Myles's hands tremble as he reaches for Thia's charred body. She lies motionless, not a single breath escaping her lips. His eyes widen when he detects a faint pulse. He falls back onto the floor, hyperventilating—staring at his trembling hands, then back at the scorched bed.
He tries to gather himself, but panic overcomes him. She's alive.The thought hits, and he bursts out of the room, shouting for help.
Within seconds, attendants rush in. Two of them hurry to Lia, while Myles stands frozen, his mind blank. Another attendant checks him for injuries, but he barely registers it. Then Rai appears. She takes one look at the chaos before kneeling beside Myles, pulling him into a steadying hug. Her touch quiets his shaking, even as worry shadows her eyes. She glances toward Lia—concerned, but confident her sister will recover.
Later, Myles finds himself in what looks like a medical facility. The sterile white corridors, the hum of unseen machinery—it all feels foreign to him.He realises, with an uneasy pit in his stomach, that despite everything he's endured—monsters, injuries, near-death encounters—he's never been here before. That alone terrifies him.
"What did I do?" he whispers, staring at his hands, shaking under the bright lights. Beads of sweat glisten on his skin as his breathing falters.
A soft voice breaks through his spiral."Myles."
He looks up to see Terrene standing before him. Her face is calm, though there's a subtle heaviness in her eyes. She takes a seat beside him, posture relaxed yet deliberate.
"Would you like to talk about it?" she asks quietly, her gaze falling to the floor tiles.
Myles hesitates, surprised by her tone—but he answers."I think I did that."
Terrene exhales through her nose, a small sigh escaping."Look," she says flatly, turning toward him, "I hate to break it to you, but you don't have that kind of power."
She pats his back before leaning against the wall."It's not your fault," she adds, glancing at him sideways. "She'll be fine. She's not dead—and that's all that matters."
"How…" he whispers.
Terrene's attention shifts toward him.
"She's hurt," he says, voice trembling. "Even if she'll be fine, she's still hurt. What is wrong with you?"His tone rises without him meaning to. When he realises it, he takes a shaky breath and mutters an apology before leaving.
He wanders until he reaches one of the mansion's peristyles. The night air is cool, the stillness pressing against his thoughts. He draws a long breath, trying to quiet the noise in his head.
Then—he feels it. A presence behind him.He hadn't heard footsteps, but somehow, he knows she's there.
"Please," he says without turning around, "I'd like to be alone."
A familiar voice answers calmly, "My friend is going through something difficult. I'm not going anywhere."A short pause. "Ugh, that sounded so unnatural."
Myles can't help but chuckle under his breath.
"Mmh. I'm doing a good job then," Terrene says, and in a blink, she's at his side.
"Mmh, show-off."
"What's the point of power if you don't use it?"
"Yeah…" His gaze falls to his hands. "I'm not sure about that." He slides them into his pockets.
"Dumbass." She swats the back of his head lightly.
For a while, they stand there in silence, letting the moment settle. The night hums softly around them—quiet, steady, healing.
Then, from the corridor, a voice calls out:"The Lady Lia is awake."
They both turn toward the attendant who brings the good news. Terrene grabs Myles's arm, dragging him along. "Those feet are staying warm," she mutters.
Inside the recovery room, Lia's burns are completely gone. Myles freezes in place, mind blank. Lia smiles softly, opening her arms as if to invite him closer.
Terrene rolls her eyes and nudges him forward. "Pathetic. Like a baby," she says—but she's smiling.
Lia catches that rare expression and laughs. "Maybe I should get burned more often if it means seeing that face again."
Myles pulls back, visibly annoyed. "What happened?" His voice trembles.
Lia hesitates, choosing her words carefully. She recounts what happened but omits the truth—the reason behind the fire, and the other Myles inside his head.
"It must've been a natural defense reaction," Terrene cuts in quickly. "A scary one. My sister's still a reckless idiot, as always." Her tone is sharp, but the lie slips out cleanly.
Myles exhales, still uneasy. "Can you not try doing that again? I know I'll remember everything, eventually. Isn't that what we have the most of—time?" He takes Lia's hand gently.
She smiles back at him, warm and full of quiet relief.
Terrene, satisfied that things are calm, turns to leave. She heads back to continue her work with Rai.
"Well?" Rai asks as Terrene enters, lounging comfortably in her chair.
"Well," Terrene replies flatly, "Myles is a drama queen, and Lia's got something she's not saying."
Rai chuckles softly. "You've gotten less stiff lately, haven't you?" She leans back, then adds, "Would you bring him out?"
Terrene sighs but complies. A faint shimmer passes over her eyes before Tema appears. The little creature immediately scurries to Rai's lap, curling up with a deep, contented sigh. "Where I belong," he murmurs.
Terrene scoffs. "Traitor."
"Well, it turns out our protagonist—or rather, our object of interest—also controlled black flames."
Rai flips through the pages slowly, her tone calm but edged with curiosity.
"So," Terrene leans forward slightly, "there's more, right?"
Rai nods. "Yes. He was described as handsome. At first, he had no interest in attention from women—until he met one. Strong, confident, and quite a bit older than him. Her name was Allyser."She pauses, lowering her voice. "She showed no interest in him, though. They became friends, and he called her… Ava."
Terrene's eyes narrow. "That's no coincidence."
Rai closes the book softly.
Terrene sits up straight, the seriousness in her tone unmistakable. "We should talk to them."
Rai exhales, her expression thoughtful but weary. "Terrene, they're not going to tell us anything. Both of them."
A quiet beat passes between them.
"Well," Terrene says at last, crossing her arms, "we're heading into scary territory."
Rai gives a faint, knowing smile. "I'm actually glad you think so too."
A colossal vessel drifts through the void, its silver hull glinting faintly against the starlight. Within, in a chamber lined with translucent panels and slow-turning machinery, a tall, pale-blue-skinned man stands before a panoramic window.
He gazes into the abyss, the reflection of distant galaxies flickering across his eyes. His voice comes low, almost mournful."We've spent enough time apart."
Then, his tone hardens. "Send the swarms."
A darker-toned woman, her expression unreadable, bows her head and departs without a word.
Alone again, he turns back to the endless dark. "…Sorry."