Myles wakes to the strange scent of sweat.
Not unpleasant.
Quite the opposite.
It was warm, rich, almost intoxicating in a way he could not properly explain. Beneath it lingered traces of earth, metal, and something oddly sweet. The smell alone made it difficult to focus.
His eyes slowly adjust.
At first, all he sees is cloth stretched tightly over two shifting curves moving rhythmically before him. His mind stalls for a moment before awareness begins painfully piecing itself together.
His stomach was pressed against something narrow and firm, almost like a beam, while the ground beneath him moved steadily up and down in a repetitive rhythm, like a treadmill beneath his body.
No.
Not the ground.
Someone was carrying him.
"You're awake?"
She pulls him gently from her shoulder, handling him with surprising care, almost as though he were a child she feared might break.
Myles lands on his feet a little awkwardly and immediately looks up at her curiously, still stunned by the entire situation and, more than anything else, by her overwhelming presence.
"I assume you would prefer to walk yourself," Kushi says.
Her tone carries faint amusement.
She then turns towards Dande, whose back remains facing the pair as he continues walking towards the tower with slow, steady steps.
Myles briefly glances back towards the open compound.
And freezes.
His eyes widen at the devastation before him.
Nothing remained.
Nothing except sand.
The battlefield from before had vanished so completely that it looked as though an entire desert had been born within moments. Beyond the barrier, none of the people gathered earlier remained, and further still…
Nothing.
No structures.
No landmarks.
Only destruction.
Massive fissures carved through the earth beyond the barrier, deep enough to resemble wounds split into the planet itself. Some stretched so far into the distance that Myles could no longer see their end.
The only things untouched were the tower and the tiled ground directly beneath it.
His chest tightens.
How…?
How was this even possible?
Then something even stranger catches his attention.
The earth was healing.
Outside the barrier, the broken land slowly stitched itself back together, while inside, the endless sea of sand visibly shifted and hardened as stone and soil reconstructed themselves at alarming speed.
Myles stares in disbelief.
Which meant the destruction had originally been far worse.
Depending on how long he had been unconscious…
"Damn," he mutters quietly.
He tears his gaze away from the recovering battlefield and quickly rushes to catch up with the other two.
Dande finally turns, acknowledging Myles properly for the first time since he woke.
"Look here," he says proudly, pointing towards his cheek with a grin that looked far too pleased with itself.
Myles blinks.
There, running diagonally across Dande's cheek, is a cut.
A genuine cut.
Thin, but unmistakable.
Myles immediately begins wondering whether it refuses to heal because of Kushi's criole. His eyes instinctively drift towards her.
The moment he does, he catches the briefest cringe flash across her face.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
Embarrassment.
It seems Dande's childish pride was mortifying her, though she clearly did not want either of them noticing.
A smile briefly pulls at Myles' lips.
It fades just as quickly, replaced by disappointment.
He had wanted to witness the fight properly.
Both Dande and Kushi notice the change immediately.
"Take heart," Kushi says softly before Dande can speak.
Her palm settles gently against his shoulder.
Despite her size and strength, the touch is impossibly careful.
Her voice carries a sweetness entirely at odds with the terrifying woman from earlier, soft and melodic enough to calm the frustration in his chest almost instantly.
Myles turns towards her.
"You wished to watch the fight, yes?"
Then she smiles.
Not the fierce grin from battle.
This one is different.
Gentle.
Quiet.
Like moonlight resting across still water.
Myles nods faintly in affirmation before glancing towards the strange wall Dande had brought him through earlier, the one he now assumes connects to the main Phase of Vini, Cradle.
"You will have many more opportunities," Kushi assures him. "Do not worry."
Dande turns fully towards the wall and places his hand against it once more.
Like before, the surface reacts instantly.
The world folds.
A strange sensation washes over Myles, and within moments they stand once again inside the enormous chamber from earlier. This time, however, he notices details he had missed before.
The room stretches endlessly in both directions, becoming a seemingly endless corridor lined with smooth dark stone. There is no visible ceiling either. Above them exists only immense darkness streaked with faint streams of light, as though the corridor itself had been carved into the middle of space.
Dande walks ahead calmly, the two following behind him.
After several steps, he stops before an intricately designed frame embedded into the wall. Strange patterns spiral across its surface like living circuitry mixed with ancient carvings. Dande lightly places his palm against it.
The markings glow faintly.
Then he steps through.
Before Myles can react, his feet suddenly leave the ground again.
"Kushi…"
Strong arms slide beneath him effortlessly.
Kushi lifts him against her side with embarrassing ease before carrying him through the glowing frame. This time there is no nausea, no violent disorientation, only a faint tingling sensation crawling across his skin before they emerge on the other side.
As before, she lowers him carefully onto his feet.
Far too carefully.
Myles stares at her, stunned, confused, and growing increasingly embarrassed by how naturally she keeps carrying him around.
She notices immediately.
Almost defensively, she smiles at him. "Didn't feel nauseating this time, did it?"
Myles opens his mouth, then closes it again.
Before he can answer, Dande's voice echoes ahead.
"Come."
The elevator doors slide open.
Inside the family lounge, Myles and Kushi sit waiting in the living area while Dande briefly disappears elsewhere.
