AnnouIf you read chapter 49 before I rewrote it, I reend going back to give it another read. I was thhly unhappy with it, but I think it's in a much better pow.Rava slumped onto a ben one of the gardens surrounding the hall, letting out a weary sigh. "That was exhausting." She rubbed at her temples as though trying to banish the lingering tension from the cil meeting.

  Vivienne, far less fazed, flopped down beside her with a smirk. "I thought it was rather fun, actually. And just for the record, they’re not allowed to pin about the ceiling damage. They did ask for a demonstration of my colossus form, after all."

  Rava barked a shh despite herself. "For once, I’ll side with you. You even warhem about how big you’d get. If they’re upset, it’s their own fault." She exhaled deeply, the tension starting to melt from her frame. "But seriously, what now?"

  Vivieilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"

  Rava shifted to look at her directly. "What you told my mother this m—about being Akhenna’s champion. I already knew you were strange, but that’s… different."

  "Different?" Vivienne arched a brow, a mischievous glint in her crimson eyes. "You mean lucky? Improbable? Unlikely? Or that you happeo be my first point of ta this delightful world of yours?"

  Rava waved a hand dismissively, though a small grin tugged at the er of her mouth. "I mean, it expins the theatrics. But it’s not every day someone like you walks into our lives g to be marked by one of the gods. Let alone Akhenna."

  Vivienne leaned back, folding her arms behind her head. "Trust me, it wasly on my to-do list either. But here we are."

  Rava studied her for a moment, her amber eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "You make it sound so casual. Most people would be falling over themselves to make sense of it. Or terrified."

  "Terrified, huh?" Vivieilted her head, a slow, needle-toothed grin spreading across her face. "Not really my style. I’ve already been through worse than a divine sponsorship, believe me."

  "Maybe," Rava admitted, leaning back as well. "But being a champion isn’t just some passing fancy. It puts yht in the middle of… well, everything."

  Vivieurned her head slightly, her grin softening into something more ptive. "Good. That’s exactly where I want to be. Besides, you’re ly sitting on the sideliher, wolf-girl. You’re in this mess with me, whether you like it or not."

  Rava let out a half-sigh, half-ugh, shaking her head. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

  "A, here we are," Vivienne said, her tone light but her gaze steady.

  Rava leaned ba the bench, gazing up at the deep blue sky dotted with streaks of fading sunlight. "All of that," she admitted. "I mean, champions are unique, but Akhenna? Of all the gods to cim someo feels… signifit. And a little unnerving. Like something big is ing."

  Vivieretched out, her cwed hands resting behind her head as she smirked. "You're n. It unnerves me too, sometimes. Akhenna isly known for pying by the rules. But it’s not like I had a choi the matter."

  Rava tilted her head toward her panion, curiosity flickering in her amber eyes. "You really didn’t?"

  Vivienne’s smirk faltered, her expression growing distant. "Not really. I died, somehow drifting from the river of souls and ended up catg her attention. She offered me… something. A purpose, I guess. A way to fight back against everything that used to crush me this time around."

  Rava sat up straighter, her ears flig forward in i. "And that’s enough for you? To fight back against Praxus and his pns? What happens when it’s over?"

  Vivienne shrugged, though her tone held a faint edge. "I haven’t thought that far ahead. Maybe I’ll find a cosy spot in your ds a intruders. Or maybe I’ll travel the world, see the sights, eat people I haven’t tasted before." Her dark eyes turo Rava, gleaming faintly in the fading light. "What about you? What do you think of all this? Of me?"

  Rava hesitated, her cws brushing the edge of the bench. "I think you’re dangerous," she said holy. "Uable. You turhing on its head, and you’ve dragged me into things I don’t fully uand." She paused, her voice softening. "But… I also think you’ve done mood than harm. You saved that boy, fought alongside me, and stood in front of the cil like it was nothing. That ts for something."

  Vivienne leaned closer, her griurning. "Only something? I’m crushed, really."

  Rava huffed a small ugh, shaking her head. "Don’t push it."

  "Admit it, you’d miss me if I left," Vivieeased, her tone light but her gaze searg.

