Chapter 73: The Bargain
The shadows receded gradually, like a reluctant tide drawing back from shore. As Eren’s vision adjusted, he found himself in a chamber drastically different from the throne room they had left. Gone were the high ceilings and imposing thrones of polished wood. The air here felt older, charged with an energy that made the fine hairs on his arms stand on end.
They stood in a circular room with walls of polished obsidian that reflected their images in distorted, shifting patterns. Eren studied these reflections with wary fascination—his own face stretched and compressed as if viewed through rippling water, Kaida’s form seeming to shimmer between solid and spectral.
Seven alcoves were carved into the walls at equal distances, each containing a small pedestal that glowed with a different colored light. The chamber felt ancient, as if it had existed long before the palace above had been built—perhaps even before the mountain itself had taken its current form.
Eren walked slowly around the perimeter, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor. His senses registered the fourteen elements that existed in their realm represented among the pedestals. The precise arrangement stirred memories of Thornvale Kingdom, where he had performed his first TUNA ceremony, though this place felt more primal, more connected to the raw forces of nature than those carefully controlled environments.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Kaida asked, watching him explore with those strange kaleidoscope eyes. "I designed this chamber myself, millennia ago, when the boundaries between elements were still fluid, still malleable to those who understood their true nature."
She moved to the center of the room, her gown flowing around her like liquid shadow. The light from the alcoves cast her in alternating hues—crimson, azure, emerald, violet—each color seeming to draw different aspects from her countenance.
"Each of my top seven possesses a different element," she explained, her voice taking on a rhythmic quality that seemed to harmonize with the pulsing lights. "You will perform TUNA with each of them, and their element will be transferred to you."
Eren stood perfectly still, absorbing this information while maintaining a neutral expression. The torches along the wall seemed to flicker in response to his subtle shift in emotion.
"How is that even possible?" he finally asked, his voice echoing in the chamber. "There are no queens or commanders here to officiate the transfer."
Kaida smiled enigmatically and began to circle him slowly. Her movements were fluid and precise, like a predator assessing its prey—or perhaps an artist examining a canvas. The soft rustle of her gown against the stone floor created a whispered counterpoint to their conversation.
"The traditional ways are just that—traditions," she replied. "But the fundamental forces that govern our world have always been more... flexible... than most elves understand."