The Emberlight Bistro was alive with its usual warmth. The scent of roasted basilisk breast and saffron mushroom stew drifted through the streets, drawing in the usual crowd—mercenaries with coin, traders with tired eyes, and locals who knew that nothing soothed better than Kael's food.
Kael stood behind the counter, sleeves rolled, his hands moving with effortless grace as he garnished a bowl of simmering hydra-tail broth. Beside him, Aeris hummed softly, plating roasted root salad. The two moved like a dance—intimate, practiced, and full of quiet understanding.
In the far corner of the bistro, Lyra, their daughter, was attempting to teach her shadow bunny, Nibbles, how to pirouette.
"Spin, Nibbles! Spin!" she giggled, as the bunny flopped lazily, unimpressed.
Kael chuckled under his breath but suddenly paused. A faint shimmer crossed his vision—only for a second, like a ripple in the air. He narrowed his eyes. A strange weight settled in his chest, as if something old had momentarily looked through him.
"Aeris," he said softly. "Did you feel that?"
She paused, hand hovering over the spice rack. Her silver-gold hair shifted slightly, even without breeze. "Yes… something brushed against my wards."
"You're sure they're still intact?"
"Of course," she said, but her voice carried an undertone of unease. "Nothing breaches them without a fight. But… it didn't try to breach. It only looked."
Kael frowned. "Then something knows."
Before either could pursue the thought further, the bell above the door chimed.
The bistro hushed as a newcomer stepped inside.
She was tall, hooded, and her presence shifted the air. Her robes shimmered with dark blues and threads of moonlight. But it was her eyes—silver like liquid mercury—that drew Kael's full attention.
Moon Elf.
Aeris stiffened.
The woman walked slowly to the counter, removed her hood, and revealed flawless ivory skin, delicate ears, and an expression neither hostile nor kind—merely calm.
"One bowl of dawnroot soup," she said.
Kael nodded, already moving.
"You're not from around here," Aeris said, voice cool but polite.
The woman smiled faintly. "No. I've come from the isles. I seek the flame that cooks beneath mortal skin."
Kael didn't react outwardly—but his flame stirred faintly in response.
"What's your name, traveler?" he asked.
The woman's eyes locked with his. "Elyra Valen. I've come to eat… and to observe."
---
That night, as the last plates were washed and Lyra slept soundly upstairs, Aeris sat on the rooftop, watching the stars. Kael joined her, bringing two mugs of honeyed night-wine.
"She's not just watching," Aeris said softly. "She's testing us. And she hides her power well."
"She's not the only one," Kael replied, eyes glowing faintly now. "The veil between my past and present is thinning. The old world creeps in."
Aeris leaned on his shoulder. "Then we'll face it together."
Kael kissed her forehead. "And with fire, if we must."
Below them, a light breeze stirred the restaurant's herb garden, and far to the north, thunder rolled across distant mountains.