  Rava didn’t answer right away, her expression thoughtful. Finally, she said, "Maybe. But only because you’d probably leave a mess behind for me to up."

  Vivienne ughed, a low, genuine sound that echoed through the garden. "Fair enough, wolf-girl. Fair enough."

  The pair sat in a fortable silehe quiet punctuated only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the soft chirping of distant birds. The sun dipped below the horizon, its fading light spilling over the treetops in warm hues e and purple. Shadows stretched long across the forest floor, swayily in the evening breeze.

  Rava eventually broke the silence, her voice casual. “Want to get a drink?”

  Vivieilted her head zily, one er of her mouth quirking upward. “Like at a bar or something?”

  “A bar?” Rava asked, brow furrowing.

  “A pce where they just serve alcohol,” Vivienne replied, her tone casual, almost wistful.

  “You mean a tavern?” Rava said, her ears flig.

  “Taverns serve food, don’t they?” Vivienne tered, sitting up slightly. “We had something simir called a pub. Loud, crowded, filled with terrible booze and even worse food.” She almost smiled, her gaze growing distant.

  “Sounds like a tavern to me,” Rava said with a faint chuckle. “Though maybe the food isn’t always terrible. Some pces do a det stew.”

  Vivienne snorted softly. “Det stew. High praise.” She stretched, her shadowy limbs elongating unnaturally for a moment before settling back. “Fine, I’ll bite. Let’s find one of these taverns. But if the booze tastes like boiled socks, I’m holding you responsible.”

  “You know what boiled socks taste like?” Rava asked dryly, brushing dirt from her fur and adjustiunic.

  Vivienne shuddered dramatically. “When you’ve had kids, you end up smelling and tasting things you wish you hadn’t. Trust me, boiled socks would’ve been an upgrade some days.”

  Rava raised an eyebrow, the er of her mouth twitg in amusement. “That’s a mental image I didn’t need.”

  They made their way through the darkening streets, where bourers moved methodically, infusing streetmps with aether. The mps glowed softly, their light a faint blue hue that cast long shadows against the cobblestones.

  Vivieuck close to Rava as they navigated the city, her panion’s presence drawing most of the attention away from her. The sheer size of the lekine made her an imposing figure, enough to dissuade lingering stares.

  Despite that, Vivienne’s sharp gaze caught the occasional sideways gnce, and she couldn’t help but notice just how different her panion was to the average lekine. As they passed by others milling about iwilight hours, she realised just how much taller she was than the average lekine.

  She g Rava’s t form. Must’ve got it from her mother, Viviehought wryly. The tall and handsome type. A faint smirk tugged at her lips, but she said nothing, falling bato step beside Rava.

  The streets grew quieter as the evening deepehe gentle hum of distant versation and the occasional ctter of tools fading into the night. Vivienne’s eyes darted around, her instincts sharp despite the retive calm. The city had a strange rhythm, its blend of aetheric light and cobblestohs lending it an otherworldly charm she couldn’t quite pce.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Rava remarked, her voice low but warm.

  “Just taking it all in,” Vivienne replied, her gaze lingering on a pair of lekine children chasing each other near a mppost. Their ughter was iious, even if it made her chest ache with memories she wasn’t ready to unpack. “You don’t realise how different everything feels until you stop running for a minute.”

  Rava tilted her head, her ears flig in thought. “That’s… surprisingly introspective for you.”

  “I’m full of surprises,” Vivienne said, fshing a grin that was just shy of genuine.

  They rounded a er, and a modest wooden building came into view. A sign swuly in the evening breeze, painted with the image of a frothy mug and a crest moon. Warm light spilled from its windows, apanied by the faint hum of versation and the occasional burst of ughter.

  “This is it,” Rava said, nodding toward the tavern.

  Vivienne eyed the establishment. “Quaint. Doesn’t smell like boiled socks, does it?”

  Rava snorted. “Only one way to find out.”

  The pair pushed open the door, stepping into a cosy interior lit by nterns infused with a soft golden glow. The air was warm, filled with the rich st of spiced meats and freshly baked bread. Lekine, humans, and a smattering of other folk filled the space, gathered around sturdy wooden tables or lounging at the bar.

