Chapter 85: Gathering of Souls

The departure of the Lythorians left a silence in its wake, but it was a quietness quickly filled by the intimacy of two rulers.

Inside the same white gazebo that had hosted the meeting with Kaelen and the others, Noa sat on a chair, his arm draped across Vionette’s back. She perched on his lap, her legs swept sideways in a graceful cascade, one arm hooked loosely around his neck.

Beside them, atop the quartz table, rested the second Emberleaf Honey Cake—an offering from Selene after the first had been sacrificed to a dragon’s stomach.

Vionette carved out a piece with a silver fork and guided it to Noa’s lips.

Throughout the garden, passing maids and perimeter guards practiced the well-honed art of looking anywhere else. Some shielded their eyes with their hands, while others developed a sudden fascination with the texture of the stone paths.

“That King of Lythoria... he’s quite the interesting guy,” Vionette mused as she pulled the fork back and took a bite for herself.

“Mmm? Why is that?” Noa asked, his brow arching as he watched the way the sunlight caught the crimson in her irises.

“Lythoria is small compared to the current Crimvane, maybe comparable to Eryndor before we turned it into our archduchy.” She leaned into Noa’s arm, her legs swinging back and forth in a playful rhythm. “Even then, they walked in here like we were on the same level, and didn't let the flow of the conversation fall to us, even after the alliance offer.”

“Why did they show up now, anyway? Is there some kind of special event, or did they just really want a piece of the cake?”

“Exactly that. The yearly banquet held by the Northern Council is approaching.” Vionette sat up straight, the movement bringing her face inches from his as she speared another piece of cake and offered it to him. “Every kingdom that matters gets an invitation. I have a feeling Lythoria is planning to do something fun that night.”

“A yearly banquet? Does every kingdom in the world show up for this?” Noa asked, the sweetness of the honeyed batter lingering on his tongue.

“No. They won’t invite everyone... or rather, they can’t invite everyone.” Her smile turned mischievous.

Noa’s brows lifted, and he snapped his attention toward Vionette. “Huh? Why? Space issues?”

“Because Mythara… is also known as the Infinite World.” She looked up at the gazebo’s ceiling, her gaze seeming to pierce through the stone to the sky beyond. “You can travel for an eternity, and never find a loop or an end. How do the sun and moon work? How does it still look like a globe to the outside? No one knows.”

She looked back down at him, her smile stretching thin and mysterious.

“So, we just draw an arbitrary line. We divide the world we know into five sectors: North, South, West, East, and the Center. The council only cares about our slice of the infinity.”

“What the fuck?” Noa nearly choked on his cake, his eyes widening. “What kind of geometry is that? An immeasurable world?”

“Don’t overthink it, Blackie. Mythara is a beautiful nightmare, weird in every way possible, and there’s still so much left to discover.” She placed a soft, playful hand over his lips and leaned her face closer, her breath warm against his skin. “We can discover those secrets little by little... as we dive deeper into that power of yours too.”

She pressed her lips to his in a brief, lingering kiss that tasted of honey and ambition.

“So, are we getting an invitation to this council thingy too?” Noa asked once their lips parted, though he didn't pull away, their foreheads remaining pressed together.

“The old Crimvane was in the council. The new one?” Her smile shifted, becoming arrogant and beautifully sinister. “I was originally going to tell the council to go fuck themselves, but now that we’ve allied with Lythoria, I suppose we have to go and see what kind of fun they’re planning, don't we?”

Suddenly, Noa reached up and pinched her cheeks with both hands. Her mischievous expression vanished, replaced by an ‘O’ shape that made her resemble a surprised pufferfish.

“So you just signed a whole-ass alliance just because you wanted an excuse to go fuck shit up, huh?” He shook her head gently from side to side, a grin breaking across his face.

“Why? Dwo ywou complwain?” she asked, her voice muffled and high-pitched, her cheeks flushing a bright, embarrassed red.

“I’m not complaining. I still remember the first thing you offered me: entertainment.” His smile widened, becoming something more affectionate. “Though these days, I’m finding myself very entertained just by a certain white snake.”

Vionette growled, her eyes flashing as she swiped at his face, but Noa’s reach was longer. Her nails only brushed through the air just short of his skin.

Then, her struggles ceased. Noa cut her off with another kiss, deeper this time.

Vionette was softened instantly. Her fingers rose to her own lips once they parted, her other hand gripping her skirt tightly. Her eyes grew wide and unfocused, while a crimson flush overtook her whole face.

“Let’s go see how those three rascals are doing, ’kay?” he said, standing up while cradling her in his arms.

“…’kay,” she whispered, leaning her cheek against his chest.

[Blink]

***

“In the end, I was the one who won, wasn’t I?” Viselle’s voice was a mocking purr.

