“Is that all?” Seryn asked, their voice measured as they listened to the trios explanation.

  They had invited the trio inside the office, leading them to a low table with two couches. They offered no drinks or food, just demanding explanations.

  Oris nodded. “That is everything that has happened in the past weeks,” he said.

  “Are you sure?” Seryn’s eyes narrowed into slits as they pressed on, “Did you make any progress towards completing your assigned mission at all?”

  “...No,” Oris bristled, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

  Seryn clicked their tongue, grabbing a book off of the shelf behind them without turning around. “I figured. What about that creature the Scarlet Death was fighting?”

  “I think it has something to do with why the magic fields around this island have been disrupted,” Lio chimed in, eager to defend her team. “Oris mentioned that it disrupted his magic and the Scarlet Death didn’t seem like it could scratch it with its fire breath. It definitely affects magic, and if the Scarlet Death can’t scratch it, it is definitely strong.”

  Opening the book and slowly flipping through it, Seryns gaze stayed difficult to keep track of. Whatever hid their face from others was controlled by them, and they did not want anyone to know what their attention was on unless it was to prove a point. “It would have been better if you could have stuck around and gotten a proper description of the monster before getting thrown... through the island,” they said, stopping around midway through the book, “Alas, it would appear that you were too distracted. Oris, you have been ambushed by the Scarlet Death twice before, haven’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did you survive?”

  Oris mask slipped in barely a second. He had been cultivating a mostly neutral facade for the majority of the conversation, but that blunt question got him glaring at Seryn. “The first time, I only survived because of the Incarnate ritual. I never got his name after the cleanup crew came, but he was a big burly dude with a lance. The second time, I was still in training and it didn’t attack us in full force.”

  Seryn didn’t react to Oris’s glare, but kept slowly sliding a gloved digit down the page like going down a list. “What an interesting coincidence. Wouldn’t you agree?” They asked, tilting her head up just enough so their eyes peeked out from underneath the brim of their hat.

  “You seem to know an awful lot about me, Seryn. You should know that I despise subtlety like that,” Oris said, leaning forward to glance at the book they were reading. “Tell me plainly what you are implying, or I’m putting in a request for a transfer. I’ve heard that Vaelyn seemed to be quite fond of me.”

  He couldn’t make out the words, but it looked like a list.

  “I am implying that you’re a coward. Someone who hides at the first sign of trouble and lets his allies die as long as it benefits himself. You survived two events with mortality rates in the nineties,” Seryn explained, tapping onto the list twice. “Your posturing speaks of arrogance. You hide behind a mask of stoicism that’s as easily cracked as glass, but have the temper of a child.”

  “How dare-“ Vaetra tried to argue, but her mouth snapped shut as Oris used their magic to silence her and force her jaw closed.

  “That is quite insulting,” Oris said much more apologetically, glancing at Vaetra. He didn’t like it any more than her, but insulting him back would not do him any good. “Is that any way for a Court representative to speak?”

  He knew that Seryn had a point, but while he had a bad temper, he liked to think that he also had it under control most of the time.

  “No, but you wished to hear my thoughts,” Seryn said, closing the book again.

  Vaetra leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Seryn. “What are our updated orders, Seryn?”

  “You are to visit Embers Embrace and report to Vaelyn. You’ll do as she says, but you will report everything she does to me,” they explained, steepling their hands and leaning their chin on it. The shadow covering their face bent around their hands, but didn’t reveal even an inch of their skin. “She is suspected of conspiring against the rest of the Court and is to be treated as highly unstable.”

  “What makes you think we’ll spy on a member of the Court for you?” Oris challenged, leaning back on the couch with his glare melting into a smirk.

  “Because you’re a good soldier, you follow orders,” Seryn explained, their mask unreadable, “You believe in the Court. We made you who you are and you can’t ever forget that. If Vaelyn is truly conspiring against humanity, you’ll be our first line of defense. That is something you would never abandon.”

  Oris jaw muscles twitched and worked as he mulled over the offer, grinding his teeth. He knew that Seryn had a point, but he didn’t like how casually they said it.

  Lio glanced at Oris. “You’re not seriously considering spying on the Living Inferno? She could kill us with a thought!” she exclaimed, tilting her body away from Oris as if he were to spontaneously catch on fire.

  “You wouldn’t need to do anything except report on any suspicious behaviour,” Seryn explained, unmoving as a statue. “Ideally, you’d just continue working like you have been- that is if Vaelyn is truly innocent- but you would need to be prepared to flee at a moment’s notice.” They paused a moment as if to let the others digest the possibility before continuing. “Do not get me wrong. Vaelyn is highly dangerous and you should assume that she will kill to keep her secret.”