  Vivienne couldn’t help but notice the heads that turned as they ehe stares were fleeting, more curious than hostile, but they still made her skin prickle. She stayed close to Rava, who strode in with the casual fidence of someone who khey belonged.

  The lekine barkeep, a stout woman with greying fur and an easy smile, waved them over. “Rava! Been a while since I’ve seen you in here.”

  “Busy times, Elska,” Rava replied, her tone light. “Thought I’d introduce my frieo some det drink.”

  Elska’s keen gaze flicked briefly to Vivienne, her eyes lingering just a moment too long. Vivienne could already sehe faint, bitter tang of fear wafting from the woman, but to her credit, the innkeeper’s expression remained posed, even weling. "Any friend of yours is wele here," she said smoothly, her voice carrying a practiced warmth. "What I get for you?"

  Vivienne g the row of bottles behind the bar, filled with liquids in every imaginable hue. “What’s good?”

  “Depends,” Elska said, her grin widening. “Do you want to remember the night or not?”

  Vivienne chuckled. “Surprise me.” What surprised her though was how little fear she felt from this stout woman. Barely a lick of fear for her.

  As the barkeep busied herself, Rava leaned against the ter, watg Vivieh an unreadable expression. “You’re handling this better than I expected.”

  Vivienne raised an eyebrow. “What, being in a tavern? It’s not my first rodeo, you know.”

  “No, I mean… fitting in. People arely subtle with their stares, but you’re not letting it get to you.”

  Vivienne shrugged, though her eyes flicked to the other patrons. “Let them look. I’m used to being the odd o.” She paused, her voice softening. “Besides, it’s o just… exist for a minute. No monsters. No fights. Just a drink and some questionable pany.”

  Rava’s lips quirked in a small smile. “Questionable, huh?”

  Elska returned with two mugs, sliding them across the bar. “One house brew for you, Rava, and something with a bit of bite for your friend.”

  Vivienne picked up her mug, sniffing the amber liquid. The sharp, spicy aroma made her eyes water. “This smells like it could strip paint.”

  “That means it’s good,” Rava said, raising her own mug.

  With a grin, Vivienne ked her mug against Rava’s. “To questionable pany.”

  Rava chuckled. “To surviving the night.”

  They drank, the warmth of the tavern ing around them like a familiar, well-worn cloak. For the first time in what felt like ay, Vivien… normal. Not a nightmare creature, not a harbinger of some divine scheme—just a woman in a tavern, sipping a drink aing the moment breathe.

  It was a rare fort, one she didn’t realise she needed. While she appreciated what she had bee—what she had overe—the sheer mundanity of this mome like a balm. Eveher patrons seemed to se, tent to mind their own business rather than dwell o lekine and her odd, shadowy panion.

  The faint murmur of versation and the occasional k of mugs filled the space, a soothing backdrop as Vivienne nursed her drink. It was strong, sharper than she expected, but it warmed her chest in a way that was almost pleasant. She found herself gng up at Rava, who leaned casually against the bar, her golden eyes sing the room with quiet vigince.

  Rava was fasating, Vivienne admitted. Everything about her seemed carved from a life of purpose—the untamed hair that refused to be tamed, the sharply defined muscles that bespoke years of training, and the quiet fiden her every movement. She was tall, striking, and... undeniably handsome.

  Vivienne caught herself staring and quickly looked away, her thoughts spinning. It had only been a few weeks since she arrived in this strange world, and everything about it captivated her—its magic, its people, its raw, untamed beauty. But the memories of her past life loomed like a spectre, foggy and dista inescapably present.

  Her husband. Her children. Their faces were slipping from her mind, like trying to grasp water in her hands. She ched her jaw, willing herself not to fall into that pit of loss.

  “That’s an odd look for you,” Rava said, her voice cutting through Vivienne’s spiraling thoughts.

  Vivienne blinked, snapping back to the present. “What is?”

  “That sad, wistful look.”

  Vivienated, her gaze flig t. “I was just… thinking.”

