Chapter 951 — The Lesson of Vulnerability
Morning sunlight poured through the wide glass panels of the Hollow's upper gardens, painting the marble floor in ripples of soft gold. The scent of damp earth and blooming magnolia hung heavy in the air, drifting between the two women standing across from each other.
Lyria had chosen this place intentionally — far from the training halls, away from Kael, away from the noise of the council. Vulnerability, she said, wasn't something that could be taught with swords or strategy. It had to be felt.
Eris, still new to the concept of "feeling," stood with her hands folded neatly behind her back, her gaze locked on the small koi pond between them. Her silver hair caught the light like liquid metal, and her expression — as always — hovered somewhere between curiosity and calculation.
Lyria broke the silence first. "You're standing like you're about to address the council again," she said, smirking softly.
Eris blinked, then adjusted her stance by precisely two inches. "Is this more… casual?"
Lyria laughed — a warm, lilting sound that filled the air like sunlight through leaves. "You're hopeless. Come on, sit."
Eris hesitated before lowering herself onto the edge of the pond. Lyria sat beside her, their knees almost touching. For a long moment, the only sound was the gentle trickle of water and the quiet rustle of distant wind.
Lyria drew in a slow breath. "All right, lesson two: vulnerability. Do you know what that means?"
Eris tilted her head slightly, thoughtful. "To be open to harm. To expose oneself to danger."
"That's the surface meaning, yes," Lyria said, her tone softening. "But when I say vulnerable, I mean showing the parts of yourself you don't want others to see. The parts that scare you. The parts you think make you weak."
Eris frowned faintly. "Why would anyone choose to do that?"
"Because it's the only way people can truly see you," Lyria said simply. "When I first met Kael, I was terrified to show him that I was afraid — that I didn't know if I could lead, if I could protect the Hollow like he could. But once I did…" She smiled faintly. "He didn't look at me like I was weak. He looked at me like I was human."
Eris looked down at her reflection in the pond — her pale skin, her glowing eyes, the faint shimmer of chaos energy still visible beneath the surface of her form. "I am not human," she said quietly.
Lyria turned to her, her expression gentle. "Then show me what Eris is."
The words caught her off guard. "What… I am?"
"Yes," Lyria said, leaning in slightly. "You told me you want to experience emotions. Start there. Tell me what scares you."
Eris went silent. The pond rippled as a breeze passed, distorting her reflection. She looked almost fragile in that moment, as if her thoughts had cracked the perfect mask she always wore.
After a long pause, she whispered, "I am afraid of… ceasing."
Lyria blinked. "Ceasing?"
"Of being… nothing again," Eris said, her voice low and trembling. "Before Kael created my body, I was thought and energy. I existed only in his mind. If something were to happen to me now—if I were to fail—would I fade back into nothingness? Would I cease to be?"
Lyria's heart ached at the words. She reached out instinctively, her hand brushing Eris's cheek. "You won't fade, Eris. Not anymore."
Eris's head jerked slightly at the touch, her eyes wide. "You… are touching me."
Lyria smiled gently. "That's usually how comfort works."
Eris didn't move. Her body registered the warmth — soft, tender, completely unlike the sensation of energy or combat. Her pulse stuttered in her chest, a physical reaction she still barely understood.
And then, before she could stop herself, she blurted, "Your skin is… hot."
Lyria blinked, then burst into laughter. "Hot? That's what you noticed?"
Eris's face colored — faint but visible, a wash of pink spreading across her normally pale cheeks. "I am making an observation!"
Lyria tried to contain her amusement but failed miserably. "Oh, you're adorable when you're flustered."
"I am not flustered!" Eris said quickly, which only made Lyria laugh harder.
"Sure you aren't," Lyria teased, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're learning, Eris. That right there—that embarrassment you feel? That's vulnerability too."
Eris's lips parted, her tone indignant but uncertain. "This… warmth in my chest? The desire to correct you but also… not?"
"Exactly," Lyria said, smiling as she leaned closer. "That's being vulnerable. You're showing a part of yourself you can't control."
Eris stared at her for a long moment, then, almost unconsciously, reached up to mirror Lyria's earlier gesture — her cool fingers brushing Lyria's cheek. "And you are… soft," she said, blinking as if the sensation shocked her. "But strong."
Now it was Lyria's turn to blush. "You're not supposed to fluster me back, you little mimic."
"I thought that was the point of mutual vulnerability," Eris said innocently, and the sheer earnestness in her tone made Lyria laugh again, shaking her head.
"Maybe you're a faster learner than I thought," she said with a grin.
They stayed there for a while — talking, laughing, trading quiet truths. Eris spoke of her confusion at emotion, of the strange, erratic rhythm of her human body. Lyria shared stories of her early years with Kael, her fears of never being enough, the times she nearly walked away.
By the time the sun began to dip low, the two of them were sitting shoulder to shoulder, their laughter fading into comfortable silence.
For the first time since she'd been given a body, Eris felt something she couldn't fully quantify — something warm, grounding, safe.
And Lyria, glancing sideways at her new friend, found herself smiling softly. She hadn't expected to see so much of herself reflected in the so-called Witch of Chaos.