AuthorSME

  Sora’s ears flicked at the chatter around her as she and Wendy passed into the bustling vulpes lecture district. The flickering nterns overhead cast soft, warm light against the intricate carvings on the walls. Despite the lively atmosphere and Wendy’s previous hug, a muted tension hung between them.

  Sora bit her lip, gncing at her sister’s furrowed brow and stiff posture, the occasional swish of her puffy tail—it was obvious. Okay, Wendy’s the queen of bottling things up and trying to deal with it herself… Wait!

  She stopped dead in her tracks, causing Wendy to slow and turn.

  “What’s with that look on your face?” her sister huffed, mirrored emerald eyes locking onto her. “Why are you gring at me now?”

  How did I miss it? Kari and Wendy might as well have been cut from the same cloth! Sora internally ranted, crossing her arm and puffing up her chest. Wendy has trust issues, just like Kari. Wendy feels like she has no control, just like Kari. And Wendy is just as stupidly stubborn as that bone-headed wolf! Okay, maybe not as stubborn… Kari’s a different breed, literally. But the point stands!

  She also realized she couldn’t read her sister’s emotions—her spiritual aura—like everyone else after she’d basically turned into the brooch on her dress’ front.

  “Alright, spill it,” Sora demanded, not unkind but blunt, just how she learned to deal with Kari. “What's been eating you, Wendy? I’m not moving from this spot until we sort this out. You’ve been giving me the silent treatment all day—you know the look. Did I miss your birthday or something? Because I know I haven’t!”

  Wendy stopped jaw sckened, vision widening slightly before narrowing. Her ears twitched, and she adjusted the brown strands of her hair. “You’re so dramatic, Sora,” she muttered, but her squirrel tail somehow puffed up even more. “I said we don’t need to talk about it.”

  “Yeah, no,” Sora quipped, crossing her arms. “You keep deflecting and confusing me, which only makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

  Wendy streamed out a breath, gripping her elbow as her gaze shifted to the holographic dispy shimmering ahead. Sora followed her pouty eyes to Mistress Katie Mil’s image—a nine-tailed gray vulpes with an air of serene wisdom and mischief, her voice magically amplified for distant students as she spoke about some more intimate subject that made her cheeks darken. Wendy gulped, causing Sora to refocus on her sister and try to blot out the conversation about the groves Ember had mentioned.

  “Why are you harping on me?” Wendy mumbled, her voice barely audible over the murmurs of passing students, many of which gave them intrigued gnces. “I’m…dealing with a lot. You know I am. I’m not perfect.”

  Sora’s ears perked. “When did I say you were? It’s like you’re expecting me to read your mind!”

  “Can’t you?” Wendy asked with a somewhat strained smile. “That would make things easier.”

  “Wendy… I get it," she whispered, stepping closer to pull her into a hug to break the tension, sighing with relief as her sister’s muscles loosened slightly. “I know things haven’t been easy—heck, I do get it—when have they ever been since Kari came into the picture? I’ve lived it with you! But you’ve been more than ‘dealing with a lot.’ It’s…like—like… Mmmgm…”

  Wendy’s head sagged against the side of hers, resting her chin against her shoulder, a dry chuckle shaking her frame. Yet, it sounded more tired than amused. “You’re kind of hirious when you struggle to express yourself…”

  “Growl and gre at me all you want,” Sora huffed with mock seriousness, her tail flicking behind her, “but it’s hard to pin down, okay? You, Kari, Eyia—”

  “Yeah, I know,” Wendy admitted, her expression softening as she pulled back. Her fingers traced the edge of her sleeve as she looked her in the face, her tail curling protectively around one leg. “It’s not Kari.”

  “It’s…not?”

  “No,” Wendy reaffirmed, pushing her lips to the side and averting eye contact. “It’s just…you.”

  Sora blinked, her nose wrinkling and feeling the sp across the face that shattered her internal peace. “Me?! What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Like I said, you’re just…you.” Wendy gnced her way before it shifted away again, her ears drooping slightly. “Open, trusting…running headfirst into things to battle everyone’s bully. It’s…maybe I’m a little jealous… Scared.”

