Vitaliara, now fully perched on Lucavion’s head, let out a small [Hmph.] before placing her soft paws against his forehead.
Tap.
Lucavion stayed still, allowing the light, rhythmic taps without complaint. If this was what she needed to settle her frustration, he wouldn’t get in her way.
Her warmth was familiar, grounding, a presence that had been missing for too long.
After a moment, he spoke, his voice casual.
‘Then… what were you up to recently?’
THWACK!
Lucavion’s head jerked slightly as Vitaliara smacked his forehead—not with her usual gentle taps, but with a solid, paw-delivered strike.
[I should be the one asking you that!] she shouted through their bond, her tail flicking wildly.
Lucavion winced slightly, rubbing his forehead. ‘Alright, alright, fair,’ he admitted, though the grin tugging at his lips didn’t fade.
But Vitaliara wasn’t done.
[You suddenly pushed yourself forward into that vortex—what were you thinking?!]
Her voice was sharp, laced with the emotions she had bottled up.
Lucavion’s smirk dimmed, his gaze lowering slightly.
Ah.
That.
That was the last thing she had seen—the exact moment he had shoved Elara back, taking her place just as the vortex swallowed him whole.
Vitaliara huffed, her tail swishing aggressively as she stomped—well, as much as a tiny feline-like creature could—on top of Lucavion’s head.
[Why did you risk your life for that girl?!] she demanded, her voice sharp, frustrated. [Do you even realize how reckless that was?!]
Lucavion exhaled, his smirk returning just slightly. “Well… I had my reasons.”
[Reasons that you won’t tell me!]
He chuckled under his breath. “I will. When the time comes.”
Vitaliara’s tail bristled. [And when, exactly, will that time come?!]
“Just be patient.”
[You bastard!] she snapped, smacking his forehead again—not as hard as before, but enough to make her irritation very clear.
Lucavion let out a soft chuckle but didn’t retaliate. Instead, his voice lowered, his smirk fading ever so slightly.
“I know you were worried,” he murmured, his tone quieter now. “I’m sorry.”
A long silence stretched between them.
Then—
[Humph.]
She turned her head away, crossing her paws in an exaggerated sulk.
Vitaliara’s tail flicked restlessly as she remained perched on his head, her ears twitching in thought.
After a moment, she spoke again, her voice quieter but firm.
[Then? What did happen in there?]
Lucavion stretched slightly, letting out a small sigh. “Well…”
Where to even begin?
“The vortex dumped me into an unfamiliar dimension, one that felt… off. The sky was cracked, the land itself was unstable. The whole place felt like it wasn’t meant to exist—or like it was something left unfinished.”
Vitaliara listened intently, her previous sulking momentarily forgotten.
“I wandered for a bit, looking for an exit,” Lucavion continued. “And then… well, you must have noticed it too, right?”
[Noticed what?]
He smirked slightly, tilting his head. “The energy. That massive kraken—the one that tried to eat me whole—its energy felt similar, didn’t it?”
Vitaliara stiffened.
“My energy… and Master’s.”
She didn’t say anything.
Didn’t even move.
Lucavion narrowed his eyes. ‘So. You did notice it.’
He let the silence stretch for a moment before he spoke again, his voice dipping lower.
“Why did you hide it from me?”
Finally, she shifted. Her paws pressed lightly against his forehead as she exhaled, almost hesitant.
[It was because I was unsure.] she admitted, her voice carrying a rare uncertainty. [It was the first time I saw something like that in my entire life. That energy—whatever it was—it didn’t belong here. And that was strange.]
Lucavion hummed, absorbing her words. “So you were scared?”
A pause. Then—
[Yes.]
Vitaliara didn’t hesitate this time. [Is there a problem with that?]
Lucavion chuckled under his breath. “No, no… You were right to be scared.”
And that was the truth.
Vitaliara let out a small sigh before gracefully hopping down from Lucavion’s head, landing lightly in his lap. She curled up there, resting her tail around herself, her crimson eyes still sharp with curiosity.
[Did you know about that kraken?] she asked after a pause.
Lucavion nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, I knew.”
Vitaliara’s ears twitched. [How?]
Lucavion exhaled, tilting his head back slightly. “That… is really hard to explain.”
[I see.]
She didn’t push further.
Lucavion smirked slightly—of course she wouldn’t. Vitaliara had long since learned that there were things about him that simply didn’t make sense. Like how he had known the location of that Archmage’s lair long before anyone else did. Or how he always seemed to be one step ahead, aware of things he shouldn’t be.
She had questions. But she also knew that, in time, the answers would come.
Instead, she shifted slightly, her tail flicking as she moved on. [Then, what happened after you got swallowed by the vortex?]
Lucavion leaned back against the chair, one hand absentmindedly brushing over Vitaliara’s fur. “I wandered for a bit, looking for an exit.”
His fingers stilled slightly.
“And then… I saved a certain daughter.”
[What?] Vitaliara’s ears perked up.
Lucavion let a slow smirk tug at his lips. “The Veiled Lady. Remember her?”
A pause. Then—
[Yes.]
“Well…” Lucavion chuckled, his golden eyes gleaming. “I saved her.”
Lucavion let his fingers idly stroke Vitaliara’s fur as he continued recounting the events.
“I found her surrounded by a group of adventurers,” he murmured, his voice losing some of its usual teasing lilt. “They weren’t the decent kind. They knew exactly who she was… and what they could do with someone like her.”
Vitaliara’s tail flicked sharply. [They tried to assault her?]
Lucavion nodded. “She was weak. Ill. She could barely stand, let alone fight back.” He scoffed slightly, his expression darkening. “If I had arrived even a moment later, well…”
His fingers stilled briefly.
“It wouldn’t have been pleasant for her.”
Vitaliara didn’t say anything, but through their bond, he could feel her reaction. Anger. A quiet, simmering rage.
Lucavion exhaled lightly. “I dealt with them, obviously. And after that, I had to carry her around like a helpless little kitten.”
Vitaliara’s ears twitched. [Hmph. And then?]
Lucavion smirked, leaning back into his chair. “Then came the Kraken.”
Lucavion let out a slow breath, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. “I knew from the start that thing could be too much for me.”
Vitaliara snorted. [Of course! That was a damn kraken! What did you even think?]
Lucavion smirked. “Well, I’m still here, aren’t I? That means my plan worked.”
[Hmph. And what exactly was your plan?]
He leaned back further, stretching lazily. “It’s a bit complicated. Wanna hear all of it?”
Vitaliara huffed, shifting in his lap. [Obviously.]
Lucavion grinned, but as he spoke next, his tone held a sharper edge. “Aeliana’s illness was directly tied to the Kraken.”
Vitaliara’s ears twitched, but she remained silent, listening.
“Her mana was being drained—not by a curse, not by poison, but by a connection. Something deep, something unnatural. The Kraken was feeding off of her, using her as an anchor between dimensions.”
Lucavion’s fingers curled slightly. “Which meant, if I could sever that link—if I could force a shift in that balance—the Kraken would weaken.”
Vitaliara narrowed her eyes.
“And that’s exactly what I did,” Lucavion finished with a small smirk. “I turned its own connection against it.”
A beat of silence.
Then—
[Aeliana?]
Lucavion blinked.
Vitaliara’s tone was suddenly… different. A little sharper. A little more pointed.
[Is that her name?]
Lucavion felt her small paws press into his chest as she stared up at him, her crimson eyes gleaming with something unreadable.
[You’re now close enough to call her by her name?]
Lucavion chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Ahaha… Why not? I am her savior, remember?”
Vitaliara’s tail flicked once.
[Heeee?] Her tone was flat. [Suspicious.]