Below deck, the gentle creaking of the ship was barely audible over the hum of runes scrawled across the walls and floating around. The room glowed faintly with deep azure light, each Rune meticulously placed by Vastarael. Runes of Enhancement bolstered Farrynelle's fading vitality, while Restoration and Lightning Runes harmonized with her Divinity to hold her stable. Without them, she wouldn't have survived the hour.
With this, she had a day at most.
Farrynelle lay in bed, cocooned beneath sheets. Her skin was still pale and fine beads of sweat glistened on her brow. Her breathing had steadied, though shallow, and her lips twitched as if speaking to a dream she hadn't left yet. Xander sat beside her, hunched over but never leaving her side. His fingers lightly held hers. He hadn't said much for the past hour. He simply watched her, felt her energy dip and return, dip and return again. The runes were helping yes, but the room felt like it was holding her together with faith more than function.
Then, her eyes fluttered open. Xander perked up, leaning closer.
"Nelle?"
Her gaze was hazy at first, her pupils slow to adjust to the dim rune light. Then, they locked onto him and softened. Her voice cracked. She blinked and tears welled up instantly.
"Xander… you're… still here."
"Of course I'm still here. Where else would I be?"
She smiled weakly but the tears broke free, rolling down the sides of her face.
"I'm… I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For pushing you for trying to define this whole thing with expectations I didn't even understand. I told you I didn't care if you wanted other women, but the truth is… I was scared. I just… I didn't want to lose you."
He gently squeezed her hand. "Farrynelle—"
"I rushed everything. Marriage, love, expectations... I didn't even give us time. I said I didn't want to be like my mother, but I acted like her anyway, like love was some badge I needed to win. And I didn't even realize... I'd turned it into a battle."
Xander didn't respond immediately. He just watched her, letting her speak. It was the first time he'd seen Farrynelle this open, unguarded and stripped of her sharp wit and warrior confidence. This was her vulnerable side.
"I love you, I really do. Not because you're strong, or because you stood beside me in Erna Isles. I love you because even when I was unbearable, you never left. Even when I was jealous. Or insecure. Or silent. You still stayed."
Xander smiled, pain flickering in his eyes.
"You think I don't get scared too?"
Farrynelle blinked.
"I'm not some war-forged champion who's immune to feelings. I've been terrified since the moment I realized I loved you. I didn't even think I was good enough to stand next to you, let alone marry you."
She blinked again, this time in disbelief.
"You're Farrynelle Skyrover, daughter of a warrior who conquered kingdoms with five husbands. You're a living storm. And somehow… you let me in."
He leaned down, pressing a kiss gently to her forehead.
"I don't care how fast we moved. What matters is that we're still here. Together. And we'll figure everything else out, one step at a time."
Farrynelle let out a soft sob and gripped his hand tighter, pulling it close to her chest.
"I don't deserve you."
"Stop that. You deserve everything. I married you because I wanted to. Not because I was forced or pushed. I knew what I was getting into."
She looked at him for a long moment, her eyes shimmering. Then, without saying a word, she shifted closer rested her forehead against his chest. Xander held her like she was glass and flame all at once. They stayed that way, cocooned in the protective hum of runes and the soft rhythm of her breath. Eventually, Farrynelle's breathing slowed down, her body easing into rest once more. Her hand remained curled in his, refusing to let go. Xander leaned back just a little, brushing his thumb over her knuckles.
"You're going to be fine. Vastarael and the others will figure this out. We've survived too much to fall here."
Then, with a long breath, he laid his head against the edge of her bed, never letting go of her hand.
The door opened with a quiet hum as the runes on the frame acknowledged Vastarael's presence. Xander looked up from Farrynelle's bedside, his hand still laced with hers. Vastarael's eyes swept over her in a second, analyzing every detail with that unnerving sharpness. Then, he finally spoke.
"We found the issue."
"What is it?"
"We're in a space separated from the world like Narisva's Dimension Creation, but this one wasn't made by her. Three pillars are anchoring this isolated space together. Think of it like a mystic triangle keeping us locked in."
"Great," Xander muttered, brushing Farrynelle's hair from her forehead. "So how do we break it?"
"One of the pillars is underwater, which would normally be impossible but the mystic pressure doesn't exist in this subspace. We can dive. But the problem is, all three pillars need to be disabled almost at the same time. That means we have to split up."
Xander tensed. "You're splitting the group?"
"We have no choice. If we don't fix this, everyone here, Farrynelle especially, will run out of energy within hours. And you know what that means for a Divine."
Xander's jaw tightened. "You're staying behind?"
"No. You'll stay here with Elyonari. Her Nature Energy keeps stabilizing her in subtle ways. If she isn't here, the runes won't hold and Farrynelle could relapse or worse. I'm trusting you with her, Xander."
"I know," Xander said quietly.
"She might not wake up fully until this is over," Vastarael added, glancing at the glowing runes pulsing beside her. "But you being here will help. You're her anchor. She needs that more than you know."
Xander sighed, trying not to let the weight of that settle too hard on his shoulders.
"So who's going to the pillars?"
"Adelasta will be heading to the first one with Eldrigan. Narisva will be taking the underwater route. Natalis, Denisia and I will handle the third. Peroncerea will be making the signal for us but she won't be in the ship. Once all three are shattered, this space should collapse and return us to the real ocean."
Xander paused. "How long?"
Vastarael's eyes flicked to the glowing rune compass on his bracer.
"Could be an hour. Could be six. Or more. Depends on the resistance."
Xander glanced down at Farrynelle again. "She doesn't have six."
"I know. That's why we're moving fast. I've already drawn extra Enhancement and Lightning runes near her core to accelerate her internal recovery. But you'll need to watch for signs of destabilization. Of she stirs, glows or her heart rate shifts, you tell Elyonari immediately."
Xander nodded. "I'll guard her with my life."
Vastarael stepped forward and drew a few more Lightning Runes in a triangle formation around the bed, humming as his fingers crackled with divine light.
"These will keep her temperature regulated and draw from the residual air fluxes to support her Divinity."
With the final stroke, he stepped back.
"Vastarael," Xander said before he could leave. "Thanks."
Vastarael met his gaze and gave a small, rare smile.
"You're her husband, Xander. You don't need to thank me for protecting what you already swore to love."
He turned toward the door, but paused.
"Just… stay alert. I don't know what this subspace really is. If something finds its way here, defend her. Your instincts are sharper then any of us."
Xander gave him a tight nod. "Count on it."
Vastarael gave one last look then exited quietly, the door closing behind him with a sealing hum. As the light from the runes around the door faded, the room settled back into its protective silence. Xander turned back to Farrynelle, squeezing her hand again as he muttered,
"We're gonna get you out of here alive. I promise."
He sat back down, keeping watch.