Unholy Player

When Adyr regained consciousness, the first thing he felt was faint vibrations. The signal was subtle and steady, a clear sign the Spark was still nearby. The good news was that the pattern remained unchanged and hadn’t intensified, which meant it hadn’t moved.

Most likely, the structure Adyr had built was still intact, still serving its purpose, and still keeping the Spark contained.

The candles along the walls had long since burned out, plunging the room into darkness. He got out of bed and went to the window, pulling back the curtains to let the light in.

Then he stepped into the hall and told the maids waiting at his door to bring up food. Without waiting for a response, he returned to the room.

While the meal was being prepared, he took a quick shower, washing off the sand and dust stirred up by Colossith’s vibrations the night before. By the time he stepped out, a knock came at the door. Two maids entered, each pushing a trolley stacked with large trays of food.

"Lord Adyr, if you need more, just let us know. We’ll bring it immediately," one of the maids said politely, her head bowed.

Clearly, Vesha had taken his request seriously. The portions had been doubled, with additional servings prepared and held in reserve.

"Thank you. This should be enough," Adyr said with a slight smile. Two trolleys of food were more than sufficient for now.

He ate quickly, finishing everything down to the last bite. For the first time in a long while, he actually felt full. As always, he left the trolleys clean and orderly before stepping out of the room.

Unsurprisingly, Vesha was waiting for him just outside the door, her usual bright smile already in place.

She looked more energetic than yesterday. Her large, icy blue eyes shimmered with anticipation.