  “Why send us? None of us have an ability that could aid us in espionage,” Vaetra asked.

  “Vaelyn seems to have inexplicably grown quite fond of you,” They explained, “The fact that you are superficially useless in espionage makes you the least suspect. Have you thought of the fact that you can gain secure files by just teleporting them into your palm? The only way she can keep secrets from you is by sending you away or using encrypted files- which Lioran should be able to decrypt.”

  Lio shifted in her seat uncomfortably, glancing at Vaetra and Oris as if afraid they’d question her on it.

  Neither of them did.

  “I hate to admit you have a point,” Oris said, tilting his head as if to signal that he’d need a bit more.

  Seryn didn’t hesitate and reached below the coffee table, grabbing a small chest and placing it on the table. Unlatching it, they swung it open and turned it around for the trio to see.

  Inside, there were three items.

  The first one was a small cylinder containing a glass vial and a needle with a plastic protector over it. The liquid inside the injector pulsed with a faint glow, the azure liquid inside swirling in patterns.

  The second item was a sleek handgun made out of a black alloy and a slide made with smooth crystals. Along the barrel run two slender veins of pale red crystals.

  Last but not least was a sleek but wide, slate-gray bracelet, including a wrist-mounted interface with a small projector and a lense above it.

  “What are these, bribes?” Vaetra asked, looking down at the chest with the hint of a sneer.

  “No, let’s-“ Seryn tried to explain, only for Oris to interrupt.

  “Yes. Yes, we’re being bribed,” he said, reaching inside and grabbing the handgun. “What does this do?”

  Seryn sighed quietly, but didn’t bother arguing with Oris. “You insert a capsule and press the trigger to shoot a very powerful projectile- it’s a gun salvaged from Xendarii bases,” he explained, miming the motions as he explained them.

  Vaetra grabbed the injector, idly turning it to examine it. “Is this it?”

  “No, that is something for you,” Seryn said, turning their head towards Vaetra, “That is one vial of Incarnate Catalyst. For you, you might as well consider it liquid power. Once you inject Vaetra with it, you’ll find that your magic power skyrockets without any detrimental effect on your control. It should last for a few minutes, depending on your usage of said magic.” They stopped, fixing Vaetra with a blank stare. “It has some minor addictive properties, beware.”

  Lio snatched the last item in a heartbeat, holding it up like a treasure and twisting around to check every inch of it. “Is that a Whisperband?!” She exclaimed, quickly putting it on her right wrist and grabbing her tablet to connect it to the Whisperband. She attached it to the tablet with a cable. “Dips. You two couldn’t even do anything with it.”

  “I wasn’t going to fight you for it,” Oris said, but knew that Lio wasn’t listening anymore. He pocketed the handgun with a sigh, but he couldn’t wipe the smirk off of his lips. “I suppose that means we accept your bribe. It seems fair enough.”

  “Please stop calling it a bribe. I’d much rather you think about it as encouragement,” Seryn pleaded, though their voice remained as steady as ever.

  Vaetra nodded, Oris’s mood for mischief contagious. “A bribe is very encouraging.”

  Lio barely glanced up from the Whisperband’s holographic readout as she slipped her tablet into her satchel. “I’ll need a few tweaks to the firmware before it syncs fully with Court servers,” she muttered, brow furrowed.

  Seryn inclined their head once. “You have forty-eight hours. After that, your airship leaves for Embers Embrace. Do not-” They paused, tapping a slender finger against the tabletop. “-forget your primary objective. Observe. Report.”

  Vaetra stood and tucked the injector into the inner pocket of her coat. “Understood,” she said, voice low but steady. “And if Vaelyn grows suspicious?”

  “Then you disappear, one way or another,” Seryn said matter-of-factly.

  Standing up and tugging Lio along, Oris nodded at Seryn. “We’ll take our leave. Send the files for our transfer to Lio.”

  Seryn didn’t answer them, instead leaning back on the couch and watching them leave.

  Once outside, Oris turned to Vaetra and Lio. “We have two days to relax. Is there anything you two want to do?”

  “You still owe me a sweetbread,” Vaetra reminded Oris.

  Lio quickly turned to the others with a grin. “We can celebrate our successful mission tonight. The market is amazing at night! There’s so many different snacks and drink,” Lio gushed, having already decided for all of them. They would get paid tomorrow anyway, they could spare the coin.

  “I wouldn’t mind,” Oris said, looking around the alley, vigilant.

  Lio elbowed Vaetra, grinning up at her. She leaned up to whisper into Vaetras ear, “It’s perfect to get a better idea of Oris. You know, about your crush,.”