  “Jealous?” Sora echoed incredulously. She tried to ugh it off, but Wendy’s folded ears and averted gaze made her pause. “Wendy, what do you mean… I’m worried now.”

  “Maybe not jealous isn’t the right word,” Wendy quickly crified, her voice growing more hurried, returning eye contact. “Not jealous-jealous. It’s just—you’re so quick to trust everyone. This new Aelion guy—yeah, I heard his name and how you spoke to him, Miss Breathless.”

  “No need to burn my face off,” she grumbled, this time her eyes darting away and heat rising in her cheeks. “I’ve got problems.”

  Wendy’s smile returned, genuine this time and gentle. “I don’t think that’s necessarily a problem or else I’d be a hypocrite. I mean, yeah, it’s a part of the problem, but yeah. It’s Nerida, Ember, and how you said she’s acting weird as hell… Even Nilly.”

  Sora’s tail stiffened at the mention of the Fire Fairy. Ember’s sudden formality and mature cadence was something to investigate.

  “And then,” Wendy continued, her tone sharpening, “there’s that nine-tailed Kumiho—”

  Sora’s whole frame became rigid. “Wait, what nine-tailed Kumiho?! When? Where?”

  Wendy bunched her mouth to the side, clearly regretting her words, which made Sora want to strangle her sister. “Look, she approached me when I was with Eyia. A cute, single-tailed gray vulpes that was all bubbly… Eyia called her out, and she transformed into a tall, elegant, woman, who had this…predatory air about her. You know Kumiho in stories—yeah. Diane warned us about her, right? Well, we both know how we feel about Diane, and Yeon-ah made a lot of sense.”

  The dots connected in Sora’s mind as her fists clenched, remembering the damnable Foundation witch’s warning. Yet, something didn’t quite add up. “Well…if she was dangerous, Eyia would’ve attacked her on sight… So, weird? Wait, what are you even trying to tell me! I’m confused.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s not totally new,” Wendy muttered, shifting uncomfortably with a short ugh. “You do have this way of narrowing in on specific things and throwing everything out of the window… Umm. Yeah, Eyia didn’t trust her either—FYI—but she said something I can’t shake. It’s…exactly how I’ve felt.”

  Sora pced a hand on her hip and gave her brown-haired sister a dull stare. “No, the ancient, maniputive fox dy knew exactly how to manipute you. Wait… That is kind of suspect,” she admitted, unable to grasp Wendy’s fluctuating aura at all.

  “Sure…” Wendy sighed and moved forward to take her hands, looking her in the eyes. “Whatever her reasons, I agree with her warning… You’re too rexed, Sora. Too open. And honestly? Cross my heart. She’s right. You scare me because I’m afraid you’re too friendly. You’re stretching yourself too thin. Seriously.”

  Sora opened her mouth to argue, but Wendy cut her off, her tail shing. “Just listen! You’re flirting with fae boys—understandable, sure—but c’mon, Sis! You dragged in a random siren—don’t get me wrong, Nerida’s sweet—but look what you’re saying about Ember? And I love Nilly. I do! She’s adorable and lovey…but there is a…side to her.”

  “Nilly’s fine,” Sora protested, squeezing her hands back, though a pang of doubt coiled in her chest while remembering the double Nilly event; waking up to a feral teen Nilly that looked like she wanted to devour her wasn’t the best memory, or how she acted to Ember. “Wait…”

  Vision blurring, her brow furrowed. What did Nilly say to Ember before chasing her around the room in her cat form… No, it was Ember that transted it. Something about… I can’t remember. I need to investigate it in my dreams.

  “Is Nilly fine?” Wendy pressed. Her voice softened as she gnced around the bustling district. “Look, I’m not saying everyone in Avalon is out to get us, but this pce…it’s mystical, fun, and there’s so much to explore, but it’s also…dangerous. And with Yeon-ah’s warning—”

  Sora had to physically keep her cws from coming out. “Warning… What warning? Did she threaten you?”

