Vivienne and Rava strolled into one of the hall's tranquil gardens, a secluded haven of greenery and soft murmurs of water. The st golden rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns across the cobblestohs. As twilight deepehe soft glow of nterns strung among the branches began to flicker to life, lending the spa almost ethereal quality.

  The two found a quiet benear a small fountain, the gerickle of water providing a soothing backdrop. Vivienne perched on the edge of the bench, her bare feet brushing against the cool stone, while Rava stood nearby, her imposing figure silhouetted against the fading light.

  Vivienne unched into her tale with characteristic fir, her hands gesturing animatedly as she reted her escapades. “It started with Lyssandro, of course. He sent me on a mission to chase down a rival mert who’d been musg in on his territory but then that led to something about Rathik and ohio another and suddenly I was finding myself in a mysterious fortress in the uy. Turns out, the pce was more of a death trap than a hideout. And, oh, you’d love this—Aegis’ grubby hands were all over it.”

  Rava’s eyes narrowed, her tail swishing slowly behind her. “Rathik,” she repeated, her voice low and dangerous.

  Vivienne nodded, a mischievous glint in her bck eyes. “Yes, he ht told me he betrayed Serkoth himself, because he thought he could kill me! So cliché. He’s been dealing with the Snty of Aegis. They had forces down there—w alongside his men. The audacity, right? But I ha. Most of them ended up as snacks.”

  Rava's expression remained carefully ral, though her eyes tightened slightly at the mention of Vivienne's... unusual methods. She crossed her arms, her posture tense as she leaned slightly forward. “Snacks, you say?” Her voice was steady, but there was an underlying edge to it. “You… ate them?”

  Vivienne’s lips curved into a sly smile as she flicked her tail, amused by Rava’s response. “Oh, not just any ‘them,’ sweetheart. These were the audacious ohought they could take me on? Well, they got a firsthand lesson in why that was a mistake. I wasn’t about to leave all that aether there either. Waste not, want not.”

  Rava’s gaze darkened, and her posture stiffened even more. “I’m not asking for a lesson, Vivienne. I’m asking why you ate people.”

  Vivienne’s grin didn’t falter, but her eyes softened ever so slightly, as if sidering her words carefully. “Not all of them, no. Only the ones who o be taken care of. I’m effit, Rava. You know this.”

  Rava inhaled deeply, her sharp teeth g slightly as she processed Vivienne’s words. “Effit…” She repeated the word slowly, her gaze narrowing as she regarded the other woman. “You don’t… feel anything about it?”

  Vivieilted her head to one side, an almost i look crossing her features, as if the question itself were bizarre. “Feel anything? Sweetheart, I’m not some saint. I’m practical. They’re dead, and I’m alive. What’s left to feel?” Her voice was low, but there was an undercurrent of something darker in it, a suggestion that she’d long since buried any notions of guilt or remorse, if they existed at all.

  Rava’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes flig to the fire for a moment, the fmes casting flickering shadows across her face. Her voice was quieter when she spoke again, though still firm. “I’m asking if you ever question why you do it. It’s not like you o… e them, Viviehere’s no y to it. You choose it.”

  Vivienne’s gaze softened for a brief moment, and she stepped closer, her fingers brushing the edge of Rava’s arm. “I choose what I must, because I have to. Because I . Because it works. That’s all.”

  Rava’s eyes remained locked on Vivienne’s, the two of them standing in the flickering light, an unspoken tension hanging in the air. After a long pause, Rava finally spoke again, her voice calm but with an undercurrent of something hard to define. “Just don’t fet that there are lines, Vivienne. Even for you.”

  Vivienne’s lips tightened into a thin line, her gaze unwavering, before she let out a soft sigh. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Rava nodded, her expression softening just slightly. “Thank you.”

  “Right,” Vivienne said, refog. “So, the fortress. It wasn’t just some hideout. There’s this giant orb of dawher hanging in the cavern, illuminating everything like some divine delier. Burned me just looking at it. They were using it, Rava, and portals, to move people and goods in and out i.”

  Rava’s expression darkened further. “And Rathik’s involvement?”

  Vivienne’s pyful demeanor faltered, a rare seriousness creeping into her voice. “He admitted it ht. He’s the reason you were nearly killed, Rava. It wasn’t just bad luck or ce. It was him.”

  Rava’s cws flexed, a low growl rumbling in her chest. The air around her seemed to thrum with restrained fury, and Vivien a pang of satisfa at having delivered the truth, even if it reignited old wounds.

