Adventures beyond the void

Chapter 28: Rest Well-Earned and Introduction to Magic

3RD POV

The Moth Estate was quiet. The night sky painted itself in deep, dreamy blues; the kind of darkness that looked alive with stars. Between the twin moons and the gentle hum of magic in the air, the estate glowed faintly beneath a pale sheen of silver light. They had all returned. All the members of the Dark Butterflies were finally home, half after a grueling mission, and the other half from an unexpected descent into carnage none of them had been prepared for. Zana was sound asleep, her chest rising and falling slowly, a few bandages around her wounds. She had drained nearly all her magical reserves, and even after being healed, sleep still clung to her like a fog.

Ronan too, lay passed out on his bed, curled into the blankets like a beast in winter, though he wasn't transformed, the instincts never really left. Lyra hummed softly, her gentle voice like wind chimes in the stillness. She stood by her open window, carefully watering the little enchanted plants she had nurtured over the years. Relief shimmered in her expression. Everyone was alive. That was all she needed tonight. Airos tossed on his mattress, grumbling under his breath. He tried not to think about Nachtsen Village, about the villagers, about the lies. He failed. Eventually, he pulled the pillow over his head and gave up trying to sleep.

Severed was laying on the big couch at the bottom floor, his fingers twitching occasionally as if dreaming. House had made multiple cozy spots around the estate just for him, a cocoon of comfort for the disembodied hand who, despite appearances, needed rest too, but Severed chose to sleep in a much cozier spot tonight. All of them had bandages on, since after all they had all been injured today. But upstairs, beneath the quiet hum of a glowing blue healing bloom, two boys were still awake. The soft dome of energy pulsed gently from another healing bloom, resting on top of the little table between their beds. The magic soothed aching bones and bruised muscles, but neither Nicholas nor Hunter could sleep.

Nicholas sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor, his fingers twitching faintly. His injured leg had been treated, but pain still throbbed. Hunter laid beside him on his own bed, arms behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The claw marks on his back had faded to dull purple shadows. His expression was unreadable, his silence thick. Neither of them said anything for a while. They didn't have to. They'd screamed enough in the woods. Cried enough. Bled enough. And now, here, the quiet seemed too loud. Nicholas rubbed his hands together anxiously, as if trying to scrub off the day. His voice came out hollow.

      Nicholas: - I keep seeing his face.

Hunter didn't respond at first.

      Nicholas: - That bandit.... The one who hunted me down....Relf.

He swallowed, voice cracking a little.

       Nicholas: - He almost killed me. I wouldn't have been able to dodge in time. The Tree-trooper just....

He stopped. The rest of the words stayed trapped behind his teeth. The blue-eyed protagonist looked towards his waist and sure enough, the little wooden creature was still there, though right now it had moved to his left side, probably because Nicholas was laying on his back. Hunter finally rolled over to look at him. The same hard and somewhat annoyed expression was still present on his face, but for once, there was no smugness. No mockery. Just....a tired kid who had also seen too much.

      Hunter: - Yeah.

The silence after that was heavier, but less hostile. Nicholas sniffed, wiping at his eyes.

      Nicholas: - I hate this. I hate this place. I don't even know if all of this.... Is even real.

Hunter didn't reply. He turned his head to stare at the ceiling again. Even though he hated Nicholas, he too had moments where he doubted the reality around him. However before they could both dwell on the matter more, there was a knock, soft and deliberate. The blue dome shimmered gently as Selin stepped inside, her armor was gone, replaced by casual black clothing. She looked at them, at the two boys half-ruined by a world that hadn't even begun to explain itself to them yet, and for a moment, she said nothing Just, ....looked. Then she approached slowly, her voice softer than they had ever heard it.