Kerisa didn't waste any time. With a glance to ensure Nem'Yeth wasn't paying attention, she moved in, engaging the Xu'rith with a barrage of questions and feigned curiosity about Xa'nia's architecture. Nem'Yeth stopped to answer, momentarily distracted.
Seeing his chance, Kaiser slipped away, moving swiftly but casually out of the plaza. His heart raced with the thrill of disobedience, but a nagging sense of purpose quickly replaced the initial excitement.
At first, he wasn't sure where he was headed, his legs carrying him through the winding paths of Xa'nia. But the more he walked, the clearer his destination became—he had to find the Enfas.
He felt an anxious curiosity chipping at him, an urge to understand the people they were supposed to make peace with.
As Kaiser wandered deeper, an idea sparked in his mind. He needed to track them down, and the life network was his best tool for that. Pausing in a secluded spot, he closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses to feel the web of life surrounding him.
The moment his eyes shut, unsettling images flashed across his mind—the man's head rolling, the blood spraying, the agony in the man's final moments. Kaiser's breath hitched, but he forced the memories aside, focusing intently on the task. He pushed deeper into the network, letting it guide him like a second sense. The web of connections pulsed around him, and then he felt a sudden, abrupt cut in the network, like a void where life should have been—Necronfi.
His eyes snapped open, the disorienting images banished for now. Moving quickly, he rounded a corner, his pace quickening as he zeroed in on the source. But as he neared the spot, something unexpected caught his attention.
Sitting by a fountain with two giant statues at its center, a girl his age was silently crying alone, her shoulders trembling with each stifled sob. Kaiser slowed his approach, the scene feeling oddly out of place in the otherwise orderly surroundings. As he got closer, he realized who—or rather, what—she was.
An Enfa.
Her short black hair was streaked with raven purple underlights, and a delicate black halo floated above her head. Glowing purple markings traced her body, standing out against her pale skin, though unlike Kaiser's, they remained static. She seemed so out of place and vulnerable that, for a moment, Kaiser didn't think of her as an Enfa at all.
"Hey, are you alright?" The words slipped out before he could remind himself they were worlds apart. And yet…
"Huh?" As she slowly looked up, their eyes met. The world narrowed to just that moment. Her eyes were unlike anything Kaiser had ever seen—deep purple irises with glowing white pupils set against a sclera with luminescent lines that pulsed. The tears that had built up in her eyes shimmered with an iridescent glow, catching the light and refracting it like tiny prisms. For a heartbeat, Kaiser was caught, mesmerized by the striking contrast to his golden eyes, so familiar yet foreign in their beauty.
There was a stillness in their gaze, an awkward silence in which neither knew how to react. Her eyes flickered briefly to the ground, then back to him, her shoulders tensing slightly. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but no words came. Instead, she pressed them together. Her gaze wavered as she half-turned away but still looked at him.
Kaiser hesitated for just a second before lowering himself to sit beside her. The fountain's stone was cool beneath him, grounding him in reality. But as he did, she scooted slightly away, maintaining a cautious distance between them.
The movement was slight, almost imperceptible, but Kaiser didn't miss it. His heart sank a little, but he didn't push any further. He simply sat there, his gaze drifting to the fountain's gentle waters, allowing the tension to settle, uncertain of what to do.
"I'm sorry," he said while not keeping eye contact, mainly to avoid seeming intimidating.
She took a second to breathe and then responded, "For what?"
Kaiser simply chuckled at her question. His gaze shifted back to her eyes as he softly smiled. "I was pretty scared about meeting you all. I had so many negative and mean assumptions, so… I'm sorry."
The girl was at a loss for words. She blinked in surprise, looking down and then back up at him. Slowly, she turned more and more towards him, opening herself up to the unexpected encounter.
"Then… you and me both. I'm sorry too," she said before offering him a shaky hand. Kaiser looked at it and then up at her, trying not to misunderstand the situation.
"What are you…" his words trailed off.
"Dirvahs show trust and positive emotions through physicality, right? Or… am I doing this wrong?" she said before pulling her hand back. "I-I'm so sorry if—" Kaiser didn't waste time and grabbed her hand, pulling her a bit closer to him.
"Pleasure to meet you! I'm Kaiser Xavier," he said.
A faint blush colored her pale cheeks as she stiffened her back. "I-I'm Sapphire Sachi Secrofantazia."
"That's such a cool name! But it's a bit long… can I call you Sachi?" Kaiser said, already forgetting he wasn't at home with other Xavier clan members.
"Sachi? My middle name?" she repeated, glancing around as if searching for where to rest her eyes. "Okay," she whispered. "Then… can I call you Kai?"
Kaiser grinned, nodding eagerly. "Kai works for me."
