The Weight of Memory

by RiggsMortis

Chapter 22: Dead Names

Summary:

What begins as a checkup ends in mortification all around. Dan Heng finally tells Caelus about the memories he carries—of a life he didn't live, choices he never made, and a bond only death could sever. Above them, the Sky Castrum waits pristine and empty, unchanged by the victory it was built to remember.

The knock on the door came a little earlier in the afternoon than they’d expected. Dan Heng didn’t even look at the door before glancing over at Caelus, seeing his own apprehension reflected back at him. They’d known since yesterday this was coming, that Hyacine was going to come around today to get on his healing – to make sure everything was still going well, that he hadn’t pushed himself. He was prepared for what was sure to be an utterly mortifying moment, but that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking now that she was actually here. 

Caelus sat up from his sprawled state on the lounge chair, running a hand through his hair. “Should I…?” 

“Stay,” Dan Heng said quietly. Running away now would only make it more embarrassing for Caelus when she cornered him later, and frankly, the archivist did not want to be alone right now. Taking a breath, he finally called out, “It’s open.” 

Hyacine walked in wearing her usual bright smile, Little Ica trailing along beside her. “Good afternoon.” 

“Afternoon,” Dan Heng replied, shifting from his half sitting position on the bed to be fully upright. The movement pulled at his side in a way that was notably worse than the night before, a sensation that had become regrettably familiar by now. 

“Hey Hyacine,” Caelus offered casually as she passed him. 

She crossed the room, setting her bag down beside the bed. “How are you feeling today?” 

“I’m doing alright,” he answered, carefully pulling off the t-shirt he’d borrowed from Caelus the night before. It wasn’t exactly a lie – he was doing significantly better than even a few days earlier, and he’d certainly felt worse. 

“That’s good to hear.” Hyacine smiled and looked over at Caelus, eyes bright. “Keeping him out of trouble, then?” 

The silence that followed stretched just a little too long to be normal, but Hyacine didn’t seem to notice. Or she didn’t say anything if she did. When Caelus did finally answer, there was a forced nature to his tone that made him want to disappear. “Trying to.” 

“Good. With how well you were going yesterday, we should see some real improvement today,” she said, her attention back on him as she started to work the bandages free. Her hands were gentle, as they worked, and the bandages stuck less than they had the night before. If she noticed they’d been changed since her last visit, she didn’t comment on it at all. “Have you been taking it easy this time?” 

“I’ve been resting,” he answered, careful to keep his tone even. Neutral. 

“That’s good.” Her tone was still bright as she worked, cool air hitting his skin where the bandages had been. Dan Heng kept his eyes carefully fixed on a point several feet away on the floor. “You’ve been very patient about all this, and I really appre–” 

She cut herself off, hands going still as the last of the bandages fell away. Here it comes. The silence in the room was so thick that he swore someone might hear a pin drop from the other side of Okhema. He still didn’t look up, not wanting to see the expression on her face, knowing exactly what she was looking at, what she was seeing. He knew the inflammation had worsened, especially in his side – he could feel the heat coming off his own skin, especially now that the bandages were off. It wasn’t a cool afternoon, quite the contrary, but the air on his skin felt cool, which told him everything he needed to know. 

“Dan Heng.” Her voice had gone carefully clinical now, carrying no hint of her usual bright, bubbly attitude. Her hands gently pressed against the skin around the jagged scar in his side, and he had to actively think about not visibly reacting. “This is significantly more inflamed than it was yesterday.” 

“I know,” he admitted quietly, sounding more ashamed than he meant to. From across the room, he heard Caelus shift in the lounge chair, the faint creak of wood deafening in the quiet. 

Hyacine’s hands carefully moved along the scar, assessing the damage. He could practically hear her trying to work out what might have caused this level of inflammation, which was admittedly worse than he’d expected it to be. He saw her lift her head, expected her to make eye contact with him, or at least try to, but her gaze seemed to pause halfway up to his face instead. Caelus had been right – she’d noticed the marks on his neck, red and purple blooms that overlapped one another all down the side of his throat, almost down to his collarbone and shoulder. Dan Heng could feel the blood rushing to his face and could only imagine what he looked like right now. 

After what felt like nearly a minute of that oppressive silence, he watched her head turn in his peripheral vision, and he knew she was looking at Caelus. He didn’t need to follow her gaze to know his partner almost definitely looked as mortified as he did. When she finally did speak, it was significantly more stern than before. “What did you do?”

Dan Heng opened his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get words to come out. There really wasn’t anything he could say in his own defense, or in Caelus’. They’d known what they were doing, what the risk was. Is it still a risk if it’s guaranteed? That just made his face feel even hotter somehow, and now he really couldn’t make himself look up – not at Hyacine or Caelus. 

“I–” Caelus started, his voice coming out strained. “We didn’t–”

“You didn’t what, exactly?” Hyacine asked, her tone sharpening in a way Dan Heng hadn’t known it could, which honestly only made it that much worse. “Because it looks to me like you didn’t think before– before–” She cut herself off, gesturing vaguely at the archivist. He couldn’t tell if it was because she wasn’t sure what happened, or if it was because she couldn’t say it out loud. After another beat, he saw her raise a hand out of the corner of his eye and point at the space beside him on the bed. “Caelus, get over here. Now.” 

He heard the quiet creak of the lounge chair, the sound of feet shuffling across the tiled floor. The mattress dipped slightly beside him, Caelus’ shoulder pressing up against his, and he wasn’t sure if having him right there with him was less or somehow even more embarrassing than facing this alone would have been. Maybe it was a bit of both, because he didn’t look up, and based on his peripherals, it didn’t look like Caelus was either. 

“Now,” Hyacine said, arms folding over her chest. “What happened?”

“We–” Caelus started, then stopped, which Dan Heng was more than grateful for right then. 

“You what?” Hyacine prompted, though something in her voice wavered. Maybe because she was starting to realize exactly what she was asking them. 

Dan Heng lifted his head slightly, tried to speak, but failed miserably. He didn’t look at either of them – instead, he just stared at the wall behind Hyacine. Still, he could see the way her face had taken on a light shade of pink, and how red Caelus had gone beside him. Great, so this is embarrassing for all of us. 

“We were… careful,” Caelus tried, sounding less than convinced by his own words.

“Careful?” Hyacine repeated, her tone flat. She gestured toward Dan Heng again. “This is what you call careful?”

“We were careful,” Dan Heng said quietly, finally forcing himself to look directly at her. “We didn’t just– we tried to–” 

“Yeah,” Caelus agreed, cutting him off before he had to try and finish that thought. “I kept asking if he was okay, if we should stop and–” 

“And you didn’t stop because?” Hyacine prompted, arms folding across her chest now. There was another long silence. 

“I asked–” Dan Heng started, swallowing hard against the tightness in his throat. “I told him not to.” 

“Did–” She stopped, clearing her throat quietly before taking a breath. Her voice was softer when she asked, “Did you stop when it started to hurt?” 

“I… no,” he admitted, albeit reluctantly. 

“And why not?” she pressed. 

He looked away, glancing at Caelus’ hands in his lap, which were currently balled into fists. His voice was barely above a whisper when he finally answered, “Because I was– I… I didn’t notice until after we were–” 

Dan Heng couldn’t finish that thought, because how was he supposed to tell Hyacine that he was a little distracted in the moment? That he was a bit too preoccupied with Caelus to focus on his side. But he saw the colour in her expression deepen, and concluded she more than understood and had probably pieced together exactly what happened the night before. 

“Oh,” she said quietly after way too long, her voice barely above a whisper and much softer than before. Dan Heng chanced a look at her, and her expression held a mixture of concern and exasperation in it. “So you both knew that this could set back your recovery again, and you both decided to–” She stopped, gesturing vaguely at the two of them again, as if she didn’t want to say it out loud, “–anyway.” 

“We didn’t–” Caelus started.

“We weren’t trying to–” Dan Heng said at the same time, both of them stopping dead. 

“I don’t care what you were or weren’t doing,” Hyacine said quickly, both hands coming up in front of her in an almost defensive motion, eyes squeezing shut as if trying not to see something her mind was conjuring up. She took a breath and looked directly at him, and he had to force his eyes up to meet hers. “What I care about is that you knew this could hurt you, Dannie. And you–” she turned to Caelus, “–let him.” 

They were both quiet, because what exactly were they supposed to say? She was right. They’d known better, they really had, but they’d done it anyway. But even now, with his side aching and Hyacine lecturing them like school children throwing rocks at each other, he couldn’t help but keep thinking to himself worth it. She sighed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “This isn’t just about setting your healing back a few days.” 

“What do you mean?” he asked quietly. 

“Every time you aggravate your injuries like this, you’re risking more scar tissue,” she explained. “Scar tissue doesn’t heal the same way as healthy tissue does.” 

“So… it’ll take longer?” Caelus asked, sounding hopeful. 

“No. If you keep aggravating it while it’s trying to heal, you’re risking permanent damage.” She paused, and Dan Heng felt like the floor had fallen out from under him. He’d been so focused on what he wanted in the moment that he didn’t think about– Hyacine looked at him seriously. “You’re risking Chronic pain, reduced mobility, and maybe even worse.”

“I didn’t realize,” he said quietly. 

“I know,” Hyacine said, her tone and expression softening. “That’s why I need you both to know what’s at stake here.” She looked between them again, and when she spoke again, it was a bit more stern, though laced with understanding this time. “I need you both to promise me you’ll rest until you’re fully recovered this time. I don’t want you having to live with this the rest of your life.” 

Dan Heng didn’t want to live with this, either, so he nodded. Then, both at the same time, they said. “I promise.” 

“I won’t– I’ll make sure he actually rests this time,” Caelus added, though there was a strain in his voice. 

“Good.” Without another word, she started working on his side, the warmth spreading through him. Her brows furrowed, and she muttered, seemingly not to anyone in particular, “You did quite a number on this.” 

None of them said another word until she was done wrapping bandages back over the injuries, adamant that he needed to keep them on until he was fully healed, just to be safe. He wasn’t sure when, but at some point, Caelus had laced his fingers in between his, as if trying to anchor them both, and her eyes fell on them as she finished up, her face flushing bright pink again. 

“Okay– I’ll be back tomorrow, but you’re not to leave this room under any circumstances,” she instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re on strict bed rest for the next two days. Minimum.” 

“Two days,” Dan Heng repeated flatly, shooting Caelus a glance. 

“Minimum,” she repeated with more emphasis, looking between the two of them for confirmation, her shoulders only relaxing when she got a solemn nod from them both. “Alright. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you again. So please… please take care of yourself, okay?” 

“We will,” Caelus promised, and he sounded like he really meant it.  

---

Permanent damage. The words echoed in Caelus' head for a while after Hyacine left, weighing on him heavier now than when she’d first said them. He’d known they should wait until Dan Heng was more healed, that they were taking a major risk, but hearing it laid out like that made his stomach twist with guilt. He risked a glance over at Dan Heng, who was now staring at the floor like he was trying to memorize the pattern on the tiles. His face was still flushed bright, the colour extending down the back of his neck. 

“So,” Caelus said after a bit to break the silence, because one of them had to. “That went well.” 

Dan Heng let out a sound that was somewhere between an exasperated sigh and a laugh. “Spectacularly.” 

“Loved the part when she asked why we didn’t stop,” Caelus added, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “Not awkward at all. Not even a little bit.” 

“I’m pretty sure my soul left my body,” Dan Heng said, finally lifting his head from its half-hung position, though he still didn’t look over at Caelus. “I’m not sure it’s come back yet.” 

“I think hers did too,” Caelus half-laughed. “Did you see how red her face got?” 

“I was trying to avoid looking at her, actually,” Dan Heng admitted. “I was busy trying to figure out if I could just will myself out of existence.” 

“Any luck?” he asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. 

“What does it look like?” he asked dryly, finally turning his head to look at him. 

 The deadpan delivery combined with the flush still clinging to him was enough to break the tension in the air. Caelus couldn’t stop the genuine laugh that escaped him, one hand coming up to try and muffle the sound. That failed miserably though, and after a few seconds of Dan Heng staring at him and trying to fight a smile, he joined. The situation was ridiculous – they were two adults, and they were sitting here like teen boys who’d just been lectured for breaking rules. How could they not laugh? It took several minutes before they finally stopped, and Caelus had to wipe tears from the corner of his eyes and catch his breath. 

“Fuck,” he breathed out, the humour fading from his voice. “Permanent damage, huh? I never considered that…” 

“Neither did I,” Dan Heng admitted, his shoulders sinking slightly, his expression growing more serious. “I should have, though. I knew better.” 

“We both did,” Caelus corrected, turning to face a bit more toward Dan Heng. “We made the choice anyway.” 

Dan Heng stayed quiet for a moment, nodding slowly. “We did.” 

“Come here,” Caelus said quietly, gently pulling on Dan Heng’s arm as he shifted further back onto the bed, just enough to coax him along. The edge of the mattress felt suddenly too formal, too uncomfortable, and he was supposed to be resting anyway, right? He positioned himself on his side, facing where Dan Heng settled himself, laying as close to him as he could manage without hurting himself any more than he already did. “I meant what I said, you know.” 

