Beyond the clearing where the others waited, the soul realm stretched into low hills and open ground, quiet and unclaimed. Two figures walked there at an unhurried pace.
Light slid across skin marked by history. Orianna's floral tattoos traced along her shoulders and down her arms, inked petals and winding stems catching the pale glow as she moved.
Beside her, Black Fang's purple, serpentine markings followed the lines of her body in darker curves, coiling over her back and thighs.
Every step set muscle in motion beneath them. They looked built for battle and long nights, bodies honed rather than aged, presence heavy with years lived hard.
Orianna let out a slow breath. "I feel so out of place… Like a tagalong who wandered in by accident. Is it really fine for me to be here?"
Black Fang kept her gaze forward. "The feeling is mutual."
Orianna shot her a look. "Even you?"
"I am currently realm hopping," Black Fang replied, tone flat, as if that alone covered everything.
