Chapter 4: A Decade of Eternity

Ten years had passed since the first gathering of the High Table.

Time, for mortals, was a fleeting thing—measured in heartbeats, in the changing of seasons, in the slow decay of stone and memory. But for them, for the Ancients, time was merely a companion, neither cruel nor kind. It moved forward, but it did not press upon them the way it did upon lesser beings.

In those ten years, there had been two more meetings of the High Table.

Each time, they gathered in the floating castle, their discussions shifting from distant disturbances to matters of greater urgency. The world was changing, slowly but inevitably, and while none of them had yet unraveled the mystery behind it, the tension in the air grew thicker with each passing decade.

But it wasn't just the world that had changed.

Akari had changed too.

She had spent the last decade forging bonds with the other Ancients—not just as allies, but as something deeper. Sylwen, with her cool, enigmatic nature, had softened ever so slightly in Akari's presence. Lilith, ever the proud and mischievous demon, found a kindred spirit in Akari's playful confidence. Elyndis, the divine seraphim, had taken to watching Akari with something bordering on fond exasperation.

And then there was Selene.

Selene von Carmilla—the True Vampire. Regal, composed, unshaken.

At least, that was how she appeared to the outside world.

But over the years, Akari had come to see her, to understand the layers beneath the icy elegance.

Selene was someone who carried the weight of eternity on her shoulders. She was lonely, whether she would admit it or not. And in her own way, Akari had made it her mission to ensure that Selene never forgot she wasn't alone.

Which was precisely why, on this particular evening, Akari did not bother knocking.

She kicked the door open.

The grand doors of Selene's bedroom swung open with an elegant boom, their heavy weight betraying the casual ease with which Akari had thrown them aside. The room was cast in a soft, silver glow, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the arched windows. Velvet curtains billowed ever so slightly from the night breeze, and the scent of roses lingered in the air.

On a massive, obscenely luxurious bed of black silk and deep red sheets, Selene stirred.

The vampire rolled over, her long, silver hair cascading like liquid moonlight across the pillows. Her crimson eyes cracked open—glowing faintly in the dim light, hazy with sleep.

She blinked once. Then twice.

Then let out a sigh, far too used to this by now.

"…Akari," she murmured, voice still thick with drowsiness. "What… are you doing?"

Akari grinned, stepping into the room with all the grace of a fox who knew exactly how much chaos she could get away with. She sauntered toward the bed, her nine golden tails flicking behind her in lazy amusement.

"Waking you up, obviously," she purred.

Selene let out a slow breath, rolling onto her back. One hand lifted to her temple, rubbing it lightly as if trying to summon patience. "It is the middle of the night."

Akari cocked her head. "We live in eternal night."

"…That is not the point."

Grinning, Akari pounced onto the bed.

Before Selene could protest, she wrapped her arms around the vampire in an unapologetically tight hug, pressing her warm body against the coolness of Selene's.

Selene stiffened—not from discomfort, but from sheer exasperation. "Akari."

"Mmm?"

"…Get off."

"Nope."

Akari nuzzled into the crook of Selene's neck, her playful smirk never fading. "You're so cold," she murmured, her voice dipping into something almost teasing. "Do vampires not generate body heat? Or are you just naturally this chilling?"

Selene let out a sigh that was half amusement, half resignation. "…I should throw you off the balcony."

"You could," Akari mused, tightening her hold. "But you won't."

Selene didn't argue.

Instead, she lay there for a moment, allowing the silence to stretch between them. For all her protests, she never actually pushed Akari away. Not really.

"…What do you want?" Selene finally asked.

Akari pulled back slightly, her golden eyes gleaming. "I wanted to tell you I'm leaving."

A pause.

Selene's eyes flickered.

"…Leaving?"

Akari grinned, flicking one of her ears. "Mhm. I figured it's about time I wander for a bit. I've spent ten years lurking around, getting comfortable. Might be fun to stretch my legs, see what the mortal world is up to."

Selene studied her, her expression unreadable.

Then, in a perfectly composed voice, she said, "I see."

