blinked. "Really?"
Her gaze flicked back to Eya's flushed, radiant face.
Then she ate another.
And another.
The warmth deepened, spreading through her veins in slow, liquid waves. Her thoughts softened, edges blurring. Even her heartbeat felt slower, heavier.
Eya watched her closely.
"There," she murmured. "You look even more beautiful now."
Selene laughed, a little unfocused. "You're… exaggerating…"
But she didn't stop eating.
The sweetness, the warmth—it was addictive.
Soon, her vision began to swim slightly.
"That's odd…" she slurred, giggling under her breath. "Why does it feel like… I've been drinking…?"
Eya's smile widened, almost playful. "It'll get stronger. Dare to have more?"
Selene nodded, words tumbling over each other. "Why… not? They're so good… Sister, I want more…"
She touched her cheek, frowning faintly. "Why is my face so hot…?"
Her knees buckled.
She sank down, trying to stand again—then collapsed forward onto the ground.
Eya stepped closer, crouching beside her. "Soror? Are you alright?"
Selene didn't respond. Her breathing was slow, heavy—like someone lost in deep drunken sleep.
Eya chuckled softly.
"You didn't know, did you?" she murmured. "These fruits come from the Scarlet Jade Herb. They do beautify… but they intoxicate even more. Brew them into wine, and they say a man could sleep for three hundred years."
She brushed a strand of hair from Selene's face.
"I can barely handle one… and you ate so many."
Selene stirred faintly, mumbling. Words slipped from her lips—broken, incoherent.
"…idiot… Kael…"
Eya's expression froze.
Something sharp flickered behind her eyes.
Slowly, she slid her arms beneath Selene and lifted her. The limp weight settled against her as she carried her—step by step—toward the cliff's edge.
The mist below churned, endless and hungry.
Eya set Selene down near the brink, steadying her upright with both hands on her shoulders.
"Don't blame me," she whispered. "I just… met him today."
Her voice trembled.
"And yet… his heart is already full of you."
Selene's head lolled, unhearing.
Behind her lay nothing but empty air.
Eya's fingers tightened.
Her lips parted—
Then—
"Selene? Where are you?!"
A voice, distant but urgent.
Kael.
Another voice followed—Hadrian's.
Eya stiffened.
Her face changed—again and again—uncertainty, cold resolve, panic flickering in rapid succession.
"Selene! Answer me!"
Closer now.
Eya's jaw clenched.
She looked at Selene.
Looked at the abyss.
Her hands began to move—
"Eya? Eya!"
She froze.
The sound of her name struck deeper than it should have.
"Where are you? Come out!"
There was something in Kael's voice—raw, unguarded—that echoed in her memory.
The way he had searched before.
The way he had looked for Selene.
Eya shut her eyes.
A long, fragile breath left her lips.
Then she pulled Selene back from the edge.
"We're here!" she called out.
Moments later, Kael and Hadrian burst through the brush, arriving like a storm.
Kael rushed forward immediately, catching Selene before she could slump again. His expression tightened the moment he saw her.
"Her lips—why are they purple?" His voice sharpened. "Did she get poisoned?"
Eya shook her head. "No. We just ate some fruit."
Kael blinked—then noticed her lips, stained the same deep shade, her pale face flushed with unnatural warmth.
For a heartbeat, he stared.
Hadrian, meanwhile, remained a step back, eyes sweeping the surroundings with wary suspicion.
Eya lifted the cluster of crimson fruit, smiling faintly. "Want to try? They're very sweet."
Kael frowned. There was a scent in the air—faint, but unmistakable. Sweet. Heady. Almost intoxicating.
"What is that?" he demanded. "You two just ate random things out here?"
Eya swayed slightly, leaning against his shoulder with a soft laugh. "Relax. I know these. Scarlet Jade Herb fruit. Not poisonous… just… a little intoxicating."
"Scarlet Jade Herb?" Kael's eyes widened. "Where did you even find that?"
Eya pointed lazily toward the cliff. "Down there."
Kael stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "You ate that without thinking? Do you even know the stories about that fruit? It can put someone under for centuries!"
Eya giggled, unfocused. "So you do know things."
Kael rubbed his temples. "How many did you eat?"
Eya lifted her hand, counting on her fingers. "One… two… three… four… ah… I lost track."