  “It’s not like that…” Her sister released her hand and stepped back, arms folding and gncing back at Mistress Katie Mil’s hologram. “Sora, You’ve kept me safe and given me a pce to always come back to to feel loved.”

  A sudden chill ran down Sora’s spine as Wendy tilted her head and fshed her teeth with a short ugh. Heat rose in her chest as her broken and recovering sister continued. “You’ve been the one stable thing in my whole life. I could never be mad at you… If you’re the sky, I’m like a satellite in your orbit… I want to keep you safe, like you’ve kept me from spinning off into space.”

  Sora’s ears flicked back, and her tail stilled mid-sway as Wendy’s words nded like a hammer against her chest. For a moment, she could only stare at her sister, Wendy’s uncharacteristic vulnerability, her smile, cutting through her frustration.

  “Wendy…” Sora’s voice softened, her hand dropping from her hip to brush against her side. “I—” She stopped herself, swallowing the tightness rising in her throat. “You’ve been through so much already, and I know I haven’t made it easier—bringing in so many people. But…I’m trying, okay? I want to be here for you, like always.”

  That sudden ugh of Wendy’s still echoed in her ears, unsettling in a way she couldn’t pce. The chill in her spine lingering. Sora forced a shaky breath, her tail resuming its flick as she moved forward to embrace her again, letting the heat in her throat rise up to her face and spread through her body, her voice lowering to a whisper.

  “I get what you’re saying, I really do. Avalon’s…a lot. And yeah, maybe I’m a little too quick to trust people.” She gave a weak ugh while pulling back and brushing her fingers through her bangs. “Okay, maybe more than a little.”

  Wendy’s rosy cheeks and smile grew as she held up two fingers. “Just a little.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not dragging anyone into our orbit unless I feel like they deserve to be there. Trust me,” she pleaded. “Nerida’s Kari’s roommate. I have to get a feel for her… For Kari’s sake. Nilly’s…Nilly, and Nilly isn’t going anywhere. We both know that,” she chortled. “Even Aelion—there’s something good in him that… I can’t expin it,” she growled. “I just… I can’t turn my back on some people, Wendy. Not after what we’ve both been through.”

  Wendy’s gaze lightened slightly, but her tail twitched—a telltale sign that she wasn’t entirely convinced.

  “And Yeon-ah’s warning?” Sora pressed, her voice taking on an edge. “You’re not telling me everything, are you?”

  Wendy’s lips pressed into a thin line, her ears folding back for a fleeting second. “Yeon-ah…”

  * — * — *

  Yeon-ah’s silver tails flicked lightly as she stepped into the secluded courtyard nestled deep within Avalon’s byrinthine pathways. Soft bioluminescent moss coated the edges of the stone bench she approached, its faint glow illuminating the faint mist curling at her feet.

  Her hand lightly passed over the bright lilies she passed before sitting with practiced grace on a stone bench. Raising her delicate fingers to brush over the polished, enchanted crystal neckce nestled between her bust, a faint shimmer rippled across its surface.

  A shadowy, nine-tailed vulpes materialized from it to hover in front of her, swirling, liquid shadows flowing off it. For a moment, silence reigned, broken only by the faint rustle of the enchanted flora overhead. Then, a soft, feminine voice emerged, melodic yet unyielding.

  “Yeon-ah,” the imposing magical hologram greeted, the tone simultaneously soothing and chilling. “What have you observed?”

  Yeon-ah straightened, her ears tilting slightly forward in deference. “Sora is spinning in circles,” she began, her voice steady but low. “She’s confused, overwhelmed, and her emotional center is fraying. It’s the perfect time to guide her…subtly, of course.”

  A faint chuckle emanated from the depths of the shimmering void. “Excellent. Ensure that she remains uncertain. Wendy may offer a more…accessible path. She is tethered to Sora in ways the others are not. Work on her.”

  Yeon-ah hesitated for a fraction of a moment, her gaze flicking to the distant horizon where Avalon’s towering spires pierced dark clouds between the World Tree and floating isnds. “She’s—resilient,” Yeon-ah murmured. “More so than you anticipated.”