  “Shut. Up!” Vaetra blurted out, shoving Lio away as a blush spread over her cheeks. She couldn’t believe that Lio would talk about something like that with Oris right next to them.

  Lio, having expected the shove, quickly recovered and pointed at Vaetra accusingly. “You’re the one that’s being loud! My comment would have totally gone unnoticed!”

  Oris turned to the two as they devolved into bickering, stepping alongside without much care for their surroundings. They were still in an alleyway so there weren’t many people around. He sighed, but hadn’t noticed the start of their conversation and he couldn’t for the life of him make out what they were talking about so he just turned back forward. It didn’t seem very important if Lio was still smiling smugly.

  “Is there any particular stall you’d like to visit first?” Oris asked loudly, trying to stop their bickering before it could actually hurt one of them.

  Lio immediately stopped her arguing, sticking her tongue out at Vaetra before turning to Oris. “Oh yeah, there’s this one stall here that has a retired mage running it. He uses his magic to control a big fire, smoking dozens of sticks of spiced meat,” Lio gushed, already salivating at the thought of it, “You’d love it, Oris. I don’t know what he puts on it, because he guards his glaze mixture zealously, but it’s heavenly.”

  “What kind of meat?” Vaetra asked, hooking her arm around Oris’s out of pure habit.

  Lio thought for a moment, staring at the two as she tried to remember, before shrugging. “Something from the forest. It is probably... something like cows.”

  “Something like cows,” Oris echoed, looking down at Lio with a sceptical look. He motioned for her to lead the forwards, something she did with great enthusiasm.

  Around the corner, down the street, the trio quickly arrived at the stall and got greeted by an older man who recognised Lio.

  “Lio, it has been a while! Are you preparing for another late night work session or did you forget to eat again?” He asked, his salesman’s grin never faltering. Though it did turn a big more genuine. “How have you been?”

  Lio’s cheeks darkened as he called her out so brazenly, but she grabbed three sticks of meat from the fire and handed them out before tossing him a few coins. “I’ve been great. Work got a lot more exciting and we spent the last few weeks on another island.”

  Oris bit into the meat, swallowing a big chunk of it and nodding approvingly. “This is good.”

  “How often does Lio forget to eat for an entire day?” Vaetra asked, taking the opportunity to embarrass Lio in retaliation to their earlier argument.

  While Lio tried to stop him from answering, it didn’t deter him in the slightest. “Oh, I used to see her quite often. Almost every third day sometimes, but I think that was when she was still catching up on her Archivist training,” he explained, the coins disappearing into his pouch with a swipe of his hand. “Or was it when she tried to hack into the servers with a cobbled together tablet?”

  “You did what?” Oris asked.

  The vendor laughed, blowing on his fingers before reaching into a battered pouch at his belt. “Oh, she did more than hack,” he said, tossing a small paper scrap onto the counter between them. “She tried to overwrite the court logs-ran a script on a jury-rigged tablet she cobbled together from half-dead implants and scrap code. Nearly brought the whole system down before the archivists tracked her signal.”

  Lio narrowed her eyes and grabbed the scrap, scanning the spidery handwriting. “That… might not be entirely fair,” she protested, cheeks flaming. “I was only curious how they’d classified the ‘Scarlet Death Ambush.’ I-”

  Oris finished her thought for her, swallowing another mouthful of spiced meat. “Curiosity nearly got you exiled,” he teased, smacking his lips. “Good thing you’re better at archival theory than software engineering.”

  Vaetra rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a grin. “And here I thought you were fearless, Lio. Turns out you’re more… enthusiastic.”

  Lio shoved him lightly. “Better enthusiastic than indifferent.” She turned back to the vendor. “Do you still have that fourth skewer left?”

  “Always have one for my favorite troublemaker.” The old man skewered a fresh chunk of meat and extended it. Then his eyes grew serious. “Be careful out there- rumor’s the Court sent a couple of their shadows to tail anyone poking too deeply into Vaelyn’s business. I’d watch your backs.”

  Oris exchanged a look with Vaetra. His image of the vendor shifted. That comment was way too targeted for just someone selling grilled meat. “Court shadows, huh?” he muttered. He slid a few more coins across the stall. “Thanks for the warning- and the dinner.”

  “You paid for the dinner!” He laughed it off, pocketing the last few coins as the trio walked off.

  The three of them moved into the shifting bustle of the night market, their steps slower now, more thoughtful. Around them, the warm scent of caramelized sugar and grilled spices mixed with the crisp bite of magic-infused perfumes drifting from a nearby alchemist’s stall. The cobbled streets were bathed in the soft golden glow of glass lanterns suspended by floating runes, swaying like fireflies caught in an invisible wind.

