Chapter 987 – The Telling of Hearts
The Hollow was unusually quiet that evening. The sky beyond the domed barrier shimmered in pale violet hues, the afterglow of the Stellar Engine spilling across the horizon like liquid glass. Kael stood on one of the terraces overlooking the city, arms crossed as he watched the drifting lights of the Hollow's forges and wards flare in rhythm.
For the first time in what felt like months, he could breathe.
His aunt was recovering. The people were thriving. The newly appointed hero had set out into the world to bolster their legend.
But even in that rare calm, something shifted in the air. A subtle ripple, soft but undeniable.
Behind him, quiet footsteps approached—two sets, moving almost in harmony.
He didn't turn. "You both move like you're trying not to wake a dragon," Kael said dryly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Should I be worried?"
Lyria's laugh was soft but nervous. "Not… worried. Just, maybe, surprised."
Eris stood beside her, expression as calm as ever, but there was a faint flicker of color in her usually steady eyes—something Kael had never seen before.
He turned now, studying them both. "You're both terrible liars. What's going on?"
Lyria exchanged a glance with Eris, as if wordlessly asking who should speak first. Eris, ever direct, stepped forward.
"Kael," she began, her voice quiet but steady. "I have come to… understand something about myself. About my emotions."
Kael tilted his head slightly, waiting.
Eris's hands folded in front of her chest. "I told Lyria that I wished to feel affection. And… I do. For her."
Lyria's breath hitched at the bluntness, her cheeks coloring. "What she's trying to say," she said quickly, "is that we've grown close. Closer than we expected."
Kael's eyes shifted from one to the other—Eris's calm honesty and Lyria's nervous warmth. He didn't speak for several seconds, letting the silence stretch just long enough for both of them to fidget under his gaze.
Finally, he let out a quiet, almost amused exhale. "You two?"
Eris nodded firmly. "Yes."
Kael rubbed the bridge of his nose, but there was no anger in his tone. If anything, he seemed… bemused. "I can't say I didn't see it coming. You've been spending enough time together to start finishing each other's sentences."
Lyria blinked, surprised. "You're… not upset?"
Kael raised a brow. "Should I be?"
Eris tilted her head. "I was uncertain. I thought perhaps it would make things… complicated."
Kael chuckled softly. "Everything about us is already complicated, Eris. If anything, this makes more sense."
Lyria stared at him, her expression caught somewhere between relief and disbelief. "You're taking this awfully well."
Kael leaned against the railing, the faint glow of the Hollow lighting his eyes. "You think I didn't notice the way you both looked at each other? Or how Eris started smiling at your jokes?" He smirked faintly. "I'm not blind, Lyria."
Lyria flushed deeper. "You could've said something."
"I could've," Kael admitted. "But I figured you'd both come to me when you were ready."
Eris blinked. "So you approve?"
He looked between them, his voice lowering slightly. "If you make each other happy, I see no reason to stand in the way. Affection isn't a weapon to be controlled—it's a bond to be respected."
That quiet confidence—his steady, unflinching acceptance—left both women momentarily speechless.
Lyria's shoulders relaxed, her lips curving into a relieved smile. "You really are impossible to predict, you know that?"
Kael shrugged. "I get that a lot."
For a moment, none of them spoke. The soft hum of the Hollow filled the air, the rhythm of the city alive beneath their feet.
Then, Lyria stepped closer to Kael, reaching up to touch his arm. "You mean a lot to both of us, you know," she said softly. "Eris and I… we don't want this to divide us."
Kael placed his hand gently over hers. "It won't." He turned to Eris, his gaze steady. "You've always been searching for what it means to feel, Eris. I think this… this is part of that. And if it helps you understand yourself better, then I'm glad."
Eris blinked, her voice quieter than usual. "You are… remarkably calm about this."
Kael gave a small grin. "I've fought gods and outsmarted kings. I think I can handle two women figuring out their feelings."
That earned a genuine laugh from Lyria and even a small smile from Eris.
The tension eased between them, replaced by a warmth that lingered in the air. For the first time, the three stood together not as commander and companions, but as something more—a web of affection and trust that defied titles and boundaries.
Eris reached for Lyria's hand, intertwining their fingers openly now. Kael watched them for a moment, his smile faint but approving.
"You both deserve to be happy," he said, turning back toward the horizon. "Just… try not to cause another emotional catastrophe while you're at it."
Lyria laughed softly. "No promises."
Eris tilted her head, curious. "Does this mean… you accept me, Kael?"
He looked over his shoulder, meeting her glowing eyes. "Eris, I accepted you the moment you chose to stay."
The words hung there like a quiet truth, and for a long while, none of them needed to speak.
As night settled over the Hollow, the three stood side by side—Kael watching the lights of his city, Lyria's hand entwined with Eris's, and Eris herself quietly basking in the strange, overwhelming warmth that was love.
It didn't feel wrong.
It felt inevitable.