Chapter 949 — The Shape of Permission
The air between them seemed to hum — the soft, golden tension of two women bound by the same man, and something deeper that neither yet understood.
Eris stood still, unbreathing, her eyes searching Lyria's for judgment, for rejection, for anything that might tell her she had gone too far.
Lyria exhaled slowly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her gaze dropped briefly to the pale hands folded before Eris — the tremor there, so unlike the cold, mechanical steadiness of the spirit she once was.
When she spoke, her voice was calm, but layered — thoughtful, tender, conflicted.
"Eris," she said softly. "You're not offending me. You're feeling, maybe for the first time, and I'd never take that from you."
Eris blinked, caught off guard by the gentleness in Lyria's tone. "Then… you do not object?"
Lyria shook her head, smiling faintly — though there was something bittersweet at the corners of her lips. "No. I've known Kael long enough to understand what kind of man he is. He doesn't love lightly, and he doesn't give himself to someone without care. If you're drawn to him, it's not out of selfish want — it's because he inspires something real in you."
She reached forward, her fingers grazing Eris's forearm — warm skin, smooth like new marble given life. "But before you chase those feelings, learn what they mean. What it's like to want, to crave, to hold and to be held. Do that with me, Eris. Explore it with someone who understands how confusing it can be."
Eris's breath hitched — a reflex still strange to her — and she looked up, confusion painting her features. "You… wish to teach me?"
"Teach you, guide you," Lyria murmured. "Call it what you will. Kael's heart already carries too many burdens. He's building nations, forging peace, holding all of us together. He doesn't need another battle inside his chest — not now."
Lyria's expression softened into something wistful, almost aching. "He has this way of making you feel safe, doesn't he? Just by being near him. The world can be falling apart, and somehow, Kael makes it seem like everything will be fine."
Eris nodded slowly. "Yes. I do not understand why, but when I am near him, the chaos within me quiets. The noise fades."
"That's his gift," Lyria said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's why I… love him." She hesitated, eyes unfocused as she turned slightly toward the balcony, looking out at the glowing lights of the Hollow below. "And maybe that's why I'm selfish. Because I don't want to lose that feeling — that peace he gives me — to anyone."
Eris tilted her head. "Then why allow me to pursue him?"
Lyria smiled faintly, a sad, knowing smile. "Because Kael isn't something you own. He's something you find. He's the kind of man who makes room for everyone he loves — and I'd never be the one to cage him or you."
Her gaze flicked back to Eris, steady and clear. "If he chooses to care for you… then that's his choice. And if you want to understand these emotions — love, desire, the warmth of another — start with me. Learn what it feels like to connect, to trust. Then, when you go to him, you'll know if what you feel is real… or just the shadow of what you think you want."
Eris stared at her for a long moment. "You are not angry."
"No," Lyria said softly. "Jealous? Maybe. Possessive? A little." Her lips curved in a rueful smile. "But anger? No. You're still learning to be human, Eris. And if I can help you understand what it means to feel, to love… then maybe that's part of why Kael and I were meant to find you."
Eris's eyes softened. "You are… remarkable."
Lyria laughed lightly, brushing past her toward the garden gate. "No. I'm just a woman who learned that love doesn't have to be simple to be good."
She paused there, half-turned, her silhouette bathed in moonlight. "Come to me tomorrow, Eris. We'll talk more about what it means to feel — not as a spirit, but as a woman."
Eris stood alone for a moment after she left, her chest heavy with something new — something frightening, wonderful, and electric.
Her fingers brushed the place where Lyria had touched her. Warmth lingered. So did confusion.
"I do not know what this is," she murmured to herself. "But it feels… alive."
And somewhere deep inside, where logic once ruled, something bloomed.