  “I don’t like that,” Vaetra muttered under her breath once they were out of earshot. “That man isn’t just a vendor. He knew too much.”

  “He might’ve been a Court informant,” Oris said, eyes scanning the crowd reflexively. “Or maybe he’s one of Vaelyn’s. It wouldn’t be the first time someone used a mundane job to stay hidden.”

  “I think he just wanted to help,” Lio argued, hugging the last skewer protectively as she nibbled at it. “He always did like me.”

  “You’re easy to like,” Vaetra said automatically, then immediately seemed to regret it, clearing her throat. “I mean. When you’re not trying to bring down central infrastructure with a homemade tablet.”

  Lio smiled, warmth flickering in her eyes. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  They kept walking, slowly drifting deeper into the market’s pulsing heart. The crowds thickened with wandering locals and the occasional traveler wrapped in shimmering shawls of thread. Merchants called out with polished showmanship, their wares stacked high- clockwork trinkets whirring softly, glowing crystal baubles, bottled storms, charm-engraved copperware, and silks that shimmered with starlight motifs.

  “Let’s take a break somewhere less crowded,” Oris said, adjusting his coat as he glanced at the alleyways branching off the main road. “Just for a bit. I don’t want to feel like I have to scan every face while eating dessert.”

  Lio spotted a cozy-looking courtyard tucked between two multi-tiered shops. Strings of softly glowing lanterns crisscrossed above, and a low hum of ambient music played from a plinth near the center. “There!” she said, dragging them toward it. “That tea bar has the best infused ices and- look- bean cake!”

  They ducked into the courtyard and found a table near the back. The stone benches were warm. Lio bounced to the counter, ordered enough dessert for six, and returned with an armful of small, steaming dishes and jewel-colored drinks.

  Vaetra raised an eyebrow as she accepted a bowl of bean jelly layered with fruit slices. “You know we’re three people, right?”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Do I?” Lio replied with a sly grin. “I don’t believe in rationing joy.”

  Oris let out a quiet snort of amusement, accepting a tall glass of infused ice floating with lavender petals and thin lemon slices. He took a sip and visibly relaxed, finally setting his back fully against the bench.

  For a time, they simply ate in silence.

  A gentle breeze stirred the edge of Oris’s coat, and he looked up to watch a group of young children chasing a drifting paper wyvern, their laughter clear in the open air. For a heartbeat, the world felt far away—no Court, no Incarnates, no suspicion or monsters cloaked in shadow.

  Just warmth. Lantern light. Friends.

  But then, there came the cries.

  “Dragon! Run!” Someone shouted, causing Oris to bristle and rise halfway out of his seat, only to realise that it had been one of the kids, pretending the paper wyvern was actually a dragon.

  He sunk back onto the bench with a sigh, his mood shattered.

  Vaetra grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers and pulling him closer to her, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. “It’s alright, just some kids.”

  Oris let his head rest on Vaetras shoulder, trying to come down from his vigilance for just tonight. Just tonight, he was safe and he could relax.

  They stayed in the courtyard for another hour, watching the market get progressively more festive as they made their way through the treats Lio had bought. Lio insisted that everyone tried everything at least once. The treats were good, but Oris soon got bored of the endless sweets and got up.

  “Let’s keep going. While I do enjoy some sweets, there’s only so much I can take before my stomach rebelled,” Oris said, pulling Vaetra up with him. He glanced at Lio, who had been drinking cocktails with a grin this entire time. “You also need some fatty foods or you’ll get hungover again. Well, more hungover than necessary.”

  “I’m not drunk!” Lio insisted, rising to her feet with a slight wobble. She grabbed onto Vaetras arm to steady herself, but quickly let go. “Food sounds great! Do you want some entertainment as well?”

  Oris shrugged. “Sure, lead the way.”

  Tugging at Vaetras arm, Lio lead the way. She quickly navigated the group through the marketplace and down a few side streets until she found a building she recognised.

  It was an old building, a barely standing medley of Xendarii alloy plates and wooden beams held together by dreams and what little money the inhabitants made.

  That didn’t stop Lio for a second though. She confidently stepped up to the door and opened it, a swell of shouting and the smell of stale ale flowed out like a cloud of smoke. Giving Oris no time to regret his choice, Lio dragged them inside.

