Aedhira blinked, yawning as he stretched his arms out, surprised at the stiffness. "Strange," he muttered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "We've been at this for hours, and yet... I don't feel that tired."
Across from him, Nornesh rolled their eyes, the subtle grin tugging at the corner of their lips betraying amusement. "It's only been about twenty minutes outside, Aedhira."
Aedhira stared at them, confused.
Nornesh waved a hand dismissively, a soft ripple echoing through the ethereal landscape of the mindscape around them. "I took the liberty of speeding up our perception of time in here. It's not exactly difficult when you have control over the flow of things, especially in this little corner of your mind."
Aedhira's brow furrowed, the gears of his mind turning to ask how exactly that worked. But before he could even vocalize the thought, Nornesh flicked a finger in his direction, their piercing sapphire eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Shut that thought down," they commanded, their tone holding a warning edge. "Trust me, knowing 'how' it works won't do you any good right now."
Aedhira huffed, dropping the question. They had been talking for what felt like hours, after all, though mostly about lighter things. He couldn't deny the odd charm of this mental back-and-forth with Nornesh. They had discussed the vast landscapes of mainland Veria, which Aedhira had yet to see in person, and some amusingly embarrassing stories about Astiron. Nornesh, as it turned out, knew far more 'dirt' on Aedhira's father than anyone should be allowed to.
Aedhira had taken particular delight in that, though the mounting revelations about his own creation made it hard to focus on simple amusement for too long. Every so often, a morsel of vital knowledge slipped through Nornesh's lips—bits of information that Aedhira suspected would become invaluable once he set foot on Veria proper. But the larger picture eluded him, veiled in the cryptic way Nornesh danced around the truth.
He stifled another yawn, stretching his limbs again. "So," he asked, rolling his neck to ease the tension, "when does this whole absorption process start?"
Nornesh's chuckle was the kind that made Aedhira's skin crawl. It was never a good sign. "Start?" Nornesh leaned back, an expression of mild amusement crossing their face. "Aedhira, it started when I first dragged you in here."
"What?!"
The dragon-like entity grinned, their sapphire eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, by the way," Nornesh added nonchalantly, almost as if they were talking about the weather, "I've got some good news for you. Turns out that whatever little modifications the Universe—capital 'U'—decided to make during your 'conception' had some beneficial side effects on that rune I placed in you."
Aedhira blinked, not sure how to process the casual mention of cosmic interference in his creation. He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to be feeling right now. Cosmic modifications? The Universe itself had done something to him? A primal anxiety stirred deep within him.
"Relax," Nornesh said, sensing his rising panic. "It's good news. The absorption process should only take, give or take, two weeks."
"Two... weeks?"
"Yeah, maybe a couple of days more, but certainly not more than that."
Aedhira's head spun. The revelations were coming too fast—too many bombshells to digest all at once. But amid the torrent of thoughts, one nagging question rose to the surface.
"Will we... meet again?" His voice came out quieter than he intended. It was a question that carried more weight than he realized, the gravity of it pulling the atmosphere into a cold silence.
Nornesh's face darkened. The casual demeanor slipped away, replaced by something far more serious. On the horizon of the mindscape, the hurricane rumbled ominously, its dark clouds swirling faster, while on the opposite end, the blizzard howled with greater fury. The skies above began to churn, the once calm clouds now roiling with unease.
The silence hung thick between them, and Aedhira's chest tightened. His heart—or whatever passed for a heart in his artificial body—pounded against his ribs. He wasn't sure why he was nervous, but the sudden shift in the atmosphere had his pulse racing. He stared at Nornesh, waiting, breath held.
Nornesh, after what felt like an eternity, opened their mouth with a completely straight face. "Eh, I'd say... in a day or two."
Aedhira nearly choked on his own breath. The heavy atmosphere shattered like a popped bubble, the tension evaporating in an instant. The hurricane on the horizon lost its momentum, the blizzard calmed, and the clouds stilled.
He scowled at Nornesh, who was laughing under their breath, clearly enjoying his discomfort. Aedhira, still reeling from the emotional whiplash, reached down and scooped a handful of dirt from the ground, hurling it in Nornesh's direction.
The dirt, as if defying all logic, vanished into thin air before it even reached them.
Aedhira groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Of course it does that."
Nornesh's laugh grew louder, their voice carrying the same teasing edge. "What, you think I'd let you actually hit me with something in my own domain? Please."
Aedhira pouted, crossing his arms. "One of these days, I swear..."
"One of these days what?" Nornesh mocked lightly, still smiling as they leaned back lazily, perfectly comfortable in their control over the mindscape. "Go on, make your empty threats. I'll be here."
Aedhira sighed, knowing it was pointless. He couldn't win against them, not here. Not now. Instead, he settled for glaring at them, though the effect was largely lost on Nornesh, who seemed more amused than anything else.
"Two weeks," Aedhira murmured to himself, trying to refocus. Two weeks until Nornesh was fully absorbed. Two weeks until... well, he wasn't entirely sure what would happen after that. But the idea of absorbing an entity like Nornesh into himself carried implications far beyond what he was prepared for.
As if sensing his unease again, Nornesh's voice softened, though the amusement never fully left. "Don't overthink it, Aedhira. You're not losing yourself. You're just gaining... a little more perspective."
Aedhira shook his head, the weight of the coming days settling on his shoulders. "Yeah, perspective," he muttered. "That's what I'm worried about."