  The voice responded with a note of approval. “Good. That is why she must be nurtured…properly. The Elders agreed to our terms. Our little star must shine in the right direction. Be patient, Yeon-ah. Her trust is a precious thread—easily woven into our tapestry, but just as easily frayed.”

  A flicker of uncertainty danced across Yeon-ah’s otherwise composed expression. Working for someone was not something she was accustomed to but the Elders had been quite…gracious with their forgiveness and compensation.

  “She is fiercely protective… Her emotions, though, and the…feeling I get from her soul is…more than a little votile. I want to shrink away from that void that seems to devour all magic around her like a bck hole.”

  “Don’t fret,” the voice interjected with light amusement. “She can be turned to our side if you wait for her to come to you. You’ve offered the bait and she cannot resist. Her loyalty to Sora is both her strength and her weakness. The bond between them will either serve our purposes or crumble beneath its weight. Either outcome will suffice.”

  Yeon-ah shivered at that but nodded slowly, the flicker of doubt vanishing as her usual poise returned. “Understood. Everything is proceeding as pnned then. And…the others?”

  “ Stay clear of Kari or Jin,” the shadowy vulpes ftly stated.

  “Obviously.”

  “If you’re careful… Eyia could be brought into alignment, which would be a massive boon to us.” The connection wavered, the swirling void shrinking until only her reflection remained. Yet, the voice lingered for one final, lingering statement, its edges tinged with affection that felt almost maternal. “Remember, Yeon-ah… There is no room for error. Your gift and its effects on all Kumiho who have rallied to you depend on this. Sora is our key, and the door must open… As terrifying as that will be.”

  As the shadows dissipated, Yeon-ah let out a slow breath, her shoulders lowering slightly as the oppressive presence faded. She traced her fingertips across the crystal’s surface, her gaze thoughtful. A quiet murmur escaped her lips.

  “She’s our key, hmm…” Her expression flickered, a moment of hesitation betraying her as she lifted her hand to press against her breast; the power pulsing within her responded, sharp and as vibrant as a supernova, curbing all cravings for human flesh. The courtyard fell silent again, save for the faint rustling of the trees overhead.

  A cure for all Kumiho… A hopeless lie I could fall for…or truth? We will see.

  Rising, Yeon-ah adjusted the folds of her school-girl uniform, smoothing out nonexistent creases. With a soft hum, she stepped back into the Academy’s winding paths through a fold in space, her tails swaying elegantly behind her as she reinstalled her single-tailed transformation.

  This will be fun!

  * — * — *

  Sora’s tail stiffened as Wendy’s ears fttened ever so slightly, her emerald gaze darting around them. The bustling vulpes district seemed to shrink, its lively hum dimmed beneath Wendy’s next words.

  “Yeon-ah mentioned…Diane,” Wendy muttered, fidgeting with her fingers. “She said Diane is here, and it sounded like…a warning. I know it sounds stupid, but I’d trust Yeon-ah more than that witch… The Foundation, with what they did to my mother and with Avalon.”

  Sora’s cws threatened to emerge, her fingers twitching at her sides as her chest tightened. Diane…

  That single name pulled her back to the Foundation’s sterile halls, where false smiles masked venomous intentions and every favor came with a price. Only her mother’s indomitable influence had gotten her out of that. Other memories returned. Fen and the vulpes twins turned into unwilling sves, notwithstanding any of their crimes… What she’d so cruelly done to Wendy, even if it had helped her break free from her mother.

  She forced a slow breath through her nose. “What did Yeon-ah say exactly?” Sora asked, her voice quieter now, though her pulse hammered in her ears. “Did she say Diane was threatening us, or…”

  Wendy shook her head, lips pressing into a thin line. “Not directly. She just said she’s here, which, you know, doesn’t make sense. Don’t the Foundation and Avalon hate each other? She framed it like she’s ‘keeping an eye on things’ or something like that. Why would she be allowed here?” Her tail swished sharply. “But c’mon, it’s Diane. We both know she never just ‘observes’ anyone.”

