Chapter 985 – Tangled Hearts Beneath the Lantern Sky
The Hollow was quieter than usual that evening. The deep hum of the Stellar Engine pulsed faintly through the ground, steady and alive—its rhythm like a slow, powerful heartbeat. Kael stood on one of the upper terraces overlooking the city, the night air cool against his skin. The horizon shimmered with faint starlight, casting the Hollow's spires in silver.
He had been watching the stars for some time, lost in thought. The distant world beyond—the wars, the gods, the chaos—felt so far away here. And yet, the silence didn't bring peace. It brought reflection.
Footsteps broke his focus. Lyria's. He turned slightly to see her approaching, her long silver-blonde hair swaying like silk in the wind. Eris followed beside her, silent as always, her faintly luminescent eyes glowing like fractured amethysts.
"Still brooding, my lord?" Lyria teased gently, setting down a small tray of tea and fruit on the stone railing beside him.
Kael smirked faintly. "It's either brood or think, and I can't seem to do one without the other."
Eris tilted her head. "That explains why you rarely sleep."
Lyria shot her a playful look. "You've gotten awfully bold lately, Eris."
"I've been… practicing." Eris's tone was calm but edged with a shy sort of pride.
Kael couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "I'll take that as progress."
They all settled near the railing—Kael standing with his hands folded behind him, Lyria perched on the ledge, and Eris beside her, posture elegant and still. The lights of the Hollow danced below them, creating a golden ocean that reflected in Eris's glasslike irises.
Lyria leaned back, sipping from her cup. "You've built something incredible here, Kael," she said softly. "Sometimes I forget just how much you've done since the day we met."
Kael's expression softened. "And yet, it wouldn't exist without all of you."
Eris's gaze flickered between the two of them—her expression unreadable, her heart beating just a little too fast. She didn't fully understand the feeling, but she knew what it was called. Affection.
Lyria turned her eyes toward Eris then, smiling faintly. "You've been quiet tonight, little witch."
Eris blinked. "I am… thinking."
"About?" Lyria asked gently, leaning closer.
Eris hesitated, then said softly, "About how humans express affection. And how I wish to understand it—not just through words, but through touch. Through… closeness."
Kael glanced at her curiously, his brow arching slightly, but before he could speak, Lyria reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from Eris's face. The movement was slow, tender—intimate in its simplicity.
Eris froze, her breath catching. The warmth of Lyria's touch sent ripples through her body—new, dizzying sensations that her mind scrambled to categorize. "That…" she murmured, "feels… strange."
Lyria smiled softly. "It's called being flustered. It's not so bad, is it?"
Eris looked into her eyes for a moment longer, her own expression softening into something human. "No," she said. "It's… quite nice."
Kael turned away slightly, half-smiling to himself. There was something disarmingly genuine about the moment—something so fragile that even he didn't dare interrupt it.
Lyria shifted closer to Eris, her hand lingering on the spirit's cheek before dropping to her hand. Fingers brushed against fingers, then intertwined. Eris blinked, her lips parting slightly in realization.
"I…" she began, voice trembling. "I think I… understand."
Lyria chuckled softly, eyes glimmering. "You're learning faster than I expected."
Kael watched them—two women he trusted more than anyone—bathed in the warm glow of the lanterns, hands clasped like the meeting of light and crystal. For once, he didn't feel the need to lead, or command, or explain. He simply existed there with them—his heart calm, his thoughts still.
Lyria glanced at him, a playful flicker in her eyes. "You look like a man with something to say."
Kael shook his head, smiling faintly. "Just… admiring what peace looks like. It's been a long time."
Eris squeezed Lyria's hand gently, then turned to Kael. "Peace is strange," she said softly. "It feels heavy, but… warm."
Lyria laughed. "That's a perfect way to put it."
The three stood together, the night air cool and quiet around them, their shared connection silent yet unbreakable. Kael—the daemon lord who defied gods. Lyria—the warrior who grounded him. And Eris—the spirit who was learning what it meant to feel.
For the first time since the war, there was no strategy to plan, no enemy to destroy—only this still, delicate moment under the lantern-lit sky.
And somewhere deep within her core, Eris felt her heart—her new heart—beat just a little faster.