She leaned more heavily against him, her voice softening into a drowsy murmur.
Kael looked between the two girls—both flushed, both unsteady—and let out a long breath.
"Great," he muttered. "Perfect. You've managed to knock yourselves out in the middle of nowhere."
Eya perked up slightly. "I can still walk," she insisted. "You promised me something—you're not backing out, are you?"
Kael jerked his chin toward Selene. "And her?"
"She can sleep here," Eya said simply. "We keep going."
Before Kael could respond, Hadrian spoke for the first time.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said coolly. "If you insist on leaving, I'll stay behind and watch over Lady Voss."
Kael turned, eyebrows shooting up.
Images flashed unbidden through his mind—none of them flattering.
Hadrian inclined his head, composed and earnest. "You have my word. With me here, nothing will happen to her."
Kael stared at him.
Not convinced in the slightest.
Kael wiped the cold sweat from his brow and planted his feet. "I'm not going anywhere either."
Eya tilted her head, studying him for a beat, then drifted past him with a soft, knowing smile. She stopped in front of Hadrian.
"You really won't come?" she asked, sweet as honey.
Hadrian met her gaze without blinking. "I won't."
Eya's sleeve shifted. Something slipped into her palm, hidden by curled fingers. She held her fist out toward him, eyes bright with mischief.
"Then guess," she said lightly. "What am I holding?"
Hadrian frowned. His eyes flicked to her hand, then back to her face. "I don't play guessing games."
"You're no fun at all." She sighed, exaggerated and theatrical. "Fine. I'll show you."
Her fingers opened.
A thin ward-script lay across her palm—delicate as pressed petals, inked with faint, pulsing lines.
Hadrian's brows knit. He started to speak—
The ward vanished.
No flare. No flash. It simply… wasn't there anymore.
Then the air shifted.
Two butterflies drifted in from nowhere.
They shimmered in impossible colors—violet, gold, jade, crimson—wings catching the light like stained glass. They circled Hadrian's head in lazy, looping arcs.
Up. Down. Left. Right.
Graceful.
Hypnotic.
Kael felt it even from a few steps away—a faint tug at the edges of his mind, like drowsiness creeping in through a crack.
Hadrian's eyes narrowed. Then widened.
His hand snapped toward his belt, reaching for the Adamant Ward-Net—
Too slow.
His body swayed once. Twice.
Then he dropped like a felled tree.
Thud.
The butterflies were gone.
Kael blinked, staring at the empty air. "What the hell…?"
Eya turned back to him, pleased with herself. "Now you can relax."
Kael glanced down at Hadrian's unmoving form. "What did you do to him?"
She clasped her hands behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels. "I borrowed his soul for a bit. Without a cure, he won't wake for three days."
Kael's throat tightened. "What kind of ward was that?"
"The Soulhook Butterflies," she said, as if naming a toy. "Cute, right?"
"Cute?" Kael rubbed his face. "You've got a whole arsenal of nightmares tucked in those sleeves, don't you?"
"Some were gifts." Her smile sharpened. "Some I made myself."
He eyed her warily. "You're not planning to use that on me, are you?"
"That depends." Her eyes narrowed just a touch. "Are you planning to annoy me?"
Kael went still.
Then she laughed, bright and careless. "Relax. If I ever did, I wouldn't be too cruel about it."
That didn't help.
Kael looked down at Selene, limp in his arms, her breathing slow and deep, cheeks flushed from the fruit. "Do you have anything to sober her up?"
Eya shook her head. "No. Let her sleep. We'll go on ahead—I'll take you to the Warding-Vase Bamboo."
Kael stared at her. "You want me to just leave her here?"
"With him like that?" Eya nodded toward Hadrian. "What are you worried about?"
Kael's jaw tightened. He scanned the valley—dense bamboo, shadows thick between the trunks, the distant skitter of unseen creatures. "This place is crawling with things that would eat her alive. I'm not leaving her defenseless."
Eya clicked her tongue. "Fine. I'll handle it."
She rummaged in her sleeve again and drew out another ward-script. "Set her down."
Kael hesitated, then crouched and laid Selene gently on the grass. He stepped back, watching closely.
Eya murmured under her breath—soft, quick syllables that slipped like water.
Then she flicked her wrist.
The world rippled.
Not violently. Not like a blast or a surge.
It was subtle—a distortion, like heat haze over stone, or a pebble dropped into still water.