Akari arched a brow. "You're not going to miss me, are you?"

Selene exhaled, closing her eyes. "No."

Akari smirked. "Liar."

Selene didn't answer.

For a moment, Akari simply watched her. There was no real sadness in her voice, no obvious reluctance—but Akari had spent enough time with Selene to sense things. To see what wasn't said.

She reached up, brushing a stray strand of silver hair away from Selene's face. "Don't get all gloomy on me," she murmured. "I'll come back eventually."

Selene's lips quirked slightly. "And if I don't wish for you to return?"

Akari gasped, hand flying to her chest in mock betrayal. "How cruel! You wound me, Selene."

Selene gave her a look.

Then, before Akari could react, the vampire moved—graceful and swift, flipping their positions in an instant.

Akari found herself pinned beneath Selene, the weight of the vampire pressing against her.

Selene loomed over her, her expression calm, but her crimson gaze piercing. "I should bite you," she mused. "It might teach you some humility."

Akari smirked, entirely unbothered. "Oh? What's stopping you?"

Selene's eyes flickered—briefly, subtly—before she leaned back, releasing Akari without another word.

Akari grinned.

That was all the confirmation she needed.

Pushing herself up, she stretched, her tails curling lazily. "Well, I suppose this is where I make my grand exit." She winked. "Try not to miss me too much."

Selene sighed, reclining back onto the pillows. "Go before I change my mind."

Akari chuckled, stepping toward the door.

But just before she left—

She paused.

Turning back, she gave Selene a softer, genuine smile. "…I'll see you again, Selene."

Selene didn't answer immediately.

But as Akari slipped out the door, she thought she heard something—

"…I know."

The door clicked shut, and silence settled over the room like a thick mist.

Selene remained still, reclining on the bed where Akari had just been, the warmth of the nine-tailed fox lingering faintly against the coolness of her skin. She exhaled softly, shifting her gaze toward the ceiling, but her mind was far from calm.

She's leaving.

It shouldn't have mattered.

And yet, it did.

Selene had known Akari for a decade—an eternity to mortals, a fleeting moment to them. And in those years, the fox had been a persistent, inescapable presence in her life. Annoyingly so.

From the very first meeting at the High Table, Akari had been… different. Unlike the others, who carried themselves with the weight of their long years, Akari had been playful, teasing, utterly unapologetic in the way she threw herself into their lives.

She was nothing like Selene.

Selene, who had spent centuries alone. Selene, who had grown accustomed to the cold, to the silence of her own halls. She had never needed company. Never wanted it.

Or so she had thought.

Yet, somehow, Akari had wormed her way past the barriers of centuries, slipping through the cracks with that infuriating smirk of hers, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement, as if she found everything—including Selene herself—to be some kind of game.

It had been irritating at first.

Selene had assumed Akari would grow bored, that she would eventually tire of seeking her out, of teasing her with playful remarks and unexpected visits.

But she never did.

Year after year, she kept coming back.

Uninvited. Unbothered. Unrelenting.

And now—

Selene clenched her jaw, her fingers curling against the silk sheets.

Now she was leaving.

It wasn't as though Selene had any right to protest. She had never asked Akari to stay. Never once acknowledged the way she had grown used to the fox's presence, to the sound of her laughter echoing through the halls of Selene's castle, to the warmth of her magic brushing against Selene's cold skin whenever Akari got too close.

She had let it happen.

And perhaps that was the problem.

Selene had never been possessive before. She had never cared enough about anyone or anything to want to keep them.

But Akari…

Selene closed her eyes.

She could still feel it—Akari's touch, the way she had embraced her so freely, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As if she had never once hesitated to throw herself against a creature that could end her in an instant.

As if she knew Selene never would.

"…Foolish fox."

The words were barely a whisper.

And yet, despite herself, Selene couldn't deny the truth behind them.

Akari was foolish.

And so was she.

Selene had always told herself that nothing could shake her composure. That she was untouchable, unmovable—beyond the reach of fleeting affections or mortal whims.