  Inside the dimly lit hall, a roar of anticipation washed over them like crashing waves. Torches set in wrought-iron sconces cast dancing shadows across scarred wooden beams, and the air was thick with the scent of spilled ale, sweat, and the faint tang of ozone. At the far end of the room, a low, circular pit ringed by rough-hewn benches held their attention: two burly combatants, arms wrapped in leather, paced its edge, muscles coiled like springs. Between them, a battered announcer’s stand rattled as the host bellowed the evening’s rules.

  Lio practically vibrated with excitement. “Brawler’s Night! They let anyone enter- odd jobs, sailors, even off-duty guards. Rumor says last month someone used a fire-sigil spell in the ring. It was glorious.” She tugged at Vaetra’s sleeve. “Come on, let’s get close!”

  Vaetra glanced at Oris, whose jaw clenched as he surveyed the crowd- drunken patrons slapping each other’s backs, haggard mercenaries counting coin, an old woman selling enchanted amulets from beneath her shawl. He shifted uneasily. “I’d rather not watch someone get hurt,” he muttered, but the lure of the spectacle—and the promise of greasy, protein-rich snacks from the concession stand- pulled him forward.

  They found a narrow bench two rows up. Oris settled beside Vaetra, who looped an arm around his waist, holding him steady. Lio elbowed her way into the front row, chattering to the veteran fighters like an old friend. Soon, the combatants clashed with a thunderous crash- flesh against flesh, boots pounding the packed earth, and leather strikes echoing like war drums.

  The first fighter, a stocky woman with a silver tattoo curling up her arm, feinted low and drove her fist into her opponent’s ribs. The man grunted, staggered, then recovered with a wild uppercut that rattled her helmet. Gasps and cheers rippled through the crowd as Lio leaped to her feet, waving both arms. “That’s it! Give her the left- no, the right!”

  Oris winced at each heavy blow but found himself leaning forward, caught in the fight’s raw energy. Vaetra tightened her hold, her eyes never leaving Oris’s face, gauging his reaction. Around them, the crowd’s fervor rose to a fever pitch, and for a moment, Oris forgot the Court’s shadows, the looming threats- he was simply a spectator. It wasn’t his preferred mode of entertainment, but it was a nice change of pace.

  It only took a few blows for the man to fall, the stocky woman wasting no time in raising her arms and parading around the arena, cheering on the crowd with a huge grin. “Come on! Is no one here able to give me a good fight? Or are all of you already too drunk to provide a challenge?”

  Lio stood up, cupping her hands around her mouth to get her voice heard above all the other shouting. “How about fighting a genuine Hunter?”

  The fighter turned to Lio, seizing her up in a glance before turning back around with a shake of her head. “You’re no hunter.”

  “I know, but he is,” Lio shouted back, kicking Oris’s leg to get him to stand up.

  He did so with a sigh, rising over the crouching or sitting crowd with Vaetra letting go of him but encouraging him with a grin. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do, so he just waved at her.

  Then she recognised him. “Oris?! I thought you were already long gone with your new Incarnate Babe. Where is she?”

  “Right here,” Vaetra said, also standing up. She didn’t recognise the woman.

  Oris narrowed his eyes, trying to see if he could recognise the fighter. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but she might be one of the soldiers from his old unit. “Tamsin?” He guessed, figuring that she had probably survived the ambush. She was tough.

  Tamsin only grinned, waving him over. “Come on, let everyone see just how effective Hunters are,” she taunted him, the entire crowd going wild at the notion of a Hunter and their champion fighting.

  He made his way through the crowd mostly undisturbed, but stopped upon reaching the edge of the arena. “Mind if I show off?”

  “No, no,” Tamsin laughed, jumping up and down to loosen herself up. “No magic, no Incarnate stuff. This is about how your combat skills are, buddy.”

  Oris stepped into the pit, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his stance, boots scraping against the dirt. “Fine,” he said evenly. “But if I knock you flat, I’m not carrying you to the healer.”

  The crowd roared in approval, stomping their feet and banging tankards against benches. Tamsin grinned like a wolf, already bouncing on the balls of her feet, arms loose, confident. “You wish.”

  Lio leaned over the railing, eyes bright with mischief. “Break her nose!” she shouted helpfully, then immediately ducked as a peanut shell came flying her way.

  Vaetra sat forward, her gaze sharp now. She wasn’t worried exactly- She had seen Oris in action enough times to know he could handle himself- but she wasn’t entirely sure how far either of them would go in a public spar. Pride was a dangerous thing, especially between old comrades and she knew that Oris had a bit of a temper.

  The announcer barely had time to raise his hand before Tamsin lunged.

  She was fast- faster than Oris remembered- but he sidestepped cleanly, letting her momentum carry her past him. She spun, aiming a kick at his ribs, but he blocked it with a raised knee and swept low, forcing her to hop back.