The air bent.
And Selene and Hadrian were gone.
The grass remained undisturbed. The ground unchanged.
Only absence.
Kael froze. "Where did they go?"
"They're still here," Eya said, brushing imaginary dust from her hands. "I just… removed them."
He stepped forward, crouching where Selene had been. His hands swept over the grass, searching for something—anything.
Nothing.
No warmth. No resistance.
"They're not actually gone, right?" he asked, tension creeping into his voice.
Eya rolled her eyes. "I used the Void Ward. It hides everything—body, breath, presence. Even beasts won't notice them."
Kael exhaled slowly. "And when we come back?"
"You'll get your Soror back exactly as she is now." She gave him a look. "Satisfied?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "We move fast."
"She's not waking anytime soon," Eya said lightly. "But sure. Let's pretend urgency matters."
She turned, then paused—smiling to herself. "Finally. Just the two of us."
Kael frowned, but before he could answer, something else caught his attention.
The fruit.
Those bright red clusters in her hand.
"You said you picked those from the cliff below, right?"
Eya blinked. "Yes?"
"Wait here."
He started toward the cliff's edge.
She grabbed his sleeve. "What are you doing?"
"Those fruits—Scarlet Jade Herb." His eyes gleamed. "They're rare. Valuable. Good for brewing, alchemy… I'm not passing that up."
Eya stared at him for a moment.
Then her expression softened into something amused. "There's nothing left down there. I picked them all."
Kael stopped. "All of them?"
She held out the cluster in her hand. "If you want them, just take these."
He blinked.
Then grinned.
"Are you sure?"
"You're asking now?" she teased. "I thought you weren't the shy type."
Kael coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… I try to have some dignity."
"Liar." She shoved the fruit into his hands.
He didn't argue again.
The moment the weight hit his palm, he swept them into the Wardian Satchel like a man afraid the world might snatch them back.
"Much appreciated," he said, almost too quickly. "Truly. Generous beyond words."
"Of course I am." She smiled sweetly. "Now… carry me."
He stared at her. "Again?"
"My foot's fine," she said. "But I'm weak from the fruit."
Kael exhaled through his nose. "You brought that on yourself."
"Maybe." She stepped closer, tilting her head. "But you're still carrying me."
He hesitated.
Then crouched.
"Get on."
Eya didn't need to be told twice. She climbed onto his back, her arms slipping around his shoulders, her body settling against him with disarming ease.
Soft.
Warm.
Too close.
Her cheek brushed his neck as she settled in. "You're not so bad, you know."
Kael swallowed. "Direction."
She lifted one arm and pointed. "That way."
He moved.
The terrain grew harsher as they climbed. The slope steepened, the bamboo thickening into a dense green wall. Shadows clung between the stalks, and the air grew heavy, damp.
But Kael's stride never faltered.
Even with her weight on his back, he moved like it meant nothing.
They talked as they went.
At first, small things. Then more.
The distance between them—whatever had been there before—wore down with each step.
Eya leaned into him without restraint, her body draped over his back, her breath warm against his skin.
If she was drunk, she wasn't holding back.
"About that ward earlier…" Kael said after a while. "The one that hid them."
"The Void Ward," she said.
"You made it?"
"I refined it. The method came from my master."
"How hard is it to make?"
She shrugged slightly, the motion pressing her closer. "Not hard. Just… expensive."
Kael's mind ticked. "So you have more?"
"Not many."
He hesitated. Then pushed. "Could you—"
She cut him off. "You want one."
He didn't bother denying it. "Yes."
She laughed softly. "You really do want everything, don't you?"
Kael grimaced. "Forget it. If they're rare, I won't"
He cleared his throat, forcing his focus forward. "How much farther?"
"Almost there." She pointed upward again.
He followed her gaze.
The peak loomed above them—steep, jagged, crowned with dense bamboo that seemed to drink in the light.
"Strange," he muttered. "We haven't seen any spiders for a while."
Eya's tone shifted, just a little. "Don't get comfortable. There are more ahead."
"Bigger?"
"Worse."
He glanced back slightly. "You've been here before."
A pause.
"…Yes."
Just one word.
Flat.
Final.
Kael frowned.
Something in her voice had changed.
He filed it away, unease settling quietly in his chest as they climbed the last stretch toward the summit.