Kurtis and Anya stood frozen just inside the entryway, breath caught, as they waited for Billy. Then, a voice, scraped raw with an agony of longing, pierced the silence. “Mom! Dad!” Billy cried, launching himself towards them. The sound shattered the fragile dam of their carefully constructed composure. Tears streamed, hot and unchecked, down their faces, a silent, desperate outpouring of the agonizing void his absence had carved. Words snagged in their throats, clumsy and useless against the overwhelming torrent of joy at his sudden, impossible return. Anya’s hands flew to his face, her touch light, frantic, as she searched for any shadow of harm before pulling him into an embrace that threatened to fuse them together, burying him in kisses. “I missed you so much, my baby,” she choked out, her voice thick with a storm of unshed tears. “My heart… it’s whole again. I’m so unbelievably, painfully happy you’re home.”

“How can we ever thank you?” Kurtis managed, his gaze fixed on Billy, as if fearing he might vanish.

“There is nothing to be done,” Noctis replied, a gentle smile gracing his lips. “Seeing your reunion is payment enough. Why don’t you enjoy this time together? I’ll have a maid bring up some food for Billy; I’m sure he’s famished after his long journey.”

A chorus of heartfelt “thank yous” warmed the air before Kurtis and Anya, each clasping one of Billy’s hands as if he were a precious, rediscovered treasure, guided him up the stairs. He’s safe, I thought, a profound wave of relief washing through me, loosening a knot I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

“Alright everyone,” Noctis began, his voice drawing them back, gesturing towards a nearby room, “please join me in the sitting room.” We followed him, each finding a comfortable spot to settle, the lingering emotion of the reunion still thrumming in the air.

Once we were seated, Noctis turned to Adrix. “After we’re finished here, would you mind setting a seal around the house?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Adrix replied, his attention already seeming to drift, a thoughtful, faraway expression settling on his face. “And I’ll see what other artifacts I might have that could be of assistance.”

“Thank you, Adrix. Now,” Noctis continued, his gaze sweeping over us, calm and assessing, “we need to locate the holder of the other silver coin. Does anyone have any initial thoughts?” My own mind remained stubbornly blank, a knot of frustration tightening at the thought of Amelia’s cryptic proclamations.

Finnian leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation. “Is it possible this person might have approached the information guild here for information or assistance?” he ventured.

Noctis considered the suggestion, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. “I don’t believe so,” he said. “I would have been aware of it.”

“How would you have known?” Liora inquired, her curiosity evident.

“I count the guild leader among my friends. Something of that significance, I would have been informed of,” he explained, a subtle note of authority in his tone.

“Perhaps you could try reaching out to Amelia?” I suggested, the words out before I could second-guess them. “She’s a seer; if anyone knows more, she should. It’s possible she possesses more information currently than she chose to share.”

Noctis paused, his gaze thoughtful. “I can do that,” he finally said, a sigh escaping him. “Honestly, I suspect that’s our most viable option at this point.”

A quiet consensus rippled through the room. “Alright, I’ll contact her, and then we can reconvene. I’ll let you all know the plan,” Noctis said. “Why doesn’t everyone try to get some rest for now? The day has been… eventful.”

My gaze drifted down to my ring, its delicate shimmer catching the ambient light, a silent promise. Soon, everyone had departed the sitting room except for Adrix, who remained seated, lost in his thoughts.

“Hey, Adrix,” I said softly, breaking the quiet.

“Hmm?” he responded, his gaze lifting from some distant point on the far wall, focusing on mine with an unnerving directness.

“Do you think after you set the seal, we could talk in my room?” I asked, holding up my hand, the ring glinting like a captured star in the dim light. “I have some questions about this artifact.”

Silence stretched, taut and expectant. “Of course,” he said, his voice perhaps a touch lower, huskier than usual. “I’ll be up shortly. This shouldn’t take long.” A small, almost hesitant smile touched his lips before he rose. “I’ll see you shortly, Lyra.”

After Adrix left, a restless energy thrummed beneath my skin, despite Noctis’s suggestion to rest. The weight of the silver coin quest, the lingering image of Billy’s tear-streaked face, and the impending conversation about my ring—and with Adrix—kept my mind racing. I wandered through the quiet house, the silence amplifying the noise of my thoughts. Eventually, I found my way to my room, the anticipation a nervous flutter in my stomach. I sat on the edge of the bed, turning the ring over and over, its cool metal a stark contrast to the heat in my palms.

A soft knock on the door was a gentle intrusion. “Lyra?” Adrix’s voice, quiet on the other side.

“Come in,” I replied, the fluttering in my stomach intensifying. The door creaked open, and Adrix stepped inside. A subtle thrum of magic, like the scent of ozone after a storm, clung to him, likely a residue from setting the seal.

“The seal is in place,” he said, his gaze meeting mine, steady and deep. “You wanted to talk about the ring?” He gestured towards the artifact in my hand. I nodded, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious under that unwavering gaze.

Adrix sat down beside me on the bed, the mattress dipping slightly with his weight, and my heart immediately picked up its tempo. The familiar, unique scent that always seemed to surround him—something clean, filled the small space, momentarily eclipsing my thoughts.

“So, this ring masks my mana, correct?” I managed to ask, fighting to regain my focus.

“Yes,” he confirmed, his gaze unwavering, a flicker of something unreadable—interest? curiosity?—deep within his violet eyes. “It masks your mana,” he repeated, his tone a low murmur that seemed to vibrate in the charged air between us.

