As the group traveled down the worn road toward Nyridia, the tension of recent events had finally started to melt away, leaving room for the kind of idle chatter that felt long overdue.

  "Soooo," Kale began, drawing out the word in that particular way that meant trouble. "Do you think they’re married?"

  Rika gave him a confused look, then burst out laughing. "You mean Aeloria and Rothgar? Oh, gods, Kale, what a messed-up pairing. What would they even talk about? ‘Hey, honey, how many people did you slaughter today?’ ‘Oh, just the usual, dear, thinking about adding a new wing to Dreadstone in honor of all the innocent lives I destroyed.’"

  Liliana chuckled softly but shook her head. "If they are married, that’s one dysfunctional relationship. Besides, does Aeloria seem like the type to settle down? She’s a literal goddess, she’s probably got more important things to worry about than playing house with Rothgar the Savage."

  Kale laughed, leaning forward on his saddle. "I don’t know. They had a thing, didn’t they? You don’t just go around allowing your own daughter to get cursed if there wasn’t some big drama behind it."

  Rika snorted. "Drama is one way to put it. I’d call it terrible parenting. ‘Sorry, sweetie, your dad pissed me off, now you get to live in eternal suffering.’ Real healthy dynamic."

  Liliana's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Classic divine problem-solving."

  Kale looked a little scared. “I sure hope they can’t hear us.”

  Rika wiped a mock tear from her eye. "But, what I really wanna know is if Aeloria can just swoop down whenever she wants, why didn’t she save her daughter sooner? She’s a god, right? Gods don’t exactly operate on mortal schedules, but still… feels like that’s the kind of thing you’d want to handle quickly."

  "It probably had something to do with Rothgar,” Liliana said. “Saving him from himself, or whatever grand cosmic lesson the gods like to dish out. Maybe she was waiting for him to finally get a grip before she stepped in."

  Kale raised an eyebrow. "Saving Rothgar from himself? The guy’s been holding onto that rage for… how long? A century? He doesn’t exactly seem like the kind of person open to personal growth."

  Rika grinned. "Yeah, he’s definitely not signing up for any self-improvement courses. But seriously—if Aeloria’s got this whole ‘I can fly in and fix everything’ thing going, why are we running all over Ilvaria collecting temple guardians like it’s some weird scavenger hunt? Why doesn’t she just zap her way over to them?"

  Liliana's head tilted slightly as she considered it. "Something tells me it’s not that simple. Maybe she can’t, or maybe her attention is focused elsewhere. She’s a god, sure, but even gods have limits, I think. Feels like there’s more going on than we can see."

  Rika huffed, shaking her head. "There’s always more going on. And it’s always something we have to deal with while the gods sit back and go, ‘Oh, sorry, mortals, figure it out yourselves!’ Seriously, if I could fly, I’d get so much more done in half the time."

  Kale couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re just mad you can’t smash people from the sky."

  Rika flexed her arms dramatically. "Damn right. Just imagine the damage I could do with a few well-timed hammer drops. Cities would tremble, Kaley. Tremble."

  “Yes, because what Ilvaria really needs is more things trembling,” Liliana laughed, the sound unexpectedly light and melodic.

  Kale found himself watching her, his heart catching in his chest. The sharp, serious edge she usually carried had softened, her expression gentler, more open. Her laughter filled the air like music, rare and beautiful, catching him completely off guard.

  God, what a beautiful laugh she has, he thought, his chest tightening. I wish she would laugh more often. I wish she could laugh more often. But how could she, when there hasn’t been much reason to laugh at all lately?

  Just as he was lost in the thought, Liliana’s eyes flicked toward him, catching him staring. She arched an eyebrow, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. “What? Do I have something on my face, or are you just enjoying the view?”

  Kale’s cheeks flushed, but he quickly recovered, flashing a grin. "Nah, just wasn’t expecting you to be the funny one in the group. It’s throwing me off."

  Liliana’s smile widened ever so slightly. “I have my moments.”

  "Woah, woah, woah, guys, settle down! I’m still the reigning champion of jokes here," Rika said.

  Liliana gave Kale a sideways glance, her smile lingering just a second longer before she turned to Rika. “Yes, Rika, your ability to throw hammers and punchline delivery are truly unmatched.”

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  “Yeah, well, I think Liliana’s got potential. Give her some time, she might dethrone you,” Kale said.

  Rika gasped dramatically, holding a hand to her chest. “Blasphemy! I should knock some sense into you with one of my hammers!”

  “Please don’t. He’s already operating with limited capacity as it is,” Liliana said.

  "Limited capacity?” Kale said. “I prefer to think of it as optimized efficiency.”

  Liliana raised an eyebrow. "Optimized for what?"

  "For surviving all the chaos you two bring into my life. I like to think of it as a special talent."

  Rika snorted, shaking her head. "Surviving us? Please, you’re just along for the ride. If anything, we’re keeping you alive."

  "Yes, because without us, you’d have made it maybe an hour tops before walking into a death trap," Liliana said.

  Kale feigned a hurt expression. "I’ll have you know, I’ve walked into far fewer death traps lately. You two should be excited!"

  "Oh, definitely. You can tell Liliana’s just bursting with joy and excitement," Rika said, throwing a playful glance at Liliana.

