I. Between Sisters: Beneath the Frost
The moon rose above the fortress, tinting the ice spires that still covered the inner garden in shades of blue and silver. Violeta and Eris, seated beneath the Star Tree, shared a blanket and a cup of lotus tea to soothe their nerves.
Eris let out a long breath, still struck by her sister's battle. —"You know?" she whispered, looking at the frost. "For a moment, I thought you would lose yourself between worlds and never return."
Violeta rested her head on Eris's shoulder. —"For the first time, I felt space answering me… but it also tempted me not to come back. If it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't have an anchor."
Eris stroked her hair, unashamed of the emotion in her voice. —"It doesn't matter how far you jump or how many rifts you cross: you always have a home here. No one walks alone in this family."
Violeta smiled, and in the stillness, they shared childhood memories: falls on the ice, games of tag, and the first time Eris had defended Violeta from a bullying apprentice.
—"Are you afraid of tomorrow?" Violeta asked. Eris shook her head, the fire of ruin burning in her gaze. —"I only fear that one day we might stop believing that if one of us gets lost, the others will follow until the very end."
They embraced, sealing without words the promise never to let power, glory, or darkness tear their sisterhood apart. Kael, watching from the shadows, smiled at the scene. —"Legends are written in battle… but this is what saves us."
II. Counsel and Shadows: The Game of Politics
Meanwhile, in the chamber of the elders, the embers of politics burned beneath a layer of diplomacy. Elder Marcus stood firm, his voice grave: —"Violeta's awakening, and the arrival of the outsider, is not just a spectacle. It is a warning to the empires: Morningstar has blood and secrets that can no longer be ignored."
Elder Livia stared intently at the emissaries with her emerald eyes. —"What is it you truly seek, sending geniuses and stalkers under the guise of courtesy?"
The Western emissary, with an impassive face, replied: —"Only to observe. The world is changing, and every clan must decide whether it will be a witness… or a part of the new era."
Elder Sela, always in the shadows, slipped in more subtle questions. —"Do you truly only observe? Or are you waiting to find a crack to sink your fangs into?"
The envoy from the Star Ice smiled coldly. —"Morningstar has proven it does not fear the shadow. But do not forget that the night is long, and the gods do not forgive lineages that defy the heavens."
Lilith, the Ash Phoenix, radiated an incandescent calm. —"The clan does not seek to provoke, but neither does it fear losing everything to protect what it loves. Are you certain your empires wish to test that flame?"
The meeting concluded with polite words, but everyone knew the coliseum was not the only arena where the clan's destiny was being played out.
III. Under the Stars
As the night drew to a close, Violeta and Eris, huddled together under the tree, promised once more: —"No matter what happens, tomorrow I will fight for you as much as for myself," Eris said.
—"And if one day I jump so far that the clan cannot reach me, you will be the one to bring me back," Violeta whispered.
Both looked up at the sky, knowing that the true roar of the clan was that of the bonds that never break.