But my attention was already ensnared. As I met his gaze, I noticed the intricate, obsidian lines of a tattoo just visible beneath the collar of his shirt. Tonight, the markings seemed to possess an unusual vibrancy, pulsing with a soft, internal, almost ghostly luminescence that drew me in like a luminous siren song. It glowed with an intensity I hadn’t witnessed before, captivating and strangely, powerfully alluring. The question about the ring evaporated from my mind.

Lost in the hypnotic luminescence, my hand seemed to move of its own accord. My fingers, drawn by an irresistible pull, lightly touched the glowing lines on his neck. I traced a small section of the delicate, intricate pattern from his nape towards his collarbone, noticing the subtle, unexpected warmth beneath my fingertips. Adrix drew a sharp, audible breath, his gaze flicking to mine, a raw awareness igniting in their depths. My hand stilled. “Sorry,” I murmured, a faint warmth blooming on my cheeks. “They’re just so… vivid right now. I haven’t seen them glow quite like this before.”

“That’s… alright,” he said, his voice quiet, a slight rasp to it, as if his breath had snagged in his throat. His violet eyes, remained locked on mine, holding a depth I hadn’t fully registered before. “It happens when I expend a substantial amount of mana.”

“Why is that?” I asked, my own voice still a little unsteady.”Is it like my artifact? Because I was curious how you keep your mana so… contained.”

“Yes,” he replied, his gaze still intense, his voice that low, resonant murmur that seemed to thrum in the small space between us. “They are seals. Wards I placed upon myself to keep my mana hidden, and under control.”

“Under control?” I echoed, a slight frown creasing my brow, the image of uncontrolled, destructive power flickering in my mind. “Do you mean like when a mage gets too emotional and their magic lashes out?”

“Similar, yes,” he explained, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. “But for me… I hold so much mana that it risks overflowing, consuming my control, imbuing my spells with far too much power.”

Adrix shifted slightly on the bed, a subtle movement that drew my attention back to him with an almost physical pull. “It’s a risk I cannot afford to take,” he said, his voice a low, husky caress.

The question about my ring felt utterly forgotten, lost in the supercharged atmosphere that had unexpectedly sprung up between us, thick and electric. 

Slowly, Adrix leaned a fraction closer. The subtle movement erased the remaining space between us, and I could now feel the warmth of his breath ghosting across my cheek, carrying that intoxicating, uniquely Adrix scent. My own breath hitched, caught in my chest. My gaze was drawn, as if by a magnet, to his lips.

Every nerve ending sang with heightened awareness, a tingling, electric anticipation that made my skin prickle. The urge to close the final distance. My eyelids fluttered, and I could feel my own lips parting in response, a silent, instinctive offering. The glowing lines of his tattoo pulsed softly beneath his collar, a beacon drawing my gaze back to his intense, burning stare. The mutual desire hung so heavily in the air it felt almost tangible, a breathless, shimmering precipice.

Then, Adrix leaned back slightly, a flicker of hesitation, of something akin to fear, crossing his eyes. He drew back slowly, shifting away from me just enough that a sudden coolness settled where his warmth had been moments before, leaving me feeling strangely bereft. His voice, low and strained, painfully raw, broke the heavy silence. “Lyra.”

He shifted his gaze away from mine, staring down at the floorboards as if they held the answers to an unspoken torment. A knot of anxiety tightened in my chest, cold and sharp. My voice, quiet and betraying a hint of the nervousness churning within me, finally broke the silence. “Is… is everything alright?”

His gaze lifted from the floor, his violet eyes meeting mine once more. The raw intensity from moments before had receded, replaced by a subtle, guarded wall, and a quiet, profound sadness that tugged at something deep within me. “I’m not ready,” he said.

“I… I understand,” I said softly, offering a hesitant half-smile that I knew didn’t quite reach my eyes, a dull ache spreading through my chest.

“I’m afraid of hurting you,” he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper, each word seeming to carry an immense weight of vulnerability. He finally met my gaze fully, his eyes now filled with raw honesty that lanced through me. “I’ve… I’ve never been in a relationship before. The closest I’ve had to anything like this was my friendship with Noctis,” he admitted, a faint, almost apologetic smile touching his lips, a stark contrast to the turmoil in his eyes.

“Adrix,” I said, my voice gentle but firm, holding his gaze steadily, a soft wave of understanding washing over me. “You won’t hurt me. And… I’ve never been in a relationship myself. As you know, most of my life has been spent running, surviving. This is all… new territory for me too,” I admitted, a corresponding vulnerability unfurling within me.

Adrix’s eyes searched mine, a flicker of something akin to surprised relief within their violet depths. “You truly believe that?” he echoed softly, though a hint of his earlier fear still clung to his voice. “But what if I lose control… of myself?”

“This is new for both of us, Adrix,” I said, a small, genuine smile finally touching my lips, reaching my eyes this time. “Maybe we don’t have to figure everything out right now. We can just… be here. And figure things out as we go. Together.”

He nodded slowly, a visible ripple of tension leaving his shoulders, as if a heavy burden had been momentarily eased. A small, almost hesitant smile touched his lips, this one holding a fragile hope. “Okay,” he said, his voice returning to a more even tone, though a trace of the earlier vulnerability still lingered like a shadow in his eyes. “Okay. So, about that ring…”

“You actually answered my question already,” I said, a lightness returning to my own voice. “I was curious as to how you keep your mana hidden, and now I understand its counterpart in needing the artifact to mask mine.”

A knock at the door, sharper this time, pulled our attention away from each other. “Noctis said he’s ready to talk with everyone. He just finished speaking with Amelia,” Liora’s voice announced, clear from behind the closed door.

“Okay, thank you, Liora. We’ll be right there,” I responded, my gaze flicking back to Adrix for a fleeting, significant moment before I turned towards the door, the echo of our conversation, and the ghost of his touch, still warm on my skin.