Chapter 307: Chapter 307

Vaeliyan walked over to Grix and said, "Hello, sister."

She looked up at him, half-drunk, her eyes glossy with alcohol and exhaustion. A lazy grin tugged at her mouth. "It’s you. Wait, you’re home?"

He tilted his head, looking her over. "Uh, yeah, I’m here. You’re not hallucinating." His voice carried that mix of fondness and disbelief that usually followed Grix’s drinking nights. She squinted up at him, trying to focus.

"Oh. Oh! Is that my niece?" she slurred, pointing vaguely in Belle’s direction.

Vaeliyan smiled despite himself. "Yeah, but I don’t think you get to hold her right now. You seem… incredibly wasted."

Grix raised her glass in mock salute, sloshing half of it down her wrist. "Fair." She leaned back, nearly losing her balance before catching herself on the pool’s edge. "You’re a bastard, brother. You sent us on a mission with no chance of success because you gave us nothing. Then we come home, and you’re not here. When you finally show up, you leave again. And now you’re here, with a crazy house, ten pools, unlimited drinks, and somehow everyone’s pretending this is normal. And I’m drunk. Very drunk."

Vaeliyan exhaled through his nose and looked around. The place was chaos. Laughter, clinking glasses, the low hum of music that someone had left running in another room. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Is anyone here not drunk? And not a child who doesn’t know what’s going on?"

"I’m not a child," Mel said instantly.

Vaeliyan shot him a look. "Again, anyone not a child."

Mel looked up from where he sat cross-legged on the floor beside his niece, Tasina. "That’s rude," he said quickly, his tone defensive but more hurt than angry.

Tasina, without missing a beat, said, "You’re rude," echoing her brother as she pressed a small seashell into one of the castle’s towers. Her voice was soft, full of concentration.

Vaeliyan sighed. "Fine. I’m rude. Happy now?"

Mel didn’t answer. He just gave a small shrug that said he wasn’t mad, just tired of being treated like a kid by a man who felt more like a stranger than the person everyone said was supposed to be his family.

Across the room, Nanuk wasn’t drinking. He was in the wave pool, standing knee-deep in the water as rolling currents surged around him. His spear whirled through the air in sharp, precise arcs, cutting trails of spray through the artificial waves. Each motion was fluid, deliberate, and meditative. The rhythm of it filled the space with the soft hiss of motion and water.

Nanuk lowered the spear and turned, water dripping from his forearms. "Uh, yeah, about that Heart thing you sent us for, we didn’t find it. But we did find something else."

"Two things," Cassian added, raising his glass in agreement. "Both weird. Both spongy. Both adorable in a tragic sort of way."

Vaeliyan’s brow furrowed. "Do I even want to know what that means?"

Cassian shrugged. "Probably not. But it’s funny, so yes."

Cassian frowned, scanning the water. "Wait, where’s the little guy? I swear he was swimming around you just a second ago."

Deanna looked up from where she was floating on her back. "Lakuga? He was just here. He likes the waves."

Cassian frowned and leaned forward, scanning the pool. "I’m telling you, he was right there, by your leg."

Nanuk froze, realization dawning. "Oh… oh shit." He tossed the spear aside and dove into the pool, disappearing into the rolling waves. The sound of churning water filled the space as everyone leaned over the edge, watching him vanish beneath the surface.

A few seconds later, he resurfaced with a drenched, pitiful-looking creature clutched in his hands. It was the wettest, slimiest thing anyone had ever seen, something between a fungal sponge and a drowned puffball. Its color was pale gray, its skin almost translucent. Three segmented mouths, two below, one above, gaped open as it let out a pitiful bark that somehow managed to sound both adorable and sad.

Deanna gasped and hurried closer. "Oh no, look at him! Poor Lakuga!" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "You’re okay, little guy! You’re just… moist!"

Cassian laughed. "That thing’s the ugliest adorable creature I’ve ever seen. Like a pug if it run over a couple times and just needs a hug."

Grix smirked. "Or a cat with too many faces and anger issues."

Nanuk held Lakuga up carefully, trying to keep him out of the water. "It’s okay, buddy. We’ll never get you wet again. I swear you were floating just fine a minute ago, now you look like soup."

Deanna cooed softly. "He’s perfect. Don’t listen to them, you precious fungus baby."

The creature’s top mouth twitched, then convulsed, and suddenly it spat a thick white lump into the pool. It bobbed to the surface, steaming faintly.

Vaeliyan blinked, horrified. "Did that thing just have a baby in my pool?"

Nanuk looked from the blob to the creature. "Uh… maybe? I don’t think so. It looks like… maybe something it ate earlier?"

Cassian grinned. "He fits right in. Grix did the same thing five minutes go."

Deanna leaned over the edge, unbothered. "Don’t be mean. He’s doing his best. Look at that face. He’s beautiful."

Grix snorted, holding her head. "That’s what happens you sent us into the woods to find a goddamn heartbeat. And now we’re babysitting a fungus that vomits."

Vaeliyan rubbed at his temples. "I can’t even begin to explain how tired I am."