Nornesh, sensing the shift in Aedhira's mood, straightened up, their usual casual air fading. "Listen, Aedhira, there's something you need to understand." Their voice was steady, a far cry from the playful tone they'd held throughout much of their conversation. "Lokir, as it stands now, won't remain intact much longer."
Aedhira's head snapped up, a knot tightening in his chest. "What do you mean?"
"You've already told me about your journey, your battles, and what you've faced so far," Nornesh said, a shadow crossing their face. "Lokir has always been classified as a hazard zone, but that's because my corpse has been releasing unstable energy into the surroundings. It's seeped into the planet's very core. I kept Lokir from collapsing under its own instability for centuries, but once my essence is fully absorbed—" Nornesh paused, letting the words sink in, "—there won't be anything holding it together."
Aedhira blinked, the implications crashing into him like a tidal wave. "You're saying Lokir is going to... fall apart?"
Nornesh nodded grimly. "Eighty percent chance, give or take. The planet will undergo massive tectonic shifts. The ground beneath everyone will become unstable, and the world will start to crumble from the inside out. When it does, everything on the surface will either burn, melt, explode, or get swallowed by the hollowed-out world. That means," Nornesh fixed Aedhira with a serious gaze, "you need to start making preparations for an immediate evacuation the moment you leave this mindscape."
The weight of those words sat heavy in Aedhira's chest. "Evacuate... the whole planet?" He muttered, already feeling the impossibility of the task ahead.
Nornesh gave a slight shrug. "It's not ideal, I know. But you don't have much of a choice."
Aedhira's mind raced. "And Astiron? He's here too. Surely he can help?"
Nornesh gave a low chuckle, a knowing glint in their eyes. "That Astiron outside? I'm guessing that's probably just a mortal avatar. Not the real deal." Aedhira's shock must've been obvious because Nornesh's lips curled into a smug smile. "You really need to work on hiding those surface thoughts. Too easy."
Aedhira narrowed his eyes but couldn't help the small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, yeah. I'll figure it out."
Nornesh continued, their tone softening. "Look, I'll be able to help you out soon enough. Once I've regained enough strength, you'll feel me at your side—probably within a day or two. Until then, you'll have to handle things on your own. The good news is that your 'heart,'" Nornesh tapped a finger over Aedhira's chest, where he imagined his core pulsing deep inside, "provides a stable supply of ether. It's a feeling I've missed... having a stable source to draw from."
Aedhira's brow furrowed. "You're saying... this is relaxing for you?"
Nornesh let out a dramatic sigh, tilting their head back. "You have no idea. After all this time, I could use a little break. A day or two back in the ether flow before I'm forced into action again."
The image of the vicious, merciless entity Astiron had described clashed with the far more mellow Nornesh sitting before him now. "You're... way more laid back than I expected."
Nornesh's mouth twitched with amusement. "Oh, I can be much worse. But let's not dwell on that right now."
Aedhira exhaled sharply, his mind still swimming with the bombshells Nornesh had just dropped. "Alright, so I just tell Astiron the situation when I get out? He'll know what to do?"
"More or less." Nornesh gave a casual wave of their hand. "I'll be napping for a bit after this. If things go according to plan, you'll have everything you need when I wake up. Just... make sure your father isn't panicking too much in the meantime."
Aedhira rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's probably what you'd like, right?" His words were dripping with sarcasm, but Nornesh only chuckled shamelessly.
"That's the spirit."
Then, with a quick snap of their fingers, the table between them vanished into thin air. Before Aedhira could process the change, Nornesh moved in front of him, blocking his entire vision. The sudden closeness made Aedhira tense, but before he could say anything, Nornesh wrapped their arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Nornesh's chin rested gently atop Aedhira's head, their presence both firm and oddly comforting.
"It was good to meet you, my kin," Nornesh whispered softly, their voice filled with warmth. "Even though you may not inherit my blood, you are definitely an 'Israejin'... definitely a child of mine."
Aedhira's breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding wildly at the unexpected gesture. But then, as he rested in Nornesh's embrace, that pounding calmed, replaced by a warmth—a quivering, comforting sensation that wrapped itself around his core. Without even thinking, Aedhira's arms moved on their own, wrapping around Nornesh's robed waist. The action felt natural, as though some deep, hidden part of him had always known this was where he belonged.
"Stand tall, young one," Nornesh said, their voice barely above a whisper. "For I am now here."
For a moment, Aedhira said nothing, just let the weight of those words settle deep inside him. Then, finally, he pulled away just enough to meet Nornesh's gaze. Their eyes, deep sapphire and predatory, softened as they looked down at him, a strange mix of pride and something unspoken passing between them.
"I won't let you down," Aedhira whispered, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling within.
Nornesh grinned, though there was something bittersweet in the expression. "I know you won't."
And just like that, the world around them began to fade, the edges of the mindscape softening, pulling Aedhira back to the waking world. But even as reality reasserted itself, the warmth of Nornesh's embrace lingered, a reminder of the strange bond they now shared.
As the last fragments of the mindscape melted away, Nornesh's voice echoed in Aedhira's mind, a final parting gift before their long nap.
"We'll meet again soon enough, Aedhira. And when we do... you'd better be ready."
Aedhira opened his eyes to the real world once more, the weight of his new reality settling over him like a heavy cloak. The storm was coming, and with it, the fate of Lokir. But now, with Nornesh's words still resonating in his chest, Aedhira felt a spark of determination flare within him.
He had no time to waste.