The next morning, Solaris felt heavier than ever. Even the bells, which usually rang in stiff rhythm, sounded sluggish, as if the city itself was weary. Andy and Nia stepped into the smoke-veiled streets together, cloaks pulled tight. The previous night's intimacy still lingered in their bodies, a warmth that steadied them, but now the world pressed forward with its demands.
The note from Lady Calia burned in Nia's sleeve. A secret gathering. A whisper of resistance. For the first time, they were not only fighting Ashen in shadows—they were about to step into the arena of politics that kept Solaris from collapsing, or perhaps already damning it.
---
They arrived at a noble villa hidden in the upper tiers, where the smoke thinned enough for faint light to pierce through. The guards, clad not in Everhart sigils but neutral robes, let them in after checking Calia's seal. The hall was grand but dim, its tapestries faded from ash, its long table lined with figures who looked more haunted than powerful.
Lady Calia herself rose, meeting them with a grave nod. "You came."
Nia lowered her hood, silver eyes cutting through the gloom. "We said we would."
Andy followed, gaze sweeping the room. Half a dozen nobles sat, their expressions ranging from defiance to outright fear. One muttered, "If the clergy finds us here—"
"They won't," Calia cut in sharply. "Not tonight." She gestured toward Andy and Nia. "They've seen the truth. Ashen is no savior. He is corruption in flesh. If Solaris bows to him, we will burn."
The room stirred with uneasy whispers. A lord with grey hair slammed his fist. "And what are we to do? The people worship him. They see feathers falling like miracles. Every shrine glows brighter by the day!"
Andy's hand brushed his pouch, where the forged feather rested. He stepped forward, voice hard. "I've seen how they're made. False relics fed through shrines that draw from a corrupted core. You think that's divine? It's poison. And your people are swallowing it."
A murmur swept the table. Some looked convinced. Others narrowed their eyes.
Nia drew the suppressed scroll from her cloak, laying it open. "This is doctrine the clergy buried. It says no mortal can wield Phoenix fire without corruption. And yet Ashen has done so, not once, but across centuries. He returns, vessel after vessel, devouring faith."
Gasps filled the air. One woman whispered, trembling, "Then what is he? A man? A god?"
"A parasite," Nia said coldly.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Finally, Calia straightened. "If we resist, we must act as one. Not just words, but strategy. Resources. Protection. The clergy will not forgive betrayal."
Andy's eyes narrowed. "Then we start with trust. Are you ready to resist? Or are you waiting for someone else to burn first?"
One by one, hands touched the table. Not all, but enough.
---
Later, after the meeting fractured into whispers of logistics, Andy and Nia stepped onto the villa balcony. The city stretched below, a sea of false fire. Nia leaned against the railing, her hair silver in the dim light.
"They're afraid," she said softly.
"They should be." Andy joined her, gaze fixed on the shrines glowing in the distance. "Ashen isn't just one man. He's a chain tied to something worse. If we cut one link, the chain drags another into place."
Nia turned, her voice quiet but firm. "Then we cut deeper. All the way to the core."
Their rings pulsed together, a faint glow against the darkness.
The System chimed:
*Political Alignment Shift: Solaris Resistance Faction unlocked.*
*Bond Progression: Star 3 — 46% → 48%.*
*Side Objective: Protect Resistance Leaders.*
---
The next days blurred into planning. Andy sparred with resistance guards, showing them how to fight zealots whose bodies burned with false ember. Nia spoke with nobles and merchants, weaving words into shields, countering rumors that Everhart was the cause of Solaris's suffering.
But shadows pressed closer. Whispers spread in the market: spies among nobles, priests watching doorways, shrines glowing brighter with each passing night. The tension was a string stretched too tight.
And then came the warning.
A runner stumbled into the villa, ash smeared across his face. "They know," he gasped. "The clergy… the clergy knows of this council."
The villa erupted in panic. Voices rose, chairs scraped. Andy's hand flew to his blades, eyes flashing. Nia grasped his wrist, steadying him.
"We hold," she whispered fiercely. "If we run now, Solaris is lost."
The System pulsed, sharp as a blade:
*Main Quest Updated: Solaris Faction Trial begins.*
*Warning: Hostile Confrontation Imminent.*
Andy exhaled, the storm gathering in his chest. "Then let them come."
The villa was quiet after the nobles departed, the air heavy with the ghosts of whispered fears. Lady Calia remained with Andy and Nia in a smaller parlor, the table between them set with a simple pot of tea. The steam curled soft and sweet, a rare fragrance that cut through the bitterness of Solaris's ever-present smoke.
Calia poured with steady hands, her voice low. "This was my mother's last gift before Ashen's shrines spread. I've hidden it for years. When the world tastes of ash, sometimes a little sweetness is what keeps you whole."
Nia accepted her cup, bowing her head faintly. "Thank you. It feels like a treasure."
Andy sniffed his own suspiciously, lips quirking. "Not poisoned, right?"
Calia arched a brow, amused. "If I wanted to kill you, Flameward, I wouldn't waste tea."
The three of them shared a soft laugh. For a moment, the tension eased, and the villa felt less like a fortress and more like a home. They drank in silence, letting the warmth of the tea seep into tired bones.
Conversation drifted gently. Nia asked about Solaris before Ashen, and Calia spoke of lanterns swaying in the wind, children laughing without fear of priests watching. Andy listened, the words stirring a quiet ache inside him. The world Calia described sounded like a dream he had never known but suddenly wanted to protect.
When the pot emptied, Calia rose. "Rest here tonight. You'll need strength. Tomorrow, the city will demand more of you." Her gaze softened on them both, as if she saw something in their closeness. She inclined her head and left, the door closing with a quiet click.
The parlor dimmed, lit only by a single lantern. The stillness stretched.
Andy exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Feels strange. Sitting still like this. Almost like I could forget what waits outside."
Nia slid closer, her silver eyes soft but steady. "That's why we fight. So we don't lose moments like this."
Their rings pulsed faintly as their hands found each other. He turned, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "It's been so long since we had anything close to peace."
She tilted her head, lips curving faintly. "Then maybe tonight… we take it back."
The lantern flickered as though it had heard her. Their kiss was not rushed this time, not borne of desperation or fear—it was slow, lingering, as if making up for every stolen night since Solaris had swallowed them whole. Fingers curled into fabric, cloaks sliding from shoulders, warmth closing the space between them.
They moved together, unhurried, laughter breaking between kisses, breath catching as they found the rhythm they had nearly forgotten. The world outside burned, but in that parlor, only their closeness mattered—the taste of tea still on their lips, the soft glow of the lantern, the steady beat of their hearts syncing as one.
Later, the lantern dimmed, leaving only the rings glowing faintly, pulsing with the resonance of their bond. Nia rested against Andy's chest, her hair spilling across him, his hand tangled gently in hers.
The System whispered, quiet as a lullaby:
*Bond Progression: Star 3 — 49% → 51%.*
*Emotional Anchor Reinforced: Shared Hearth.*
*Passive Strengthened: Soul Harmony (Bond regen ↑, Emotional strain ↓).*
Andy pressed a kiss to her forehead, voice low. "Tomorrow will come. But tonight… we're here."
Nia smiled, her breath soft against him. "And that's enough."
Outside, Solaris smoldered under false fire. Inside, for one fleeting night, there was only warmth that was real.
---