Chapter 31 The Aftermath of Dreams

Kai stood over the girls, watching as the last threads of dream-fog peeled away from their faces like mist retreating before the sun. One by one, they stirred.

Skye was the first to blink awake. Her golden eyes fluttered open, glassy and confused. She lay still for a moment, heart pounding like it had just run a marathon through some twisted version of the past. Then the heat bloomed across her cheeks, and she realized—she remembered. Whatever world that dream had conjured, it still clung to her. She turned her face away, shame and wonder wrestling inside her, and wrapped her arms around her knees without saying a word.

Next to her, Revoli let out a soft grunt in her sleep. Then she jolted upright, eyes wide, tail twitching tight around her waist like a coiled rope. Her lips parted like she wanted to speak, but whatever she saw in that dream made the words stick. She blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog from her thoughts. The way she looked around—half-hopeful, half-lost—told Kai that her dream had been no gentle fantasy either.

Fara didn’t move at first. Her chest rose and fell slowly, the same calm rhythm as always. Then her eyes opened—and locked on Kai’s. She didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. The air between them was thick with something unspoken. Her skin was flushed, and Kai realized he hadn’t let go of her hand. Neither had she. For a few more heartbeats, they held each other there—in silence, in knowing.

Kai said nothing. He let the quiet carry it all.

“I had the weirdest…” Revoli started, rubbing the back of her neck, then stopped.

“Same,” Skye whispered, barely audible.

Fara gave his hand a gentle squeeze before finally letting go. She sat up, her tails curling behind her. “I think it wasn’t just a dream.”

Kai turned his head toward the royal encampment. The fog may have lifted, but something in the air still felt off. Sweet and metallic. Like blood and honey. Wrong.

“I don’t trust what’s going on here,” he said quietly. “Skye. Scout the main tent. Don’t be seen. Come back quick.”

Skye nodded, already pulling herself into motion. Her body was slow, but her instincts were sharp again. She vanished into the dark like smoke.

Revoli stretched her arms behind her back and cracked her knuckles. “Sooo… not to ruin the whole mystery vibe, but if something jumps out, can I please blow it up? I’ve been holding back some new tricks.”

Kai raised a brow. “What kind of tricks?”

She beamed, mischief lighting up her flushed face. “Little boom. Medium boom. Flashbangs that make people cry. That kind of thing. I’m small, not soft.”

Kai gave her a nod. “Stay behind Fara. Don’t go off-script.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, with a wink that screamed otherwise.

Fara had already retrieved her spear-staff. She rolled her shoulders and twitched her tails, centering herself. “I’m with you,” she said. “All the way.”

Minutes passed. Then Skye returned—quiet, pale, and tense.

“They’re all asleep in there,” she whispered. “The guards. Nobles. Even the queen. No movement. Like they’re trapped.”

Kai narrowed his eyes. “What’s watching them?”

“Demon,” Skye said softly. “Tall. Distorted. It's feeding off their sleep.”

Kai stood, no hesitation in his movement. “Then we end this.”

The four of them moved toward the main tent, each step a little heavier than the last. The flap hung open. Shadows stretched across the floor.

Inside, something turned toward them—hollow eyes, stitched grin.

It smiled.

And the fight began.