  Sora folded her arms, her gaze drifting to the glowing nterns above, their light flickering like restless stars. “No, you’re right. Diane always has an angle and doesn’t do anything without an agenda. I think she wants everyone to know that… I don’t know.”

  “Right?”

  Her jaw tightened and she showed a reassuring smile as she held up a fist, saying, “Okay. Heard you loud and clear, Sis. I’ll be careful. I won’t bring anyone else into the group—no new people, I promise. Not until we figure out what’s going on. Our goal is to train here, right? I’ve already learned a lot in just one lecture! Let’s use that to investigate.”

  Wendy let out a long breath while meeting her knuckles, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “Thank you, Sora,” she murmured, her tail swaying again. “I just… I needed to hear that I’m not being paranoid! Yeah, we all know I hate Diane. It’s a lot right now, you know? And if Diane’s around… No, let’s just cut that out for now!” she ughed, rubbing her shoulders as a shiver ran through her.

  The brunette tilted her head, her tail suddenly curling slightly around her leg. A hint of amusement glimmered in her eyes as she opened her arms invitingly.

  “You know, fist bumps are cool and all,” Wendy murmured, her lips twitching into a lopsided smile, “but you know what’s better?”

  Sora blinked, her tail flicking as her ears perked. The pyfulness in Wendy’s tone caught her off guard, but the vulnerability behind her words struck a deeper chord. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her sister, whispering, “A hug?”

  “A hug? Always!” she giggled, feeling the relief in her breathing. “You know, at this rate, we might set a new record for sisterly hugs in a single day. But…I could use another one. You’re stuck with me, Sis. Always.”

  Wendy chuckles softened, resting her head against her shoulder. “Good. I’m holding you to that.”

  Sora hesitated, her gaze flicking toward the distant branches of the World Tree visible beyond the district. The idea of stepping into Se’s shadowy lecture hall tugged at her now that the tension was gone—a mix of curiosity and a need to check in on the former Unseelie Queen. “Let’s see how Se’s doing. Kurosaki said her lectures are…enlightening. Right? And she’s already kind of in my orbit, right?”

  Wendy raised an eyebrow while pulling away to give her a pyful gre, her skepticism clear. “Right. Enlightening. I’ll have to take your word for it since I don’t know much about her. Well, let’s see if she can teach us without scaring us off first because… I don’t think I’ve even met her once.”

  “Wait, really?” Sora smirked. “You’re in for a treat. Ready?”

  Positive vibes flowing, Wendy took her outstretched hand as they moved toward the teleportation gate. The witch was still plucking at the corners of her mind, though.

  Why is Diane really here? Whatever it is, I’d bet my tail I’m a part of whatever pn she’s cooking… I don’t want to think I’m the center of the universe, but sometimes…

  She sighed internally, drawing inward while squeezing Wendy’s hand as she returned it. Yeah, sometimes, I can’t help but think I’m in some story as the main character. If that’s the case… Ahem!

  Hello, audience! Just your hopeful, new, sixteen-year-old little sister here, trying to get through life. Maybe try to put in a good word for me with whoever’s pulling the strings, she snickered inside, not that it felt all that joyful—more stressful. Mom?! Joking. Joking. Maybe…

  Because Wendy needs a break! Seriously. Tail ssh you face! Leave my Big Sis alone! She’s been through enough… Way more than enough. Give her a win. Unless… Unless that win is me. Huh… Noelia, too. Dad… Auntie Rose. Well, okay. But I’m watching you! Or me. Or whatever! Just, be nice to Wendy. Period. Bye!

  * — * — *

  Se hovered gracefully down the shadowed corridor leading to her lecture hall, the darkness just leaving the skies outside. Her iridescent wings emitted a faint, ethereal shimmer. The dim light from the glowing bioluminescent fungi around the area casting elongated shadows across the intricately carved stone walls.

