---
"Lily," he said.
Her eyes glistened with something she refused to let fall.
"You look…" she began, then stopped, because there was too much in the sentence.
Sekhmet gave her a tight, tired half-smile.
"I can talk later," he said, voice low. "Right now, we need to leave this place before someone else smells the blood."
The escorts moved immediately, scanning the ridges, checking for more threats. Their captain stepped forward, eyes sharp.
"Lady Lily," he said, "we should move. Now."
Lily nodded, but her gaze stayed locked on Sekhmet.
Sekhmet felt something twist in his chest again, not pain this time.
Familiarity.
A past he had not allowed himself to think about in purgatory.
Bat Bat fluttered down and landed on Sekhmet's shoulder, proud as a king.
"I kill big," Bat Bat announced loudly.
Sekhmet stared at it.
"You did not kill the big one," he muttered.
Bat Bat blinked.
"I pee big," it corrected proudly.
One of the guards glanced at the bat with confusion and mild fear, as if the creature might start talking about other bodily functions.
Lily's lips twitched.
"A talking bat," she murmured, as if she could not decide if she wanted to laugh or ask questions.
Sekhmet exhaled.
"Camp first," he said. "Talk after."
They moved.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
They traveled for a while, keeping away from obvious trails. The escorts stayed disciplined, scanning, rotating positions, forming a moving shield around Lily while also subtly making room for Sekhmet near the inner edge — without saying it aloud, acknowledging that he was not an enemy.
Sekhmet kept his blood sword dissolved, conserving blood, keeping his scent minimized. His coat helped. His boots kept him quiet.
Bat Bat hovered occasionally, scouting ahead, returning with small, broken reports like a child trying to sound professional.
"No danger. Only… ugly rock."
Sekhmet had muttered, "Rocks are always ugly."
Bat Bat had nodded seriously. "Yes."
Eventually, they found a hollow between ridges where wind was blocked and the ground was flatter. The guards checked the area, set a perimeter, and built a small fire low enough to hide the flame.
Crackle… Crackle…
Sekhmet sat slightly apart at first, letting his breathing settle, letting his ribs stop screaming loud enough to be distracting. He forced himself to stay composed. He did not drink any blood in front of them. He would not. Not now.
Lily approached anyway, stepping past the guards like she owned the night.
She sat across from him on a stone, folding her legs with controlled grace. Firelight painted her face in warm gold, and the familiarity hit him harder now that combat had ended.
She really did look like the girl he knew.
Just… grown.
Refined.
Dangerous.
And beautiful.
And still, somehow, the same in the eyes.
For a moment, neither spoke.
The night filled the silence with crackling fire and distant animal calls.
Then Lily exhaled. "I thought you were missing," she said quietly. "You didn't contact me once…"
Sekhmet's brows tightened.
"I tried," he said dryly. "Purgatory refused."
Lily's mouth curved into a small, shaky smile.
"That is the worst joke," she said.
"It is my best joke," Sekhmet replied.
Lily stared at him, then her smile grew, and a small laugh escaped her despite everything.
"Ha…"
It sounded like the Lily he remembered.
Sekhmet felt something loosen in his chest. He leaned back slightly, letting the night air cool the heat of battle.
Lily's gaze moved over him, taking in the nightmare coat, the new boots, the steadiness in his posture. Then she looked at his face again, as if checking that he was real.
"You changed," she said softly.
Sekhmet's expression turned guarded.
"So did you."
Lily's eyes gleamed.
"I had to," she said. "I went to study. I trained. I came back, and everyone talked about you like you were already a ghost."
Sekhmet narrowed his eyes.
"Who talked?"
Lily hesitated, then shrugged.
"People," she said. "Rumors. The city lord's house hears everything. They said you went to purgatory for training. Then years passed. No return. No message. Your father kept doing business, but his eyes…" she paused, searching for words. "His eyes looked tired."
Sekhmet's jaw tightened.
"Did you meet my father," he asked. "Where is he?"
Lily nodded.
"I did," she said. "Last time I visited your house, your uncle was there."
Sekhmet's eyes narrowed. He did not ask which uncle. In Null, "uncle" could mean blood family or simply a close elder tied to trade and alliances. Right now she was talking about the butler in his house.
Lily continued, "He told me your father had to go out of the city on a business deal a few days ago. That was… about a month ago."
Sekhmet's gaze hardened.
"A month," he repeated.
Lily nodded. "Yes. He did not say where. Just that it was important."
Sekhmet exhaled slowly, forcing his mind to stay calm. He could not control that now. He could only reach the city and learn.
Lily studied his face.
"You are going back," she said, not a question but a test.
Sekhmet's voice came out firmly.
"Yes."
Lily's shoulders eased slightly, as if she had been holding tension for years and did not realize it.
"I am glad," she said quietly.
Sekhmet stared at her.
"Why are you here," he asked. "Purgatory is not a place for sightseeing."
Lily's eyes flickered, then she leaned forward slightly, voice lower.
"I came to find something," she said.
Sekhmet waited.
Lily's lips curved faintly.
"And," she added, "to find you too."
Sekhmet froze for a heartbeat.
Lily held his gaze, unflinching.
"I heard you were training," she said. "When I came back after seven years, you were already gone. I thought… maybe you will come back soon. But you did not. So I decided I would not wait in the city like a child. So I found an excuse to come here. To find something."
Sekhmet's jaw tightened.
"It is dangerous," he said.
Lily snorted softly.