“You said a lot,” Dan Heng said dryly, the corner of his lips twitching into a small smile.

“So did you,” he quipped back, an amused smile playing on his lips that stayed there, even as his tone turned serious. “I meant about making sure you rest this time. We’re not having sex again until you’re fully healed.” 

 “Agreed. As much as I–” Dan Heng stopped, the flush creeping back into his cheeks. “As much as I’d want to, the risks are too high.” 

“Listen, last night was…” Caelus trailed off, hand reaching out to find Dan Heng’s, fingers lacing in between his. “It meant everything to me. But I don’t– I couldn’t live with myself if doing it again meant you having to live in pain because we couldn’t wait a few days.” 

“Yeah,” Dan Heng agreed, turning his head to look him in the eyes. “I promise I’ll rest this time.” 

This time, Caelus actually believed him, because he had looked as shaken as he’d felt when Hyacine explained exactly what was at risk. The silence falling over them now was nothing like the one from before – it was a comfortable kind of quiet, almost safe. Not hostile or weighted like it had been only twenty four hours ago. Funny how fast things can change. His mind wandered, his eyes drifting over his partner. Watching the way the light from the balcony caught in his hair, the way his chest fell and rose with every breath. 

“What are you thinking about?” Dan Heng asked after a while, snapping him out of his thoughts. Those jade eyes weren’t on him, though, fixed on the ceiling above them. 

“Not much,” he answered quietly, which was true. Adjusting himself, he lifted his head and propped it on the palm of his free hand, the other still woven between his lover’s fingers. “What about you?” 

“Last night,” Dan Heng said quietly, but something about the way he said it implied it was about more than just the sex. He opened his mouth as if to say something, took a breath, closed it again. After a minute, he tried again, “Do you remember what I said?” 

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that,” Caelus said, a little smirk pasting itself on his features. “You said a lot of things last night. Like how you wanted—“

“Yes, I’m aware,” Dan Heng cut him off before he could start up with the teasing, ears already turning red, which only amused him more. His head rolled on the pillow toward him, attention finally shifting back, and in his eyes, the trailblazer could see apprehension. “I meant about… Dan Feng’s memories.” 

“Yeah,” Caelus confirmed, some of the amusement fading from his expression. “I remember. What about them?” 

“There’s… more to it than I said,” he started, breaking eye contact without fully looking away. “I didn’t want to get into it last night, but I–” 

Dan Heng went quiet again, and the way his brows furrowed, the way his lips pressed together, indicated to Caelus that he was struggling with how to approach this. When it seemed like he wasn’t going to speak again, he tightened his grip on his hand in an effort to be reassuring. “You didn’t have to tell me about them, you know.” 

“Yes, I did.” There was apprehension in those words, something vulnerable he rarely ever got to see from his partner. “You had the right to know how I knew what to do. About my past, about–”

“But it’s not your past,” Caelus interjected, and that made Dan Heng look at him again, brows furrowing in confusion, mouth open as if to argue. “That was Dan Feng’s life – it happened before you were even born. Or… hatched, I guess? Still weird imagining you coming out of an egg.’ 

That earned him a small laugh from the Vidyadhara, and a small bit of tension eased from his shoulders. Not all of it, though, and he let out a small sigh. “Okay – then my past life. Better?”

“Yeah.” Caelus pulled his fingers free from his partner’s, instead moving his arm to wrap around his waist, being extremely careful about the scar on his side. Even from where his hand settled on him several inches lower than where the bandages ended, he could feel how much warmer his skin was. He tried not to think too hard about how much damage they’d actually done. “But seriously – we don’t have to talk about any of that.”

“Are you sure?” Dan Heng sounded more than uncertain this time around. Caelus let out a soft sigh before leaning in and kissing him, lingering far longer than he needed to before pulling back. 

“Listen, I might die from curiosity,” he half-joked, his lips quirking into a little half-smile before getting serious again. “But yeah, I’m sure.”

He watched the archivist mull those words over – visibly weighing his options. It wasn’t like Caelus was going to force him to talk about a life he never personally lived, after all, even if he was curious about it. Dan Heng had always been so mysterious about that, so much so that when he’d first learned about Dan Feng, he’d been stunned silent, had had to seek him out later than day to let him know it didn’t bother him, that he didn’t see him differently. He’d never pressed about the details, hadn’t even considered whether he remembered those times or not, but he’d always wondered. Always wanted to know, not to judge, but because it was something that clearly affected his friend. His lover. 

“I think… I feel like it’s important for me to tell you.” Dan Heng sounded less uncertain about it now, but still apprehensive, like there was something about what he was going to say that might shock him. Something that might change things, and he’d gone tense against him again. “I’m just not sure how to not make it sound–” He gestured vaguely in the air above him, making a frustrated noise. 

“Sound like what?” Caelus asked carefully. 

“Mm…” Dan Heng hummed quietly, considering. “Complicated. It’s… really complicated.” 

“Ooookay, and I’m not?” Caelus asked lightheartedly, raising his brows. That earned him a sharp look in response, though the way the corners of Dan Heng’s lips twitched indicated he was cracking through that layer of tension at least a little. “I mean, come on, I have a literal Stellaron in my chest and I’ve died like, what, four times now?”

“Three,” Dan Heng corrected, the smile creeping into his features fading into something more serious. “Let’s not test fate with a round four.” 

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Caelus said probably way too confidently. It wasn’t like he’d exactly planned the first three times, after all. “Okay, so– what makes these memories so complicated?” 

“Well, it’s– it has to do with the person in the memories, sort of.” His voice had gone quieter, all semblance of amusement gone from his tone now. His shoulders had gone tense again, and he seemed genuinely uncomfortable. “He wasn’t just– it wasn’t exactly a casual thing.” 

“I kind of figured that much,” Caelus pointed out, his tone remaining light. “So we’re talking like a serious relationship type of thing?” 

“That… might be an understatement.” There was that hesitation again, and he could tell Dan Heng wanted to look away, to stare at anything in the room but him. He didn’t, though, and the vulnerable look in his eyes was enough to tell Caelus just how much this information weighed on him. “They were married.” 

Caelus blinked fast several times, his brain trying to process that. Obviously, he’d known the memories were intimate – Dan Heng had made that much very clear the night before. And if his previous incarnation had been anything like his current boyfriend was, then it made sense that it had been someone Dan Feng cared deeply for, if not someone he truly loved. But for some reason, the possibility that the High Elder of the Vidyadhara had a whole husband had never actually occurred to him. 

“So, you’re telling me,” Caelus said slowly, working through the information as he spoke, “is that I have to be worried about some guy that probably died a long time ago popping up out of nowhere one day to claim some kind of husband visitation rights?”

That managed to get a quiet, surprised laugh out of Dan Heng. “Okay, that’s not–” 

“Because you know I’d fight him if he did miraculously show up,” Caelus continued, then despite sounding very much like he wasn’t, he added, “Seriously, I would.” 

“Caelus,” Dan Heng said almost warmly, the tension all but gone from his voice now. Good. 

“Do I need to file some kind of paperwork?” he asked lightheartedly, leaning in to kiss his partner. With their lips still connected, eyes closed, he muttered, “Do I need to look into Xianzhou laws over partner custody?” 

Dan Heng burst out laughing then, his left hand coming up to push him away by the shoulder, a proper smile spread across his features now. “You’re ridiculous.” 

“Isn’t that why you love me?” he asked, grinning like an idiot before softening slightly. “Seriously, though – that’s gotta be a lot to deal with. Remembering that, I mean.” 

“It’s strange. Sometimes…” Dan Heng trailed off, his focus drifting upward again, like the ceiling held answers he couldn’t find looking at Caelus. “It’s easy to tell which memories are his when I’m awake. But when I’m sleeping, it’s…” 

“Not as easy?” Caelus offered gently, the hand resting against his side giving him a light squeeze. “That sounds confusing as hell.” 

“It’s… disorienting,” Dan Heng admitted quietly. “And uncomfortable. Especially because–” He stopped abruptly, his eyes falling closed. 

“Because?” Caelus prompted gently. 

“Because I–” Dan Heng didn’t open his eyes again – instead, he squeezed them more tightly shut, swallowing hard. “I know the person he was married to.” 

That one took a little longer to process, mostly because Caelus knew Dan Feng had been hundreds of years old by the time he was forced to reincarnate. And as far as he knew, Dan Heng wasn’t all that much older than he was, or at least he didn’t look like he was, but he also didn’t really understand how aging worked for his species. Which actually just created a lot more questions for him now that he really thought about it, but there was one in particular that was hard to ignore right that moment. It was hard to keep the surprise out of his voice when he finally spoke again. “Wait, hold up – are you telling me this guy’s still alive?” 

“Yes,” Dan Heng started. “And no.” 

“Alright, you lost me,” Caelus replied, head tipping further into his hand in confusion. “How is someone still alive but also not?” 

“Well, you could argue that’s the case with me,” he pointed out, rolling his head back in his direction and finally cracking his eyes open. “I’m still alive, but I’m not Dan Feng anymore.” 

“Oh. Right, yeah that– that makes sense.” Caelus nodded slowly, processing, fingers absently tracing spirals against Dan Heng’s side. “So – I’m guessing he’s a Vidyadhara too, then?” 

“Actually, no – he’s not even a long life species.” Caelus’ hand stilled. If he wasn’t a Vidyadhara, and was even a short life species, then how in the hell was he still alive? Was reincarnation possible for short life species? “Dan Feng was trying to perform a ritual, but it failed, and instead of what they were trying to do, it turned Yinxing immortal.” 

Yinxing. He scoured his brain to try and remember anyone he’d met with that name before, but there was nothing, because he was pretty sure Yanqing and Yinxing were not the same person. He didn’t know anyone else with a name even remotely similar to that, at least not anyone that he could remember in the moment, anyway. 

“Isn’t that illegal on–” Caelus started, stopping dead the moment the realization hit him. Oh. After a moment of stunned silence, he said much more quietly, “Dan Feng’s crime was turning his husband immortal.” 

“Among other things,” his partner corrected, despite nodding at the conclusion. “He also tried to bring a friend back from the dead, but that didn’t work. I… don’t really know the specifics, unfortunately.”

“Shit,” Caelus breathed, the word coming out almost as a laugh, though it lacked any sense of humour. This definitely wasn’t answering all his questions about his past, not by a long shot – but it was giving him some perspective on why he didn’t like to talk about any of it. Why he tried so hard to leave it behind him. “That’s… fuck. So, I’m guessing this means you and Dan Feng have different taste in men, huh?” 

This time, the laugh he got in response was short and sharp, more sarcastic than it was humorous. “It’s hard to say – I don’t remember enough to know that much about  who he was before mara stripped him of everything. His memories, his identity, his name… all of it is just gone.” Dan Heng’s hand came to rest over Caelus’ on his side. 

“Damn. So he made his husband immortal but it basically drove him nuts.” That sounded like absolute hell to Caelus, and judging by the way Dan Heng’s expression twisted into a grimace, it did to him too. Then, not because he was bothered by any of this, but because curiosity always seemed to get the better of him, he asked, “Do you know where he is now?” 

Something flickered in Dan Heng’s eyes then – that same vulnerable look at before, like he was afraid that if he said too much, Caelus might just up and run away on him. He didn’t look away when he answered this time, even though he could feel how tense he was against him, his voice barely above a whisper when he answered. “Hunting me.” 

“He’s– he’s what?” Caelus asked, blinking rapidly in surprise. Of everything his boyfriend could have said to him, that was probably the last thing he’d expected. 

“Hunting me,” Dan Heng repeated, as if that actually answered any of the hundred more questions Caelus had just added to the list. It didn’t. “Ever since I left the Luofu.” 

“Has… has he ever found you?” Caelus asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer to that. Partially because he was starting to get a really, really bad feeling about where this was going. About what Dan Heng was trying to tell him. 

“Yes,” he confirmed quietly, and Caelus saw a series of emotions rapidly pass over his features – disgust, anger, fear. 

“Why?” he asked before he could think better of it. Then, because he realized the question sounded a little stupid left like that, “Why is he hunting you, I mean.” 

“Because he knows.” Dan Heng’s voice was strained and bitter. “He doesn’t remember Dan Feng, or their life together. But somehow, he knows Dan Feng is the reason he can’t die, and since he’s gone…” He trailed off, letting the rest explain itself. 

“He’s holding you responsible,” Caelus finished, the weight of it setting itself on him. 

Dan Heng nodded before shifting on the bed, shuffling in as close to his side as he could manage comfortably. Maybe even more than was comfortable, judging by the way he winced slightly, but Caelus wasn’t going to point that out. Not right this second. His voice was so quiet now, he barely even heard him speak. “You know him.” 