And yet…

Somewhere along the way, without even realizing it—

Akari had become hers.

And now she was slipping away.

The familiar sight of her shrine came into view as Akari descended from the sky, golden flames flickering around her feet as she landed with effortless grace. The ancient structure stood untouched by time, nestled deep within the endless forest, its presence shrouded in a quiet, mystical reverence. Ivy crept up its wooden pillars, and the stone pathways leading to the entrance were covered in fallen leaves, disturbed only by the occasional breeze.

A warm, satisfied hum escaped her lips as she stretched, her nine tails curling behind her. It had been a while since she returned, and though the floating castle of the High Table was a grand sight, this was home.

With a flick of her wrist, Akari conjured a small flame, letting it dance between her fingers. It flickered and swayed like a living thing, its warmth sinking into her skin. Foxfire. It had become a part of her in the past ten years, an extension of her very being. But even now, she was still learning, still growing.

She took a deep breath, stepping further into the shrine grounds. Everything smelled the same—earthy, fresh, untouched. The air hummed with old magic, a quiet energy that embraced her like an old friend.

But as she glanced around, she couldn't help but sigh.

The place was a mess.

The torii gate at the entrance was partially covered in vines. Fallen petals and leaves coated the stone courtyard. Even the shrine steps had gathered a thin layer of dust, likely because she hadn't been around to maintain them.

Akari pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "Tch. This is no way to treat the dwelling of an Ancient."

Then, with a sly grin, she raised a hand.

Golden flames erupted around her, spiraling into the air in a slow, mesmerizing dance. The Foxfire Dominion.

It had taken her years to reach this level of control. At first, the flames had been wild, untamed—responding only to her emotions rather than her will. But over time, she had shaped them, commanded them, made them an extension of herself.

She flicked her fingers, and the foxfire obeyed.

The golden flames spread outward, not consuming, but cleansing.

They slithered across the shrine grounds, burning away the leaves and dust without harming a single blade of grass. They coiled around the torii gate, the ivy curling away as if retreating from the heat. The stone pathways gleamed as the dirt was wiped from their surfaces, leaving behind a pristine, untouched walkway.

Even the wooden beams of the shrine shuddered, the foxfire licking at their surface before vanishing, leaving behind polished, perfectly maintained wood.

Akari grinned, watching her handiwork.

It was a beautiful sight.

The flames flickered playfully around her, warm but never burning. She twirled a finger, and they followed the motion, weaving through the air like golden ribbons.

She had come so far in these past ten years.

The Foxfire Dominion was a power beyond the reach of mortals, beyond even the strongest of supernatural beings. It was a flame that defied the laws of nature—neither fully destruction nor creation, but something in between.

It could consume anything. It could cleanse everything.

And yet, in her hands, it had become something gentle.

With a final flick of her wrist, she dismissed the flames, watching as they dissipated into shimmering embers.

The shrine was immaculate now, just as it should be.

Satisfied, Akari dusted off her hands. "Much better."

With that done, she strolled toward her favorite spot—a flat, sunlit rock just outside the shrine's entrance. It was perfect, bathed in golden light, warm beneath her touch.

A pleased purr rumbled in her throat as she lowered herself onto the rock, curling up lazily. Her nine tails wrapped around her, soft and plush, forming a makeshift pillow as she rested her head against them.

The sun was warm against her skin.

The gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers.

The world was quiet.

Akari sighed contentedly, closing her eyes.

For a moment, she thought of Selene.

The vampire's expression when she had announced her departure had been unreadable, but Akari had caught the subtle flicker of emotion in those crimson eyes.

Selene had always tried to act indifferent.

But Akari knew her.

She chuckled softly to herself. Oh, she'll miss me. I just know it.

And yet, despite her teasing, despite her playful confidence, she couldn't deny that she would miss Selene too.

Just a little.

But for now, she let herself sink into the warmth of the sun, into the comfort of her own tails, her body relaxed, her mind drifting into pleasant drowsiness.

She had time.

And for now, she would enjoy the peace.