  “Thinking tends to lead to that look,” Rava said lightly, but there was a flicker of ione.

  Vivienne forced a small smile. “Guess I’m out of practice with the whole ‘rexing’ thing.”

  Rava tilted her head, studying Vivienne. “Fair. But if yoing to start brooding, I’ll have to throw something at you. I ’t stand quiet gloom.”

  Vivie out a soft ugh, grateful for the break in tension. “Noted. I’ll keep my existential crises to myself.”

  “Good,” Rava said, her smirk widening. “We came here to drink, not mope.”

  Vivienne rolled her qui of eyes, her sharp grin spreading wide. “Then we’ll drink until there’s no room left for those pesky thoughts.”

  Rava ughed heartily, a deep, warm sound that rumbled from her chest. She raised her mug and took a long swig of her ale. Vivienne followed suit, only to immediately cough and sputter, her button nose sg as the liquid burs way down.

  “Oh, that burns,” Vivienne groaned, setting her mug down with a dramatic fir.

  “You’re supposed to ,” Rava said, smirking at the dispy. “Or use it for drinking games. Not gulp it like water.”

  Vivienne’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “The’s make a game of it, shall we?”

  Rava stroked her theatrically, a sly grin curling her lips. “Now that is an idea I get behind.”

  It didn’t take long for their drinking game to spiral into chaos. For all her otherworldly prowess, Vivienne’s alien biology was no match for the tavern’s potent brews. After just a few rounds, she was already swaying slightly, her many eyes struggling to focus. Rava, oher hand, was only beginning to feel the effects, her cheeks faintly flushed but her movements still steady.

  “Not so tough now, are we?” Rava teased, leaning ba her chair.

  Vivienne narrowed her eyes—or tried to—but the effect was ruined by her lopsided grin. “I’m… plenty tough! Just not used to this ‘drinking’ thing. Back where I’m from, I didn’t really… do it. I drank tea. Lots of tea.”

  “Tea?” Rava snorted, her tail flig with amusement. “Tea doesly scream ‘hardcore.’”

  “You’d be surprised,” Vivienne said, her tone mock-serious. “Some of that tea was dht vicious. But fine, ugh it up.” She gestured dramatically at their mugs. “Pour another!”

  The night devolved into a blur of challenges and increasingly slurred banter. Rava’s booming ugh mingled with Vivienne’s half-cohereions of victory, her of them keeping track of inning.

  By the time they reached the bottom of their umpteenth mug, Vivienne was draped halfway over the table, giggling at her own shadow, while Rava’s attempts to t her fingers had turned into aential crisis about how many fingers lekine should have.

  “You’re… very muscur,” Vivienne decred suddenly, poking Rava’s arm with a cwed finger.

  “And you’re… squishy,” Rava tered, prodding Vivienne’s shoulder with equal fervour.

  They both dissolved into ughter, loud and urained, drawing the occasional gnce from other patrons.

  “Last round?” Rava slurred, raising a brow—or at least attempting to.

  “Absolutely,” Vivienne said, smming her hand oable before immediately regretting it. “Ow.”

  The st round was a mistake. her of them remembered much after that, except fue impressions of stumbling back to the hall, Rava’s arm slung over Vivienne’s shoulder as they tried—and failed—not to trip over their ow.

  Vivienne woke first, her head poundie her being sure she didn’t teically have a brain and her many eyes refusing to focus. She groahe unfamiliar sensation of a hangover making her wish for immediate oblivion. As she tried to shift, she realised something was very wrong—or perhaps very right.

  She wasn’t alone if the groaning beside her was any indication.

  Turning her head slowly, she found herself face-to-face with Rava, who rawled across the bed face down, her arm draped over Vivieorso in a protective, almost possessive manner and very pointedly not dressed. Much like herself.

  “...Oh dear.” Vivietered, her voice raspy.

  Rava stirred, her ears twitg as she blinked groggily at Vivienne. For a moment, there was silence as the two stared at each other, the events of the previous night just out of reach.

  Rava’s golden eyes went wide.

  “Gods help me.”

  SupernovaSymphony