Page 238 of Axis of Fire

Stasia frowned.

“So... something like necromancy?”

I shook my head, forcing a faint smile.

“No.”

“Spirits whose souls never reincarnated...”

“Or never found peace.”

“Damn.”

She stared at me without blinking.

“That’s actually incredibly useful.”

“So is your ability.”

Unlike her, though, I already had a plan.

Now I just needed to figure out whether Stasia would agree...

And whether any of it would actually help.

The rest of our time in the garden passed in comfortable silence.

Maybe because we had no more questions.

Or maybe because we had far too many for a single lifetime.

******

I returned to the room around eleven that evening.

I had expected to be greeted by solitude.

Though it had become unfamiliar far too quickly.

After opening the door and stepping inside, I didn’t immediately realize I wasn’t alone.

Silver eyes met mine, glowing with something unfamiliar.

I froze at the sight of Airis standing in the darkness, bathed in moonlight.

Both of us tensed.

The air between us felt dangerously thin.

As though the world itself had paused, waiting to see what would happen next.

“You’re back.”

The words were barely above whisper —

Yet painfully clear.

As though the silence itself had been waiting to hear it.