  “I brought back a… souvenir,” Vivienne added, trying to lighten the mood. “A goblin named Kivvy who worked for them but isly loyal. She’s in my room now with dear Renzia.”

  Rava’s growl subsided, and she gave Vivienne a long, sidering look. “You’ve been busy,” she said finally.

  “Always,” Vivienne replied with a sly grin. “But, Rava, I couldn’t wait to tell you. I missed you. And I thought… you should hear it all from me first, you know, before Narek decides to pepper you with pliments about me and my services.”

  Rava barked out a ugh, a rare sound that cut through the stillness of the garden. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s writing poetry about your dedication as we speak. But seriously, why’d you take him up on it in the first pce? I didn’t think you’d enjoy being anyone’s errand girl.”

  Vivienne paused, her grin softening as she turned her gaze upward. The first stars of the night glittered faintly, scattered across the deepening indigo sky. She folded her arms, her cws drumming lightly against her elbows. “To get some revenge for you,” she said finally, her voice quieter than usual. “I ’t imagine what you went through, Rava. Knowing Rathik nearly took you from us… it made my blood boil. I wao make them suffer for you.”

  Rava’s pierg gaze softened, her tail swishing slowly in the grass. “Vivienne…”

  Vivienne waved a hand dismissively, though the gesture cked her usual fir. “I suppose I failed, though. Rathik got away, and that fortress is still standing. I wa you his head, but instead, I brought back scraps.” She chuckled weakly, her expression tinged with frustration. “Some revenge.”

  Rava stepped closer, t over Vivie speaking with surprisileness. “You didn’t fail. You uncovered a lot more than I ever expected. If anything, you’ve exposed Rathik’s es, his alliances, and his tactics. That’s invaluable.”

  “Still not as satisfying as ripping his throat out,” Vivietered, her cws twitg involuntarily.

  “No, it’s not,” Rava admitted, her voice firm now. “But his time will e. Thanks to you, we know where to look, and we know how deep his treachery runs. You’ve given us the tools to deal with him properly.”

  Vivienne looked up at her, a faint smile pying on her lips. “You always know what to say, don’t you?”

  “Someone has to keep you from brooding,” Rava replied with a smirk. “Now, what’s this about a goblin?”

  Vivienne snorted. “Kivvy’s a former prisoner of the Snty—sharp little thing, though she’s terrified of me, naturally. She's Waiting in my room with Renzia.”

  Rava raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Yht her here?”

  “What was I supposed to do? Leave her to fend for herself? Besides,” Vivienne added with a sly grin, “you’ll love, Kivvy. She’s as cute as a button.”

  Rava sighed, shaking her head. “First Renzia, now this goblin. You’re colleg strays now?”

  “Call it building a work,” Vivienne quipped, a mischievous glint in her many eyes. “Every great operation needs allies, after all. And besides, Kivvy has potential. She just needs... guidance.”

  Rava smirked, crossing her arms. “Guidance, huh? You sure you’re the best didate for that?”

  Vivienne pced a hand over her chest in mock offense. “Rava, please. Who better to shape a lost soul than me?”

  “Right,” Rava replied with a chuckle. “Anyway, if you’re so fident in your little ‘work,’ then fine. I’ll help you figure out what to do with her. But for now...” She g Vivienne, her expression softening. “I’m just gd to see you ba one piece.”

  Vivienne’s grin turned genuine. “Likewise. It’s good to be back.” She gestured grandly toward the path ahead. “Shall we? My illustrious quarters await.”

  Rava rolled her eyes, though the smile lingered on her lips. “Fine. Lead the way, oh fearless leader.”

  The pair walked side by side through the dimly lit corridors of the hall, the atmosphere calm yet brimming with an underlying tension. As they approached Vivienne’s room, a faint murmur of voices reached their ears.

  Vivieepped into the room with her usual dramatic fir, her many eyes glinting in the mplight. “Oh, good,” she said, surveying the se. “You’re both still alive. Excellent. I was worried I’d e back to find ashes and chaos.”

  Kivvy looked up from the intricate, sparking devi her p, her expression a mix of irritation and boredom. “Alive and bored,” she muttered, shaking the device slightly. “You could’ve at least—”

  Her words faltered as Rava entered behind Viviehe tall warrior’s presence filling the room. Kivvy’s eyes widened, and her jaw practically hit the flods above and below, you are massive! What do they feed you here, bricks?”