  Her gaze drifted between the remnants of Unseelie design she’d cultivated the previous day in the twisting, chaotic patterns. Disgusting… Yet, I can’t bring myself to so much as look at honey without bursting into tears. Dammit.

  Restraining a shiver, she pressed the worn tome in her arms against her chest, its ancient cover adorned with runic symbols of The Darkness—not that she needed it after living it. The bone-shivering symbols around the hall now caused her heart to quiver with wary reverence rather than reverent pride.

  What has become of me… How can the High Queen tolerate me when the Academy shuns me to this…pce. She paused, flowing bck waters running down the walls shimmering to show the writhing shadows beyond the smooth stone. Perhaps this is the best pce, between The Darkness and Light to show them, but who will dare remain in this pce for a lecture?

  Sighing, she rubbed the ridiculous book’s tattered binding while continuing her somber flight before any student would arrive. It wasn’t like there was anywhere else she needed to be…nor was wanted.

  Despite Sora’s purifying influence—no, because of it—the memories of her corrupted reign and the devastation she had wrought to her own family still lingered in every beat of her bleeding heart. The sound of her wings against the cool air was soft, almost swallowed by the oppressive atmosphere that seemed to cling to her like a second skin.

  It feels like…I’m wearing someone else’s body. When will this torture end… Is redemption ever possible for the Unseelie? I suppose… I am that experiment. And, of course, my first visitor would not be a student…but an enemy.

  As she rounded a bend, a figure emerged from the shadows, as though conjured by the dark itself. Diane stood there, her posture casual, yet her eyes gleamed with calcuted sharpness, the corners of her lips curled in an ever-present smirk. Queen Magsatra had warned her about this dubious human witch and her background during her orientation.

  Draped in her tailored attire, the mortal witch exuded an unsettling confidence for the level of power she held, her very presence a stark contrast to the suffocating corridor.

  “Well, well,” Diane liltingly opened. “If it isn’t the Unseelie Queen of Miami herself. Or should I say, the former queen, turned humble instructor. No more gray skin or white hair. A fae of honey, if I’m not mistaken with that hair and peachy skin. Quite the fall from grace, Your Majesty. Or…does that title require subjects?”

  Se’s wings fluttered subtly, betraying a flicker of irritation before she steadied herself. What an introduction. I should expect nothing less from someone who sees themselves as a pupil of the Three of One.

  Her grip on the tome tightened imperceptibly, and her violet eyes locked onto the moral. “Your tongue is sharper than your bite. How…unfortunate,” she smirked. “Your teacher would be disappointed, Diane,” she smoothly returned, tone carrying a touch of regal detachment. “What business does the Foundation’s pet witch have in Avalon…or this space between light and dark? You seem to be outside your jurisdiction.”

  Diane’s smirk widened as she took a measured step closer, her gaze dropping briefly to the book in Se’s arms. “Oh, I see you haven’t lost all of The Darkness within you; that is quite the retort. Respectable. And nothing of consequence to you,” she mused, her tone light but edged with menace. “Just ensuring the safety of our dear Sora. You know how attached I am to her well-being, as the representative of the Foundation,” she lied.

  “What humor you have. I can feel you seething… It seems my presence here will disrupt your investigation. How very unfortunate,” she returned, the shadows pressing in as her countenance darkened with her controlled smile. “Your concern for Sora is as hollow as your loyalty to the Foundation. You cannot lie to an Unseelie, witch. If Sora’s safety truly mattered to you, you wouldn’t be skulking in the shadows like a serpent in search of her prize.”

  The dark-haired woman’s chuckles tinged with her French accent, the sound soft yet cutting but the foaming umbra closing in caused her to retreat a step. “My, my, such hostility. And here I thought we might find common ground, given your…unique history with power.”

  Her gaze flicked once more to the book. “So…you were the one who checked out The Mórrígan’s Ninth Age diary… How fascinating. Treading on such perilous ground, aren’t we, dear Se? I’d think such volumes would be restricted to you.”

  The former queen’s expression darkened for the briefest of moments before her regal composure returned. “Knowledge is a tool, not a weapon,” she countered. “Unlike you, I do not wield it to manipute and destroy…anymore, that is.”

