Where Memory Lingers

Ian's gaze shifted toward Myrra, who was sitting quietly on the couch, her usual energy subdued. She met his eyes and gave him a soft, apologetic look.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Ian said, settling down.

"I want to come with you," Axilya said. "Or rather, I'll take Myrra with me."

Ian blinked. "Where?" Though deep down, he already knew what she meant.

"Myrra told me everything, about ----- " Axilya explained the situation.

He didn't respond right away. Then, with a frown, "That's not happening."

"Why not?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.

"It's not your problem."

"That's not how I see it."

Axilya continued, "I've been in worse situations. And this isn't about recklessness. If I'm there, she's safer."

They went back and forth a bit longer. Ian stayed firm. So did she.

"I'm not planning to come alone," Axilya said eventually. "I'll ask someone else, maybe an instructor."

Ian leaned back, silent. The idea wasn't entirely reckless. With Axilya involved, and potentially others, it might actually be safer for Myrra. He didn't like it, but... it wasn't impossible.

"I'll think about it," he finally said.

Axilya gave a short nod and stood. "That's all I needed."

She didn't wait for more. With a glance at Myrra, she headed for the door.

Myrra came over slowly, her expression soft with guilt. "I didn't know she would ask to come too..."

Ian reached out and pulled her gently into his arms. "It's fine," he murmured. "Don't worry about it."

He could feel her relax a little against him. She just wanted to be there, he knew that. That's all this was.

Still, his mind circled back to the idea. Axilya wasn't reckless. If she brought someone else along too... maybe it was possible.

About a week had passed.

Now, Ian, Myrra, and Axilya were walking through the broad, winding streets of Vaelis. As a territory capital, it was just as grand as Ial Themar, but where Ial Themar stood proudly along the ocean's edge, Vaelis was cradled deep in a valley, ringed by mountains that rose like ancient sentinels around it. Tall spires carved directly from stone reached into the sky, humming faintly with the same pulse as the valley's roots. Holograms flickered between crystalline obelisks, displaying city schedules, weather shifts, and faintly glowing territorial sigils. 

The journey there had been smooth, almost effortless. Flying over the mountain ranges had felt like slipping through a dream, lakes glinting in strange colors, forests swaying in golds and greens. The sky had stretched endlessly above them, and for once, Ian had found himself quietly enjoying the view.

Now, walking through a market street lined with floating banners and tiered stonework buildings, Ian glanced up at the distant peaks that ringed the city like ancient guardians. The sun was just beginning to dip, painting the ridgelines in molten gold.

"This place is beautiful..." he murmured, his voice half-lost in the wind.

Myrra walked beside him, watching the way his eyes kept moving, from the hovering vendor drones to the carved symbols etched into the walls. "It's same as what I remember," she said softly. "Peaceful."

They didn't linger long. Axilya led them through narrower alleys until the noise of the market faded behind them. They emerged into a quieter part of the city, where the buildings grew taller, older, less polished, but more intricate. Eventually, they reached a gate embedded in a moss-lined wall. Beyond it stood a mansion that rose like a piece of the mountain itself, cool stone, dark metal veins, and windows that flickered faintly with shield runes.

Ian had wanted to stay at an inn, something simple, out of the way. But Axilya had shut that idea down without hesitation. If anything happened, she'd said, she wasn't about to risk getting normal people involved.

Before Ian could dwell on it further, the door opened. A young man stepped out.

He was tall and slim, with light blue skin that caught the light like opal. His short red hair was slightly tousled, and a thin silver band curled behind his pointed, fin-like ears, translucent and ridged like aquatic sails. His eyes shimmered faintly, their irises a deep ocean green.

"It's good to see you, Axilya," he said, his voice low and smooth, like water flowing over stone.

Axilya, who barely smiled for anyone, actually did. "Good to see you too, brother Xucis," she said, stepping forward and hugging him. Ian and Myrra exchanged a glance.

After a beat, Axilya turned toward them. "This is my brother, Xucis."

Then to him, "These are my friends, Myrra, and Ian."

Xucis offered a polite bow of his head. "Welcome to our home."

Without more words, he turned and gestured them inside. The doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the cool, quiet interior of the mansion.

As they walked through the entrance hall, Ian leaned closer to Axilya and lowered his voice. "I didn't know you had a brother. And like... that," he said, glancing back toward Xucis, unable to mask his surprise. He hadn't heard anything about this from Vulre, or anyone else. And truth be told, he couldn't quite place Xucis' species either.

Xucis, apparently catching the comment, offered a soft smile without turning. "You can consider me... adopted," he said easily. "I'm older than Axilya. Left before Vulre was even born."

"Oh," Ian muttered, feeling a little off-balance. 

Axilya chimed in, "Brother Xucis is an instructor at Vutora Academy."

That made Ian pause. "Oh." He knew of Vutora, it was considered on par with Rulmose, a top-tier academy known across Idilia. Being an instructor there meant Xucis wasn't just powerful, he was likely one of the best in his field.

Still, Ian didn't push. He was curious about Xucis' origins, sure, but something told him it wasn't the kind of thing you asked outright. Instead, his attention drifted to the house around them.

It was large, elegant without being extravagant—at first glance. Vaulted ceilings and polished stone floors gave it the air of a scholar's retreat, but the details told a different story. The walls were lined with ancient artifacts and framed holographs, but between them were glimmers of vanity: a decanter set on a sculpted glass table, lounge chairs that belonged more in a luxury resort than in a house, and subtle lighting that shifted with the mood of the room.

