Elyssar lay sprawled across one of the high perches in her Solarium, her tail flicking lazily as she basked in the golden light filtering through her domain. The warm glow cast shifting shadows along the sleek pathways and hidden alcoves, painting the space with an illusion of perpetual dusk. She let out a slow, contented sigh, stretching her limbs as she absentmindedly twirled a small half-finished gadget between her fingers, which she had snagged from Lorith's workshop. Lorith was always annoyed when she randomly swiped stuff from his workshop but no matter what he did, Elyssar would always pick up new souvenirs every time she visited his workshop. It was rare for her to have a moment of true relaxation, and she intended to savor it...until the faint pulse of light from her Chronolink disrupted the stillness.
Her emerald-green eyes flicked toward the bracelet on her wrist, the central crystal glowing softly. Someone was reaching out to her. With a sigh: half-exasperation, half-curiosity. She tapped the crystal, channeling a sliver of her temporal energy into it. In an instant, a flickering holographic image of Zyren materialized before her, arms crossed and his usual lazy smirk was gone, replaced by something else.....cold resolve? "Enjoying yourself, I see," Zyren remarked, his ember-like eyes gleaming with amusement. Elyssar grinned, stretching languidly before rolling onto her side. "I was, until someone decided to bother me," she drawled. "So, what's so urgent that you just had to interrupt my beauty sleep?" Zyren let out a short chuckle. "Kai's training session with Lorith ended... let's just say, not in his favor. The kid's been through the wringer."
"Oh yeah? what happened to the poor soul?" Elyssar asked. "Well he got skewered by one of Lorith's crystal spikes, and...well, let's just say he is gonna learn something new about being an immortal." Elyssar's eyes widened as she tilted her head, ears flicking. "Oh that's not good. But why do you think I am the best person to explain the whole resurrection thing to him? You're usually the one playing the suave smooth talker." she asked, grinning at Zyren. "Because everyone else has their own problems right now," Zyren replied calmly. "Selara's busy, Lorith's currently having an existential crisis and Saphielle's wrapped up in her own work. You, on the other hand, are the only one currently lazing around." Elyssar's tail twitched in amusement. "Ah, so I get the honor of being your last resort? How flattering." Zyren smirked. "More like my only option."
Elyssar let out a soft chuckle, stretching once more before pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Fine, fine. I'll check in on him. Can't have our newest little Keeper breaking too soon, now can we?" Zyren gave her a knowing look but said nothing as the connection severed, the hologram fading away, leaving her alone once more. With a graceful leap, Elyssar landed lightly on the ground, her movements fluid and effortless. She made her way to the exit, the door sliding open with a soft hiss as she stepped into the corridor.
A few strides later, she reached Kai's Solarium. Lifting a hand, she rapped her knuckles against the door, her usual smirk already forming. "Rise and shine, darling. You still breathing in there?" The lack of a reply concerned Elyssar a bit. "Kai? You awake? Mind if I come in?" she asked again, rapping her knuckles against the door. After a few seconds, she heard the hesitant voice of Kai ring out from inside, "Yeah....come in" he said. Elyssar slowly stepped in, she noticed that Kai was sitting on his bed, looking quite distraught. "Can't blame the poor soul, he's been through quite an experience." Elyssar though to herself. She decided to try to lighten his mood. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she teased, crossing her arms. Kai let a breath out through his nose. "I...." he seemed to hesitate, almost as if he was hiding something from her....
Elyssar tilted her head slightly. "Let me guess. You remember dying?" Kai stiffened. "Yeah." She forced a smile, though inside she was quite worried about Kai. "Relax, darling. You're a Time-Keeper now. If you die within the Primarium Castrum, you just respawn in your Solarium." Kai blinked, as he looked up to her. "Respawn?" he said slowly, furrowing his brows. "What, you think you're special? This happens to everyone at least once." Elyssar explained. Kai let out a slow breath, as he lowered his head and rubbed his temples. All of a sudden, Elyssar noticed him suddenly sitting up straighter in a quick jolt. His eyes seemed to widen for just a second before he masked his expression. Anyone other ordinary person may have not even noticed such a subtle shift, but Elyssar had the eyes of a seasoned warrior and hunter, nothing escaped her sight. She sensed that there was something much deeper than a simple resurrection that was bothering Kai.
"You good, bucko?" she asked gently. Kai nodded hesitantly. "Yeah. I just..." he said, exhaling as he ran a hand through his hair. "I think I need some rest." Elyssar studied him for a moment, her feline gaze unreadable, what is hell is going on in his mind. "Alright," she finally said, though there was a hint of hesitation in her tone. "Get some sleep. You've been through a quite an experience." she turned back to leave but just before she did, she glanced back at Kai one last time, if only she could figure out what was bothering him, maybe she could help him feel better. She exited his Solarium, the door closing behind her with a soft hiss. She was immersed in thought and was unable to make proper conclusions.
Elyssar leaned against the wall outside Kai's Solarium, arms crossed, her tail flicking in idle thought. Something about their conversation gnawed at her instincts. She had faced countless battles, both as a mortal and as a Time-keeper, she knew her prey the moment she laid here eyes on it. Compared to what she expected, Kai's reaction had been.....different. It wasn't just distress. It was guarded, controlled. Like he was trying to lock something away. With a quiet sigh, she tapped her Chronolink, sending a pulse of energy through the crystal. A few seconds later, the air in front of her shimmered as Zyren's holographic form materialized, arms still crossed over his chest. His ember-like eyes immediately locked onto hers.
"So....how'd it go?" he asked, his tone lacking its usual teasing lilt. Elyssar rolled one shoulder, a pensive expression flickering across her face. "Well, he's alive. Again. So, there's that," she said dryly. Zyren huffed a short laugh. "Oh you don't say. And?" She hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking, her voice quieter now. "He's shaken up. But it's more than that." Her emerald eyes narrowed slightly. "I can say one thing for certain: he is hiding something." Zyren's expression darkened, shadowed by a look of quiet contemplation. "Hiding what exactly?" he asked. "If I knew that , I wouldn't be telling you he's hiding something, now would I?" she quipped, though there was no real bite to her words. She rubbed the back of her neck, glancing toward the door of Kai's Solarium as if she could see through it. "Whatever it is, it's not just him being rattled by dying for the first time. He masked it quickly, but I caught the way he tensed, the shift in his posture. He's guarding something, Zyren."
Zyren's expression darkened slightly, the flickering glow of his eyes sharpening with thought. "That is not good, no matter how we look at it." he muttered "Oh you think so?" Elyssar teased, her tail swishing behind her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The faint hum of the Chronolink connection lingered between them like an unspoken weight. Then Zyren exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Alright. I'm heading to the Archives." Elyssar arched a brow. "Oh? You of all people doing actual research? This must be rather serious." she remarked. "Yeah, yeah it is quite shocking, I know," Zyren said dryly. "But if something's messing with the kid's head, I'd rather not sit around waiting to see how it plays out." His expression hardened. "In the meantime, keep an eye on him. If he does or says anything out of the ordinary, let me know."
Elyssar studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll watch over our little fledgling." Zyren gave her one last searching look before the hologram flickered and vanished, leaving Elyssar alone once more. She stood there for a few seconds, staring at the empty air where Zyren's projection had been. Then, with a soft breath, she turned on her heel and padded back toward her Solarium. As the door slid shut behind her, she leaned against the nearest perch, arms draped loosely over her knees. Her tail curled and uncurled in thought.
Whatever was going on with Kai, it wasn't just the usual first-death jitters. And that meant trouble.