Chapter 88
I couldn't breathe.
Not because of the explosion.
Not because we'd nearly died.
Because Rhaevan was still looking at me.
His face hovered only inches from mine, his eyes searching mine as though the rest of the world had quietly ceased to exist. I could still feel his arm around me, warm and reassuring despite the dust and debris surrounding us.
Neither of us moved.
His gaze drifted to my lips.
Then back to my eyes.
Then...Very slowly...He leaned in.
My heartbeat forgot every rhythm it had ever known.
Cassiane... Don't move. Or move. I genuinely don't know anymore.
The distance between us grew smaller.
Smaller.
And then -
"ACHOO!"
A violent sneeze shattered the silence.
The next thing I knew, an avalanche of dust showered directly over both of us.
Rhaevan jerked back. I flinched so hard my head nearly collided with his chin.
A familiar, thoroughly unapologetic huff followed. Muffin stood a few feet away, vigorously shaking himself from head to tail. Every shake sent another cloud of dust flying in our direction.
I stared. He sneezed again.
"ACHOO!"
More dust.
Wonderful. The romantic atmosphere died a swift and undignified death.
Reality slammed into me all at once. What in the seven kingdoms was I doing? I had almost kissed him. No. Correction. I had almost let him kiss me. Those somehow felt like two entirely different disasters.
Heat rushed to my face. "Oh!"
I scrambled backwards so quickly that I nearly tripped over my own feet. "I-I..."
Words. Where had they gone?
I pointed accusingly at absolutely nothing before giving up entirely and dragging myself another foot away from Rhaevan. He remained exactly where he was for a heartbeat, looking almost as startled as I felt. Then he quietly sat back as well, clearing his throat once.
Neither of us acknowledged what had almost happened. We collectively decided denial was an excellent strategy.
I turned toward Muffin with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm. "Muffin!"
The enormous fox tilted his head.
"Are you alright?" I hurried over and dropped to my knees beside him. "How did you get out?"
Muffin simply looked at me. Then, in what I could only interpret as the world's most casual response, he gave the tiniest shrug.
"...Right. Very informative. I'm glad you're okay too."
I reached over and scratched behind one of his ears. He closed his eyes in obvious satisfaction.
Then... something changed.
A faint silver glow shimmered beneath his fur.
I paused. "...Rhaevan?"
"I see it."
The silver light spread slowly across Muffin's body like moonlight flowing over water. Wherever it passed, the jagged purple cracks disappeared without a trace. The enormous fox lifted his head, and his nine tails glowed brilliantly.
One by one... they dissolved into silver light.
Nine became eight.
Eight became six.
Six became four.
Until finally... only one remained.
His massive body gradually shrank, turning from a creature that barely fit inside a cave into a perfectly ordinary-sized fox - ordinary, except for the impossibly soft silver fur, bright intelligent eyes, and the undeniable fact that he was probably the prettiest fox I'd ever seen.
"...You're tiny."
Muffin looked deeply offended.
"I meant that affectionately."
He continued looking offended.
Then he trotted over without the slightest hesitation, circled my legs once, and climbed directly into my lap.
"...Well, apparently personal space is no longer a thing."
He curled into a fluffy silver ball, resting his head against my arm with a quiet, content sigh. My heart surrendered immediately.
"Oh no... You're adorable."
Muffin made a pleased little chirping sound.
Behind me, Rhaevan slowly knelt beside us. "The corruption is gone. The Solithium's influence has completely disappeared."
His gaze shifted to me. Just for a moment. There it was again-that same look he'd given me before the.....you know....that..
I looked away first, entirely because I was a mature adult. Definitely not because remembering what had almost happened thirty seconds ago made my face feel like it was on fire.
I cleared my throat. "So..."
Both of us spoke at exactly the same time.
"I think-"
"We should-"
We stopped, looked at each other, and then immediately looked away again.
"...You go first," I muttered.
Rhaevan rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced toward the collapsed mine. "I was going to say... I think the Solithium was destroyed in the explosion."
"Oh." That was considerably smoother than what I'd been about to say. "I... was going to say the same thing."
It was an obvious lie. He knew it. I knew it. Thankfully, he chose mercy.
"The remaining corruption appears to have disappeared with it."
I nodded far too enthusiastically. "Great. Wonderful. Excellent. Let's discuss magical minerals. Much safer topic."
Rhaevan stood and offered me his hand. "We should leave. This place isn't stable."
I accepted it, carefully lifting Muffin into one arm before standing.
The moment I took another step... I froze.
Something brushed against my magic. Softly. Like the gentlest tug on an invisible thread.
I frowned. "...Do you feel that?"
Rhaevan immediately became alert. "Feel what?"
"I..." I placed a hand over my chest. How was I supposed to explain this? "It feels like something is calling me."
His brows knitted together. "I don't sense anything."
I closed my eyes. It wasn't a voice. It wasn't a sound. It was recognition-like something buried deep beneath the mountain had suddenly realised I was here. Another gentle pull. My magic stirred in response, not violently, but almost happily.
Without thinking, I took a step. Then another.
"Cassiane?"
"I don't know why..." I continued walking. "...But I think something wants me to follow it."
Rhaevan didn't stop me. He simply walked beside me, every muscle tense as his eyes searched the ruins around us.
The pull led us toward the centre of the collapsed cavern, past shattered stone and broken beams, until it finally stopped.
I looked down. "...Here."
Rhaevan frowned. "There's nothing there."
"I know. But..."
I slowly knelt. The moment my fingertips brushed the cracked earth, silver light spread beneath my hand. The ground answered-not with violence or an explosion, but by simply moving.
Ancient mechanisms hidden far below the mountain awakened with a low, resonant hum. The cracked earth gently parted, revealing a narrow opening beneath.
From the darkness below, something began to rise: a small wooden chest. Old, beautifully carved, and untouched by time. It floated upward as though guided by unseen hands before coming to a gentle stop directly in front of me, settling into my waiting hands almost affectionately.
I stared at it as the silver glow faded and the mountain fell silent once more.
Beside me, Rhaevan said nothing. Neither did I.
Because somehow... I knew this chest had been hidden from everyone.
It had been waiting. For me.