The air in the tower was thick with unspoken tension as Auriella turned to leave. Her steps were purposeful but hesitant, each movement weighed by the conversation that had just unfolded. 

Her business with Valen was concluded, and yet something kept her tethered to the moment. Before she could close the door behind her, Valen’s voice broke through.

“Auriella,” he called out, softer than she expected. “Can I... come visit soon?”

The question froze her in place. Slowly, she turned her head to glance back at him. Magnus looked equally taken aback, his arms crossing as his brows furrowed in thought. 

The leader of the Infernal Ten asking permission? That was unheard of. 

Magnus’s gaze flickered between the two of them, suspicion brewing in his mind, but he said nothing. Instead, he watched on in silence, the faintest hint of a smirk curling his lips as he seemed to piece something together.

Auriella gripped the doorknob tightly, her knuckles changing color as she deliberated. Valen’s face was carefully composed, but the vulnerability in his eyes betrayed him. 

This wasn’t just about courtesy; it was a plea for connection. 

She could sense it—his longing to bridge the sudden gap between them, to approach her world not as a domineering leader the world saw him as, but as someone who longed to become an important part of her life.

“You’re welcome to visit anytime, Valen,” she finally replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “But now, I really should be going. Goodbye for now.”

With that, she shut the door, the sound echoing in the chamber.

---

Auriella leaned against the cold marble wall outside the meeting room, her breath shaky as she tried to steady herself. 

The meeting had been everything she expected—and more. The weight of it all threatened to crush her, but for the first time in a long while, she felt the faintest sense of relief. 

Questions she had carried for years now had answers, even if they left her with more to process.

She pushed herself upright, determined to leave the tower. As she descended the staircase, her surroundings shifted unexpectedly. 

With one step, she suddenly found herself back at the entrance. The abrupt change left her momentarily disoriented, but before she could react, Oriana barreled into her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

“Auri! Are you alright?” Oriana’s voice was laced with worry as she pulled back to study Auriella’s face, her hands on Auriella’s cheeks.

Auriella chuckled softly, holding Oriana’s hands in hers. “I’m okay,” she reassured her. “But let’s go somewhere private before we discuss anything further.”

Leo and Claude appeared behind Oriana, their expressions mirroring Oriana’s concern. Judging by the faint smell of sweat that followed them, it seemed that they had been lingering in the training arena while they waited for her. 

Without a word, Leo handed Cal to Auriella, understanding without explanation that she needed the grounding presence of their child in her arms.

Auriella cradled Cal close, her emotions threatening to spill over if she didn't focus on something, no, ANYTHING else. “Thank you,” she murmured to Leo before addressing Oriana. “Let’s head back now.”

Though still worried, Oriana nodded and conjured her cloud magic. The group of five departed, leaving the tower behind.

—

Meanwhile, in the tower, Magnus had taken Auriella’s vacated seat, propping his feet on the table as he glared at Valen. 

He held a crumpled note in his hand, the one Valen had used to threaten him and Isla over their refusal to supply iron ore. With a sharp flick of his wrist, Magnus hurled the paper at Valen, but Valen caught it mid-air with ease.

“You forget yourself, Valen,” Magnus growled, flames erupting from his hair as his anger boiled over. 

“Threatening us with exposure? Respecting you as our leader doesn’t make you untouchable. Don’t think I won’t put you in your place, lest you forget that as well.”

Valen sighed, flattening the paper on the table. The words “I know about you two” stared back at him in his own handwriting. 

“I admit that I overstepped,” Valen admitted, his tone calm. “But refusing Xena’s request without explanation? That doesn’t make sense, coming from you, at the very least. We need those weapons, Magnus. What’s your excuse?”

Magnus’s flames receded as he leaned forward, his face a mixture of rage and something deeper—pain. Magnus touched the note that Valen brought closer to him, his fingers tightening around it as he wrestled with his emotions. 

“For demons, we’re remarkably cruel when it comes to our emotions,” Magnus mused softly, which made Valen recall a fleeting image of Beira, her beautiful face marred by tears.

Magnus cleared his throat, shaking off whatever vulnerability had surfaced. “I don’t think we need them,” he said firmly. “We can handle the Voidkin ourselves. Or do you doubt our strength?”

Valen scoffed. “You underestimate them. It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared, but you’re too blinded by pride to see that.”

The tension between them simmered as Valen reached for a stack of papers, signaling the end of the discussion. “This meeting is over,” he said.

Magnus stood, shoving his hands into his pockets. As he reached the door, he glanced back with a smirk. “So, she’s yours, huh?”

Valen’s hands slammed onto the desk as he stood, but Magnus slipped out before he could respond. Alone, Valen sat back down, his thoughts racing. 

His choice to restore Auriella’s original hair color had exposed something he wasn’t prepared to face the consequences of. 

He crumpled the papers in his hands, a rare flicker of panic crossing his features.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath.

~~~~~~~~~~

And that's the chapter! BUT, we're not done yet!

I have received some lovely fan art recently and I've decided to happily showcase it here! But, I might need to explain what it is, just in case.

So, do you remember the human children fishing for demon fish at the Festival of Unity? No? Well, I don't blame you. It did happen over 60+ chapters ago lol

Anyway, the fish are called Dreamshade (used to be Nightshade but Dreamshade made more sense so I changed it) and they devour the nightmares of their owners, though only if they bond deeply.

Long author note later lol I'd like to thank Bella the cow for this adorable rendition of the Dreamshade. Do go check out her comic if you like adorable watercolor animals with only the cutest puns you could ever read!