Chapter 74: Shadows and Strategies
The shadows receded as Eren and Kaida emerged from the void, stepping back into the grand throne room. The transition left a cold metallic taste in Eren’s mouth, like drinking water from a copper cup left too long in winter air. He rolled his tongue against his palate, trying to dispel the sensation while gathering his thoughts.
’I need to buy time,’ he realized. ’Figure out what’s truly happening here before I commit to anything.’
Kaida watched him with those unsettling kaleidoscope eyes, her expression one of patient amusement—as if she were observing a child slowly working through a puzzle she had mastered centuries ago.
"There might be a problem," Eren said finally, his voice measured and deliberate. The humic pressed against his chest, its tiny form vibrating with what felt like agreement.
Kaida tilted her head slightly, her silver hair cascading like liquid moonlight over one shoulder. "Oh? And what problem might that be, Veilwalker?"
"Your top seven," Eren replied, gesturing toward the numbered elves who had resumed their positions along the walls. "They may possess the elements as you claim, but the TUNA ritual requires precise execution. One misstep could disrupt the entire transfer." He paused, watching her reaction carefully. "Teaching them while performing might affect the ritual’s stability. The energy patterns are complex, and without proper preparation—"
A slow smile spread across Kaida’s face, transforming her features from merely beautiful to breathtaking—and somehow more terrifying for it. The smile never reached her eyes, which continued their kaleidoscopic shifting, reflecting colors that shouldn’t exist in the natural world.
"You needn’t stress yourself, Veilwalker," she interrupted, her voice smooth as silk. "I know the perfect person who might assist with this... concern of yours."
She began walking toward the grand doors of the throne room with measured steps that made barely a whisper against the polished floor. As they crossed the expansive chamber, she spotted Kiran lingering near the entrance, her mismatched eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Kaida gave a subtle nod, an almost imperceptible gesture that Kiran responded to with immediate understanding. The slender elf stepped forward, her hands already weaving complex patterns in the air—the same motions Eren had witnessed when she first transported him to this realm.
A shimmering tear appeared in the fabric of reality, edged with that same unnatural blue light that had characterized their earlier portal. Through the opening, Eren could make out glimpses of swirling mist and fractured landscapes—a chaotic collage of places rather than a single destination.