“I–” Caelus started, blinking rapidly. That didn’t seem right – he didn’t really know anyone else from the Xianzhou that he hadn’t met with Dan Heng, especially not by that name. Not to mention, he couldn’t think of a single person he’d ever spoken to that was actively mara-struck? What the hell? There was no apprehension in his tone when he spoke again, no discomfort. Only confusion. “Okay, I got nothing. Who is this guy, exactly?” 

Dan Heng’s entire body went rigid, but he didn’t hesitate to answer, his tone flat but notably unimpressed. “Blade.” 

“Blade,” Caelus repeated, sounding as dumbfounded as he felt. 

“Yes,” Dan Heng confirmed. 

“As in the Stellaron Hunter Blade,” Caelus said in a slightly more serious tone than he would normally use, though not by much. “Tried to take both our heads off multiple times on the Luofu Blade.” 

“Yes,” Dan Heng said again, only now he was starting to sound nervous. 

Caelus’ mind was reeling – if the archivist had made him spend the rest of the day guessing, that name probably wouldn’t have come up. Although, now that he knew, it made a lot of sense, given how Blade had looked at them when they were on the Luofu. He’d been under the impression that maybe something had happened between the two before he’d joined the Express, or maybe even that he had some kind of history of his own with the guy. He didn’t know whether he’d worked with the Stellaron Hunters or not, after all, but they all kind of assumed he had. 

“Well," Caelus finally said, keeping his voice steady, “at least it’s not Jing Yuan. That would have made things really awkward the next time we stopped on the Luofu.” 

Dan Heng let out a sound that was somewhere between an exasperated sigh and a laugh. “Caelus, can you be–” He stopped, suddenly going very quiet. Maybe a little too quiet, but before he could express concern over that, he said in a strained voice, “You’re not upset?” 

“What am I supposed to be upset about?” he asked, a genuine confusion lacing itself into his voice. He shifted away from his partner just enough that he could peer down at him, brows raised slightly. 

“I just thought…” Dan Heng started, pausing as if to find the right words. “I don’t know. I thought knowing the memories are with him might make you feel differently.” 

“No,” Caelus reassured him, shaking his head to emphasize that. “Like I told you last night, you’re not Dan Feng. Those memories don’t matter to me.” 

“Not even if–” he stopped again, seeming unable to finish the question. Whether it was because he didn’t know how to, or because he didn’t know what he was going to say, he really wasn’t sure. 

“Not even if anything.” He paused and, in true Caelus fashion, added in a tone that was way too lighthearted and joking for the conversation at hand, “Well, okay, maybe if you dropped it on me that it felt better in the dreams, then–”

“Not even close,” Dan Heng cut him off, colour flooding his face. 

“See? Nothing for me to worry about, then,” Caelus chimed back confidently, flashing his partner a smile. “Well, except maybe the possibility of Blade remembering who Dan Feng was to him and deciding to run a sword through me. That might be a problem.” 

He could finally feel the tension starting to leave Dan Heng’s shoulders, could hear the way his breath trembled ever so slightly when he exhaled. He thought it was just relaxation for a moment, until he realized his shoulders were shaking gently, heard the way his breath sucked in just as shakily. He could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke, which only confirmed that this fucker was trying really hard not to laugh. “That might be a problem.” 

“You think? I can’t even kill the guy for trying to kill you, what kinda bullshit is that?” Dan Heng was fully laughing now, rolling onto his side to press himself properly up against Caelus, forehead resting against his shoulder. His hand moved from his side in order for him to properly wrap his arm around the archivist’s waist, tipping his head forward to press an absent kiss to the top of his head. “So, anything else I should know about? Any other exes with weird vendettas? A mortgage I have to take over, secret kids?” 

“Vidyadhara don’t reproduce,” Dan Heng reminded him, his own arm snaking up around his torso. 

“Okay, so no kids, but what I’m hearing is–” he started, already slipping into their usual back and forth teasing. 

“No, there’s nothing else,” he reassured, though Caelus could hear how wide he was smiling. Pretending like he wasn’t by hiding his face up against him. Still the same Dan Heng. 

“Cool.” His arm tightened gently around Dan Heng. “Also, for what it’s worth? Dan Feng had horrible decision making skills.” 

“I’m very aware,” Dan Heng said dryly. 

“I mean, I’ve made some questionable choices,” Caelus said, “but I’ve never created an immortal enemy for myself.” 

“I would beg to differ.” The archivist tipped his head back to look at him, expression filled with a warm fondness. “You’re pretty good at making enemies with immortals.” 

“Pfft, semantics.” Caelus flashed him a crooked grin. “Thanks for telling me. I know you don’t like talking about all that stuff.” 

“Thank you for listening,” Dan Heng said a little more quietly, his expression softening. “And for not making it… well, not making it too weird.” 

“I mean, it’s technically weird,” Caelus laughed, “but I have a Stellaron for a heart and March was found floating in a chunk of ice through space. I think weird is kind of just our normal.” 

“I can’t really argue with that.” Dan Heng tipped his head up to brush his lips against his own, barely a whisper of a kiss, which earned a quiet groan from him, and another huff of laughter from his partner. 

This is gonna be a really long two days. 

---

Nearly three quarters of an hour had passed since the time Hyacine had agreed to meet Phainon at the Garden of Life to discuss going up against Aquila. Despite that, there hadn’t been a single sign of her. It wasn’t unheard of for her to be five, sometimes ten minutes late to a meeting, if she was tending to a patient beforehand – but nearly an hour? That was almost unheard of, outside of emergencies. I wonder if something happened. He knew she’d planned to stop by the Nameless’ private room to see how Dan Heng’s healing was coming along, so he took it upon himself to start casually strolling in that general direction. 

He had just turned into a quieter area when he saw the pink-haired healer come around the corner, both hands clutching at the strap of the bag slung across her chest. Little Ica fluttered frantically around her head making small noises, looking almost… concerned? Hyacine’s eyes were wider than usual, like she’d just seen something horrific, her lips pressed into a thin line. 

“Hyacine,” Phainon called out warmly, raising a hand to greet her. When she looked up, jumping slightly at the sight of him, there was a brief moment where her expression remained completely unguarded. Her eyes were wide, but they didn’t look shocked like he’d previously thought – something about the way she looked at him screamed of embarrassment, and the dusty rose colour of her cheeks wasn’t helping any. “Did something happen with Dan Heng?” 

“Hello, Lord Phainon,” she greeted warmly, quickly composing herself. That didn’t do much to prevent the flush in her cheeks from deepening, though. “What? No! Nothing at all. Why do you ask?”

“Ah, that’s good to hear – you were running so late, I was starting to worry the city was being attacked again,” Phainon half-joked, though it barely got a reaction out of Hyacine besides a very small shake of her head. Something was definitely off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. “Are you alright?” 

“Me? Yes, fine. I’m fine,” she said quickly. Definitely a little too quickly, actually, and there was a stiffness in the way she held herself that wasn’t normally there. “I’m so sorry for running late. The checkup took a little longer than I anticipated.” 

“Don’t worry about it, you’re here now.” He waved a hand dismissively before settling himself onto one of the benches by the fountain. Hyacine stood a few moments longer, wavering before finally coming to settle beside him, still holding herself in an unnaturally stiff posture. “So, about the Sky Castrum–”

“I think we should–” Hyacine interjected, clearing her throat. Refusing to make eye contact. “We should wait until Dannie is more fully healed to make any solid plans.” 

Phainon’s brow furrowed at that. “Didn’t you say this morning he should be healed by tomorrow?”

“I did,” Hyacine confirmed, looking up at Little Ica as they fluttered around her head. “I… miscalculated.” 

That didn’t seem right to him. Hyacine had been treating people for years, and never once had she gotten an estimate for someone’s recovery wrong, not when a patient cooperated. At least, not to his knowledge. He couldn’t help but feel there was more to the story than that, but he also knew he couldn’t just ask outright. She’d always been good for the patient confidentiality aspect of the job, which was definitely not something she’d picked up from working with Anaxa for all those years. 

“Isn’t the inflammation improving?” he asked carefully, trying to get any semblance of a clear answer about what in the hell was going on. 

“It was,” she clarified, letting out a small sigh, shoulders sinking in resignation. “Until last night.” 

“What happened last night?” he asked cautiously, giving her a careful look. 

“He… they…” Hyacine stopped, face turning slightly away from him as if to avoid that piercing gaze. But it wasn’t quite quick enough, and he caught the way her cheeks flushed several shades deeper before speaking very carefully. “He and Grayie aggravated the injuries.” 

“How did they–” Phainon stopped himself, the answer hitting him before he managed to fully get the question out. Then, much more quietly, “Oh.”

“Yes,” Hyacine confirmed, sounding equally embarrassed and relieved. “Oh.”

“That’s… unfortunate timing,” Phainon offered diplomatically, though he was honestly resisting the urge to laugh out loud now. Hyacine, on the other hand, raised both hands to hide her face, making a muffled sound into them. “I imagine that was an… uncomfortable conversation.” 

“You can’t,” Hyacine argued, her voice only partly audible. “You really can’t.” 

Despite his efforts, a grin was spreading on his features, though he tried his best to keep the amusement out of his voice. “How bad is it?”

“Enough that I had to emphasize the risk of permanent damage,” she said. “They both looked progressively more horrified the longer I was there.”

“I’m sure their intention wasn’t to–” Phainon started.

“Oh, no, it wasn’t. That much was very clear,” Hyacine agreed, finally dropping her hands back into her lap. Her face was still red, albeit less so, and she still avoided looking in his general direction for the time being. “But they still set his recovery back by at least several more days.”

“Fortunately we have a few more days to spare,” he said, and a small laugh escaped him immediately after. He couldn’t help it – as frustrating as it was to have to postpone this mission again, he couldn’t help but find the amusement in it. It was better than letting himself feel bitter. 

“This isn’t funny,” Hyacine said, though it lacked the sternness she’d had with the Nameless.

“It’s a little funny,” he countered, and that got the smallest smile out of her. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone that mortified before,” she sighed, though her expression grew thoughtful as she turned to look at him. “Actually, that’s not true. I actually have seen someone that mortified before. Multiple times, in fact.” 

Phainon’s smile faltered a bit. “Is that so?” 

“Mhmm,” Hyacine hummed, index pressing thoughtfully to her chin. “I recall having to scold you and Mydei for training while you were hurt. And there was that time when I found out the two of you–”

“I– I think I get the picture,” Phainon interrupted, warmth creeping up his neck. 

“Maybe you can imagine how uncomfortable the conversation was.” Hyacine let out a small laugh then, pushing herself back up to her feet. “Though maybe more from their perspective than from mine.” 

“Thank you for reminding me,” he half-muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. The reminder made something pull tight in his chest, a mixture of warmth and hurt that he tried his absolute best to ignore. 

Hyacine seemed to understand, her expression softening into something more sympathetic as she turned to stand in front of him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you about that.” 

“No, it’s alright.” Phainon waved a hand dismissively. He didn’t want to think too hard on it and redirected the conversation instead. “So, do we have an estimate of how long it’ll take Dan Heng to heal, then?” 

“At least two more days. Maybe a few more, if they don’t rest.” She let out a quiet, exasperated sigh reminiscent of the ones his mother used to give him when he misbehaved as a child. “They’re just like you are – selfless and a little bit reckless.” 

“What can I say? We’re dedicated people,” he laughed, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thank you for keeping me updated. We’ll reconvene in a few days and decide how to move against Aquila.” 

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Hyacine confirmed before glancing out of the courtyard at the streets beyond. “I should go – I have other patients waiting for me.”

“Of course. I’ll catch you later.” Phainon watched her turn to leave, letting his shoulders sink once she was near the edge of the courtyard. Just when she should have vanished out of sight, though, he heard her footsteps stop and looked up to see her hesitating, head turned part of the way to look back over her shoulder in his direction. 

“I really am sorry,” she said gently. 

He felt his stomach twist into knots. “For what?” 

“Bringing up Lord Mydeimos.” She turned halfway back, but didn’t move to come any closer. Instead, she just gave him something of a sad look from across the courtyard. “I know it isn’t easy for you to talk about him.” 

“No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.” Phainon forced a smile and hoped beyond hope that it looked genuine, though he could feel the strain of it in his muscles. “I can’t just pretend he never existed.” 

“You’re right,” she agreed quietly. “You also don’t have to go through this alone, you know. You pretend like losing him doesn’t hurt, but we can all see it, you know?” 

“I know,” he confirmed flatly, letting his head hang down in front of him. “I’m not trying to pretend it doesn’t hurt. Sometimes it’s just easier to keep going if I let myself believe he’s still coming back.” 

“He will, Phainon.” Hyacine rested a hand on his shoulder and it nearly made him jump – he hadn’t heard her walk back over, hadn’t seen her move at all. “When we initiate the Era Nova, he’ll come back and the two of you will pick right back up where you left off.” 

More than anything that had ever come before, Phainon desperately wanted to believe those words. Wanted to believe that Hyacine was right, that they would all make it to the new world, and he could finally tell Mydeimos what he’d been holding onto. The words that had been sitting in his chest since the day he’d left – longer if he was being completely honest with himself. “Strife is already changing me.” He’d argued with the Kremnoan then, had been adamant that it wouldn’t burn away all of him. That it wouldn’t destroy them. 