  He wasn’t allowed to use magic, but Tamsin shouldn’t have any idea what he could do or how to even notice he was casting any spells. That was usually a skill reserved for learned mages. If he were careful with his usage, he could probably make himself light enough to match her speed without affecting her. If he affected her, she would definitely notice that he was cheating.

  Did he want to cheat though? He could probably beat her in a genuine fight but didn’t want to risk losing to her. Not after Lio yelled out that he was a Hunter. It wasn’t just his pride at stake, but also how these people saw the Hunters.

  The fight settled into rhythm: strike, parry, shift. Tamsin was aggressive, flashy. Oris was efficient, compact. He didn’t waste movement. Every pivot was economical, every strike measured. They were nearly even, but the longer they danced, the clearer it became- Oris was only reacting. He was testing. Feeling. Watching.

  And Tamsin noticed.

  “Come on,” she spat between breaths, ducking under a jab and landing a glancing blow to his shoulder. “Don’t patronize me.”

  Oris didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped inside her guard and caught her by the wrist, flipping her with a clean, controlled motion. She managed to twist in his grip with a grin, reversing their situations and tripping him with a tug.

  He took the fall in stride, rolling and immediately getting back up again, ready for the next blow.

  But nothing came.

  Tamsin stood at the ready, glaring at Oris. “Are you going to actually fight now? This isn’t a spar.”

  “I am just being cautious,” Oris said, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He could do this without cheating. The Incarnate Ritual had given him more than just magic. He was faster, quicker.

  Tamsin circled him slowly now, her smile gone, replaced by a razor-thin focus that Oris remembered too well. She wasn’t angry- this was her element, and she’d just realized she wasn’t here to put on a show anymore. She was in a real fight.

  The crowd seemed to sense the shift too. The noise dipped for the first time since they stepped into the pit, the kind of quiet that sharpened the edges of every footstep, every exhale. Vaetra’s eyes were locked on Oris, and even Lio had gone still.

  “Fine,” Tamsin said at last, her stance lowering, coiled. “No more dancing.”

  She moved first, a blur of motion. Oris responded without thinking. He met her fists with his forearms, her knees with his shins, absorbing shock after shock as he adjusted. She was relentless. He was fluid. The clash grew tighter, harder. Each contact felt like it could have ended it if they weren’t both so damned experienced.

  Tamsin ducked under a right hook, slammed her shoulder into his chest, and nearly knocked him off his feet.

  Nearly being the key word.

  He slammed his fist into her stomach, her form crumbling around his arm for a moment before sliding back.

  She clutched her stomach, barely keeping herself from vomiting as a grin spread on her face. “Better,” she grunted.

  Oris didn’t smile back. He didn’t grin. His face was stone, calm and unreadable, though his eyes burned like embers under frost.

  “Still holding back,” Tamsin wheezed, straightening with a hand on her thigh. “You always were too careful when people were watching. I saw you sit down on that Embermaw like it’s a fucking throne a few weeks ago. You’re way stronger.”

  Oris’s hands flexed at his sides, a subtle motion that only Vaetra noticed. He tilted his head slightly, studying Tamsin with new wariness. She knew. Maybe not everything about the Ritual, not exactly- but she knew he wasn’t playing all his cards.

  The crowd, sensing the tension, began to chant in broken rhythm, stomping their boots: “Fight. Fight. Fight.”

  Tamsin wiped her mouth, spitting blood into the dirt without a second thought. “No magic,” she said again, but there was an edge to her voice now. A dare. “You can still show me some teeth, Oris. I won’t break.”

  Oris exhaled through his nose, stepping in. He wasn’t a brawler, but he could definitely hold his own against someone he knew was just a regular human.

  This time, he didn’t hold back entirely.

  He drove forward with a brutal economy of movement: two strikes high to force Tamsin’s guard up, then a sudden sweep at her knee. She barely dodged it, twisting in midair and bringing her elbow down toward his temple. He caught it against his forearm with a thudding crack and immediately spun low, a hook punch aimed at her ribs.

  Tamsin grunted, staggering back a step. Oris didn’t let up- he closed the distance again, hammering her defenses with relentless pressure.

  Tamsin grinned. Blood trickled from a split lip, and her laughter rang out sharp against the charged silence.

  This was what she wanted.

  She countered hard, landing a brutal shot to his ribs that made his breath hitch. She followed it with a sweep at his legs, and this time she caught him- Oris stumbled, but he turned the fall into a roll, coming up behind her with a pivot so fast that even the crowd gasped.

