Astelion POV
I pushed past the lingering dread in my chest, reaching out to help Kiono up off the dirt. He stood, coughing lightly as his lungs fought to adapt to the heavy, physical air of the living realm once more. Without a second of hesitation, he pulled me into a protective embrace, crushing my face into his chest. He held me so tightly I could hear the rapid, chaotic drumming of his heart, as if he were reassuring himself that I was still solid, still real, and still in his arms.
"We have to get out of here," he murmured into my hair, his voice raspy and broken from the terrifying toll the spirit world had taken on his soul.
"And go where, Kiono?" I asked softly, pulling back just far enough to look up into his tired, pale face. The panic flickered in my own mind as I remembered where we were. "Castel will find me. The moment he realizes I am no longer in the spirit realm he's going to hunt me down. He's probably already tearing the realm apart searching for my head."
"He won't look where we're going," Kiono said, his blue eyes kindling with a sudden, fierce determination. "He refuses to go anywhere near the valley where his parents died. The trauma of that place burns him to his core, and he avoids it like a curse. He won't look for you there. I just need you to stay put, hidden away, for a little while until I can come up with a proper plan, okay?"
I hesitated, the memory of his terrifyingly darkened eyes lingering at the edge of my thoughts. But looking at the exhaustion lined around his face and knowing I had nowhere else to turn, I gave him a slow nod.
Without another word, Kiono swept me off my feet and into his arms. A low, rhythmic hum of invisible force rippled through the air as he tapped into his telekinetic power, lifting us smoothly off the dirt. The ground dropped away beneath us, and the wind began to roar in my ears as we shot high into the sky, soaring fast and silent far above the cloud line. He held me closely against his broad chest, angling his body to shield my face from the biting cold of the upper atmosphere as we crossed the invisible boundaries dividing the realms.
Below us, the landscape transformed. The jagged black peaks of the Mad King's territory softened, giving way to the ancient, forgotten expanse of Aiga.
This was the old world—the ancestral realm where Dargos and the great dragon lords used to reign supreme before they were sealed away in the Void. Now, stripped of its grand magical dominance, it had become a quiet sanctuary for ordinary humans who lacked the spark of magic entirely. Massive, weathered dragon statues carved directly into the high mountain cliffs guarded a sprawling coastal bay, their stone faces worn smooth by centuries of rain, silently watching over wooden fishing ships gliding across the misty waters below.
Kiono flew low over the ancient, moss-covered rooftops, zeroing in on a secluded structure tucked far away near the dense treeline at the base of the cliffs. He glided smoothly toward a wide, open window—an arched opening framed by thick, twisted tree roots and soft, glowing wild flora. Stepping effortlessly through the threshold, his boots made barely a sound as he landed on the polished wooden floor.
He carried me across the dimly lit room and gently set me down on the edge of a bed. It was a breathtaking piece of craftsmanship—a grand canopy bed woven directly from pale, living branches, draped in rich sage-green silk that shimmered under strings of warm, fairy-like lights hanging from the curved ceiling. Soft moss cushioned the floor around the bed, and the gentle scent of crushed herbs and earth filled the room.
"Do not leave this house," Kiono instructed, his voice dropping into a dead serious, command-like tone as he knelt on the mossy carpet in front of me. He grabbed both of my hands, squeezing them tight. "I have already prepared everything you'll need. There is food stored in the cellar and fresh clothes in the wardrobe. And I mean it, Astelion—do not step outside this door for anything. No matter what you hear, no matter what you think you see."
"I can't be trapped in a cage forever, Kiono," I protested softly, my gaze sweeping around the beautifully decorated room. It was stunning, yes, but any place you weren't allowed to leave was still a prison.
"Not forever," he promised, his tone softening as his right hand drifted away from mine, moving downward to rest gently over my stomach. A faint, tender stroke of his fingers traced the small curve where our child was growing. "Just until I can guarantee you're completely safe from Castel. I will come here every single night to be with you, to hold you, before I have to return and serve in the palace during the day."
I placed my palm over the back of his hand, feeling the warmth radiating through his skin. The terrifying image from the hillside flashed behind my eyes once more—the sudden, pitch-black void that had taken over his irises just moments after he felt the baby move.
"Earlier... when we were by the spirit realm..." I started, my voice barely above a whisper as I searched his face for any sign of deceit. "I saw your eyes turn pitch black. It wasn't just a flicker, Kiono. Is there something going on? Is there something you are hiding from me?"
Kiono paused, his breath catching slightly. He looked up, his expression melting into a look of raw, tender vulnerability that made my heart ache. He lifted his other hand, gently cupping my cheek in his warm palm, his thumb smoothing over my skin with deep affection.
"I am not hiding anything from you, my love," he whispered softly, his blue eyes clear and unwavering as he stared into mine. "After everything that happened... after watching you almost fall, after being torn apart in that terrible place... I can't bear the thought of losing you again. What you saw was probably just the horrifying side effects of the spirit realm tearing at my body and my aura while I was trying to pull us out."
The logical part of my mind screamed at me to investigate further, to press him until I was certain. But looking at the devotion shining in his eyes and feeling the gentle touch of his hand against my cheek, the cold fear slowly melted away. I leaned into his touch, turning my face slightly to press a lingering, soft kiss against the palm of his hand.
"You have never truly lost me," I murmured against his skin. "And you never will."