He wasn’t so confident now. 

“You’re right,” Phainon said quietly, though the words felt hollow. “I probably shouldn’t get in my own head about it so much.” 

“It happens to the best of us,” Hyacine reassured, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “If you ever need to talk about anything, you know where to find me. Even if it’s not about Mydeimos, or the Flame-Chase – it can be about anything.” 

“I know.” He managed a more genuine smile when he raised his head to look at her this time around. “Thank you, Hyacine. Really.” 

“I mean it, Phainon. You don’t have to bear the weight of everything alone.” She studied him for a moment, lips pursing as if she considered saying something else. Seeming to think better of it, she gave his shoulder one last gentle squeeze, then let her hand fall away. “Try not to worry about everyone else and look after yourself for the next few days, okay?” 

He didn’t answer this time around, couldn’t even watch as she disappeared from the small courtyard. Instead, he watched water trickle in the fountain in front of him without really seeing it, his mind already wandering off somewhere else. Eventually, he dropped his head, pressing his eyes tightly shut to fight the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. Trying not to think about Mydeimos – about who he might be when they came face to face again. If he would even remember him at all. 

Phainon stayed like that for a while, the weight of a hope he didn’t know how to keep holding onto threatening to crush him. His shoulders shook imperceptibly, and he didn’t dare lift his head to look around, the ground beneath him already gone out of focus. He didn’t look to see if anyone was around – if anyone else was watching. He just sat there, letting the fountain fill the silence between his shaking breaths, and waiting for the tightness in his chest to ease enough for him to stand again. 

---

After four more days of being locked up in their room, Hyacine finally gave Dan Heng clearance to return to normal activities, with a suggestion to ease back into anything to physically strenuous since he’d been out of practice for far longer than he would have liked. The warning had come with a pointed look shot in Caelus’ direction, which he had to admit was fair, under the circumstances. It was relieving to finally be able to get up and move again – but getting to this point had been an exercise in patience he wasn’t sure either of them had passed with ease. 

He most certainly hadn’t, having to draw on every last ounce of self-restraint he possessed, which was a new experience for Dan Heng. Four days didn’t sound like much, not really – he’d locked himself in the archives doing research for that amount of time before, so it was simple enough in theory. In practice, however, it turned out to be a different kind of torture than the physical pain he’d endured from irritating his wounds all over again. 

Because Caelus had been right there, within arms reach at all times. Sprawled on the bed beside him, close enough to touch, close enough for Dan Heng to see the subtle way his eyes changed when he turned to look at him. Pacing the room with his hands shoved deep in his pockets in an effort to keep them to himself, chatting the archivist’s ears off about whatever had occurred to him. Usually silly and irrelevant things, because talking about anything serious only made them both restless. 

By the third day, the tension in the room was palpable – not the uncomfortable kind that came from anger or bitterness, but the kind that came from wanting something you were explicitly banned from having. Dan Heng had reorganized the book shelves. Twice. Caelus stopped sitting on the bed with him as much, always keeping some distance between them. Not because they didn’t want to be close, but because neither of them could seem to help the casual touches that threatened to linger, and they were really trying not to test the boundaries of what counted as strenuous activity. 

By the last day, they were both just about ready to climb the walls, but it worked. He was healed, allowed to leave their room again, allowed to move. And they’d both known exactly what they wanted to do the second they knew they could. 

“You’re rusty,” Caelus said, grinning as he pulled back for another swing of his bat. 

“I’ve been out of training for two weeks,” Dan Heng reminded him, sidestepping and countering the attack with a quick thrust that Caelus just barely managed to deflect. “Give me a minute.” 

“A minute’s all you’re getting,” Caelus shot back, and he couldn’t help but smile despite the physical exertion. 

They went through the motions smoothly, falling back into their usual training rhythm faster than Dan Heng had expected. Despite the time away, the protesting of his muscles, it was easy. Like picking up a book and continuing from the line you left off on, even if the memory was a tiny bit foggy. But it felt good – right in a way that sitting around and resting just didn’t. It helped make him feel like himself again. 

“Better,” Phainon called out from where he was observing. “You’re still hesitating, but that’ll come back with practice.” 

Dan Heng didn’t respond, too focused on the way Caelus moved – the slight shift in his shoulders right before he’d take a swing at him, the way he tended to favour his right side despite being very much ambidextrous. They were all easy things to read once you knew what to look for, and he knew the trailblazer all too well. Better than anyone, really, even before they’d crashed here. He blocked the next strike more easily than the last and made use of the momentum to force Caelus back a step, then another. 

“Okay, I take it back, you’re not that rusty,” Caelus admitted, working harder to catch his breath than before. That was, admittedly, a little satisfying. “How’s that fair?” 

“Maybe you’re just being predictable,” Dan Heng said dryly, though he could feel his own lungs burning slightly. It felt good. 

“Predictable?” Caelus laughed. “You just used the same counter three times in a row.” 

Dan Heng took the criticism to heart – mainly because he was right, he was being predictable. That wasn’t going to do him any good in actual combat, so he switched up his approach, coming at Caelus from a different angle entirely. The look of surprise on his face when he only just managed to block it with his bat was encouraging. Rewarding, even. 

“There it is!” Phainon called out enthusiastically. “That’s more like it.” 

They kept it up for several more minutes, every exchange getting faster as Dan Heng’s muscles eased back into the motions. It wasn’t perfect, he knew that. Every so often he’d move a second too late and miss, or he’d react a tiny bit too early and miss a block that should’ve been easy. But every success was progress, even if it was slow. After two weeks of sitting around being allowed to do nothing, he’d take any kind of progress. 

“Switch!” Phainon called, and Caelus stepped back, wiping sweat off his forehead. Being the more exhausted of the two, he stepped back and let the Chrysos Heir take his place. “Let’s see how you do now.” 

Phainon held himself differently than Caelus did. The latter exercised overwhelming brute force to take his enemies down, but the former was more about precise timing and well-aimed strikes. Dan Heng had watched him fight alongside them enough times to have an idea of what he was getting into, but not enough to predict what he would do. Adjusting his stance, he was the first to move, cautious in his first few strikes. Testing how Phainon reacted, where he would move in – but after just a few exchanges, the man had him backpedaling, swinging Cloud Piercer into the perfect position to block each rapid strike. 

“Better,” Phainon said, slowing his assault somewhat. “Try not to think so much.” 

That was easier said than done, though. Dan Heng blocked another quick strike, pivoted, and countered with a sweep that Phainon avoided with ease. They kept moving like that, one pressing in as the other deflected, then switching. Neither of them quite able to gain a significant upper hand over the other. It required more focus than sparring with Caelus did, more precision – but it felt good. Really good. Challenging in a way that made every nerve ending light up. 

After what felt like only a matter of a few minutes, Phainon stepped back, lowering his sword. “Good – you’re picking it back up faster than I thought you would.” 

Dan Heng didn’t realize how much harder he was breathing until he finally lowered Cloud Piercer. All of his muscles were burning in protest, but it was a feeling he’d missed. “I was pretty motivated.” 

“Clearly,” Phainon said with a small grin. “Let’s take a break, then we can go again.” 

Dan Heng nodded, making his way to the edge of the training ring where Caelus had sprawled himself out on the ground, looking like a washed up starfish with the way his limbs were splayed out. The sweat on his forehead was gone now, which suggested that last round had actually gone on longer than it felt, but his partner barely cracked one eye open to look up at him when he approached. 

“You okay down there?” Dan Heng asked.

“Just dying,” Caelus responded cheerfully. “Don’t mind me.” 

“Didn’t know I hit you that hard,” Dan Heng said dryly, a tiny smirk pulling at one corner of his lips. 

“Gotta move fast to keep up with you,” he quipped back, pushing himself up into a sitting position as the archivist sunk down beside him. 

“You’re the one who suggested training,” Dan Heng pointed out, setting Cloud Piercer down.

“It was a great idea,” Caelus countered, “but I’m still gonna complain about it.” 

Dan Heng shook his head as Phainon settled down near the two of them, despite looking like he hadn’t trained at all. Maybe it was from being inactive for so long, or maybe it was because this is what Phainon did every day. “How are you feeling Dan Heng? Feel good to be back at it?” 

“Yeah,” he confirmed. His muscles ached and every breath required a little bit of effort, but not like when his lung was punctured. This was a different kind of effort, and the only reminder of his injuries was the slight pulling of scar tissue that hadn’t quite adjusted to certain movements yet. “Bit tired, but in a good way.” 

“Hyacine did a good job patching you back up,” he said cheerfully, seeming satisfied with that. “Even if you did make her job… difficult, at times.” 

Caelus laughed at that, but something in the way he said it, in the way that sharp gaze flicked between the two of them with a knowing look, made Dan Heng pause. When their eyes met, Phainon gave him the smallest smile, something flashing through his features that he couldn’t decipher before Caelus spoke up. “He’s not exactly good at the whole rest thing.” 

The look was gone, replaced by a hearty laugh instead. “You and me both. Good to go one more round before we call it a day?” 

“One more round sounds perfect,” Dan Heng agreed. As much as he wanted to press for more, Hyacine had been clear about easing into things. After the humiliation of the lecture she’d given them just four days ago, he wasn’t eager to encourage another one. 

“Who am I up against this time?” Caelus asked, pushing himself to his feet and holding a hand out to him. “Because if it’s Phainon, I’m gonna need like five more minutes.” 

“It’s your turn with Dan Heng,” Phainon said, watching as the trailblazer pulled him up, hand lingering a moment too long before letting go. “I’ll observe.” 

“Of course you will,” Caelus muttered, though an amused grin was playing on his features. 

There was a competitive gleam in Caelus’ eyes when they faced each other again. He knew that meant his partner wasn’t about to hold back on him just because he’d been recently injured, which was good. Their first round had been slightly frustrating because he kept treating him like thin glass ready to break, right up until he’d swept him off his feet. Literally. That had lit a fire under the trailblazer, and it was still burning it seemed. 

“Ready?” Caelus asked, bat propped up on his shoulder.

“Ready,” he confirmed. 

This time, Dan Heng moved first, Cloud Piercer cutting through the air in a series of quick strikes that had Caelus scrambling to defend himself. Surprise flashed across his face, though it was short-lived, quickly replaced with the concentration of someone that had to actually work to keep up. He blocked another strike, dodged a second, and let out a quiet laugh when he jumped back just in time to miss one aimed at his side. “Alright, guess we’re really doing this.” 

Caelus pushed back with a renewed energy, and they fell back into the same rhythm from before. Only, this time, they moved at a much faster pace – attack, deflect, counter, dodge, repeat the cycle. Dan Heng was thinking about his movements less and less, muscle memory kicking in and taking over. It was getting easier, more automatic, every strike more precise than the last. He didn’t have to analyze every move Caelus made anymore, just let himself flow with it. It felt natural again, felt right, and he was starting to realize just how much he’d missed this. Not just the training, but the freedom of movement in general.

His partner swept low in a movement he was sure was meant to catch him off guard, but Dan Heng read the motion just in time and jumped back. He knew that would create an opening and didn’t hesitate to take it, but Caelus managed to bring his back up just in time to block it. Barely, but he managed.

“Cheap shot,” he accused through a laugh. 

“Effective shot,” Dan Heng corrected, pressing his advantage. They traded a few more quick exchanges, picking up speed again. Any hesitation he’d felt before was long gone now, but it was only doing him so much good – Caelus was adapting too, reading his movements faster, adjusting his defense. 

“Getting a little cocky, are we?” Caelus shot at him, deflecting another strike. 

“Regaining confidence,” he corrected, and ducked low, sweeping his leg out in a move he knew Caelus would recognize from their days of training on their last few stops. 

The trailblazer jumped back with another laugh. “Oh, we’re going old school now?” 

“Why not?” Dan Heng asked, already pressing forward again. 

“Because I know those moves like the back of my hand,” Caelus said, and proved it by predicting Dan Heng’s next two strikes perfectly, deflecting them with ease. 

“Fair point,” Dan Heng conceded, adjusting his approach. 

The longer they kept at it, the less it felt like training to him, and Dan Heng realized he was genuinely enjoying himself. Not just the movement, not the sparring, but doing all of it with Caelus specifically. The way they knew each other’s patterns, the way they could push each other’s limits in a way that didn’t feel negatively competitive. And how all of that fit into what they meant to one another now. 

“Alright,” Phainon finally called out. “I think that’s a draw.” 

Dan Heng was breathing hard now, his muscles screaming from the exertion in the best possible way. Caelus moved toward the side of the training ring, his hand reaching out and gently touching his lower back, a seemingly unconscious, casual moment of contact. It was such a far cry from the careful distance he’d kept from him at first, so much warmer than the tentative closeness of those first few days after confessing their feelings. 

It just felt natural. 

“Sit before you fall over,” Dan Heng said dryly, and Caelus shot him a look. 

“I’m not going to fall over.” 