They both sat in silence, the earlier awkwardness slowly fading away. Kaiser couldn't help but notice the remnants of iridescent tears in her eyes, and his curiosity got the better of him. "So… what were you crying about?"
Sapphire's smile faltered briefly, her gaze dropping to the ground. "It's complicated," she admitted, her voice softer now. She hesitated, but then she shook her head, her smile returning. "But it doesn't matter now. I feel a lot better."
Kaiser studied her for a moment longer, sensing there was more to her sadness than she was letting on. But he respected her choice to keep it private, at least for now. Instead, he returned her smile, hoping that maybe he had helped, even just a little.
Just as the space between Kaiser and Sapphire began to close, the moment was shattered by the sudden arrival of a boy who looked strikingly similar to Sapphire. His presence was immediately imposing as he stepped into the scene with authority. His sharp gaze dropped to where their legs were slightly touching, a subtle but telling sign of the connection they had begun to form.
"Sister," the boy said, his voice cold and disapproving. He didn't bother to hide his disdain as he turned to face Sapphire fully. "Stop talking to this Dirvah. You know we're prohibited from doing so, and we have preparations to attend to."
Kaiser's expression tightened, irritation building in his chest. He opened his mouth to defend Sapphire. "She can stay if she wants to. She's not—"
But the boy's eyes narrowed, his markings glowing with dark energy. "You're in no position to say what she can or can't do," he snapped, his voice low with menace. "You're just a Dirvah, and you have no business interfering."
Sapphire quickly interjected, her voice steady but tinged with regret. "It's fine, Kai," she said softly, standing up and gently pulling her hand from his. "I'll go. Thank you for checking up on me."
Kaiser clenched his jaw, watching her step away, but couldn't help but voice his thoughts as he glanced back at the boy. "I take it you're the Necronfi Ascendant."
The boy's eyes bore into him, unyielding and hostile. "And if I am? What are you going to do?"
Kaiser's markings flared slightly in response to the boy's attitude.
Suddenly, another figure appeared. She looked strikingly similar to Nem'Yeth but with a few key differences. Her flame-orange hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that swayed with each determined step, and her eyes burned with the same fiery hue. Her skin was a shade lighter, but her presence was no less commanding as she stormed toward Kaiser with her brow furrowed and her lips pressed tightly.
"We should have expected something like this," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she reached him. Without giving him time to react, she grabbed his wrist, her grip firm as she began to drag him along.
"Hey, wait—what are you doing?!" Kaiser protested, trying to free his arm, but she didn't relent.
"You should be thanking me," she said nonchalantly, not even bothering to look back at him.
"Who even are you?" he asked.
"I'm Fah'Yeth, Advent Daughter of Inferno. Now move along; everyone else has already gone to their quarters."
As he was being pulled away, Kaiser caught a glimpse of Sapphire out of the corner of his eye. Her earlier tension melted as she watched the scene unfold, a gentle giggle escaping her lips.
Despite the awkwardness of being dragged off, Kaiser couldn't help but feel relief at seeing her smile, even if it was at his expense. She moved her lips to say something back, but he didn't catch what she said.
When they finally arrived at the quarters, Kaiser braced himself for the lecture he was sure would come. He expected Halia to be waiting with anger, ready to scold him for wandering off and almost getting into trouble. But instead, as soon as he stepped inside, he was met with something entirely unexpected.
Halia was beaming, her usual severe and elder demeanor replaced with a rare, vibrant, youthful excitement. She practically rushed toward him, with Kerisa right beside her, both of them smiling widely.
"Kaiser!" Halia exclaimed, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "You're just in time. We've been informed there will be a welcoming sparring session in the Xa'nian Arena!"
Kaiser blinked, completely dumbfounded. "A sparring session? For a welcoming? With the Enfas?" He looked between Halia and Kerisa, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "You're telling me that the bright idea to start peace with the Enfas is… a battle?"
Halia laughed lightly, clearly unfazed by his confusion. "Whether Enfa or Dirvah, the love for battle is in our blood. It will be a way to understand each other and to test strength and skill. Ascendant will fight Ascendant, and Guardian will fight Guardian. It's the perfect way to begin this alliance!"
Kaiser still couldn't quite believe it, but Halia's expression grew serious before he could protest. "By the way, do you know what the Raven of Death can do? You should gather information about the Ascendant of Necronfi before the fight."
Kaiser shrugged, still caught up in his earlier frustration. "I don't care. He seems like a real ass."
Halia's brow furrowed as she looked at him. "He? Kaiser, the Ascendant of Necronfi is a girl."
Kaiser's heart skipped a beat as the realization hit him. The image of the boy he had argued with faded, replaced by the startling truth. "What?" he managed to say, his mind reeling as the implications sank in.