Umbra’s words hung over the top of the tower like a rupture.
Not in space.
But in order.
The Umbral... didn’t react imdiately.
But it felt.
And that was worse.
Lyra and Seryth remained motionless for a brief mont, as if their minds—if they could be called that—needed a mont to reorganize the aning of what they had just heard.
"My... husband."
The repetition ca from Lyra first, her voice carrying sothing unusual.
Confusion.
Seryth tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes shining more intensely.
"Queen..."
A pause.
"...are you saying there is... a King?"
Silence.
Umbra closed her eyes for a mont.
A slow sigh escaped her lips.
It wasn’t irritation.
But it wasn’t patience either.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a weariness there that wasn’t physical.
It was... existential.
"No."
The answer ca directly.
Coldly.
"It’s not like that."
But it was too late.
The two looked at each other.
And, in that single shared glance, sothing changed.
The surprise...
Turned into enthusiasm.
Lyra was the first to smile.
A smile that wasn’t exactly human.
It was broader.
More... intense.
"So there is soone..."
Seryth took a step forward, her presence becoming denser, almost vibrating with energy.
"...capable of capturing the Queen."
Lyra continued, now with a slight inclination of her head, almost reverent.
"And yet... to be called... husband."
Umbra brought her hand to her face for a mont, pressing lightly on her temple.
This was going exactly where she didn’t want it to.
"You’re misinterpreting this."
But Seryth wasn’t listening completely anymore.
Her eyes were now shining.
With interest.
With... expectation.
"That ans he survived."
Umbra opened her eyes.
"Of course he survived."
Lyra let out a small laugh.
Low.
Almost reverent.
"Then he’s strong."
Seryth nodded.
"Very strong."
Umbra narrowed her eyes.
"He’s... annoying."
But that only made it worse.
Lyra leaned slightly, almost as if sharing a secret.
"Annoying... to the Queen."
Seryth finished, her voice low.
"That confirms it."
Umbra blinked slowly.
"...confirms what?"
They both answered at the sa ti.
"He is worthy."
Silence.
Umbra stared at the two of them for a few seconds.
Long seconds.
Very long seconds.
And then—
She let out a heavier sigh.
"You two are unbearable."
But there was no anger in her voice.
Just... acceptance.
Because, deep down...
She knew.
No matter what she said.
They had already decided.
Lyra took a small step back, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Should we prepare the Umbral for the King’s arrival?"
Seryth tilted her head slightly.
"Or... bring him here?"
Umbra froze.
For a second.
Just one.
And then—
"No."
The answer ca imdiately.
Firm.
No room for discussion.
"The two of you won’t touch him."
The tone...
Changes.
Completely.
The shadows around reacted instantly.
Retreating.
As if recognizing an absolute order.
Lyra and Seryth bowed slightly.
"As you wish, my Queen."
Umbra was silent for a mont.
And then looked away.
Toward the city.
But this ti...
She wasn’t seeing the Umbral.
She was seeing...
Another place.
Another world.
Kael.
A slight frown appeared between her eyebrows.
"I need to go back."
The statent was low.
But laden with urgency.
Lyra and Seryth exchanged a look.
And, for the first ti since they appeared...
There was hesitation.
Umbra noticed.
And that didn’t please her. "...What is it?"
Seryth was the first to answer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"My Queen..."
A pause.
"The portal..."
Lyra finished.
"...is not open."
Umbra turned her face back to them.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
Seryth lowered her head slightly.
"The last active portal... was closed over a hundred years ago."
Silence.
Total.
Complete.
For a mont...
Nothing moved.
Not the shadows.
Not the nonexistent air.
Nothing.
Umbra blinked.
Once.
Just once.
"...A hundred... years."
The repetition ca out lower than it should have.
More dangerous.
Lyra nodded. "The world of the living... ceased to connect directly to the Umbral generations ago."
Seryth finished.
"The natural passages were sealed."
Another pause.
"Or destroyed."
Umbra remained completely still.
But the atmosphere...
No.
The shadows began to stir.
First slowly.
Then... faster.
As if responding to what she hadn’t yet said.
"So..."
Her voice ca out low.
Controlled.
"How..."
A pause.
Heavier.
"I..."
Another.
"I’m back."
Silence.
Lyra and Seryth didn’t respond imdiately.
Because... they didn’t know.
And that...
Was sothing rare.
Dangerous.
Umbra took a step forward.
And this ti, the ground didn’t just react.
It trembled.
Slightly.
"If there’s no portal..."
His eyes darkened even more.
"If there’s no passage..."
