Page 67 of Court of Aether and Shadows

Then, with a rush of energy that left even me momentarily breathless, we emerged on the shores of the Lake of Whispers.

The air was thick with magic, crackling with the residual energy of my queen's arrival. Her scent, an intoxicating blend of starlight and shadow, filled my senses, nearly overwhelming in its intensity.

I closed my eyes for a moment, drinking it in.

It had been so long –so impossibly, agonizingly long– since I had last breathed in that scent.

This wasn’t like our plentiful dreams that clung to the scent based on my vast memories.This was real. So radiant and pure.It called to something primal within me, awakening instincts that had lain dormant for centuries.

"My Lord," Kaelon's voice broke through my reverie, tinged with concern. "The rift she created..." He gestured to ashimmering distortion in the air, a tear in the very fabric of reality. "It's unstable. We should close it before it attracts unwanted attention."

Truthfully, it was quite impressive. The level of distortion and how the ripple quaked with various shades of power.

I considered his words, my eyes fixed on the anomaly. It pulsed with raw power, a testament to the strength my queen possessed even in her untrained state. Part of me wanted to seal it immediately, to protect her and our realm from any threat that might exploit the weakness.

But another part —the tiny part that had spent centuries planning and maneuvering— saw an opportunity.

"No," I said finally, my decision made. "Leave it for now. It may yet serve a purpose."

Kaelon raised an eyebrow but didn't argue.

He knew me well enough to understand that I always had my reasons, even if they weren't immediately apparent.

And in this case, my reasons were twofold.

First, the rift could serve as a beacon to those who might help our cause – allies from other realms who had been waiting for this moment just as we had.

And second...

Well, there was a certain wolf who might find such a passage useful, when the time came.

As we approached the small cottage a short distance away, I felt a surge of emotions I hadn't experienced in centuries.

Anticipation,yes, but also a nervousness that was entirely foreign to me.What if she didn't remember?No. She wouldn’t remember so early in this stage.What if the human world had changed her too much?That’s expected…she’s lived a life completely different from our realms.What if the connection wehad shared, the bond that had defied time and space and reality itself, had somehow been severed?

I didn’t want to think of the logical answer to that question.

Underneath it all was a sense of rightness, of pieces finally falling into place. The prophecy that had shaped our world for so long was coming to fruition. The barriers between realms were weakening, the first step towards the unification that had been foretold.

And at the center of it all was her.

My queen. My mate.

The other half of my soul that I had waited so long to reclaim.

As we reached the cottage door, I paused, taking a deep breath to center myself. I could sense her presence inside, along with others – familiar auras that I recognized as loyal subjects who had been tasked with watching over her in the human world.

"My Lord?" Kaelon questioned softly, his hand hovering over the door handle. "Are you ready?"

I had no choice but to be ready. This is what we’ve been waiting for. I couldn’t cower away now. Not when we’ve worked so hard to manifest this path into fruition.

I nodded, straightening to my full height. Whatever happened next would change everything.

The game board had been reset, the pieces were in motion, and the fate of all realms hung in the balance.

But in that moment, none of that mattered.

All that mattered was that she was here, finally within reach after so long.

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