As they approached the inn, its weathered exterior stood out starkly against the towering shards that surrounded it. The wooden sign hung crookedly, the lettering faded and chipped. A faint creak emanated from the shutters as they swayed unevenly in the breeze. Namara marched ahead of the group with an exaggerated flourish, stopping just before the entrance and throwing her arms wide.

"Ta-daaa!" she exclaimed, spinning dramatically to face them. "Behold! Five-star accommodation, courtesy of yours truly. You're welcome, everyone!"

Rika tilted her head, inspecting the crooked doorframe and the faintly sagging roof. "Five stars, huh? On what scale?"

"Hey!" Namara shot back, placing her hands on her hips. "This is rustic charm, okay? Authentic ambiance. You just don't get it."

Liliana raised an eyebrow. "Rustic charm smells suspiciously like stale ale."

"Judgy, judgy," Namara huffed. "Just wait until you see the inside. I promise you, it's divine."

"Divine?" Kale muttered under his breath. "You sure it's not cursed?"

Undeterred, Namara grabbed the door handle and swung it open triumphantly. The group stepped inside and froze.

The inn's interior could not be more different from its dilapidated exterior. Polished wooden floors gleamed under the warm glow of golden chandeliers. Plush, crimson rugs lined the hallways, and the walls were adorned with intricate carvings and tapestries that looked almost regal. The scent of freshly baked bread and sweet spices wafted through the air, inviting and comforting.

"Seeeeee?" Namara said, spinning on her heel and gesturing grandly to the lavish surroundings. "Don't judge a book by its cover!"

Kale blinked, his gaze sweeping the room. "Okay… I'll admit it. I wasn't expecting this."

"Alright, alright," Rika said, holding up her hands. "Maybe this isn't so bad."

Namara's grin grew impossibly wider. "Not so bad? This is a masterpiece of hospitality! I am a miracle worker, thank you very much."

Liliana sighed, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. "Fine. You win this one."

They climbed the polished staircase to the second floor, following Namara as she led them down a corridor lined with elegant sconces and soft carpeting. She paused before the first door, throwing it open.

"Room one!" she announced. "Luxurious. Cozy. One bed."

Rika stepped inside, eyeing the spacious room with its soft, inviting bedding and ornate furniture. "Looks good to me."

Namara moved to the next door, opening it with the same dramatic flair. "Room two! Identical splendor. Also, one bed."

Kale frowned. "Okay, how many rooms are there?"

Namara waved him off as she moved further down the hallway. "Patience, dear leader! All will be revealed."

She stopped at the third door and swung it open. "Room three! Equally magnificent. And yes, you guessed it, one bed."

Kale raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "Let me guess, room four also has one bed?"

Namara spun on her heel with a grin that could have lit the entire hallway. "Ding, ding, ding! Give this man a prize. Yes, four rooms, four beds."

Sadek leaned casually against the wall. "Figured we'd sort it out when we got here."

"Four rooms," Liliana repeated, her tone flat. "Meaning two people have to share."

Namara shrugged dramatically, spreading her hands. "Math has never been my strong suit. That's why I brought Sadek—he's my numbers guy."

Liliana sighed. "And mister numbers guy, why didn't you just tell her no and find another place?"

Sadek shrugged. "She can be very persistent… and annoying."

Namara gasped, placing a hand over her heart like she'd just been mortally wounded. "I'll have you know, it was nearly impossible to find a place this nice with any free rooms. Four rooms is a miracle. I am a miracle worker!"

Liliana rubbed her temples. "Right. A miracle. Let's all bask in the divine brilliance of Namara."

Namara beamed. "Finally, some appreciation around here!"

Liliana shook her head.

Namara clapped her hands together. "Alright! Who's bunking up?"

"I'm not sharing," Sadek said simply, already stepping into one of the rooms and shutting the door behind him without another word.

"Wow," Rika said with a laugh. "Didn't even wait for discussion."

Namara twirled toward the nearest door and opened it. "And this one is mine. Goodnight!" She disappeared inside, leaving the remaining two doors open.

"Smell you later!" Rika called out, retreating into one of the rooms backward with a cheeky grin. She waved before closing the door, her laughter muffled on the other side.

Liliana turned to Kale. "Guess it's you and me, then."