Shadows began to rise up the sides of the tower.
Spinning.
Accumulating.
Violent.
"Then soone pulled ."
The conclusion fell like a blade.
Seryth looked up.
"Or sothing... made its way through."
Umbra was silent for a mont.
Thinking.
Connecting.
Feeling.
And then—
Her eyes widened.
Very little.
But enough.
"...Kael."
The na ca out almost as a whisper.
But the effect...
Was imdiate.
Shadows exploded around the tower.
As if responding to recognition.
Umbra clenched her fist.
Tightly.
"He’s still connected."
Lyra tilted her head.
"Then he’s the anchor."
Seryth finished.
"The link."
Umbra took a deep breath. Slowly.
Controlling sothing that threatened to overflow.
"If I was pulled here..."
She raised her gaze.
Determined.
"Then I can return the sa way."
Lyra frowned slightly.
"That will require... strength."
Seryth added.
"A lot."
Umbra smiled.
And, this ti...
There was no weariness.
There was no doubt.
Only... power.
"Then it’s good that this world still rembers who I am."
She took another step forward.
And the entire Umbral responded.
Shadows rose.
Souls stopped.
The city...
Fell silent.
"Prepare everything."
Her voice echoed.
In every corner.
"If there isn’t a portal..."
She slowly opened her arms. And the darkness responded.
Bowling.
Gathering.
Surrendering.
"Then I will create one."
...
The hot water filled the bathtub with a gentle steam that slowly spread throughout the room, making it quieter, more isolated from the rest of the world. The constant sound of the water, mixed with the faint echo of the drops trickling down the stone edges, created an almost suspended atmosphere, as if ti had deliberately slowed down inside.
Kael was reclining, his arms resting on the edge of the tub, his head slightly tilted back. His eyes were closed, not in complete rest, but in an interdiate state, where the body relaxed while the mind remained active, reorganizing everything that had happened in the last few hours. Politics, alliances, threats... all of that still swirled in the background, but there, at that mont, it seed distant.
In his lap, Inari was comfortably nestled, as if this were the most natural place in the world for her to be. Her relaxed body followed his, partially subrged in the warm water, while small waves ford with each slight movent. She didn’t seem worried about anything. She didn’t seem tired. In fact, there was sothing about her that seed... satisfied.
She rested her chin on his shoulder, her fingers gliding distractedly across the surface of the water, creating slow circles that dissolved before completing. Her gaze was fixed on the ripples, but her focus... was elsewhere.
"I’ve taken care of everything I needed to."
Her voice ca low, almost lazy, breaking the silence without truly disturbing him.
Kael didn’t open his eyes imdiately.
But he answered.
"What did you take care of?"
The question ca out simple, direct, but laden with a slight suspicion. He knew Inari well enough to know that when she spoke like that, it was rarely sothing small.
Inari smiled.
It wasn’t an open smile.
It was the kind of smile that hid more than it revealed.
She turned her face slightly, bringing her lips close to the line of his neck, but without touching him, only letting the proximity exist for a mont.
"The implications."
The answer ca vaguely.
Deliberately vague.
Kael opened his eyes slowly, turning just enough to look at her sideways. His gaze wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t relaxed either. It was... attentive.
"What implications?"
Inari let out a small, low laugh, almost like a whisper.
"All of them."
She moved back just enough to look directly at him, her eyes shining with sothing that mixed amusent and satisfaction. Her fingers slowly traced up his arm, following the damp skin, as if she were drawing sothing invisible.
"You were too worried about politics... about alliances... about future consequences," she continued, tilting her head slightly. "I just... organized so things."
Kael watched her silently for a few seconds.
"Organized how?"
Inari blinked slowly.
And then... shrugged.
"By removing problems."
Simple as that.
Direct.
Weightless.
But there was weight.
There always was.
Kael stared at her for another mont, analyzing her answer. He didn’t seem surprised. Not exactly. But there was sothing in the way he remained silent that indicated he was assessing the scope of it.
"Did you kill soone?" The question wasn’t accusatory. It was... practical.
Inari smiled again. More lightly. "So."
She spoke as if comnting on sothing trivial.
Her fingers were now tracing small patterns on his chest, distracted, almost affectionate, in stark contrast to the content of the conversation.
"But not all."
She tilted her head, observing his reaction.
"So are still useful."
Kael let out a slow sigh, running a hand over his face, feeling the warmth of the water and the surroundings, as if trying to organize it into sothing acceptable.
"You have to stop being so mysterious..." He murmured, pouting.
"You know I wanted to talk, but I can’t," she said, smiling.
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