  Rava raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Good blood, I guess.”

  “Blood?” Kivvy snorted. “They must’ve been brewing you in a vat or something. I mean, look at you! You could probably snap me in half by sneezing.”

  Vivienne chuckled, sliding gracefully into the room auring toward Renzia. “A, here I am, the sed smallest one in the group, wrangling all of you together. Life’s funny like that.”

  "I am the only daughter of High Fang Korriva," Rava intoned, her voice steady and proud. "I’ve been told I take more after her than whoever my father was."

  Kivvy bliilting her head. "You don’t know who your dad is? Are you... a bastard or something?"

  Rava let out a soft chuckle, a glimmer of humor in her eyes. "None of my siblings know who their father is, actually. In fact, I doubt even my mother knows. They were chosen for their bloodlines, selected specifically for the optimal child each time."

  Vivienne's expression darkened as she processed this. "Ah. Eugenics. Just what I o hear," she muttered, her voice thick with distaste.

  Rava raised an eyebrow. "Eugenics?"

  Vivienne shook her head, her lips curling in a mixture of distaste and resignation. "It’s a practice that’s best left fotten. Not everything from the past is worth remembering." She paused, her tourning more serious. "Some things... shouldn’t be repeated."

  Rava looked at her curiously, then nodded, a quiet uanding passiween them. "I suppose you're right. Some parts of our histories should stay buried."

  Vivienne cpped her hands together. “Right, Rava, I wao get your input on what we should do with Kivvy here. I feel a little bad for her after all.”

  Rava looked down at the goblin and stroked her thoughtfully. “What skills do you have?”

  Kivvy perked up, sitting straighter as her sharp green eyes darted betwee wolfkin and Vivienne. "Skills? Like what?"

  Rava arched a brow. “I mean skills that make you useful. you fight? Sneak? Build things?”

  The goblin snorted and crossed her arms. “Build things? Try best enter you’ll ever meet. I’ve worked on artifacts that’d blow your fur right off, dy.”

  Vivienne grinned, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. “Oh, she’s got spirit. I knew I liked her.”

  “Enter, huh?” Rava’s tone remained skeptical, but her tail twitched, betraying her curiosity. “And what exactly does that mean you do for us?”

  “Well,” Kivvy began, pulling a small, sparking traption from the bag she’d somehow gotten her hands on and holding it up with a flourish, “I make things that go boom, things that go zap, and things that make life a whole lot easier when you’re out there trying not to die. You’d be amazed what I do with scraps and a bit of aether.”

  Rava g Vivienne, atg Kivvy with amused i. “She might be worth keeping around,” the wolfkin admitted.

  Vivienne cpped her hands together, a gleeful smile spreading across her face. “See? I knew you’d e around. So, Kivvy, gratutions. You’re officially... an accessory to whatever it is we end up doi.”

  “You make it sound like we’re pnning a heist,” Rava grunted, crossing her arms.

  “Oh, no, of course not, Lady Ravanyr! I would never dream of breaking the w,” Vivienne said with monoce, pressing a hand to her chest. Then, leaning spiratorially toward Kivvy, she added in a whisper, “At least, not in front of her. As the wisest of my people often say, *‘It’s only illegal if you get caught.’”

  Kivvy snorted, a sharp ugh slipping out despite herself. She tilted her head, curiosity gleaming in her sharp green eyes. “Your people, huh? Who are they exactly? I haven’t seen anything like you before.”

  Vivieapped her with a cw, her lips curling into a sly smile. “Well, do you know what a nightmare is?”

  Kivvy nodded slowly, her brow furrowing. “Yeah, sure. The little pests that sneak into your head at night, give you bad dreams, and leave ying your feet the day. Harmless, really.”

  “I am one,” Vivienne decred, her tone ced with pyful pride.

  “Steel and smoke! No, you aren’t!” Kivvy blurted out, nearly dropping her bag. Her voice rose in disbelief. “Nightmares do people! They’re just pesky little things! You’re—you’re a walking camity, not some harmless dream bug!”

  Vivienne chuckled, clearly amused by the outburst. “Walking camity? I quite like that.”

  Rava smirked, leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed. “Walking camity fits. But she’s irely wrong, you know. You’re ly what es to mind when someone says ‘nightmare.’”