“You look like you might,” Dan Heng countered, a tiny smile pulling at one corner of his lips. 

“That’s rich coming from the guy who’s been out of commission for two weeks,” Caelus quipped back at him, but he was grinning as he dropped himself unceremoniously down into the dirt. Dan Heng settled directly beside him, legs pressed together. Neither of them protested when Phainon passed water over to help them hydrate. 

“I think that’ll be enough for today,” Phainon said after a minute, his eyes tracking curiously between the two of them with a knowing look. “I don’t think any of us want another lecture from Hyacine.” 

Dan Heng’s expression remained neutral, but he felt heat flooding the back of his neck, felt it creeping into the very tips of his ears. He knows. If it wasn’t for the amused way Phainon was looking between them, and the absolutely transparent look of shock that Caelus wore, he might’ve doubted that conclusion. Instead, he just nodded and said, “I’d rather avoid that.” 

“Yeah, hard pass,” Caelus agreed before pushing himself back to his feet, reaching a hand down for him again. “Same time tomorrow?” 

“As long as you’re both up for it,” Phainon agreed, looking at Dan Heng questioningly. 

“Yes,” he confirmed as his partner hauled him to his feet, this time not letting go of his hand once he was upright. “I’d rather not keep Aquila waiting too much longer.” 

“That’s what I like to hear,” Phainon said with an enthusiasm that reminded him of Caelus running headfirst into danger. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.” 

---

Phainon stood at the edge of the training ring watching them leave, their hands clasped together. Caelus leaned in closer and said something that made Dan Heng laugh – something genuine and unguarded he’d never heard him make before, unlike the quiet, measured huff of air he usually gave in public. He’d turned his head towards Caelus, who grinned and said something else, earning himself a shoulder bumping into him in response. If he had to guess, he was probably teasing him about being rusty in combat. 

There was an ease to them now that was different from the comfortable friendship they’d shared when Phainon first crossed paths with them. Ever since Caelus had returned from the Netherworld, they’d been getting closer, the connection between them somehow more palpable to everyone around them than it had been before. But there was something different about it now. They seemed more comfortable, more settled somehow. Like they’d crossed some threshold and found solid ground on the other side. 

The thought was like a weight pressing down on him, but he didn’t look away from them until they vanished around the corner. Then, he quietly moved to clean up all the training equipment, hands working automatically without much thought. The eternal daylight of Okhema was usually so warm and comforting to him, giving him a sense of peace, even if it was false. Now, it just made the emptiness feel more obvious than before that it was just him. That he was alone. 

Even if Hyacine hadn’t said anything to him, Phainon was sure he would’ve recognized the shift. He recognized what he’d just seen – the comfort, the intimacy. He and Mydeimos had been like that, too. Uneasy at first, cautious, maintaining a careful distance out of fear of what might change. He’d never understood how others had been able to pinpoint the moment things had changed between them, aside from maybe the unfortunate passersby who’d overheard them that first night. How anyone had known the tension had finally snapped between them. 

But the shift was palpable, even from the outside. He could see that now.

It wasn’t Caelus and Dan Heng on his mind as he finished putting away the equipment, his gaze drifting in the direction he knew Castrum Kremnos hid among the clouds. He could almost imagine those fierce golden eyes looking back at him like he was the center of his entire world. Knowing that he was, after what the Kremnoan had said to him before leaving Okheme for good. “You’re everything. You’ve been everything for so long I can’t remember what it was like before.” 

But the Flame-Chase Journey demanded everything from them. Even this. Especially this. 

Dan Heng and Caelus had that comfort now, that intimacy, and the Chrysos Heir could only hope that the divine authority of Time wouldn’t eventually tear them apart. That the Flame-Chase wouldn’t demand the same sacrifice of them that it had of him and Mydei. He hoped they’d get to have all those quiet moments and easy touches that he’d enjoyed with the Kremnoan now that they’d found it, for as long as they wanted it. Prayed they never had to see an ending in order to have a new beginning. 

Long after Dan Heng’s laughter had faded into the Parting Hour, Phainon turned and headed back to his quarters alone. 

---

Caelus was pretty sure he was having a good dream when something woke him from his sleep, but it took him a minute to figure out what it was. Familiar lips, slightly cooler than his own skin, brushed against him, pulling away before moving further down the line of his jaw towards his mouth. Soft, unhurried kisses, just barely noticeable in his barely conscious state. Turning his head towards those kisses, his lips eventually found the wandering set, letting out a quiet hum. “Mm.”

“Morning,” Dan Heng murmured against his lips, voice low and still rough with sleep. 

Caelus didn’t bother opening his eyes yet, just let himself enjoy the attention, mumbling between lazy kisses. “This is a nice way to wake up.” 

He felt the way Dan Heng’s lips curved into a smile against his. Caelus parted his lips and let out a quiet sigh, one hand coming up to rest loosely against the back of Dan Heng’s neck. When they eventually broke apart, he finally forced his eyes open, finding Dan Heng propped up on one elbow beside him, eyes still half-lidded from sleep, hair disheveled and falling forward into his eyes. He must have just woken up too. Caelus reached a hand up, brushing those strands of hair to the side where they normally sat. 

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Caelus noted. 

“I am,” Dan Heng agreed, leaning down to press another light kiss to his lips, then the corner of his mouth, along his jaw, and finally just below his ear. The last of those raised goosebumps along Caelus’ arms. “Don’t have to be locked up in here while you go off and have fun this time.” 

“Mm, didn’t get to have any fun without you last time,” he corrected, fingers absently playing with the hair brushing against the nape of his partner’s neck. “Was too busy being mad at you.” 

“Mm.” For the first time since they’d reconciled, Dan Heng didn’t stiffen at the mention of it, didn’t recoil at the memory. Instead, those lips moved down along Caelus’ throat, murmuring against his skin, “We still have a bit before we have to meet everyone.” 

Caelus made a quiet sound of approval, his free hand moving to settle lazily against his hip. The archivist pulled back just enough to look at him, studying his features while seemingly considering something. He seemed to settle on something, but before the trailblazer could ask what was on his mind, he was shifting on the bed. At first, he pulled away, earning a quiet protesting sigh from him, but as quickly as he’d pulled away to sit up, he was shuffling across the cushioning beneath them, one leg swinging over him to straddle his hips, settling down gently against him. 

Dan Heng’s hands braced on either side of his head as he leaned down to kiss him again, lips catching his with more intent than before. Caelus’ hands moved to find his back, sliding up along the well-defined muscle beneath his shirt, pulling him closer. He responded by deepening the kiss, tongue sliding against his, slow but demanding, tasting of green tea and sleep. Bit by bit, Dan Heng’s weight settled more fully against him, arms shifting against the bed so he was supporting his weight with his forearms instead of just his hands. 

His hands wandered lower, gripping Dan Heng’s hips and earning himself a quiet moan into the kiss that sent heat straight to the increasing pressure between his thighs. His partner broke away to breathe, lips moving along his jaw until Caelus tipped his head back to expose his throat. When teeth grazed against his pulse-point, his breath hitch, grip tightening and pulling the Vidyadhara harder against him despite his better judgement. He wasn’t the only one dealing with the side-effects of morning arousal, it seemed, and the pressure earned him another quiet groan.

Dan Heng’s lips came back up to find his, more urgent and demanding this time, and whether the way his hips shifted down against Caelus in a slow roll was deliberate or automatic, he couldn’t be sure. All he knew was that it was fuelling his own need, hands moving to coax those hips into another roll without thinking. Dan Heng pulled back, breathing hard, and stared down at him with darkened eyes. His lips were slightly red from kissing, cheeks flushed with more colour than usual, and he looked down at Caelus with a dazed look in his eyes. 

“Fuck,”Caelus said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Dan Heng agreed, voice rough. 

“How much time do we have again?” 

“We’re meant to meet everyone shortly before the Action Hour.” A look flickered through Dan Heng’s features that Caelus didn’t like, and he started to sit himself up more. Before he could get too far, Caelus reached one hand up to cup the back of his neck and pulled him back down. That earned him a surprised sound, though he got no resistance aside from a quiet, “We should probably stop.” 

“I know,” Caelus murmured against his lips, his other hand sliding down from his hip and along the side of his thigh. That earned him a barely noticeable shudder in response, which was encouragement enough for what he did next. In a shockingly fluid motion, he rolled them on the bed so that Dan Heng was effectively pinned beneath him, then leaned down and kissed him again, slowly this time. Deliberately. The hand still holding Dan Heng’s thigh slid halfway up it, fingers gripping him tightly and earning him a small groan, though whether it was intended to be a protest or an encouragement, he couldn’t be entirely sure. 

“You’re not helping,” Dan Heng breathed out when Caelus pulled back enough to breathe. 

“Not trying to,” he confirmed, a hint of something more vulnerable beneath the heat of it. He leaned in again, lips tracing kisses down along the side of his partner’s throat. “Don’t want to go yet.” 

He felt Dan Heng shudder beneath him, felt the way his hips started to roll up against him but stop, though there was a slight trembling throughout him now. His voice came out much more strained when he spoke again. “I don’t want to either, but we have things to do today. Important things.” 

Caelus groaned in frustration and, after a few more seconds’ delay and a teasing brush of teeth against Dan Heng’s throat, Caelus sat himself up and let him go. The mixture  of relief and disappointment in those jade eyes almost made him change his mind, but the archivist was right. They’d committed to something really important today, and as Phainon had so aptly pointed out a few days earlier, he wasn’t exactly looking to get another lecture from Hyacine. Caelus sat back, running a hand through his hair. 

Dan Heng shuffled up into a sitting position, maneuvering his legs around Caelus so he could swing them off the edge of the bed. He took slow, deep breaths, a telltale sign he was trying to steady his heartbeat, his hands gripping the edge of the mattress harder than usual, as if trying to ground himself. Caelus wasn’t much better off himself – his heart was still racing uncontrollably, thoughts still more than a little hazy. After a minute, he repositioned himself behind his partner, arms, wrapping around his waist to pull him back against his chest. 

“When we get back here tonight,” Caelus said quietly, lips pressing against the nape of his neck and earning himself another shiver, and for a second he swore he heard a quiet whimper from his partner. “We’re picking back up where we left off.” 

Dan Heng relaxed into him, moving his head to lean it back, effectively bringing them closer and preventing him from pressing any more affectionate kisses to what he was quickly realizing must be quite a sensitive spot. I’ll remember that. One of his partner’s hands settled against his thigh, fingers gripping into it gently. “I’ll have to hold you to that.” They stayed like that for several long moments before he wriggled free and got to his feet, giving Caelus an almost apologetic look. “We should get ready.” 

“Mm. Yeah.” Neither of them sounded too enthusiastic about it, but the trailblazer got to his feet as well, moving around the room to collect his clothing. He really needed to try being more organized about that, but he knew as well as anyone that wasn’t going to happen. “How long do we have?” 

“A bit still. A little under an hour, I think.” Dan Heng pulled off the shirt he’d worn to bed – one of Caelus’, which was a habit he could definitely get used to – and swapped it out for the one he’d neatly folded the day before. 

“Good. Because I’m moving slower than usual this morning.” 

“I can’t imagine why,” Dan Heng said once his shirt was pulled over his head, though the ghost of a grin played on his lips as he pulled the zippers up on his shirt collar. 

“I have a few theories,” Caelus said as he pulled a fresh white t-shirt over his head. “Pretty sure they all involve you.” 

“You weren’t exactly complaining at the time,” Dan Heng said dryly as he pulled on his coat, though the pink tinge at the tips of his ears gave him away. 

“Still not a complaint,” Caelus clarified, reaching for his jacket and shrugging it on. “But maybe show a little restraint when we have things to do.” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Dan Heng countered, and when Caelus looked up, there was the faintest hint of a smirk on his features to match the teasing in his tone. This bastard. “Besides, you prefer it when I don’t.” 

“You know what, yep, not gonna argue with that,” Caelus said, grinning like an idiot as he pulled on his shoes, then dug his gloves from his coat pockets. When he turned back around to face Dan Heng, the latter reached up and straightened out his jacket, one shoulder threatening to slide off if he hadn’t. 

“Ready?” he asked, eyes darting to Caelus’ lips. The trailblazer took that as an invitation to steal one last kiss, lingering far longer than he should have before pulling back. 

“As I’ll ever be.” 

---

“The Eye of Twilight isn’t like other areas of Amphoreus that we’ve visited,” Phainon explained. “According to the records, it’s essentially a fortress in the sky.” 

“Isn’t that what Castrum Kremnos is?” Dan Heng asked, perplexed. 

“Yes,” Hyacine confirmed, shooting a cautious glance in Phainon’s direction that the archivist didn’t miss. “Except with Kremnos, we had Mydei and the Kremnoans to fill in the details. The Sky Castrum went dark a thousand years ago after Seliose challenged Aquila, and no one’s been up there since. Even the records aren’t clear about what happened to the Skyfolk after that.” 

“So we’re going in blind,” Caelus stated flatly. 