  “Is that so?” Diane’s eyes gleamed with amusement, her smirk unwavering before bowing her head. “Forgive me if I find that hard to believe, but I pay my respects, Queen of No Kingdom. After all, wasn’t it your ‘knowledge’ that led to the downfall of your kingdom? So many lives lost… Such a tragic waste of resources.”

  A flicker of pain crossed Se’s face, her fingers tightening on the book until her knuckles turned white. But she did not rise to the bait that would see consequences, given her precarious position. Instead, she drew herself up.

  Her voice steady, though touched with a faint edge of sorrow, she kept her emotions in check, despite the white locks that ran down her honeyed hair. “You know nothing of The Darkness you seek. I do not deny my past and it is no one’s fault but my own. But I walk a different path now—a path that Sora’s light has made possible. So…”

  Shadows curled in, bck miasma flowing out of the obsidian walls and corrupted liquid as the space twisted with her now light-absorbing aura, causing a lump to form in the woman’s throat at the compressing atmosphere, threatening to pull her into the void below.

  “…Allow me to make this perfectly clear. I will not tolerate your presence in my district. If you want to visit. Input a request. As of now, consider yourself properly warned…because I cannot guarantee your safety.”

  The woman tried to regain her confidence as the tendrils crawled up her legs to draw her into the abyss, her smirk softening into something almost pitying.

  “I figured as much… And, yes. Sora’s ‘light.’ A beacon for the lost, isn’t she? But tell me, Se…” she whispered as the sealing Unseelie magic sank past her pitiful defenses. “Enjoy your lecture, Unseelie. May you find redemption while teaching children about what festers below their feet. How long do you think that light will st in a pce like this? Avalon has a way of snuffing out even the brightest honey… Your mother was evidence of that, I hear.”

  Swallowed and teleported out of the zone, back to the nearest terminal outside of her ‘given’ territory, Se remained standing in the corridor. Slowly dropping to the ground, her wings folding tightly against her back before unfurling slightly, their iridescent glow reigniting to push back the encroaching shadows now that she was alone.

  She closed her eyes briefly, drawing a slow, steadying breath as the echoes of Diane’s words pierced her aching heart. The Darkness within her stirred faintly, a shadowy whisper in the back of her mind, but she pushed it down, the warmth of Sora’s purifying power anchoring her resolve to never allow such corruption to taint her again.

  She straightened her posture, her expression hardening. Whatever Diane’s agenda, Se would not allow herself to be drawn back into the shadows or for her to make gains in her space, no matter how little influence she had.

  With measured steps, she continued toward her lecture hall, the tome in her arms a reminder of the power she had once wielded—and the responsibility she now bore.

  As much as I hate you, Sora… As often as I cry now… I can’t deny the warmth you’ve let free.

  Se’s hand trembled as she pressed it to her heart, the glow flickering beneath her skin. It wasn’t the fire of domination that once consumed her or the sharp pride that had ruled her every decision—it was softer, quieter. Memories surfaced unbidden: her mother’s lulbies, weaving love into every word; her father’s steady hands, strong and unwavering as they guided her steps; the gentle hum of her people’s ughter under twilight skies.

  The ache hasn’t faded with time, and it never will… But woven into it is a fragile promise I fear so much as dared to believe in. Sora’s light doesn’t absolve my sins like some savior, Diane, but it leaves something just as profound—a chance to hold onto the echoes of what I burned.

  For the first time in centuries, her lips curved into a faint smile—a true smile—a whisper slipping past them, soft as a breath, “Honey blood… I will never let you go again.”

  She clutched the tome tighter, her wings catching the faint glow of the bioluminescent fungi, shimmering in quiet defiance as she stepped forward into the shadows ahead. Memories of her energetic and bubbly mother joining her antics and getting into trouble with her to face her exasperated but devout husband.

  Even if this house fell apart… Your hearts beat on inside me. Bound by light, tested by darkness.

  AuthorSME