  Vivienne pced a hand over her chest in mock offense, her tail flig pyfully behind her. “Well, pardon me for evolving beyond expectations! I’ll have you know I’m very effective at my job—if a bit unventional.”

  Kivvy squinted, still grappling with the absurdity of the versation. “Wait… you’re serious? You’re actually a nightmare? Like, for real?”

  Vivienne leaned in slightly, her sharp grin widening to reveal rows of predatory teeth. “Oh, absolutely. Wao prove it? I could lull you to sleep right now and fill your dreams with horrors so vivid you’d wake up begging for the safety of daylight.” Her voice dropped to a purring ce, teasingly sinister.

  Kivvy shuddered, raising her hands defensively. “Steel and ders, no thanks! I’ll, uh, just take your word for it.”

  Vivieraightened, her grin softening into an almost teasing pout. “Your loss, really. I’ve been told my nightmare work is... unfettable.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure it’s real unfettable,” Kivvy muttered, eyeing Vivienne warily. “But I’m not volunteering to find out.”

  “Smart girl,” Rava said with a chuckle, her tone ced with a hint of warning. “Vivienne’s not oo bluff.”

  “Yeah... I see that.” Kivvy said, her eyes flickering nervously toward Vivienne. “So, uh, if it’s not too much to ask, I haveen in like, two days…” She trailed off, gng betweewo womeomach rumbling audibly.

  Vivienne arched an eyebrow, her lips curling into a pyful grin. “Two days, huh? And here I was thinking you goblins had a better sense of survival. I suppose we’ll o fix that, won’t we?”

  Kivvy looked between them, half hopeful, half wary. “I’m not picky. Just anything with a bit of meat on it—maybe a stew or something?”

  Rava crossed her arms a out a low ugh. “Vivienne’s idea of a meal might not be quite what you had in mind.”

  Vivienne gave a small shrug, her grin widening. “It’s true, I’ve been known to sna the occasioional breakdown… but I suppose I make an exception for food, if that’s what you really want.”

  Kivvy blirying to gauge if Vivienne was serious, but before she could say anything else, Rava stepped in.

  “Let’s get something proper for her,” Rava said, her voice calm but firm. “We’ll head to the kits. I’m sure they rustle up something for a starving goblin.”

  Vivienne’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she nudged Kivvy lightly. “sider yourself lucky. Not everyos a free pass to the kits of Serkoth.”

  Kivvy’s face broke into a grin. “Yeah, well... I’m just gd I’m not the oing served up as the main course.”

  Vivienne leaned back, folding her arms with a mock pout. “Ah, but Kivvy, the night is young.”

  “I’ve seen you eat people so that is very scary. How are you saying the most terrifying things yet mao look cute while doing it? That shouldn’t be possible.” Said Kivvy

  “Aww, you think I’m cute?” Said Vivienne sweetly, bulldozing through the first part of that sentence. She looked up at the giant lekine. “Do you think I am cute, Rava?”

  Rava arched an eyebrow and her lips slowly spread into a smirk. “I think you know the ao that, Viv.”

  Vivienne blinked, a hint of surprise fshing in her eyes as Rava's smirk lingered. She shifted unfortably, as if suddenly aware of her own flustered state. Her usual fidence faltered, and her cheeks flushed slightly uhe weight of Rava’s gaze. “I—well, that’s ly what I expected,” she stammered, her pyful tone crag for the first time in a while.

  Rava leaned in slightly, eyes glinting with mischief as she leaned her weight on one hip. “What, you didn’t think I’d admit it? You’re certainly not hard to look at, Vivienne.”

  Vivieraightened up, quickly trying tain her posure, but the sudden warmth in her face made it hard to hide her embarrassment. “I—well, you’re ly wrong, but I didn’t think you’d say it so... easily,” she managed, her voice losing a little of its usual teasing edge.

  Kivvy watched the exge, grinning from ear to ear. “Looks like someone’s a little flustered,” she chimed in, uo hide her amusement.

  Vivienne shot her a quick look, though the flush on her face made it clear she wasn’t as ued as she usually appeared. “I’m not flustered,” she insisted, but it was clear from the slight tremble in her voice that she wasirely ving.

  Rava chuckled, leaning back slightly. “You are, just a little bit,” she said softly, her voice almost teasing.

  Vivienne gave a small huff, finally relenting. “Alright, maybe a little,” she admitted, her tail flig nervously behind her. “But it’s not like I o be cute...”

  SupernovaSymphony