  He caught her wrist again, twisting it just enough to lock her elbow and force her down into a kneeling position without breaking it.

  “Yield,” he said, low enough that only she could hear it.

  Tamsin’s chest heaved with ragged breath. For a moment, it looked like she would fight on out of sheer stubbornness- but she caught the warning in his eyes. Oris wasn’t mad. He wasn’t even angry.

  But if she pushed further, if she made him show what he was now, it wouldn’t just humiliate her- it would shatter everything these people believed about normal fighters.

  Tamsin slammed her free hand into the dirt in surrender.

  The announcer leapt up from his battered stand, shouting the result over the stunned crowd. “Victory- The Hunter!”

  The roar of the crowd flooded the space like a dam breaking. Tankards were slammed together, people shouted Oris’s name, coins were thrown into the pit at his feet.

  Oris helped Tamsin up, gripping her forearm tight before releasing her. She staggered, grinning through the pain. “Still too careful,” she muttered, almost affectionately. “But good. Damn good.”

  “You’re not bad yourself,” Oris said quietly.

  Tamsin chuckled hoarsely and let herself be half-carried out of the ring by a pair of enthusiastic locals.

  Vaetra was already at the edge of the pit when Oris turned around, her hands hovering in the air like she wasn’t sure if she should rush to him or give him space. Lio was right behind her, bouncing on her toes like an overexcited puppy.

  “That was amazing!” Lio shouted, grabbing Oris’s arm and pumping it up and down as if she had been the one who won. “I think you just made twenty new drinking buddies and a hundred new stories!”

  Vaetra didn’t say anything right away. She just looked at him, serious. After a heartbeat, she reached out and brushed the edge of his knuckles with her fingertips.

  “You okay?” she asked, her voice low enough to be private.

  He nodded once. “Fine. Just felt good to finally give some physicality to those feelings of mine,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Putting feelings into actions feels that good?” Vaetra asked.

  Oris shrugged, glancing aside- but when he looked back, her expression made him pause.

  She stepped closer. Close enough that she could feel the heat still radiating from him. His lip was split, a bruise forming on his jaw. But his eyes- they were calm now, softened in the firelight.

  “You always do that,” she said quietly.

  “Do what?”

  She swallowed, trying to ignore Lio bouncing in excitement next to them. Vaetras heart was racing, but she didn’t want to let go of this opportunity. Who knew when she had the courage for this again? When she would get the opportunity?

  “Do what?” Oris asked again.

  Vaetra finally managed to lock eyes with Oris. “Make my heart race,” she admitted in a whisper.

  Before he could answer, she pulled him into a quick kiss. It was fleeting, chaste, barely a touch of their lips before she pulled away. But it was everything she had hoped for. It wasn’t some dramatic dip or perfectly-timed declaration. It was simple. Honest. Her hands barely brushed his shoulders, and her lips trembled just slightly against his.

  Oris froze for a beat- less out of surprise than the sheer weight of the moment. Then he breathed out, long and slow, and kissed her back.

  The noise around them didn’t stop, but it might as well have. The torches kept burning. The crowd kept drinking and shouting.

  But for a few seconds, there was only her hand on his jaw. Only his fingers curling gently around her waist.

  When they broke apart, she stepped back with a shaky breath and a defiant look, like daring him to pretend it hadn’t happened.

  Oris didn’t.

  He didn’t say anything- he didn’t need to, or at least he thought so.

  “U-Uhmm...” Vaetra pulled back, heat rising to her cheeks as she searched for meaning in his expression she couldn’t find. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Oris asked, tenderly wrapping his arms around her waist. He had no idea what to think of it, but it felt good.

  Lio leaned in, grinning up at the two like some mischievious puppet master who had orchestrated all of this. “Feelings any clearer now with you two?”

  Vaetra stared at Oris, desperately wanting him to answer first so she knew what to say.

  “Ugh, did you set this all up?” Oris asked with a grin, pulling Vaetra close.

  Vaetra let him pull her close, hiding her rising blush by burying her face in his shoulder.

  “Nope!” Lio said cheerfully, some other members of the crowd handing her pouches full of coins with defeated sighs or muttered comments, “But I did talk with Vaetra to follow her feelings. I was actually planning on talking with you too.“

  “What does this mean?” Vaetra asked, keeping her face pressed into Oris’s shoulder to try and hide her worsening blush.

  He stood still, arms wrapped around Vaetra, the taste of her kiss still lingering like a shock to the system. But it wasn’t unwelcome. It wasn’t something he wanted to rewind or undo. His heart was thudding—quietly, steadily- and for once, it wasn’t because of a fight or fear. It was her. Just her.

