Page 93 of The Ascended
I pressed my palm against the cool glass, anchoring myself against the strange hollowness inside. Where was the guilt? The horror? The part of me that should have been shattered by taking a life? Instead, I found only emptiness.
"What am I becoming?" I whispered to my reflection, half-expecting it to answer with a voice not my own. The mirror revealed a woman I both recognized and didn't—eyes hollowed by fever and resolve, skin bearing the lingering flush of Miria's healing magic, jaw set with determination.
Twenty-six years of identity had eroded in mere weeks, revealing a harder core—like the tide stripping away sand to expose the bedrock that had always existed underneath.
I stood in borrowed clothes, remade by divine magic, questioning which version of myself was real—the villager who had laughed with friends by firelight, or the killer who now wore her skin.
Xül's shirt fell to mid-thigh, reminding me of my current state of undress. Someone had left clothes on the table—soft, more practical than anything in my wardrobe. I grabbed the trousers, slipping them on. Too long, too loose. I rolled the cuffs and cinched a belt tight around my waist.
Barefoot, I padded through the palace corridors. I followed the scent of salt and sea until I emerged through the front gates. The sun hung low on the horizon, bloated and red, casting long shadows across the black sand. In the distance, I could see Marx’s distinctive prowl unmistakable even from here, her silhouette sharp against the bleeding sky.
"Interesting fashion choice," Marx said as I approached. "Did you mug a scarecrow on your way here?"
I snorted.
She finally looked at me properly, taking in my borrowed clothes with a raised eyebrow. "So. You finally decided to rejoin the land of the living."
"Disappointed?" I challenged.
"Devastated. I had plans for your room." Her tone was dry as dust, but relief crept into her eyes.
We started walking along the waterline, waves lapping at our feet, filling the momentary depressions in the obsidian sand.
"The trial," I said eventually. "After the beacon. Tell me what happened."
Marx kicked at a piece of driftwood, sending it tumbling into the surf. "Not much to tell. Kyren and I made it through, then waited. And waited." Her voice took on an edge. "The domain was coming apart—sky cracking like an egg, ground trying to swallow itself. Real end-of-the-world shit."
"How long did you wait?" I asked, conscious of the debt I owed them.
"Long enough to assume you were both dead." Her voice was carefully neutral. "Then your brother appeared, dragging you like a sack of grain. You looked..." She paused, searching for words. "Bad. Really bad."
"But we made it." I felt for the ragged edges of memory, finding only darkness.
"Barely. Last ones through. The portal was already collapsing when—" She stopped abruptly, shooting me a sideways glance. "When Xül showed up."
My stomach tightened. "And?"
"He took one look at you, tore reality a new hole back to Draknavor, and summoned those soul things to carry you through." She paused, watching my face. "Funny thing, though. The second we were back here, he dismissed them. Grabbed you himself. Didn't saya word to anyone, just stormed off toward the palace with you in his arms. Very dramatic."
I frowned, uncertain how to process this information. "I'm his mentee. If I die, it reflects poorly on him."
"Uh-huh." Marx's tone suggested she wasn't buying it. "Is that why you're wearing his clothes?"
"I woke up like this. End of story."
"Right. And the fact that you smell like him?" Her gaze was merciless.
I hadn't noticed until she mentioned it, but she was right. The deep wood scent with its hint of citrus clung to the fabric, to my skin. "It's his shirt."
"Look, I'm all for dangerous liaisons. Gods know I've had my share. But this? This is suicide with extra steps."
"Nothing is happening between us." I met her gaze directly, willing her to believe me.
"Yet."
"Ever." The word came out harsh. "He's arrogant, controlling, and being around him makes me want to commit violence."
"Sounds like foreplay to me."