Calling it a lounge almost feels wrong to Myles.
The place resembles less a kitchen and dining area and more a luxury garden built around one.
Massive trees rise through openings in the floor and ceiling, their thick branches stretching lazily beneath warm hanging lights woven between leaves and vines. Shallow streams carved into the stone flooring trickle quietly beneath small bridges connecting different sections of the room. Garden patches filled with flowers and dense greenery surround the seating areas, and the scent of damp soil mixes strangely well with the smell of cooked food drifting from the distant kitchen.
The entire place feels alive.
Warm.
Lived in.
Huge windows reveal the glowing skyline of Vini stretching endlessly beneath the night sky.
Myles quietly stares around, still trying to process the absurdity of it all.
Then the elevator opens.
Stepping out are the two pairs of twins.
Tano and Bano move first. Both have short, thin root-like strands for hair with a faint lustre to them. Like their mother, their blue skin with a very dark tint.
Behind them come Gana and Anan.
Unlike their brothers, they possess long, thick strands similar to Dande's, much of it tied back, while several loose strands frame their faces. Their eyes are grey, sharp and observant. Their skin blends lighter and darker hues together into an entirely different shade of blue.
All four greet Myles politely before taking seats across from him and Kushi.
Kushi smiles at them as they acknowledge her.
Myles notices something immediately.
Her smile towards them lacks the same warmth.
It is still kind, still beautiful… but restrained.
Nothing like the devastating softness she keeps directing at him.
The thought alone makes him uncomfortable.
Soon Rai, Hamana, Sebbeh, and Dande enter together.
A little later, Kaelen arrives as well.
"Darling… is that…?" Hamana asks quietly, turning towards her husband for confirmation.
Dande gently nods.
He closes his eyes briefly and exhales through his nose as though preparing himself mentally for something troublesome.
Before he can speak, however, Hamana suddenly opens her arms excitedly.
"Come, come."
She gestures eagerly towards Kushi, shaking her hands impatiently.
Kushi rises immediately and walks over before kneeling beside her.
Despite her immense and intimidating frame, she suddenly seems smaller there beside Hamana.
Hamana pulls her into a warm embrace.
"How have you been?"
Kushi gently pulls away moments later, smiling at her adoptive mother with unmistakable affection. Though technically only adoptive in title, the closeness between them feels entirely genuine.
Hamana leans closer and whispers something into Kushi's ear.
Myles cannot hear it.
But whatever it is causes Kushi to turn towards him with yet another one of those charming smiles.
His mind goes blank again.
Utterly defenceless.
Across the room, Sebbeh notices immediately.
A knowing grin spreads across his face before he glances sideways towards Rai, clearly curious about her reaction.
Rai, however, does not look amused.
She looks troubled.
Her eyes remain fixed carefully on Kushi.
Kushi returns the stare cautiously.
The tension quietly thickens.
"As most of you know," Dande finally says, breaking the silence before it can worsen, "whoever marks me shall be granted a wish within my power."
He gestures casually towards Hamana.
"Your mother asked for my hand."
Then towards the others.
"Your brothers sought power."
For a moment, both his and Hamana's expressions darken with old memory before Dande clears his throat and continues.
"But for the first time…"
His eyes shift towards Myles.
"I have been asked for something I cannot give."
Myles unconsciously holds his breath.
Too many emotions crash through him at once, clouding his thoughts entirely.
Lia.
Terrene.
Guilt.
Confusion.
Pressure.
Before he can even attempt to respond, Kushi suddenly rises to her feet.
"Wait," she says quickly. "Before you turn me down, I have not asked for your hand." She pauses briefly before adding, "At least not yet."
Several expressions around the room immediately become complicated.
Myles stares at her helplessly. "Why me?" The question escapes before he can stop it.
Kushi blinks at him with genuine confusion.
Then she smiles again.
Gentler this time.
"I do not fully know myself," she admits honestly. "But place yourself in my shoes, little warrior."
She takes a slow step closer.
"It is not every day someone finds the courage to challenge a man such as my master."
Her sharp eyes remain fixed on him.
"And it is not every day one finds talent, strength…" she pauses slightly, smiling wider, "…and beauty within the same person."
"I'll say," Myles blurts out instantly.
Silence.
His own eyes widen immediately afterwards.
He had not meant to say that aloud.
"To prove your worth to yourself and to us."
Kushi smiles and steps closer before kneeling in front of him.
Even kneeling, she still feels enormous.
The warm lights hanging through the trees catch against her dark blue skin and the beads resting against her waist and wrist. Up close, Myles can better see the sharp definition of her features, the confidence in her eyes, and the quiet pride carried in every movement she makes.
Yet despite her overwhelming presence, her expression softens as she looks at him.
"Allow me," she says gently, "to help carve your soon-to-be mighty statue."
The words settle strangely deep within him.
Not because they sounded grand.
But because she spoke them with complete sincerity.
As though she genuinely believed the man he could become already existed somewhere beneath the uncertainty, exhaustion, and self-doubt.
Myles looks at her silently for a moment. Then he takes her hand.
Kaelen huffs, Rai massages her sinuses, knowing the world of trouble to come. Kushi just smiles.