  He leaned down, letting his cheek rest against her hair, and spoke so only she could hear.

  “It means,” he murmured, “I’m yours. If you’ll have me.”

  Vaetra’s breath caught. She lifted her head just enough to look up at him, wide-eyed. “Really?”

  “I’m not good with words,” Oris admitted, brushing her cheek with his thumb, “but I know what I want. And I want this. You.”

  Lio made a loud, obnoxious gagging noise behind them. “Okay, gross. Cute, but gross.”

  Vaetra laughed into Oris’s shoulder, tension melting from her like ice under sun. “I’ll take you,” she whispered back, just for him.

  “You’re both disgustingly adorable,” Lio said, dramatically flopping onto the bench behind them and stuffing a dumpling into her mouth. “So now that this ship is finally sailing- what’s next? Shared drinks? A dance? A dramatically timed rooftop duel with a jealous ex-lover? It’d have to be Oris’s ex-lover, but I doubt there’s one.”

  “Lio-” Oris said warningly, still holding Vaetra.

  “What? I’m invested now,” she said through her mouthful. “You two just became my favorite subplot.”

  Vaetra turned slightly in Oris’s arms to glance at their ever-enthusiastic friend. “You are the worst.”

  “And yet, somehow, always right,” Lio replied with a wink. “Just kidding, you know? I’m glad you two are finally together.”

  Oris kissed Vaetra’s temple gently, then looked around. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Agreed,” Vaetra murmured.

  Lio hopped to her feet immediately, dusting off her coat. “Back to the courtyard? Or are we doing something stupid and spontaneous again?”

  Oris gave Vaetra a look- soft, real- and she nodded.

  “Let’s just… walk,” she said. “No plans. No pretending.”

  “Except for the pretending you’re not still blushing,” Lio added helpfully.

  Vaetra whirled to point at her. “You say one more thing-”

  “Walking!” Lio declared, skipping ahead with a laugh. “No more emotional sabotage, I promise.”

  Oris took Vaetra’s hand again, steady and firm.

  They left the brawler’s pit behind, stepping out into the cool night air, surrounded by the hum of the city, the buzz of distant music, and the weight of a shared truth finally spoken.

  And as they walked into the winding market streets once more, they couldn’t help but keep themselves from smiling.

  The night had cooled, the air turning crisp as the lanterns dimmed just slightly with the hour. The clamor of the brawler’s den faded behind them, replaced by the softer soundscape of late-night stalls beginning to shutter and street musicians winding down their final songs.

  Oris and Vaetra walked side by side, their hands still intertwined. Neither of them spoke much, but the silence wasn’t awkward. It was… comfortable. After everything, no words were really needed.

  Lio walked a few paces ahead, arms stretched above her head as she hummed a drunken little tune under her breath. She swayed now and then, but her steps were steady- if slightly exaggerated. Occasionally, she pointed at a stall or tried to coax the others into getting ‘just one more snack,’ but even she seemed to sense the shift in mood and mostly let them be.

  “You two are so quiet,” she said eventually, spinning on her heel to face them, walking backward now with the grace of someone who had clearly done this more than once. “I mean, I get it- new relationship energy, lots of unspoken looks, hand-holding, yadda yadda- but can you talk to each other again before I start narrating your romance like a traveling bard?”

  Vaetra stifled a laugh. “Lio.”

  “What?” Lio grinned. “This is my moment too. I’ve been emotionally invested in this mess for months. I made this happen, okay?”

  “You could let it breathe for five minutes,” Oris said dryly, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

  Lio shrugged dramatically. “Fine, fine. I’ll be the silent third wheel. Just know I’m here for moral support and spontaneous commentary if you two make out in front of a pastry stall.”

  Vaetra elbowed her as they passed. “No one’s making out.”

  “Yet,” Lio sing-songed, then spun back around before either of them could retaliate.

  They walked on. The market thinned into quieter alleys, where shuttered stalls stood under rows of soft-glowing lanterns strung between the buildings. The hum of mana-threaded streetlamps buzzed like crickets, and the occasional swirl of enchanted mist curled lazily around their ankles.

  It was peaceful here.

  No fights. No Court. No shadows.

  Just the three of them.

  It was nice. Oris glanced at Vaetra, his mind wandering to what he had always said was his ideal girlfriend- and now she stood in front of him. She wasn’t just some idea of his, but a real, living person that he bickered with. It had taken him way too long to realise how much he liked her and he would have never realised how much she liked him if she hadn’t kissed him.

  “I really hope you two are still together when I sober up tomorrow,” she called out.

  “You’ll find out at breakfast,” Vaetra replied, not looking at her.