  Liliana rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth tugged upward. "If I’m bursting with anything, it’s probably barely-contained exhaustion from enduring all your nonsense."

  Kale laughed, shaking his head. "Enduring? Nah, you love it. You just won’t admit it."

  Rika grinned. "Yeah, deep down, she’s having the time of her life, pretending not to enjoy all our nonsense."

  Liliana’s lips curved into a small smile, despite her best efforts. "I’m not pretending anything. I’ve just mastered the art of tuning you both out. It does wonders for my sanity."

  Kale chuckled. "Oh yeah? Is that why you can’t stop smiling? You know, we should probably start writing this down. At this rate, we might just have enough material for a book on achieving inner peace by the end of this trip."

  Rika laughed. "Oh, don’t tempt her! She’d probably call it ‘How to Deal with Idiots: A Blood Mage’s Guide.’"

  Liliana raised an eyebrow. "It has a certain ring to it."

  “Now you’re the one giving her ideas!” Kale laughed.

  Rika threw up her hands. “I live dangerously, what can I say?”

  “Don’t worry. I already have more than enough ideas on how to handle the both of you,” Liliana said.

  “I think I’ll pass on finding out what those are,” Kale said.

  Rika nodded sagely. “Wise choice. You never want to be on the receiving end of a blood mage’s ‘ideas.’”

  “Speaking of blood mages…” Kale said. “You said your parents are in Nyridia?”

  Liliana’s playful expression faded. She nodded. “Yes, they live there.”

  “That’s where you’re from then? Nyridia?” Rika asked.

  Liliana nodded again but didn’t elaborate immediately. Rika, never one to leave a question hanging, pressed on. “Soooo, what’s the deal with your parents? I mean, they raised you, and you turned out like this.” She gestured toward Liliana with a teasing grin. “So what’s their story?”

  Liliana’s expression turned distant. “You’ll meet them soon enough. Once they hear I’m back in town… let’s just say it won’t be a simple reunion. They aren’t the kind of people you forget easily. Or the kind you leave behind without consequences.”

  Kale carefully chose his next words. “You know, whatever happens when we get there… you don’t have to face it alone. We’re in this together.”

  Liliana looked over at him, the hardness in her eyes fading just slightly. For a moment, she seemed to relax, a subtle gratitude showing in her expression. “I know,” she said, her voice softer now. “Thanks, Kale.”

  As Kale offered her a small smile, Liliana found herself surprised by how much comfort it gave her. He really means it, she thought, the sincerity in his eyes undeniable. Despite everything, he was always there, reliable in ways she hadn’t expected. It wasn’t often she felt like she could truly rely on anyone, but Kale… he was different.

  She let the moment linger, appreciating his quiet strength. Maybe I’ve underestimated him, she mused, her heart lightening just a little. She’d been harsh with him—far harsher than he deserved—but that had never stopped him from being kind or understanding, never stopped him from seeing the best in her, even when she struggled to see it in herself.

  But as that thought settled in, she felt something else, something she couldn’t ignore. I’m getting more attached to him… The more time she spent with him, the more cracks began to form in the walls she had spent years building around herself. It frightened her.

  Letting herself feel, allowing that vulnerability in… it wasn’t something she could afford. Not now. Not ever. She had to be strong—strong for herself, for him, for all of them. They didn’t understand how brutal this world truly was. Not like she did. Not really.

  Someone has to be the one to protect them, she thought, her heart tightening. Someone has to be strong. Someone has to carry the burden. There was no room for weakness. No room for the kind of softness Kale seemed to bring out in her. They wouldn’t understand. They didn’t know the weight she carried, the burden of keeping them safe in a world that was always waiting to tear them apart.

  Liliana clenched her jaw, pushing the thought away before it could linger too long. She had spent years building those walls, hardening herself to survive the world’s cruelty. Letting anyone in, letting Kale in, felt like peeling back armor she wasn’t sure she could afford to lose. And yet… every time he spoke to her like that, every time he looked at her with such understanding, those walls cracked just a little more.

  The silence hung between them for a moment longer before Rika, never one to let things stay too serious, spoke up with a grin. “Okay, enough with the emotional stuff. What do you guys think we’re going to find at this temple? Shiny treasures? A guardian who’s gonna try to kill us? Maybe some cryptic messages from Aeloria herself?”

  Liliana silently thanked Rika for interrupting her thoughts.

  “Knowing our luck, probably all of the above. But I’m betting on a life-or-death riddle at least.” Kale said.

  “Always a riddle or some ancient prophecy, right?” Liliana said.

  “Honestly, if we don’t find something shiny, I’m going to be disappointed,” Rika said. “It’s always nasty, stinking corpses or monsters.”

  “Don’t forget about evil cultists!” Kale said.

  Rika laughed. “Right! You’d think they’d take a day off once in a while. But no, always lurking around trying to stab us.”

  Kale shook his head with a mock sigh. “The cultist union must have incredible benefits to keep them so dedicated.”

  Liliana shook her head, the momentary tension lifted by Rika’s banter. For now, they could joke. For now, the heaviness could wait.

  Beneath it all, that softening in her heart remained, and as they continued on their journey, Liliana couldn’t help but wonder how much longer she could keep it all at bay.