⟢───── Ashes × Aether ─────⟣
SYLVANNA — HIGH NOON DEBRIEF FACILITY — INNER CORRIDORS
The door sealed behind Kit with a soft hydraulic breath.
The corridor stretched long and narrow, lit in steady bands that reflected off polished stone and jungle roots. Footsteps echoed farther down the hall. Voices stayed low.
Eyes followed him.
Guards stood at measured intervals, posture unchanged, attention sharp. Their focus lingered on Kit as he passed.
Kit kept walking.
Halfway down the corridor, someone stepped out from an adjacent hall.
A man, early forties, dressed in formal council black. A thin sash at his shoulder bore the insignia of Nardox. Familiar lines. Home.
Kit slowed.
The man inclined his head. “Kit Asher.”
Kit stopped fully now.
“I’m assigned to escort you,” the man said. “Council aide. Capital City, Sol.”
Relief settled into Kit’s chest before he realized it.
“You’re from Nardox?” Kit said.
The man nodded. “Born and raised.”
He reached into his satchel and removed a small box wrapped in linen. The scent reached Kit first. Lemon. Vanilla. Warm.
“Someone insisted I hand this to you personally,” the aide said. “Burned a few, apparently.”
Kit took the box.
His grip tightened for half a second.
“My sister, is she here?” he asked.
“No,” the man said. “but your father is here. You’ll see him tomorrow.”
Kit exhaled slowly as he nodded.
”This way.”
They walked together then, turning away from the debrief wing and deeper into the facility. The architecture shifted. Less sterile. More ceremonial. Stonework etched with elemental motifs.
“You’ll be staying the night,” the aide said. “There’s a formal recognition tomorrow. For the expedition.”
Kit nodded once. “Heard.”
They stopped before a tall door etched with a simple crest. The aide pressed his palm to the panel. It opened soundlessly.
“Your chambers,” he said. “You’ll have privacy here. Food will be delivered if you want it.”
The aide placed one hand on Kits back.
“Get some rest Kit, I’ll return in the morning.”
The door closed behind Kit.
Silence settled.
Real silence.
Kit stood where he was for a long moment.
The room held warm light, filtered through a lattice overhead that carried the glow of Sylvanna’s jungle beyond stone and glass. A low hum moved beneath the floor.
He set the box down carefully.
Sat.
And let everything arrive.
Depths.
Pressure.
Screams swallowed by distance. The Wilds folding in on themselves.
Faces lit by emergency light. Colt’s blood on stone. Mae’s hands shaking as she worked.
Buck.
The way he sat beside him. The way his presence felt wrong without ever feeling hostile. The way conversation thinned around him. The way he smiled before stepping off the rail.
Kyro.
Standing between them and total collapse. Turning back toward danger without hesitation.
The Fist.
Emerging from shadow and steel. Blades raised. Orders spoken like law.
Hands on his uncle.
Kit’s jaw set.
The room stayed quiet as his resolve hardened into place.
The next time someone reached for anyone his family, the outcome would be final.
Kit rose and crossed to the window.
Sylvanna spread beyond the glass. Green and gold. Alive. Waiting.
Tomorrow would bring ceremony. Faces. Applause.
Tonight belonged to memory.
And to the promise he carried forward.
⟢───── Ashes × Aether ─────⟣