Heavy footsteps.
A cold gust of wind swept in from outside, and then—
"Irielle."
The voice was sharp. Cold.
Irielle didn't turn around. She didn't have to.
Lysera stood in the doorway, her uniform slightly torn, a streak of dust marking her cheek.
Her eyes burned, golden and furious as they locked onto the image before her—Irielle leaning over Kana, her hand still petting the sleeping girl's hair, her face far too close.
Lysera's hand twitched.
Magic gathered around her palm in an instant, threads of light coiling like snakes ready to strike.
"Get. Away. From her."
Irielle didn't move. She tilted her head slightly, almost amused.
"You're back fast."
"Move. I'm warning you."
Lysera snapped.
Irielle sighed, brushing back a strand of hair from Kana's face.
"And what do you plan to do if I don't?"
"I'll burn you off her."
The temperature in the room dropped.
But Irielle's voice remained calm.
"Try that, and Kana will wake up in the middle of an explosion."
The words hit their mark.
Lysera's eyes narrowed. Her magic faltered just slightly.
"She's too close. If you attack now, you'll hit her too. You know that."
Irielle said softly, looking down at Kana.
For a long moment, silence stretched between them.
Lysera clenched her fists, the threads of light around her hand flickering like dying flames. Her teeth grit as she forced herself to take a step back.
"You're lucky she's sleeping. That's the only reason you're still in one piece."
She muttered.
Irielle offered a small, humorless smile.
"I know."
She leaned back slightly, no longer touching Kana, though her posture remained relaxed.
"You're protective. I get it. But don't be stupid."
Lysera didn't answer. Her gaze flicked to Kana, the anger in her expression softening only slightly as she took in the girl's sleeping form.
She looked so peaceful, unaware of the tension crackling like lightning just above her head.
"She's been through enough tonight."
Irielle said.
Lysera turned away.
"Then don't give me another reason to destroy you."
Irielle chuckled faintly.
"Noted."
But she said no more.
The silence returned, heavy but not hostile. And in the middle of it, Kana slept—untouched by the growing storm.
"You should sleep outside tonight."
The words dropped like a stone in still water. Lysera stood at the foot of the stairs, her arms crossed, her eyes shadowed and cool.
Her cloak was still damp from the mist that lingered beyond the house, and her tone left no room for misinterpretation.
Irielle looked up from where she sat at Kana's bedside, her hand still gently resting on the girl's hair.
"...Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Sleep outside."
Lysera's voice didn't rise. She didn't need it to.
For a second, Irielle didn't respond. Her expression barely changed. But the air around her crackled—barely noticeable, but unmistakably there.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
She asked, finally.
"No. You're unstable. You're too attached. I'm not risking it tonight."
Lysera said.
"I'm fine."
"That's not what I said. I'm not saying this for your sake. I'm saying it for Kana's."
Lysera's boots echoed lightly on the wooden floor as she took a step forward.
Irielle's lips parted as if to argue, but nothing came out.
Lysera stared her down.
"You forced a sleep spell on her. That wasn't a favor. That was you losing control. If you had slipped up, even a little..."
Irielle's jaw clenched.
"She needed to rest."
"She needed to feel safe. And right now, you're a danger to that."
A heavy silence followed. Even in sleep, Kana shifted slightly, her brow furrowing as if caught in some distant echo of the conversation. Irielle's hand stilled.
"I won't leave her."
She said quietly.
"You will."
Lysera replied. And then she moved.
Before Irielle could react, Lysera had her by the arm and yanked her to her feet. The elf made a small sound of protest, but Lysera was stronger.
She didn't stop at the front door—just threw it open with a single twist of the handle, cold air rushing in from the outside.
"Lysera—"
"If you care about her, then you'll stay away until your head clears."
The wind bit at Irielle's skin as she stood on the threshold, stunned.
And then the door slammed shut behind her.
Sunlight slanted through the curtains in wide, warm strips. Dust floated lazily in the golden light.
The air was quiet, the kind of quiet that made Kana unsure if she had just woken from a dream or something deeper.
Her eyes blinked open slowly. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar, and for a moment, panic curled low in her stomach.
Then it hit her.
The mansion. Luna. Natasha. The formless thing behind the door. Chains rattling like they had minds of their own. The heat of Irielle's arms. The weight of magic in the air.
Her whole body stiffened.
But nothing came. No voices. No monsters. Just the gentle hush of morning.
She let out a breath.
Slowly, she pushed herself upright, wincing as her body complained. Her muscles felt like they'd been tied into knots and then set on fire.
Everything ached. Her limbs, her back—especially her chest. Her breasts felt heavy, sensitive, like her entire center of gravity had shifted overnight.
Kana frowned, pressing her palms against her sides. That was… new.
"…Stress? Is that a thing?"
She muttered.
Whatever it was, she didn't have time to think about it. The light outside was already too bright. That meant it was late.
"Ah—! Work! I'm late!"
Kana bolted upright.
Her feet hit the wooden floor hard as she scrambled for the stairs. She didn't even bother fixing her bedhead or changing clothes.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess of panic as she raced down the steps, nearly tripping on the last one.
The living room came into view—and with it, two familiar faces.
Lysera sat in an armchair, back perfectly straight, reading over a stack of documents. Irielle, standing by the window, turned the moment she heard Kana's frantic footsteps.
Kana skidded to a halt, wide-eyed.
"Wait—why are you both still here? Shouldn't you be at work already?!"
Lysera looked up, unbothered. Irielle tilted her head, expression unreadable.
"…Why would we leave you alone after everything that happened?"
Irielle asked.
Kana blinked.
"Eh? That? I'm fine. It's not that big of a deal, really."
"You almost died."
Lysera said plainly.
"But I didn't. I mean, it's over now, right? No one got hurt. And I'm fine. So it's all good."
Kana said, managing a sheepish smile.
Irielle raised a brow.
"You're not 'fine,' Kana."
"I'm standing, aren't I?"
Lysera sighed, setting the papers down.
"Kana, you were nearly devoured by something that doesn't even have a name. You're bruised, drained, and on edge. You need to rest."
"I slept already!"
"You were forced to sleep by magic."
Kana turned to Irielle.
"Wait—was that you?"
Irielle didn't deny it.
Kana sighed.
"Well… thanks, I guess. But really, I don't want to cause trouble. Back in my world, something like this wouldn't be enough to take time off. You'd get fired for trying."
Lysera blinked.
"You'd get fired for surviving a death trap?"
Kana chuckled.
"Pretty much. No excuses. Not even if you're sick or hurt. You just push through it and hope you don't die on the train."
The two women exchanged another look. This time, it wasn't confusion—it was pity. Or maybe disbelief.
"You don't live there anymore."
Irielle said softly.
Kana looked away.
"…Yeah. I know."
She eased herself onto the couch, her shoulders slowly relaxing into the cushions. Her body was screaming at her to keep moving, but for once, her brain had stopped shouting.
"You're not causing trouble. You're important. We're here because we care."
Lysera added.
Kana blinked at them again, her lips parting just slightly.
"…Thanks."
She whispered.
For the first time since waking, she felt a little more grounded. The strange tightness in her chest loosened. The fear that had been pushing against her ribs all night began to dissolve.
Maybe… just this once… she could let herself rest.
Just for today.