"Looks that way," Kale said, exhaling. "Better than sharing with Namara."

"Oh, definitely," Liliana said, stepping into the room. "But if you snore, you're sleeping in the hallway."

"Great."

As he glanced back down the hallway, he could hear Namara's muffled giggling through her door. Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, "Five stars, huh?" before shutting the door.

Kale shut the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment before surveying the room. The soft glow of a crystalline chandelier bathed the space in muted light, casting shimmering reflections on the walls. The bed, large enough for two but uncomfortably intimate, dominated the room.

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Liliana was already inspecting the room. She walked to the window, pushing back the heavy curtains to peer outside. "Well, it's better than I expected. At least Namara's five-star miracle has decent beds."

Kale smiled. "Yeah, let's not give her too much credit. I'm pretty sure she stumbled on this place by accident."

Liliana turned, folding her arms as she leaned against the window frame. Her gaze fell on him, her eyes softening slightly. "So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or do I have to guess?"

Kale blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You've had that look since we got out of the chasms. The kind you get when you're thinking too much and not saying enough."

Kale sighed. "There's a lot on my mind, Liliana. Rika's eye. What Ikareia said about Voss. And… what she said about us."

Liliana walked to the bed and sat on the edge, motioning for him to sit next to her. "Alright, spill. What did Ikareia say that's got you so rattled?"

He hesitated, then crossed the room to sit beside her. "It's about Rika's eye. Ikareia said it doesn't show what is, it shows what could be. She compared it to Shael's domain. Like… rebirth, recurrence, time itself."

Liliana tilted her head, intrigued. "The Primal Goddess of Cycles? That makes sense. The diamond is tied to visions, isn't it? That's a lot of power to put in someone's hands—or, in this case, her eye."

"It's not just the visions," Kale said, his voice dropping. "Ikareia hinted that Rika herself is connected to Shael in some way. You know how she called her 'child of echoes.' It's like… like she's part of something bigger, something that keeps coming back."

Liliana's expression turned serious. "Cycles," she repeated, almost to herself. "That's… not surprising, actually. Rika's strength, her resilience—it's almost otherworldly. But then again, she is an earthborn, and they do reincarnate after they die."

Kale nodded. "That's not the only thing Ikareia said. She talked about Voss, why he's like this. Why he's doing what he's doing."

Liliana leaned forward, her curiosity clearly piqued. "Go on."

"Ikareia said Voss isn't just after power. He's not some mad tyrant looking to conquer for the sake of it. She said… Aeloria sacrificed him. To ascend to godhood."

"Sacrificed him? How?"

"She didn't say exactly," Kale admitted. "Only that he was something to her. Important. They fought together, rose together, protected each other. And when the moment came, she made a choice. She gave him up. For her to rise, he had to fall."

"And he survived."

"Yeah. Ikareia said he was too strong to die. Too strong to submit to anyone, not even Xeroth. She made it sound like… like he's been living with this betrayal ever since. Trying to make sense of it."

Liliana leaned back slightly, her arms crossing over her chest. "And that's why he's doing all this? Because he was betrayed?"

"It's not just the betrayal," Kale said, shaking his head. "It's what it means to him. He thinks the world is broken, Liliana. That Aeloria's ascension left a wound, and everything since then has been… wrong. She said he's not just looking for revenge, he's trying to heal something. Maybe even Aeloria."

"Heal her? After what she did to him?"

"I don't know. But Ikareia's words… it sounds like he still believes in her, or at least in what she wanted. Maybe he thinks she broke herself, too, when she ascended."

"And Xeroth? How does he fit into this?"

"Ikareia didn't say much about Xeroth. But… maybe Voss doesn't see him as the enemy. If he thinks the world is broken, maybe he believes Xeroth's domain—entropy and decay—is part of how things are supposed to be."

"Or maybe Voss thinks Xeroth is the only one who didn't lie to him," Liliana said bitterly. "The only one who didn't sever their bond."

Kale glanced at her, sensing something unspoken in her tone. "Liliana…"

She shook her head, brushing it off. "It's just… this whole thing. Aeloria. Voss. It feels like it's all coming back to the same question, doesn't it?"

"What question?"

Liliana met his gaze, her voice quieter now. "What you're willing to sacrifice for what you want. How far you're willing to go."

