Anuver stepped forward, his gaze locked on the pitch-black broken diamond suspended in the ritual's fading glow.
The void fragment.
It didn't just absorb light it erased it. Colors bled away at its edges, sound dulled, and even the realm's endless life energy roots constantly weaving and unweaving was devoured and reborn in the same instant just to keep the erasure from spreading.
The air around it felt thinner, heavier, like standing near a black hole that swallowed not just matter, but possibility itself.
Yet Anuver reached out without hesitation, his hand steady, fingers relaxed.
His palm closed around it.
The fragment rested there cold, dense, utterly silent. No struggle. No drain. No whisper of resistance.
It lay in his grasp as if it had always belonged to him, a harmless relic in the hand of its true master. He turned it over once, feeling its weight, the way it seemed to pull at the edges of his perception without actually doing anything.
Audrey watched from a few paces away, arms crossed loosely under her chest, her expression a mix of old familiarity and new wariness.
The faint vine markings on her skin pulsed slower now, like her heartbeat had slowed. Her lips pressed together, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him, head tilting just a fraction as if trying to see something new in a face she'd known for eons.
Look at this guy, she thought, eyes narrowing further, a faint crease forming between her brows. Holding a void fragment like it's nothing. What's he planning this time? Same old king…
But something bugged her more than it should.
That smile.
That half-grin real, almost playful as he turned the fragment over in his hand, golden eyes glinting with quiet satisfaction. His head tilted slightly, silver hair shifting with the movement.
She hadn't seen anything like it in millions of years. Not since the early days, when everything was still wild and new. Before he shut everyone out. Her posture shifted slightly, shoulders tensing as memories surfaced unbidden, her fingers tightening against her arms.
Something's different.
Not possession no way anyone could pull that off.
But the way he talked, the teasing, the little smirks… it wasn't the cold, distant Anuver she remembered. Her breath came a fraction shallower, eyes searching his face for answers that weren't there.
And if he started here…
He's going to the others next. Obviously.
He scattered the fragments himself, after all.
Anuver hopped down from the platform, fragment still between his fingers. He stopped in front of her, golden eyes meeting hers with that same relaxed confidence, one brow arching slightly as he waited for her reaction.
"You kept it pretty safe," he said, voice casual but with that familiar edge, a faint chuckle underneath. "Or were you just keeping yourself safe from it?"
Audrey lifted her chin, holding his gaze, though her fingers tightened imperceptibly at her sides.
"The second one," she answered flatly, voice steady. "I don't know how the others are handling theirs. For me it was easy. Life and void cancel each other out."
Anuver chuckled quietly, rolling the fragment like a coin between his fingers, watching it catch the light or fail to.
"Yeah, figures it'd be easy for you."
In the game, he thought, a flicker of irritation crossing his mind before smoothing away, this secret stayed hidden forever. I grinded side quests for weeks just to find one stupid note that teased lore that never dropped.
He slipped the fragment into his jacket pocket like it was spare change, patting the pocket once as if to make sure it was secure.
Audrey kept her arms crossed, watching him, her posture relaxing just a fraction but eyes still sharp.
"So," she said, sounding tired, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "You got what you came for. You leaving now so I can finally get some rest?"
Anuver tilted his head, smirking, hands sliding into his pockets.
"You act like I'm wearing out my welcome."
Audrey gave a short, dry laugh, shaking her head slightly.
"Not exactly. But you didn't come here to hang out with me, did you?"
She paused, eyes locking on his, stepping a little closer.
"It's been nine million years since you last showed up."
Anuver's hand went to his chin, hiding the grin that tried to break through, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Nine million, huh? You were counting?"
Audrey stepped in fast, grabbing his open jacket collar and yanking him down to her level, her face inches from his.
"Because you just stopped talking," she snapped, voice cracking for the first time, eyes flashing with years of built-up frustration. "No replies. Nothing. I sent messages through your servants total silence. And now you pop in out of nowhere, grab the fragment, and act like I'm just the doorman."
Her grip shook, knuckles white, breath coming quicker.
Anuver's mind raced behind his calm face, golden eyes widening fractionally in genuine surprise. Messages? Servants? Shit… those memories are gone. Not fuzzy completely blank.
Before he could say anything, Audrey pushed up on her toes.
She kissed him.
Hard. Angry. Desperate. All the years of waiting poured into it frustration, loneliness, relief her fingers fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer even as she poured everything into that single moment.
Then she shoved him back with both hands, palms flat against his chest.
Reality twisted.
Anuver stumbled, suddenly standing outside the world-tree again, in the open air of Domain 3. The inner realm had slammed shut behind him with a soft, final hum.
He stood there a second, touching his lips, eyes wide for once, a faint flush on his cheeks.
"What the hell was that?"
His expression hardened, the smirk gone, brows furrowing as he stared at the tree.
Memories missing. Not forgotten gone.
He glanced back at the massive tree, branches swaying like nothing happened.
A slow smile crept back sharper this time, intrigued.
"Interesting."
The fragment in his pocket stayed cold and quiet.
But for the first time since waking up in this body, Anuver felt like he didn't know the full story.
And that… excited him.