After a brawl that had stretched from the previous night into the morning sun, and a non-negotiable bath forced upon them by an irritated Rose, Viselle had transformed. She was now dressed in a white cropped hoodie over a purple crop top; her black, distressed denim shorts were paired with fishnet tights.

“In your dreams!” Elina snapped, reaching out to yank on a lock of Viselle’s hair. “We were the ones winning!”

The dragon girl was currently using her heat magic to steam the water out of her own hair, as well as Lina and Viselle's. She wore a red, off-the-shoulder frilled blouse tucked into a black suspender skirt.

“Yeah, we definitely won. What are you even talking about?” Lina added, raising an eyebrow.

She sat enveloped in an oversized pink knit sweater with long sleeves that swallowed her hands, paired with a black tiered skirt.

“No, no, no,” Viselle waved a dismissive hand. “I only let you girls stay in the fight to make it more interesting. It’s called ‘artistic flair.’”

“W-what?! We were the ones letting you hold on!” Elina barked.

“Whatever you say, little lizard~” Viselle teased with a mocking hand-sign.

“You... get back here!”

The room was a cozy mess of plush sofas and a low wooden table cluttered with half-empty snack bowls. The polished dark wood floor was almost entirely covered by a neutral-toned rug, where the three were currently sprawling and bickering.

“Girls, you in here?”

Noa pushed the door open and walked in, carrying Vionette in his arms as she perched against him like a contented feline.

Noa took in the chaotic sight: Elina had Viselle pinned to the rug, one hand clamped around her throat and the other drawn back into a fist ready to strike. To the side, Lina had her palm pressed to her forehead, looking disappointed at the easily baited dragon.

“...It was not my fault,” Elina squeaked, instantly releasing Viselle and snatching her hands back. “W-we were just playing!” She immediately began giving Viselle an apologetic shoulder massage, along with a forced laugh.

“Hey...” Lina narrowed her eyes, looking at Vionette in Noa’s arms. “Is it just me, or can I see a tail and two cat ears on her?”

“Huh?” Elina stopped the massage, blinking.

The trio stared. For a split second, the ethereal image of a smug feline seemed to overlay Vionette’s form, but as they blinked, it vanished like a mirage.

“Look at me like that again and you’re all dead meat,” Vionette threatened, her voice dropping to a dangerous murmur as she slipped from Noa’s arms.

“Y-yes ma’am!” the three chirped in unison.

“Anyway, we came to get you guys. We're going somewhere.”

“Somewhere?” Elina asked, springing to her feet. “Where? Is there more cake? Or something to break?”

“It’s autumn,” Noa said, already turning toward the door. “Which means it’s the best season to watch the sun go down. Let’s head to the rooftop.”

…

[Blink]

Noa materialized atop the highest spire of the castle, holding Vionette securely against his chest. Beside them, Elina ascended, her small but powerful dragon wings beating a steady rhythm as she carried Lina. Viselle utilized bursts of Aether from beneath her feet, rising through the air as if walking up an invisible staircase.

As an Augmented Lifeform, she couldn't naturally levitate like a Transfused Lifeform. However, by emitting high-density Aether as a constant, low-level thrust, she could sustain herself in the sky.

It was an exhausting process, rarely utilized in combat for that very reason, but for a sunset, it was a small price to pay.

The group settled onto the chill stone of the roof. Noa and Vionette sat at the center, their shoulders pressed together, Noa’s hand resting comfortably around her waist.

Elina and Lina took the right flank, their endless bickering finally silenced by the breathtaking view. Viselle sat to the left, her legs dangling carelessly over the edge of the abyss.

“Ohhhh~ Look at that!” Elina whispered, pointing toward the horizon.

“It’s so pretty...” Lina agreed, her blue eyes reflecting the dying light.

The sun hung low, a massive, ember-red eye sinking into the Infinite World. The horizon bled liquid gold, its light radiating across the bruised clouds like fiery plumage.

Noa and Vionette remained silent, leaning their heads against one another.

Viselle watched the dusk settle, her mind drifting back through centuries of memories. She recalled sunsets from a thousand different lifetimes—lives where she had been nothing more than an empty shell. Those skies had been just as beautiful, but they had always felt cold.

Now, there was a warmth.

She glanced down at the tattoo on her left hand—the black crown with its uneven spikes. It was a brand of ownership carved by the very being that had forged her ‘self’, yet to her, it felt like an anchor to reality.

She turned her gaze toward Noa, then back to the ink upon her skin. A simple, genuine smile blossomed across her face.

The sun dipped beneath the world's edge, its ember glow flaring one last time before the creeping shadows of twilight began to rise.

A man abandoned by his own world; a woman wanted only by a fake one; a child who had lost her father to the darkness; a dragon discarded by her own blood; and an entity who had wandered hollow for centuries.

All these lonely souls were now gathered upon a single rooftop, silent and still, watching the daylight fade—not as allies, soldiers, or subjects.

But as a family.