Chapter 7

Emrys steps through a tear in space, their form stabilizing slowly in the mountain’s thin, pure atmosphere. Spirit dragons coil silently above, watching with reverence as the Primordial of Law returns to the land formed from Shizuku’s own mana.

They descend the slope with purpose, the crystalline petals beneath their boots barely disturbed. A soft voice, windlike, greets them before they reach the base.

??? (gently):
You return with questions, not commands.
How rare for you, brother.

Emrys’ expression softens as a figure emerges from a thicket of moon-petaled trees. Verdant robes shimmer around her like woven forestlight. Her long hair gleams with soft green luminescence, tipped with dew that never falls. This is Regenora—the Primordial of Genesis, Mistress of Verdant Life, and Emrys’ younger sister.

Emrys:
And you’re still answering them before I ask.

They meet in silence for a moment. Then Emrys lifts their hand slightly, projecting a glimmer of memory—Shizuku, the Earth Fragment, the chamber in the Floral Kingdom. And most notably, the truth: that her sigil fragment lies beneath Azalea’s realm.

Emrys (quietly):
He told Azalea.

Regenora (calmly):
It was only a matter of time.
(pauses)
I’ve always wondered when he’d come back here... even if it’s only through the echoes of my essence.

Emrys:
You could’ve stopped the truth from surfacing. Erased the link. Hidden the fragment deeper in the planetary roots.

Regenora (softly):
But he deserves to know.
He is not just your heir, Emrys. He is my kin, too.

Emrys:
You mean because of the Genesis thread?

Regenora (nodding):
Yes. He carries both our legacies—your law, my growth. Shizuku may wield power with terrifying precision… but he understands mercy. That makes him more than a vessel.

She walks to the edge of a cliff, overlooking the glowing valleys. Shinzins—angelic spirits born of Shizuku’s mana—flutter between the trees below, tending to the garden like monks of the soil.

Regenora:
And now, the Earth Sigil returns to the chamber. Another piece falls into place.

Emrys (quietly):
But Kakia is watching. Closer than before.

Regenora:
Of course she is. She smells balance and hungers for its undoing.

Emrys:
You aren’t afraid?

Regenora:
No.
(pauses)
Because this time… we have them. The Captains. The ones who defied entropy, stitched the Deep Sea back together, and still held onto their hearts.

Emrys (turning toward her):
And what will you do if she strikes the Central District?
If your sigil fragment becomes the next target?

Regenora smiles—a weary, wistful expression only older siblings recognize.

Regenora:
Then I will trust Shizuku to plant me anew…
Even if he has to bury me first.

The mountain wind hums. Petals rise into the sky like offerings to stars. Emrys says nothing for a long while.

Emrys:
You always had the most dangerous faith, sister.

Regenora (smiling):
And you always feared the bloom more than the fire.

Emrys steps forward, just enough for their shadows to merge with hers.

Emrys (finally): Then let’s hope the universe survives. Because if he fails… We’ll all return to dust.