The melody drifted through the night like a ribbon of silver, soft at first, almost gentle, as though a woman were humming beside the waves. But as it grew louder, clearer, it carried a strange pull, an ache that tightened the chest and prickled the skin. Ahce woke instantly.
Across the room, Tiffany's eyes flew open, fear flickering in their depths.
"What… is that?" she whispered, voice thin but steady enough to show she was no stranger to danger.
Ahce didn't answer immediately. She looked first at the divine fox cub. Its nine tails were draped over its little body like a soft blanket, rising and falling in the deep rhythm of peaceful sleep.
"If the cub isn't reacting," Ahce murmured, "it's not a direct threat. But something is definitely wrong."
Tiffany sat up slowly, clutching her bandaged side. "Ahce… be careful."
Ahce tightened her grip on her saber. The soft hum of the blade's energy pulse steadied her heartbeat. "Stay here with the cub. You're not healed yet."
