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Ralsei waved goodbye, watching as the heroes were swallowed up by the Well of Light, vanishing back to their world. The air around him seemed to go still, like it always did when they left. The thrum of the Dark World, responding to the intrusion of Light, stopped.
The absence of that hum seemed to deepen, slowly, and Ralsei quieted with it, his eyes going wide. That feeling...
PRINCE OF THE DARK.
Being ready for the voice just made him jump harder, somehow. He didn't turn to the source. There wasn't one.
There was a note of amusement in it now. SURPRISED TO SEE ME?
"I- I just wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon! You startled me!"
COME, NOW. YOU KNOW I NEVER GO FAR.
"R-right, well, um..."
YOU'VE DONE WELL, LITTLE PRINCE. EVERYTHING PROCEEDS SMOOTHLY.
"That's... that's good. But, I was just, um, I've been thinking... is this really the best way to prevent...?"
YES?
"It's just, Kris doesn't seem..."
DO NOT WORRY YOURSELF, PRINCE. I THINK. THE HERO. IS ESPECIALLY HAPPY WITH YOU. A hand came to rest on his head, fluffing up his fur, and he briefly wished he'd put his hat back on when Susie had mentioned it. YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING AS THEY ASKED, HAVE YOU NOT?
The voice didn't lie. It had never lied. Never. He was being silly. It knew best, he just had to trust it.
"R-right! Yes, of course! I just have to wait... right? Then everyone will... I'm sorry I asked!"
NONSENSE.
It started to fade.
BY THE WAY... THAT SCARF IS NEW, IS IT NOT? WHERE DID YOU FIND IT?
His hand twitched automatically to the tangle of wire and string ensnaring his shoulders. He wanted to respond, but something also told him he shouldn't mention that... puppet.
"O-oh, it, uh, it, Kris gave it to me!"
I SEE. THAT IS VERY
VERY
INTERESTING.
He felt, more than heard, something that could be described as footsteps.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, MY LITTLE MONARCH.