“Not entirely,” Hyacine corrected, her eyes turning to Dan Heng. “We’ve spent weeks researching, translating old texts and learning everything we can.” 

“The Sky Castrum possessed advanced technology used to control the weather and alter the sky,” Dan Heng continued, looking to Caelus as he spoke. “How to use them is unclear, but if we can figure that out, they may come in handy.” 

“And if we can’t?” Caelus asked, looking between him and Hyacine. 

“Then we improvise,” Phainon said. “Wouldn’t be the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” 

Dan Heng let out a quiet, amused huff at that. “Fair enough.” 

“Oh, one more thing,” Hyacine interjected before they prepared to head off. “It’s unclear what happened to Solabis and Lunabis – Seliose’s companions – after she challenged Aquila. I don’t know if they’re still in the Eye of Twilight but…” 

“We’re ready for anything,” Dan Heng said reassuringly, looking over at Caelus, who nodded to confirm. He might have been down for the count for two weeks, but he’d been training for the last two days, had gotten himself back up to a point he was happy with. They could manage this. He knew they could. 

“We should get going,” Phainon said with that same confident determination that had guided them through every trial so far. “Whenever you’re ready, Hyacine.” 

On the ground in front of them, she set down a small box she’d been carrying. Dan Heng hadn’t been with them when they’d run around collecting ancestors’ blessings in order to achieve this particular trial, but Caelus had filled him in on some of the details. From what he understood, this little box must be the collection of her ancestors’ blessings, the tool they would use to ascend to the Sky Castrum. Somehow. 

“O rainbow bridge, please guide us to ascend to the skies once more.” Hyacine’s hands were clasped in front of her as if in prayer, and at first, nothing happened. But then, after several long seconds, a rainbow emerged from the box, stretching up into the sky like a winding path. Dan Heng hesitated, but Hyacine didn’t, stepping onto it with the confidence of someone walking onto solid ground. “Alright, let’s head off – I’m not sure how far it is, but it’ll certainly take longer than taking a Century Gate to the Grove does.” 

Phainon followed her onto the transparent bridge, then by Caelus and Mem. Dan Heng hesitated for a moment, but when Caelus held out his hand, he took it and followed suit. The bridge felt surprisingly solid under his feet, more so than he’d anticipated, which set his mind more at ease. After a few minutes, Caelus looked behind them. “Okhema’s basically gone.” 

Dan Heng peered over his shoulder, surprised to see he was right. Had they really been walking that long already? He doubted it, but Amphoreus had defied logic on more than one occasion. Perhaps walking this bridge meant they moved quicker than he’d expect. “Don’t look down too much.” 

Caelus shot a grin at him, though his grip tightened in his hand just a little. “Why? Afraid of heights?” 

“No.” His expression remained neutral, though he had to resist the smile threatening to form on his lips. “But if you fall, I’m not diving after you.” 

“Liar,” Caelus accused with more confidence than the archivist would’ve liked. 

He was quiet, then let out a soft exhale, shaking his head slowly. “...maybe I am.” 

The ascent took significantly less time than he’d anticipated. Less than even Hyacine had anticipated by the surprised little “oh!” she let out once they reached a massive fortress suspended in the clouds before them. Ancient stone and metal structures spread out in seemingly every direction except for behind them, both beautiful and eerie all at once. Towering spires reached up toward the skies above, and massive platforms connected by bridges created a labyrinth of pathways through the sky. It was both beautiful and eerie all at once, engulfed in a silence so complete it couldn’t have been anything but abandoned. 

Even the entrance the rainbow bridge connected to was grand, a large ornate door precipitated by a massive stone platform. Stepping onto it, Dan Heng had to look up to be able to take in the structure, and could scarcely see where it ended in the clouds. The moment all of them had stepped off, the rainbow bridge dissipated, stealing away their only return route. 

“I guess we’re stuck here until we get that Coreflame,” Caelus muttered, sounding about as impressed as Dan Heng felt, which was not at all. 

Hyacine and Phainon didn’t seem the least bit concerned about it however, both of them looking up at the Sky Castrum with looks of wonder. Even Mem had floated right up to the door to inspect it. In a reverent sort of way, Hyacine turned to look at them and said, “Welcome to the Eye of Twilight.” 

Phainon was already drawing his sword, eyes sweeping over the fortress. Only then did Dan Heng notice that the massive front door already stood slightly ajar, as if inviting them in. “Stay alert. We don’t know what’s waiting for us inside.” 

In seconds, Caelus’ bat was in his hand, swung around to settle on his shoulder in that usual cocky way. Cloud Piercer had appeared in his hand just as quickly, the weight of it reassuring this time around. Mem took that as a sign of danger and floated over to hover by Caelus’ shoulder, but Little Ica Continued to float around Hyacine, seemingly unbothered by the heavy atmosphere. Caelus met his eyes for a few seconds longer before turning to Hyacine, who gave a small, nervous nod, despite the certainty in her features. 

Phainon was the first to move toward the door, leading the group of them inside. The darkness inside wasn’t complete – there was a faint, eerie glow of an unknown source coming from deep within the fortress that resembled the moss in the Grove of Epiphany, but somehow less natural. The temperature had also dropped noticeably as soon as they crossed the threshold, putting them all on edge. Phainon’s voice echoed in the vast entrance hall when he spoke. “Stay close, and watch your step. Can’t have anyone falling to their deaths thanks to old stone.” 

How reassuring. Dan Heng stuck close to the group, though closer to the rear in order to watch their backs. The entrance hall opened up into a massive chamber, the dim lighting within only just bright enough to make out the silhouettes of what looked like ancient machinery. Massive gears and metal frameworks stretching up into the darkness, a thousand years of unuse hardly disturbed by their presence. 

“This place is huge,” Caelus said, his voice echoing off the walls, his shoulders jumping in response. “And too quiet.” 

Hyacine stopped not far into the chamber, reaching up to trace her fingers over etchings that had been left behind on one of the walls. “These symbols…” 

“Can you read them?” Dan Heng asked, stepping forward to have a look himself. He’d spent the last two weeks studying the Skyfolk’s texts – maybe he could be of some help here, too. 

“Some of it.” She followed the symbols with her fingertips, her touch light and careful, like she was afraid the stone itself might crumble if she brushed against it too hard. “It’s Old Skyfolk script.” She paused, squinting at one particular section. “There are some gaps in my knowledge, but I believe this is talking about awakening the Celestial Mural?” 

“The what?” Caelus asked, earning himself a look from Dan Heng. 

“It’s essentially a massive display that shows Aquila’s will made manifest,” Hyacine explained. “According to legend, whatever pattern appeared on the mural would become reality across Amphoreus. The Skyfolk priests would use it to communicate with Aquila.” 

Caelus scratched the back of his head, tipping it to one side. “So…”

“It’s basically a weather wall,” Dan Heng translated, and immediately saw the lightbulb flick on in Caelus’ eyes. Sometimes, it really was just a matter of things needing to be underexplained to the Nameless for him to get it. His gaze flicked over to Phainon, who was already looking pensively at him. 

“That’s the technology you were talking about earlier.” A statement more than a question, but there was a slightly puzzled look on Phainon’s expression. 

“Yes,” Dan Heng confirmed, moving towards the engravings. “If the Sky priests used the mural to communicate with Aquila, then–” 

“Maybe we can do the same!” Hyacine exclaimed. “Only problem is that we need to find it first, and then figure out how to–” 

A metallic groan echoed from further within the fortress, like ancient machinery stirring to life. The entire group immediately tensed, and both Little Ica and Mem hid themselves against their respective human. Dan Heng and Caelus exchange a look, knowing full well what those kind of sounds usually meant, and it was never anything good. Phainon seemed to feel the same. 

“Something knows we’re here,” he said quietly, sword raised in defense. 

The sound came again, and Dan Heng felt himself tense further, waiting for something to jump out at them, anything. But nothing happened, and the silence was only broken again by Caelus muttering, “I don’t like this.” 

“You and me both,” Dan Heng agreed, grip tightening ever so slightly on his spear. Something wasn’t right. 

“It’s strange,” Phainon said slowly, looking around as they slowly moved deeper into the fortress. The silence of it all felt deliberate, like the fortress itself was holding its breath. Watching them, somehow. “We haven’t run into any defense systems, no sentries… nothing.” 

“Maybe we just haven’t gotten to the dangerous part yet,” Dan Heng suggested, shooting Caelus a look that said it all. Something’s not right. 

“That’s comforting,” Caelus muttered. 

Hyacine stopped walking right about then, her eyes fixed at a point just below her eye level on the wall. “These inscriptions…” she mumbled, raising a hand to run her fingers along them. “They’re… they’re prayers. To Aquila.” 

Dan Heng took a few steps closer, studying the carvings. The script was Old Skyfolk, which he’d tried to make himself as familiar with as possible over the last two weeks, but even before trying to decipher them, he could see something was off. Unlike the other inscriptions, carefully carved into the stone like artwork, these were deep and jagged, the lines harsh and uneven, like whoever was carving them was in a hurry. And angry. 

“They’re not asking for blessings,” Hyacine continued, her voice gone quieter, trembling now. “They’re asking why – why the Titan won’t answer, why they’ve been abandoned.” 

Dan Heng had moved to another section of wall to examine. There were slight differences in the style of carving, in the way the letters were shaped, that indicated slightly different dialects. “It seems these are from the Rainfolk,” he explained, pointing back to the wall Hyacine was standing by. “And I believe those were from the Sunfolk. Both sides were here, asking the same questions.”

“I wonder if either got an answer,” Phainon said quietly. 

Everyone looked at the carvings, and Mem let out a quiet whimper her ears drooping slightly. Little Ica was making soft quiet sounds as well, nestling close to Hyacine’s shoulder. The weight of the realization settled over them all – the Titan had likely never responded to its people. They were looking at desperate thousand year old prayers that had gone unanswered, carved into stone. 

“Let’s keep moving,” Phainon said finally to no protest from the others. No one wanted to stay here and contemplate that any longer – it wasn’t like it was helping them anyway. 

The further they moved down the corridor, the more Caelus seemed to gravitate toward him. So much so that at one point, their hands brushed together and he took hold of his, giving a light squeeze before letting go – a brief acknowledgement that yeah, this place was definitely unsettling. They walked in silence for a while, each of them lost in their own thoughts, until the corridor opened up into another large chamber. There were inscriptions on the walls here, and Hyacine stepped away from the group to take a closer look at them. 

“These look like weather patterns,” she concluded after a moment, and Dan Heng stepped up beside her to take a closer look. These inscriptions were neater, more organized than the frantic prayers from before. 

“There are complaints, too,” Dan Heng pointed to a line of inscription two rows down. “Lots of them, it seems.” 

“It looks like they were fighting over who was getting a bigger share of the weather.” Hyacine sounded disheartened by the realization, her shoulders sinking slowly. Dan Heng could understand the pain – it was one thing to read about the conflict your ancestors brought upon themselves, but another thing entirely to see it firsthand like this. 

“A thousand years of this,” Phainon said quietly. 

“All for nothing,” Dan Heng added flatly. 

“Hard to imagine going to war over whether it should rain or not,” Caelus said after a minute, looking around. 

“Sounds exhausting,” he replied, following his gaze to the dust-covered surfaces and ancient mechanisms that had sat untouched for a millennium. 

“Sounds desperate,” Phainon corrected. “Everything gets a little personal when you’re convinced a god is judging you based on the weather.” 

They left the observation deck in silence, continuing upward through the vast, empty chambers. The silence only seemed to grow heavier the further they moved through the fortress. Occasionally, they’d stumble across a stray creature corrupted by the Black Tide, but none of them posed much of a challenge to them. They were so few and far between, after all, and Dan Heng attributed that to the sheer size of the Sky Castrum. Besides that, they found more inscriptions – fragmented pieces of arguments, accusations, and even desperate pleas for the Titan to intervene. 

The Skyfolk had been just like any other society lacking an outside enemy, turning on one another to tear itself apart from the inside. It was dejecting. They went some time without running into anything before walking into a large hall, similar to other ones they’d passed through before, and were met with something unexpected. It was obvious by the strange colour of it, that crystal-like pale indigo, that it was a memory fragment and not something still living. But the armoured beast, giant and horse-like in shape with massive, sweeping wings, stared directly at them, something sharp and intelligent in its gaze. This was more than just a memory. 

“Well,” it said. “You made it this far.” 

Hyacine took a tentative step forward, hands clasped together in front of her chest. “Are you Lunabis?” 

“What remains of them, yes.” The projection moved closer, its gaze studying them. “You’re here for the Titan.” 

“We are,” Phainon confirmed. 

Lunabis studied the group for a long moment, but its eyes settled on Hyacine in the end. “You.” There was something weighted about the way it addressed her. “You carry the ancestors’ blessings.” 

“Yes,” Hyacine confirmed, though her voice had gone quieter now. “I am a scholar of the Twilight Courtyard, and a descendent of the Skyfolk.” 