A central chamber opened to a private garden, framed by clearglass panels and trimmed hedges grown too precisely to be natural. It was a place meant to impress, thoughtful, yes, but touched by indulgence. Someone had lived here not just to study, but to entertain, to charm, and to be seen.

"I've prepared everything for your stay," Xucis said, his voice as composed as ever. "Let me know if you need anything."

Ian and Myrra nodded in appreciation. "Thank you," they said in unison.

They settled in around a low table, the room filled with quiet warmth. A tray of fruit and pale herbal tea sat in the center. Myrra leaned in curiously, eyes scanning the architecture, while Ian sat back, watching Xucis with interest.

For a while, the conversation drifted, light talk about Vaelis, the weather in the valley, even a passing mention of aerial routes through the surrounding peaks. But eventually, Axilya narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"So," she said, "how's work been?"

Xucis gave a strangely slow nod. "It's… been quiet. I'm on leave."

Axilya blinked. "On leave? Why? Don't tell me they forced you into one."

Ian glanced between them, now curious.

Xucis gave a faint, amused smile. "Let's just say… I had a little affair with one of my students."

The room fell quiet.

Myrra's expression froze somewhere between stunned and awkward, while Ian just stared, not sure how to react.

Axilya didn't react immediately. Her silence lingered just long enough to make the room feel still.

Then, quietly but firmly, "I'll let Grandfather know."

Xucis sat up straighter. "No, no, dear sister, please. Listen to me --"

But Axilya had already turned her face away, not meeting his eyes.

Eventually, after Xucis promised to make things right, whatever that meant, Axilya let the matter rest, she gave a small nod, still not quite looking at him. "Fine."

Ian glanced between them, unsure what surprised him more, Axilya's sharp disapproval, or the fact that Xucis, despite being older and clearly respected, didn't push back. He just accepted it.

Xucis smiled lightly, breaking the tension with a chuckle. "Well, now that we've thoroughly ruined the mood…"

Then his expression shifted, calm and focused. "Let's talk about the important part."

He looked to Ian. "I won't pry into details. But if Axilya's involved, then I am too. Whatever you need, my house, my help, it's yours."

Ian nodded, his tone sincere. "Thank you. That means a lot."

The rest of the evening passed more easily after that.

But someone had already begun to move in the shadows.

Anarzee had arrived in Vaelis, quietly following Ian. She didn't know much about Myrra, nor did she care, her interest was Enira, and Ian was her way in. She'd brought a few subordinates with her, along with a couple of agents from the Quiet Testament. What Ian was doing here, she didn't know, and she didn't care. If the opportunity came, she would take it and bring Ian under her control.

The next day, Ian, Myrra, and Axilya set out toward the outskirts of the city.

Xucis followed them in secret.

Myrra's old home lay on the far edge of Vaelis, nestled in the quiet sprawl of the outer districts. The journey there was calm, the streets thinning as they left the city's center behind.

When they arrived, Myrra slowed.

She had been five years old when the tragedy struck. Most of her memories were faint, blurred by time and pain, but some remained. Shapes. Voices. The scent of the garden.

The house stood in silence. A once-charming home, wide and open, surrounded by the wild tangle of what used to be cultivated land. Now, it was delicate and worn, edges faded from years of neglect. But it was still standing.

Ian stepped closer and gently took Myrra's hand.

"Ready?" he asked softly.

She gave a small nod.

Together, they stepped inside.

The door creaked open with a brittle groan, and dust stirred in the beam of morning light that slipped through the cracked shutters.

Inside, time had paused.

The furniture was sparse but sturdy, old wood dulled by age. A dining table still stood in the main room, with three mismatched chairs pushed in around it. Shelves along the far wall sagged under the weight of forgotten books, trinkets, and sealed containers. Cobwebs clung to the corners. The air held a faint scent of paper, dust, and something faintly metallic.

Myrra stepped in slowly, her hand still held in Ian's. She took in the space with quiet, uncertain eyes.

A series of photographs sat on a side table by the wall, faded by time but still clear enough to recognize. Her parents stood in one, smiling beneath a flowering tree, and in another, a much younger Myrra clutched a wooden toy, her cheeks round with childhood. Her fingers hovered over the frame but didn't touch it.

While Myrra lingered in memory, Ian's attention drifted to the walls, the corners, the half-covered furniture. He scanned the place not for nostalgia, but for signs, anything left behind that could hint at the truth they were chasing. Axilya caught his eye from across the room, nodding slightly.

"We should look around," Ian said gently to Myrra.

She didn't answer at first, then finally gave a small nod. "Come. I think there's something downstairs."

She led them to the back of the house, where a narrow door opened to a short stairwell descending into shadow. The air grew colder as they stepped down, the wooden stairs creaking beneath their weight.

The basement opened into a wide room, larger than it looked from above. Crates and machines lined the walls, most of them covered in cloth or half-dismantled. Holographic projectors lay idle on workbenches, next to rows of glass cylinders filled with murky liquid long since dried out. Faint notes glowed faintly on the walls, projected from old embedded nodes. Axilya stepped closer, brushing dust off one of them.

"This was his lab," Myrra said, her voice softer now. "My father… he used to work here late into the night."