Chapter 46: Library, Cakes, and Silences

There was no battle that day, just sugar, words, and a little peace between worlds.

The dream world was no longer a battlefield it was becoming, once again, a fabric of soft shadows and filigreed lights incense mists floated lazily over the floating hills, and dream flowers, as large as children's hands, slowly opened under the fingers of a tired god. Morpheus was there, kneeling by a stream from which a flow of dreams from all multiverses poured, stitching breaches in the sky with a moon-made needle he hummed an ageless lullaby under his breath a whisper interrupted him. "You do that like a celestial seamstress."

He looked up, unsurprised. Saphira was there, barefoot, her hair tied in a loose braid she held a crumpled comfort object close, worn by shadow and love. Morpheus offered a faint smile, his eyes shining with ancient fatigue. "And you, you watch that with storm-filled eyes do you want to escape your thoughts?"

She nodded gently. "I want to see someone who understands me."

The blue door opened with a shiver, then a wave of blue lightning caressed Saphira's neck as it passed by her the universe became a murmur infinite shelves, shifting staircases, spheres of ink suspended in the air every book had a heartbeat; every word was a star in the back, a desk lit by a floating lantern, sat Destiny, pen in hand, concentrated he looked up as she approached, an almost amused smile creasing his features. "Have you come to steal my secrets or eat my cakes?"

Saphira offered a half-smile, her tone falsely nonchalant. "Both, but I'll start with the cakes."

They settled in a forgotten corner, surrounded by old books, floating cushions, and soft light a tray glided down from above, guided by discreet magic it deposited midnight blue tea, steaming and scented with lunar jasmine, star-shaped shortbread, and pieces of vanilla cloud on the table. Destiny handed her an old grimoire, with worn leather and time-gnawed corners. —"Here, an untold tale that of a child who believed light was a lie he grew up, in silence, in the shadow, and one day learned that even shadow can love." Saphira bit into a cookie, frowning. —"You give me this during tea? do you want me to cry into the cup or something?" 

—"It's an honor to have tears in this library."

The light barely shifted when Iris entered, her arms laden with books levitating gently around her she stopped abruptly upon seeing them, a hesitation, a step back:"Oh, pardon me, I didn't know that… that you had company."

Saphira looked at her for a moment, then inclined her head gently:"Are you the lady of well-ordered dreams?"

Iris blushed, surprised she adjusted her dream cloak, unsure how to reply Destiny, without even looking up from his page: "This is Iris, my assistant she classifies nightmares by danger level, sorts the memories of the gods and the multiverse by past, present, and future history, and with the gloves  Pink forged, she can now lift books heavier than infinity in the abyssal closet."

Saphira, sincerely: "She's perfect; it's incredible."

The two women then strolled between the shelves. Saphira helped Iris arrange a heap of floating books, as if she were relearning how to walk in the world of peace and tranquility. —"You know," Iris said, "I thought great entities like you never read…"— "When you stop reading," Saphira whispered, "you stop dreaming."

And for a moment, there was no hierarchy, no divine roles, no titles just two girls among the books at the end of the day, the mini-sun of the Infinite library slowly set, the rays becoming pale gold. Saphira lay down on a cloud bench, her eyelids growing heavy. Destiny covered her with a soft blanket: "Stay if you want. Sleep here is sweet, and you have a section all to yourself." She murmured, half-asleep: "A section?" 

—"Books you've inspired, some you haven't lived yet after all, I write history; you live it be as I destined you."

Morpheus, who had just arrived silently, approached he observed his shadow sister gently, then addressed Destiny: "She is safe here and tonight… she will carry nothing but a simple dream."

End of Chapter 46 – Library, Cakes, and Silences