“A scholar,” Lunabis repeated, seeming somehow unimpressed. Its tone wasn’t cruel by any means, just matter of fact. “Seliose was a warrior capable of facing a Titan in battle, of standing her ground. But you…” The fragment’s head tilted slightly to one side, as if observing the healer, taking note of her lack of armour, of the way she held herself. “You don’t even wield a weapon.” 

A heavy silence followed. Lunabis was right – Hyacine wasn’t a warrior like Seliose had been, and Dan Heng wasn’t sure she even had any combat training – but from what he’d seen, neither had Tribbie or Aglaea, at least not to his knowledge. Physical strength wasn’t what the Coreflames demanded, not always, but he wasn’t sure how confident Hyacine was in herself. He saw the way her hands tightened where they were clasped against her chest, saw her shoulders tense. 

“She isn’t fighting alone,” Phainon said, stepping up beside her, one hand settling on her shoulder, his voice firm and confident. “She has us here to help her.”

“Claiming a Coreflame isn’t a matter of numbers.” Lunabis looked at each of them in turn, its gaze judging. “It requires strength. Conviction. The willingness to face a god and take what they refuse to give.” Its gaze returned to Hyacine. “Do you really believe you can do that?” 

Hyacine straightened herself out, lifting her chin to meet the fragment’s gaze head on. “I may not be a warrior like Seliose, but just like she did, I want to save the people of Amphoreus – my people. I may not fight the way she did, but I know what’s at stake, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” 

Lunabis went quiet, looking between the healer and the rest of the group, as if contemplating. Then, after what felt like much too long, it slowly dipped its head. “Very well. Let me show you the way.” 

With that, it turned and headed silently down one of the passages. At first, they followed silently, but something seemed to be bothering Hyacine. “Where is Solabis?” she eventually asked. 

The great beast paused, and for the first time, it almost sounded sad when it spoke. “Time has not been so kind to them.” 

“Can we help them?” she asked, her voice tinged with hope, but Lunabis didn’t answer right away. 

When it did finally speak, its voice was tinged with a sort of quiet resignation. “The only help Solabis needs now is mercy.” 

They went silent after that, guiding them down the corridor, through another massive hall and chamber, and finally stopped at an arched doorway taller than it was, indicating they would find the other winged beast beyond before retreating into the shadows. Dan Heng wondered if it was because they couldn’t go any further, or if it was a matter of not wanting to see their old companion in such a state that kept it from carrying on with them. A look was exchanged among all of them before they pushed through the partially open doorway. 

The chamber beyond it was easily the largest they’d been in to this point, the ceiling climbing so high it vanished into shadows. The back wall was dominated by a far wall of what looked like obsidian stretching from as far down as they could see, all the way up into the shadows above. At first, Dan Heng couldn’t make out what it was, but the realization slowly dawned on him. It wasn’t a black stone wall he was looking at – this was the celestial mural, only it showed absolutely nothing. 

He didn’t have time to inquire about it, unfortunately, his attention drawn to the far end of the large platform they stood on by sudden movement in his peripherals. Something emanating light from its figure moved, faster than he anticipated, letting out a roar that shook the entire chamber around them. The beast was large – much larger than Lunabis had been, but whether that was due to the black tide’s corruption or not was difficult to tell. 

“Solabis,” Hyacine breathed, taking a step back, then another. 

The texts had described it as a lion-like figure with a mane akin to a sun, but this was not that. Its figure had been warped and twisted by the corruption, so much so that even its gaze seemed to lack any semblance of life in it. Its movements were fast, but jerky – like it didn’t quite know how to move its body but did all at once.And it was coming straight for them. 

“Hyacine, get out of the way!” Phainon shouted,already moving. She didn’t need to be told twice, running out of the direct line of attack. “Don’t let it pin us down!”

Caelus dove to the left as the creature lunged, its massive claws leaving gouges in the stone where he’d just been. By the time he was rolling to his feet, the best had already turned to find him,but Dan Heng took advantage of the distraction, coming at it from the side. Cloud Piercer found the gaps in what remained of its armour plating, each strike precisely calculated and timed, but it barely seemed to notice. The thing that had once been Solabis only seemed to grow angry. 

“It’s not slowing down!” he called back to Phainon, ducking under a swipe,the tip of his spear dragging under that massive limb as it moved. 

From the corner of his eye,he watched Phainon get driven back several feet from the force of an impact, sword raised in defense against yet another strike. “Then we keep hitting it until it does!” 

Dan Heng went at one of the creature’s front legs while Caelus went at the back. His strike missed, but his partner’s didn’t – he knew because he heard the sickening crack of that bat breaking some of the armour plating covering its entire body, but the retaliation was immediate.The beast twisted its body, forcing Dan Heng back several feet, its tail whipping around  and lashing out at Caelus. He watched as it connected with his ribcage, knocking him to the side where he hit the ground with an echoing thud. 

It took everything in him not to drop his weapon and run to him. “Caelus!” 

There was no response at first,then in a voice that most certainly sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth, he called back, “I’m fine!”

You don’t sound fine. He couldn’t linger on that thought, flames erupting directly beside him, pushing him to dodge behind one of the many stone pillars in an effort to avoid the fire. It was a closer call than he would have liked, heat scorching past in him waves and leaving the ground on either side of the pillar blackened with soot. He waited only a split second longer to ensure the fire had passed before moving again. 

“The more you fight, the more the corruption takes over!” Hyacine yelled from where she’d taken cover. She was right – Dan Heng could see that sickening reddish-black pulse of power intensifying, could see the heat in those twisted eyes growing worse. 

“We need to end this!” he exclaimed, blocking a strike from the creature’s tail, then a second. He looked to Phainon and Caelus, already positioned on either side of him, and the three of them seemed to already know what to do.

“All at once,” Phainon shouted. 

The three of them moved at once. Phainon aimed for the creature’s chest, angling his sword for the weak point in its armour, while Dan Heng went for its back, aiming Cloud Piercer at the very distinct gap right between its shoulder blades, just below the thoracic vertebrae – a paralyzing strike for most creatures, if he pierced the right way. Caelus aimed for the creature’s skull, his bat swinging with all the force he had. 

“Now!” Phainon shouted, and within seconds, all three of their weapons struck the beast. The armour around its torso nearly shattered from the impact, and there was a sickeningly loud crack as Caelus’ bat met with the beast’s skull. The combined impact sent the beast stumbling backwards, the glow from the corruption slowly seeming to recede as an anguished cry escaped the thing. The corruption itself didn’t recede, but the glow of it dimmed and, within seconds, blinked out entirely, and Solabis’ corrupted body collapsed to its knees. 

The three of them didn’t move – they just watched the creature cautiously, weapons clutched, refusing to let their guard down until it had fallen completely. But it didn’t fall – instead, it raised its gaze to the trio, then looked past them to Hyacine, who was walking toward the creature now, reaching a hand out to settle it against what should have been its forehead. 

“You can rest now,” she said gently, and something like recognition flashed through those mangled features. Like maybe this was exactly what it had been waiting for all this time. 

“Thank you,” it said, its voice rough but clear, before its body disintegrated entirely. Hyacine fell to her knees in front of it, one hand resting against its forehead until it had completely faded to nothing. Only then did she stand and turn back to the group. 

“Lunabis,” she said quietly, and Dan Heng had to turn to where her gaze had settled. The memory fragment had returned, this time accompanied by a beast much smaller than that which had just fallen, resembling the description from the Skyfolk’s texts. “Solabis.” 

“This is the hero meant to take the Titan’s place?” asked the beast, looking up to Lunabis for confirmation. “You must be mistaken, my friend.” 

“She has proven her worth,” Lunabis said, its voice returning to that matter-of-fact tone from earlier. “Thank you for freeing my companion.” 

“No need to thank us,” Hyacine said dismissively, glancing at the three of them with an appreciative smile of her own before letting her expression turn serious. “Can you take us to Aquila?” 

“No,” Solabis said flatly. 

“What? But your companion–” Phainon started. 

“I said I would show you the way,” Lunabis interjected, earning a look from its companion. 

“We cannot take you to Aquila,” Solabis confirmed, but added, “we can only show you how to draw them out.” 

“How do we do that?” asked Hyacine, following the beasts as they began moving toward another passageway. 

“Use the celestial mural,” Lunabis started, but it was Solabis who finished. “Show Aquila what they’ve been hiding from all this time.” 

“And then…?” Dan Heng asked apprehensively. 

“Then you face them,” Solabis explained, its mane flaring slightly, voice brash in comparison to their companion. “Just as she once did.” 

“Maybe this time, you will do better,” Lunabis added, those words carrying more weight than Dan Heng felt like they should. 

Whatever had happened with Seliose and Aquila hadn’t ended well, despite her supposed victory. Perhaps she had never faced them in the end, or perhaps the victory hadn’t gone to plan. Whatever the reasoning, the creatures started to move down one of the passages again, this time leading them up through the fortress. Caelus, who hadn’t said much since the fight ended, had gravitated back towards Dan Heng’s side and reached for his hand, squeezing it lightly once. The gesture made something loosen in his chest, and he returned it. 

They could do this. They had to. 

---

Caelus adjusted one of the rings on the mechanism and watched the symbols rotate, but still didn’t get that satisfying click that came when they got one in the right position. Dan Heng was working on the other side, carefully examining the patterns and markings etched into the metal. Phainon and Hyacine were nearly at the other end of the vast chamber, working on the other of the last two mechanisms, their voices only faintly echoing in the wide open space. But despite the relative privacy, the two of them had been working in relative silence. 

“You’re being quiet,” Dan Heng observed after a while.

Caelus looked up from the rings to find those jade eyes fixed on him instead of the mechanism, watching him with that steady, patient expression. It seemed that despite trying to keep it to himself, his partner had noticed something was off – didn’t mean he was about to admit it. “I’m allowed to be quiet.” 

“You’re never quiet,” Dan Heng said pointedly. 

“That’s not true. I’m quiet when I’m sleeping.” 

Dan Heng’s lips quirked slightly, and Caaelus caught the hint of amusement in his tone. “You snore.”

“I do not.” Not that Dan Heng was the first to tell him that, but hey, he didn’t need to know that. 

“You do.” There was something almost fond in the way Dan Heng said it, like it was an important piece of information he’d learned and filed into the chaotic drawer labeled ‘things Caelus does’. “Not loudly, but you definitely do.” 

Caelus opened his mouth to argue, but really didn’t have any more comebacks for that, so he opted for another route entirely. “At least I don’t talk in my sleep.” 

The faintest hint of colour tinted Dan Heng’s cheeks and the tips of his ears, which was more than a little satisfying. He shifted his focus back to the mechanism they’d been trying to decipher, as if that would somehow make the statement disappear, muttering back, “I don’t talk in my sleep.” 

“It’s usually a language I don’t understand, but you’re definitely talking,” Caelus said in a tone that was halfway between teasing and reassuring, and was satisfied by the way the muscles in Dan Heng’s jaw tensed. Then, just a little quieter, a little softer, he added, “Or sometimes it’s just my name.” 

Dan Heng had looked like he was about to argue about it prior to that last comment, but now he looked like he’d thought better of it. “We’re getting off topic.” 

“You started it,” Caelus pointed out. 

“I pointed out that you’re being unusually quiet,” Dan Heng corrected, his expression taking on a serious expression again. “Which means something is bothering you. What’s going on?” 

Caelus turned another ring absently, watching the symbols shift, followed by a satisfying click. Unintentional, but he’d take it. “Something feels off.” 

Dan Heng’s brow furrowed. “Off how?”

“I don’t know, just… wrong.” He tried to find better words to describe the feeling, but couldn’t think of anything. The frustration of not being able to think of anything was almost worse than the feeling itself. “Like everything looks fine, but something’s just not right.” 

Dan Heng was quiet for a moment, lifting his head to look around. From the mechanism they were working on to over where Phainon and Hyacine sat, and across the vast chamber surrounding them. “The fortress is unsettling, but I’m not sensing anything strange.” 

“Well, that’s reassuring at least.” Despite the flat tone, he did actually mean it – it was reassuring when his partner didn’t pick up on something. Usually, if he didn’t, there was nothing to pick up on in the first place. They worked in silence for a while, managing to click another two rings in their correct position in the meantime. Caelus occasionally looked around the chamber, that unsettled feeling only growing each time his eyes swept over the empty spaces, the pristine walls that showed no signs of age – or of life ever being there at all, actually. “Where did they all go?” 

Dan Heng looked up at him again, hand pausing over one of the rings. “Who?” 

“The Skyfolk,” Caelus answered simply, still looking around at the large chamber. “What actually happened to them?” 

“The records aren’t exactly clear about that,” Dan Heng explained, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. “They sort of just vanished from history after Seliose challenged Aquila.” 

That made sense, or it would have, if there was any sign they’d ever been there in the first place. But as it stood… “It seems like they just up and vanished in real life, too.”

“What do you mean?” Dan Heng’s hand had paused on the mechanism now, attention solely focused on his partner. 

