The jungle fell away behind them.
It disappeared without sound or warning, folding like paper under a hand.
Ruria stumbled as the ground solidified beneath her feet again. Kaelis was beside her, gripping her arm, still pale and trembling from the aftermath. The dragon's roar, the fire, the claw—every detail etched itself into memory like acid.
Vaelor stood a few paces away, arms folded, crimson eyes scanning the two girls who had been trapped in the wagon during the attack. The dragon's death had come without fanfare from him, effortless and terrifying. He had not lifted a weapon, not even looked directly at them until the danger had passed.
"You could have intervened earlier," Ruria said quietly, voice shaking as she turned toward him. Her hands were trembling, gripping her cloak. "You knew it. You could have stopped it any moment before—before Kaelis… before everything."
Vaelor tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "And deprive you of learning?" His voice was calm, almost casual. "You would have perished out there anyway if you had been reckless. I did not need to interfere. Yet you survived. Kaelis survived. The girls survived. What more do you want?"
Ruria's fists clenched. "I want you to care, Vaelor! Even for a second, to make it not feel like… like you're toying with us!"
He arched one eyebrow, crimson eyes glinting. "Toying? That word implies amusement. I did not act to entertain myself. I acted to demonstrate the consequences of your choices."
Ruria's breath caught. "So this is a lesson?"
He stepped closer, voice dropping, almost a whisper that only she could hear. "Yes. One you will never forget."
Kaelis, standing stiffly beside her, glanced at Ruria. "She's not wrong," Kaelis murmured. "That… that display was deliberate."
Ruria's jaw tightened. "Deliberate," she repeated, turning to Vaelor. "Always."
He gave no answer. His silence was a presence, suffocating and precise.
Vaelor finally spoke again, directing his attention to the two elf girls huddled near the wreckage of the wagon. The taller one had silver hair that shone faintly under the forest canopy, luminous green eyes wide with fear. Vaelor observed her with an intensity that made her flinch.
"You," he said, voice low, almost playful, "name?"
The girl swallowed. "Lyra… Lyra Fenvale," she whispered. Her voice was fragile, yet carried a certain quiet defiance.
"And you," Vaelor continued, glancing at the other. Her golden-brown hair caught the last of the dying light. Her expression was guarded, lips pressed tightly together. "Name yourself."
The second girl hesitated. "Elara… Elara Solith," she said. Her eyes flicked toward the dragon's corpse as if expecting another to emerge at any moment.
Vaelor nodded once, as if this small display of identification amused him. Then he turned back to Ruria.
"You will take them," he said calmly. "They belong to you. Serve your will."
Ruria stepped forward, placing herself protectively between the girls and Vaelor. "They will stay with me. I will not let them be harmed here, and I will not let them feel fear unnecessarily. They will be trained, yes, but gently. They will… live in safety."
Vaelor tilted his head, studying her expression. "Safety," he repeated, as though testing the word on his tongue. "Interesting concept."
Lyra and Elara exchanged nervous glances. Their fear of him was tangible, yet Ruria's presence offered a thread of calm. Slowly, they stepped closer to her, trusting instinctively in the human who had thrown herself into danger for them.
The world shifted again.
The jungle vanished, replaced by the looming black stone of Vaelor's castle. The walls rose like mountains, towers twisted with spiked iron, and grotesque gargoyles leered down from every parapet. The courtyard was lined with heads, trophies from battles Vaelor had won—emperors, knights, and demon lieutenants alike. The sight was enough to freeze Lyra and Elara in place, their breaths shallow, eyes wide with terror.
Kaelis stiffened, but she did not show fear.
Ruria, however, placed a hand gently on the girls' shoulders. "This is… his home," she said softly. "It's meant to intimidate, but we are safe inside as long as you trust me."
The girls nodded shakily. Their ears were pressed flat, eyes darting between the trophies and Vaelor, who had followed them into the courtyard without comment. His gaze swept over the girls, assessing, calculating, and yet restrained—he did not move closer, did not intimidate further. That would come later, in his own time, on his own terms.
Ruria led them past the heads into the inner halls. The air smelled of iron, ash, and faint magic—a constant reminder of the man who ruled here. Despite the fear in their eyes, she could see a spark of curiosity in Lyra and Elara. Even in terror, young minds sought understanding.
Vaelor followed silently, his eyes occasionally flicking to the girls, though he spoke not a word. His presence alone was enough to make their breaths shallow.
That night, as Vaelor settled into his chair in the grand hall, Ruria turned toward him, anger and exhaustion mingling. "This castle… it's unbearable. The heads, the darkness, the cold stone… I cannot stand it. I want to change it. I want it warmer, more welcoming—more alive!"
Vaelor leaned back, crimson eyes glittering in the torchlight. "You would ruin its purpose. This castle is a warning. It is power. It is fear. You would remove that and… what? Invite weakness?"
"I don't care about inviting weakness!" Ruria said, stepping closer. "I care about those under your rule. I care about those I protect. The girls, Kaelis… even you! They shouldn't have to feel horror every time they enter a room!"
Vaelor's lips curved faintly. "Even I do not feel horror here," he murmured. "You seek to impose comfort on a castle built from death and conquest."
"Then why are you here?" Ruria challenged. "Why are you human at all, if not to feel something?"
He leaned forward slightly, studying her, and she felt that same unnerving intensity that had caused her heart to stutter countless times before. His eyes glinted, dangerous, amused, and provocative all at once.
Ruria's frustration boiled over. She reached up suddenly, capturing his lips with hers. The motion was decisive, hungry, asserting her presence and her authority. Vaelor froze—briefly—but did not pull away. His crimson eyes widened slightly before he relaxed, holding her in place with just the weight of his gaze and his presence.
The room was silent save for the quiet crackle of the torches. For a few minutes, there was only the quiet, shared between them. Ruria's pulse raced as her lips lingered on his.
Finally, Vaelor pulled back slightly, just enough to speak, still maintaining his cold, unreadable composure. "You act without permission," he said softly, almost amused. "And yet…"
Ruria whispered, "And yet what?"
"You are persistent," he replied, tone heavy with something unspoken. "I will allow it."
Ruria stepped back, chest heaving, heart racing. "Then it is settled," she said.
He tilted his head, crimson eyes reflecting the torchlight. "For now," he murmured.
That night, Lyra and Elara were shown to chambers near Ruria's, their presence already causing Vaelor to raise an eyebrow more than once. Kaelis helped guide them, explaining some of the rules while keeping her tone gentle. The girls' fear slowly abated, though Vaelor's looming presence remained a constant reminder of the world's hierarchy.
Ruria sat in her chambers afterward, staring at the dark windows, her mind running over everything—the jungle, the dragon, Kaelis's near death, Vaelor's deliberate timing, and now the girls. She felt exhaustion, adrenaline, relief, and a pang of fear, all coalescing into a fragile resolve.
Vaelor entered silently.
He did not speak immediately. He simply observed her, and for the first time, Ruria felt the weight of his amusement pressing against her chest.
"You commanded your first victory today," he said softly. "And claimed my first kiss."
Ruria's jaw tightened, but a small, defiant smile appeared. "It won't be the last," she replied.
Vaelor tilted his head slightly. "We shall see."
And in that quiet, dark hall of stone and trophies, life moved forward. The girls were alive. Kaelis was alive. And Ruria had asserted her will once more.
Vaelor's patience was infinite. His cruelty restrained. His teasing deliberate. And the castle, for all its shadows, now contained the first glimmers of human warmth—if only faint, fragile, and dangerous.