Kale hesitated, her words striking a nerve. Slowly, he reached out, covering her hand with his. "Liliana… I'm not Aeloria. And I would never hurt you. Not for anything."

Her expression softened, but there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "You say that now. But you don't know what's ahead, Kale. None of us do."

"I don't need to know what's ahead to know where I stand," Kale said firmly. "When this all started, I was just trying to survive. Then it became about fighting for Aeloria, fighting Xeroth, chasing some purpose I didn't even fully understand. But now… now it's different."

Liliana stayed quiet, letting him speak.

"Now, I'm doing this for my friends," Kale continued, his tone deepening with emotion. "For Rika, for Sadek, for Namara… and for you, Liliana. I'm fighting to protect you. Because the truth is, I can't imagine a world without you in it. And I don't want to. I don't want to be in a world without you."

Her breath hitched slightly.

Kale shifted closer to her, his hand still resting over hers. "I know this isn't easy—none of it is. But if I've learned anything, it's that I don't need to be a god or a hero to make a difference. I just need to be here. Fighting for the people who matter. Fighting for you."

For a moment, Liliana didn't respond. Then, she squeezed his hand tightly. "You don't have to imagine a world without me, Kale," she said softly. "Because I'm not going anywhere. Not without you."

Liliana glanced down at their joined hands, her fingers twitching slightly as if wanting to close the distance further. She let out a soft laugh, looking back at him with a faint smile.

"You know," she began, "you've come a long way since that dungeon, Kale. The way you've grown… the way you've led us. You've impressed me in more ways than you'll ever know."

Her words caught him off guard. Impressed her? Me? He wasn't sure what to say. "I… I didn't think you saw it that way."

"I mean it," Liliana said, her gaze lifting to meet his. "I've met plenty of people—mages, scholars, warriors—but I've never met anyone like you."

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world outside the room seemed to vanish. Her red irises shimmered faintly in the muted glow of the chandelier, and as Kale stared back, he felt an inexplicable flutter in his chest. How does she do this? Just one look, and it feels like everything else fades away. Like she sees me—the real me—even when I don't.

Liliana's expression softened further, and she gave him a faint smile. "I just wanted you to know."

Kale hesitated, feeling his heart race. Slowly, he shifted closer to her, his voice quieter now. "You've been there for me in ways I can't even explain. In that dungeon, in the battles, even when I doubted myself you were always there."

She let out another small laugh, though it carried an edge of warmth. "We saved each other, Kale. And maybe that's why… this works."

"This?"

"This," she said, her gaze flicking to their joined hands before meeting his eyes again. "Us. Whatever this is, whatever it's becoming. You bring out something in me I didn't think I had anymore."

Kale felt his throat tighten, but he couldn't look away. Us. Whatever this is. Slowly, his free hand moved to gently brush a strand of hair from her face, his fingers barely grazing her skin. "Liliana," he said softly, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions coursing through him. "You mean more to me than I ever thought anyone could."

She froze for a moment, her breath hitching, and then she gave him a faint, genuine smile. "You don't have to say it, Kale. I see it. I feel it."

For a long moment, they sat there in silence, their hands still joined, their eyes still locked. The air between them felt charged, not heavy, but alive with an unspoken promise. Kale's thoughts swirled, each one louder than the last. How did we get here? After everything—the chaos, the fighting, the impossible odds—how does she still look at me like I'm worth something? Like I'm worth… this?

Finally, Liliana leaned back slightly, breaking the moment with a soft, playful smile. "But if you snore tonight, I'm kicking you out."

Kale chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly? I'm not even sure I'm not dreaming already."

Liliana laughed. "Alright, Kale, let's get some rest. We'll need it."

As they settled into the bed, she shifted closer, her hand brushing against his arm. Then, without warning, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips—a brief, tender moment that left his heart pounding.

"Goodnight, Kale," she whispered, her voice low and warm.

Before he could respond, she nestled against him, her head resting on his shoulder as her arm draped over his chest. "Hold me," she murmured.

His arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her close. He stared up at the ceiling, every nerve in his body alive with the sensation of her warmth pressed against him. Okay, so... she's beautiful, amazing, and now she's snuggling me. How am I supposed to sleep after this? Why would I even want to?

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