Terrene wears a rare grin as she strides down the corridor, her steps light and unguarded for once.
"Someone's happy," Tema's voice remarks, echoing softly in her head, the tone teasing yet warm.
"I've waited long enough, haven't I?" she replies, her voice calm but edged with something close to contentment.
Tema chuckles, a low, amused sound that ripples through her mind. "Terrene with a heart — now that's something I never thought I'd see."
"Oh, shut it," she mutters, rolling her eyes but unable to suppress a faint smile.
As she reaches her door, she notices a familiar figure waiting — Lia. They exchange a knowing look, a quiet understanding passing between them, and enter the room together without a word.
"Can we…"We should…"They both start at once, then stop, the silence between them heavy with unspoken thoughts.
"You go," Lia says gently.
Terrene hesitates, then exhales. "Can we stop with the challenge? All that matters to me now is if he's happy." Her voice is steady, but there's a softness in it rarely heard. "I'm sorry. I was selfish."
She lowers her gaze, unable to meet her sister's eyes. For someone who has only ever known restraint, admitting this feels like peeling away armour she didn't realise she still wore.
Lia doesn't respond immediately. She steps forward instead, her eyes shimmering with the faintest trace of emotion, and pulls Terrene into a sudden embrace.
Terrene stiffens for a moment, startled by the warmth — then, slowly, she relaxes. Her arms lift, uncertain but genuine, returning the hug as a quiet sigh escapes her lips.
For the first time in a long while, there is no rivalry, no tension — just two sisters, bound by love they had both forgotten how to show.
As they slowly pull apart, Lia looks down at her sister, her voice soft but steady. "What do we do now?"
Terrene allows herself a small, fleeting smile. "It all rests in your hands now — both of you. As much as I hate to admit it, you are his first, and you are promised to each other."
Lia tilts her head slightly, studying Terrene's expression. "Are you sure?"
Terrene's brow twitches. "Lia, I'll change my mind without hesitation if you ask that again." Her voice is calm, but the weight behind it makes the air feel heavy.
Lia chuckles wryly, folding her arms. "Understood."
"You should know something," Terrene says, stretching out her arm. A low hum fills the room as a book materialises in her grasp — the one she took from their father.
Lia arches a brow, her height casting a faint shadow over her sister. "What is that?"
"It's a journal. Based on the other one. Somehow, it's connected to Myles."
"What are you talking about?"
Terrene's expression darkens. "It seems his Black Flames might not be as unique as we thought. Father was reading about a specimen — something created by a scientist, according to the records, millennia ago." She exhales slowly. "The similarities are too many to be a coincidence."
Her voice drops, quieter now. "And if Father has one copy, someone else might too."
"Terrene, speak clearly. What are you saying?" Lia presses, her tone sharp but not unkind.
"Based on what I've read, if any of those people discover he's alive — depending on who they are…"
Lia finishes the thought, her eyes narrowing. "It'll definitely be bad."
"Exactly. They'd stop at nothing to get their hands on him."
Lia straightens, towering slightly as she folds her arms again. "And you were planning to tell me this when?"
Terrene sighs. "When I told the entire family, of course. Kaelen and Rai already know."
"In other words, everyone but me and Verdure?"
"Verdure's his instructor — she had to know."
Lia exhales through her nose, annoyed. "Let's ignore the betrayal for now. How and when do we tell Myles?"
"When we actually know what it is we're telling him."
Lia softens, her tone losing its edge. "All right. That's fair."
"Oh, that's right," Terrene says suddenly, "our sister suggested something outrageous."
Lia raises an eyebrow. "Rai, of course… or Kaelen?"
"Rai."
Lia sighs. "Polygamy?"
"Well," Terrene replies, her tone flat but amused, "I wasn't the only one she spoke to."
Lia shakes her head. "No, that's not it. She's just… surprisingly predictable."
"Is she, though?"
Lia pauses, realising her mistake. With a thankful smile, she nods. "You're right about that. I should be more careful."
Terrene tilts her head slightly. "Hey, Lia? Does it not bother you sometimes that almost all our family members are older than us? I mean… as sad as Thia's predicament was, the fact remains she's no longer our younger sibling."
"It does bother me," Lia admits softly, "but I don't pay it any mind. We'll have our time to grow, too, after all. Besides, the little one hasn't changed much, has she? She's always going to be my little Thia."
Terrene looks at her sister with rare surprise — and something close to admiration. Quietly, she thanks the heavens she doesn't have to open her eyes to see. If she did, she'd be an open book.
The next day, Myles wakes up pleasantly surprised to find Lia back in bed — and, for once, actually respecting his ground rules. He freshens up and heads out to meet Verdure at the same cliff. Today marks day two of his training.
To his surprise, Clav is there as well — though not quite as he remembers. he's thinner now, almost elegant, like a graceful deer with three fox tails that sway gently behind her. Majestic doesn't even begin to describe it.
"Today, you will fight Clav and prove yourself worthy of a master again," Verdure announces coolly. "Know this, though — you will fail. But I'll cheer you on despite that."
It's anyone's guess what happened during the days Myles spent recovering, but Verdure has somehow turned an already formidable beast into something far more dangerous. Myles finds the thought both worrying and amusing. He can't help but smile, grateful that he actually listened to Lia's advice."I wonder what I'll become?" he muses under his breath.
"Steady yourself. Here he comes." Verdure's grin turns sly at the last second.
Before Myles can ask what he means, a humanoid creature — bearing Clav's features — appears before him and decks him square in the face.
Dazed, Myles stumbles back, his ears ringing. "What the hell—?"
Then, through the ringing and settling dust, he hears a voice, calm but cutting:"Naharaha… you are weak, master."
"What?" Myles blinks rapidly, trying to focus. He looks from Verdure to the shifting silhouette in the dust cloud where Clav once stood.
As it clears, his jaw drops. Clav stands tall — upright on two legs, his once beastly frame refined into something striking and oddly human. He's graceful, powerful… and undeniably handsome, which somehow annoys Myles even more.
"What am I even lookin' at?" he mutters.
Clav closes the distance between them in an instant. His voice carries both gratitude and challenge."I have you to thank for this newfound strength."
He glances at Verdure, and the two share a silent nod.
Then, without hesitation, Clav punches Myles square in the face.