“Well, they lived here, but it looks like everyone just packed up and walked out mid-day. Never came back,” Caelus explained, adjusting another ring perhaps a little more forcefully than was necessary. “Even ruins aren’t usually this barren.” 

Dan Heng leaned back slightly, giving him a pensive expression. “Now that you mention it… It is a little strange.” 

“Exactly. So what happened here?” 

“I don’t know.” Dan Heng’s brow had furrowed, and Caelus could see him working through something. Processing information in that particular way he did. “The historical records about the Skyfolk are… contradictory at times.” 

Caelus looked at him, waiting. “Contradictory?” 

“Some sources say they left the Sky Castrum. Others suggest they scattered to different regions. A few mention conflict, but nothing specific.” His eyes took on a distant look that Caelus recognized immediately – it was the same one he got when sorting information that wasn’t right in front of him in the archives. “The only thing all the legends agree on is… Seliose. She challenged the Titan to end the war between the tribes, and won.” 

There was something careful about how he spoke now. Deliberate in a way that told Caelus he was building toward something. After a long silence, he prompted with a confused, “Okay?” 

“Which means she would have claimed the Coreflame.” He paused, his hands retreating to settle against his own thighs, the mechanism entirely forgotten for the moment. Caelus also stopped trying to piece together which rings went in which positions for the moment, his chest tight with anticipation. “What happens to a Titan when they lose their Coreflame?”

“I mean, they die.” Wasn’t that obvious? Nikador had turned to ash as soon as Mydeimos had claimed Strife’s Coreflame, and Oronyx’s presence had started to fade before he’d even fully claimed Time’s Coreflame. Anaxa had fused himself to Cerces’ Coreflame, and both had vanished when he returned it to the Vortex of Genesis, and even Polyxia had dissipated, despite already being in the Netherworld. “Pretty quickly too, actually.” 

Dan Heng nodded slowly, as if Caelus had just confirmed some crucial piece of information for him. “So a Titan can’t sustain itself without its divine power.” 

“Right,” Caelus agreed, “so then–” 

He stopped when Dan Heng’s eyes came to meet his again, sharp and present than they were before. Like a major realization had just hit him square in the face. “So … why are we here to fight Aquila?” 

Oh. Oh. The realization crashed into Caelus in the same way their train car had crashed into the ruins outside of Janusopolis. “Aquila should be dead.” 

“Yes,” Dan Heng confirmed. 

Based on everything they knew about the Titans and Coreflames, it made logical sense. Why would Aquila be alive if Seliose had taken their Coreflame? And yet, everything in Amphoreus suggested Aquila was still the Sky Titan, despite the stories. Caelus was trying to wrap his head around the contradiction. Suddenly, that off feeling didn’t seem so out of place anymore, and the thought was immediately relieving – not because the answer was a good thing, not at all. But it was an answer, and that was good enough for him. “Okay, so either the legends were lying, or–” 

“Or what we’re about to walk into isn’t what any of us is expecting.” Dan Heng held his gaze, clearly working through that conclusion. Before either of them could say anything else, there was a loud click echoing from across the chamber. 

“We’ve got this one aligned! How are you two coming along?” Hyacine called out, 

Caelus looked down and realized they were way closer to finishing the one they were working on that he thought. Well shit. Guess spiraling a bit helped. “Almost there!” 

Dan Heng reached out and briefly took his hand, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze – just enough to ground him – before letting go and returning to the task at hand. The warmth of his hand lingered, though, even as they finished aligning the rings and hearing that satisfying thunk of the mechanism activating. The celestial mural began to glow, light spreading across its surface like water, the image of Amphoreus’ sky appearing block by block. It was beautiful and disorienting all at once, if for no other reason than the sheer size of it. It was massive, and Caelus found himself craning his neck just to try and see all of it. 

That sense of something being off was nagging at him even harder now, but at least now he knew why. As soon as they were within earshot, he called out to the scholar. “Hyacine.” 

“Mm?” she hummed, turning her attention away from the freshly activated mural. 

“What actually happened after Seliose defeated Aquila?” The question was straightforward, not bothering to beat around the bush. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, her entire body turning to face him now, giving him her undivided attention. 

“She did defeat Aquila, right?” he asked to clarify.

“Yes – that’s what inspired the Flame-Chase Journey, after the Chrysos War ended.” Hyacine tilted her head slightly. “Why?” 

Caelus exchanged a look with Dan Heng, who gave him an encouraging nod. If the Chrysos Heirs knew more about what they were walking into, they needed to know now. “It’s just that… can a Titan live without its Coreflame? Is that possible?” 

The question hung heavy in the air, and he saw the exact moment she realized what he was really asking her. Her expression went from confused, to understanding, and then quickly shifted to alarm. It was her turn to exchange looks with her companion, who had gone very still near the edge of the platform. I guess they never thought to question the legends… But the belief seemed to be crashing down on them now. It was Dan Heng who broke the silence before anyone else could. 

“Could the legends about Seliose be wrong?” he asked tentatively. “Embellished maybe?” 

“No.” Hyacine shook her head, but she looked shaken now, her hands clasping tight in front of her chest, gently shaking. “It’s confirmed in sources from too many locations in different eras, and it’s too consistent. Even the accounts that contradict each other agree that Seliose defeated the Titan.” 

“So if Aquila’s dead…” Caelus looked up at the mural, swallowing hard. “What exactly is waiting for us in that mural?” 

“Time to find out,” Phainon said quietly, his gaze moving from the mural to the celestial globe. 

“The inscriptions mentioned Aquila avoiding dark clouds,” Dan Heng said, looking at the clear, sunny sky displayed on the mural. “They said the Titan fears what lurks in the shadows.” 

Understanding lit up the healer’s features. “The black tide.” 

“So, maybe if we cover this mural in clouds…” Caelus said, looking between them and the mural. 

“We force them out,” Phainon finished as Hyacine rushed to the celestial globe, fingers already working to adjust the patterns. 

The mural’s display began to shift, the clear sky darkening as storm clouds rolled across its surface. They spread quickly, chaotic storms quickly overtaking the bright sunlight above and engulfing the entire dome in a deep, tumultuous darkness. The chamber shuddered violently around them, though Caelus could tell it wasn’t an earthquake. It seemed like the air itself was vibrating, and that feeling of something being off rose to new heights, sharp and immediate. 

As they all took a defensive stance, the mural pulsed – once, then twice, before something seemed to tear through it. Light erupted from the surface, blinding and violent, forcing Caelus to throw an arm up to shield his eyes from it. He didn’t see it, but he heard Dan Heng shuffle in closer, felt the warmth of him closing in on his side. When the brilliance faded after what felt like far too long, and he was finally able to lower his arm and take a look, his breath caught. The being that emerged was massive, a creature of terrifying divinity that made Nikador seem insignificant by comparison. Multiple wings spread wide, adorned with mechanical halos that spun slowly, emanating a sound that resembled metal grinding violently against stone. The body was sleek, almost beautiful in its architecture, like someone had given a physical form to the sky itself. 

But the beauty was tainted by crawling veins of black tide corruption spreading across its entire form. Hyacine sounded almost fearful when she breathed, “Aquila.” 

The entity opened its dozens of eyes, spread across its form in places eyes shouldn’t be, fixated on the group with an intensity that almost made Caelus step back. He didn’t, but his grip tightened defensively on his bat, feeling like it was his only lifeline to safety. For a long moment, there was only a heavy, oppressive silence, those eyes simply staring down at them. Then, it finally spoke. 

“Heroes.” The voice was layered, multiple tones speaking at once. Some sounded human to him, almost too human, but some were definitely not – he wasn’t even sure they were all in the same language. “After all this time… someone finally comes.” 

Phainon’s stance shifted, ready for anything, but it was Hyacine who spoke with more confidence than Caelus expected. “We’ve come for the Coreflame.” 

“Of course you have.” The wings shifted, spreading wider above them. “Come to challenge the sky god. To finish what she started a thousand years ago.” 

“Seliose,” Phainon said quietly.

“Yes.” Something in the layered tones shifted – taking on more of a bitter note that sounded almost… personal. More human. “The saviour who learned the truth when she touched the divine flame. Who saw the god’s cold indifference. The war, the devotion, the suffering – all of it, meaningless.” 

Caelus and Dan Heng exchanged a look, and in his partner’s eyes, he could see the same apprehension. The same anxiety about what was to come. Something isn’t right. 

“She expected peace – thought victory would end the bloodshed,” the entity continued. “She was wrong.” 

“What happened?” Dan Heng asked carefully. 

Every single one of those eyes shifted to focus on him. “She made a choice. If they wouldn’t stop fighting over a god’s favour, then she would do what needed to be done and make them.” 

The corruption pulsed brighter, and for just a moment, Caelus saw backwards through the veil of time – saw the woman who had once stood where this divine monstrosity stood now. Someone who had once been human and had become twisted with rage, indifference, and black tide corruption. “You’re not Aquila.” Understanding crashed over Caelus like cold water. Every piece suddenly fit into the larger picture. The empty fortress. The dead Titan. The claimed Coreflame. “You’re Seliose.”

“Yes,” the entity said, all eyes snapping to him this time, flaring bright with corruption. “And no. I am both, and neither.” 

“What did you do?” Hyacine whispered the familiar words this time in horror instead of rage, one hand jumping up to cover her mouth in shock. 

“I ended the war.” He could hear now that the inhuman voices weren’t speaking a human tongue at all — it was the language of the Titans. He still couldn’t understand it, even with a Coreflame, but he recognized it. “Ended everything. The Skyfolk. Their petty conflicts. Their worthless civilization.” The voices overlapped, sometimes sounding more human, sometimes more Titan, and it was difficult to tell where Seliose ended and Aquila began. “And now you come to claim what I refused to give.” 

The Titan raised its many arms, and power began crackling through the air. Corruption flared through its entire form, and the entire chamber around them trembled, dust flying from the silent machinery. Caeluss exchanged a look with Dan Heng, who gave him a nod of encouragement, and then glanced at the Chrysos Heirs, who were both preparing themselves. This was what they’d come for. 

“If you want the Coreflame,” it said, something predatory sharpening in that divine gaze, “show me you’re worth saving.” 

Before any of them could so much as move, one of those giant wings swept down with a speed that should have been impossible for such a massive creature. Caelus saw the movement and tried to move, but the movement was too wide, faster than he was – he wasn’t going to make it, and the fear of what that meant flashed through him, fast and real and terrifying. If that strike hit him, not only could he die, but the Stellaron might– 

There was no time for him to finish that thought, something slamming hard into his side. He hit the ground hard, followed by Dan Heng’s weight coming crashing down on top of him half a second later. They rolled across the cold stone in a tangle of limbs, Dan Heng’s arm wrapped around the back of his head to protect it from the impact. Several feet away from where they’d stopped rolling, the wing crashed into the stone, creating a deep enough crater that it created spiderweb cracking in the stone around it. That would have – not, it should have killed him. 

The archivist pushed himself up slightly, looking down at Caelus, still half-covering him. “Are you–”

“I’m fine,” Caelus said, breathless. His partner’s face was too close, worry carved into every feature despite the chaos happening around them. And then he felt the entity’s many eyes fix on them – watching them untangle and scramble back to their feet, the way Dan Heng’s hand lingered on his shoulder just a few seconds longer than it needed to before pulling away and putting himself between him and the Titan. 

Something shifted in that corrupted form. The human features became clearer, more defined, and when it spoke again, every voice within the layers was twisted with something raw and ugly. “This.” The word came out sharp and angry – almost bitter. “A thousand years, and now you show me this!”

The halos spun faster, power building until the air felt thick enough to choke on, corruption spreading from Seliose into the ground around it, into the air. Threatening to overtake the entirety of the Eye of Twilight if they didn’t put a stop to this madness. And soon. 

“What they should have been.” The human voices were drowning out the Titan’s now, overtaking the divine tones with their pain and rage twisting together until they became indistinguishable from one another. “What they never were.” 

Caelus saw something burning in those eyes – in the eyes of the hero who had been revered as a saviour of their people, as the inspiration for the Flame-Chase Journey, the warrior attributed with the fall of the first Titan. There was something buried deep beneath the rage, below the endless layers of bitterness she’d held onto for a thousand years. 

A grief so deep, it poisoned everything else. 

Notes:

Okay, so for starters, sorry this one took so long to get out! I wanted to have it posted last Friday at the absolute latest, but between school projects and our landlord surprising us with major renovations at the last minute, life really just wasn't letting me get it done. That being said, given that I'm really enjoying writing the longer chapters and I have a heavy courseload, I'm going to say that for the foreseeable future, new chapters will probably be posted roughly every two weeks (although earlier updates can and will happen at times -- y'all know I'm not opposed to updating things early!).

That being said, I REALLY enjoyed writing this chapter! We're in the beginnings of emotional turmoil here muahahahahaha, I'm so sorry (no I'm not<3), but it's only going to keep getting worse from here for a while. Taking a few liberties with timelines as usual, and adjusting the course of events ever so slightly, but overall sticking to the canon storyline, as per usual.

As usual, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Comments are always so so appreciated <3