Mel glanced up, still watching Tasina’s sandcastle take shape. "You should sleep then," he said quietly.

Vaeliyan huffed out a tired laugh. "Yeah. Maybe I should."

Tasina nodded without looking up. "You’re rude and tired," she declared, as if that settled everything.

Mel smiled faintly. "She’s right."

Belle giggled in his arms, a bright, bubbling sound that cut through the noise. The warmth of her small body against his chest anchored him in a way nothing else could. For a moment, all the tension in the room melted away, replaced by something soft and human. Even Vaeliyan’s shoulders dropped as he exhaled, the edge of the day’s weight finally slipping from him.

Vaeliyan shifted Belle in his arms, the warmth of her tiny body grounding him in the soft chaos around the private beach. She giggled, a bright sound that made the world feel less sharp for a moment. He looked down at her, then back up with a half-smile. "So, is that the Lagooga thing, the thing you wanted to show me?" he asked, eyeing the mushy, puffed-up mushroom creature still dripping on the sand beside the shallow surf. It was pitiful and endearing all at once, a sodden lump of white flesh shaped like a puffball that had decided halfway through its life to imitate a sponge.

"It’s Lakuga," Deanna corrected quickly, still half-laughing. She crouched closer, brushing some of the moisture off its squishy head with gentle fingers. The creature let out a wet burp and twitched its upper mouth in complaint. "Isn’t that right, Nanuk? Poor thing’s still wet."

Nanuk nodded, crouching beside the creature as it sagged into itself like a deflated dumpling. "Yeah. Lakuga. Not Lagooga. And yeah, he’s still soggy. He doesn’t like saltwater much."

Grix raised her drink slightly, grinning. "He’s perfect. Leave him alone."

"Perfectly disgusting, maybe," Vaeliyan muttered, earning an immediate glare from Deanna.

"Don’t listen to him, Lakuga," Deanna said sweetly, patting the creature’s squishy side. It cooed, letting out a sound somewhere between a hiccup and a sigh, and everyone except Vaeliyan collectively melted. Even Cassian smiled despite himself.

Cassian leaned back, lounging in the shade of an umbrella. "We should just call him Spongy."

Nanuk frowned, confused. "That’s what Lakuga means."

Cassian blinked, then shrugged. "Oh. Fair enough. I’ll shut up now. Actually, no, wait. That’s not the only thing we wanted to talk to you about."

Vaeliyan raised an eyebrow. "Go on. Surprise me."

Nanuk leaned forward, his expression brightening like a child telling a secret. "We found what we think is a fungal village. It’s really cool, but also weird. Tiny little creatures. You know how the fungal forest works, right? Well, they’re like smaller versions of everything in there. Really small." He held his hands up, forming a tight C-shape with his fingers. "That’s about the tallest one we saw. You’d miss them if you blinked."

Grix leaned forward from her seat, resting her chin in her hand. "You’re saying there’s a village out there made of mushroom people?"

Cassian gestured with his drink. "Not people, exactly. More like little mushroom engineers. Because they had buildings. Actual structures. Hollowed-out caps, soft ones, that they were living in. And tools. They were carving, cutting, using stem fibers like rope. I swear one was dragging a beetle shell like it was a wagon."

Vaeliyan squinted, still unconvinced. "So what makes you think it’s a village and not a weird patch of sentient mold?"

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Cassian’s grin widened. "Because mold doesn’t make roads. These did. Paths connecting the caps. Little bridges. There was smoke too, well, spore mist, but you get the idea. They were doing something intentional."

Vaeliyan’s tone softened with intrigue. "Alright, the tool part, yeah, that’s where you got me. That sounds sentient."

Nanuk nodded eagerly. "Exactly. And they had these, well, guard mushrooms. Big ones. Looked like they were trained or bribed somehow. The small ones were feeding them bits of decaying fruit. Whenever something came close, the guards puffed out clouds of spores. The smell was awful, like old socks and vinegar, but it scared off everything that wasn’t one of them. Even Spongy here bolted when he caught it."

Cassian grinned. "Oh, and before you ask, yes, we’re calling them Fungguys."

Vaeliyan blinked. "Fungguys?"

Cassian nodded like it was the smartest thing he’d ever said. "Yeah. Fungi. Guys. Fungguys."

Vaeliyan groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You can’t possibly be proud of that."

Grix snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Yeah. We found them, so we get to name them. Fungguys."

Vaeliyan gave her a flat look, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "That’s not a name. That’s a bad joke."

"It can be both," Grix said proudly, leaning back with her drink.

Belle cooed softly, amused by the rhythm of the conversation. Her small hand reached out toward Lakuga, who blinked his uneven eyes and let out a pitiful squeak that made everyone collectively coo at him. The creature’s round, pale body rippled with each movement, its soft, damp surface glinting faintly in the artificial light.

Nanuk snorted. "Look at him. He loves the attention."

Deanna nodded eagerly. "He deserves it. He’s the best thing we’ve found in weeks."

Cassian raised his glass toward Lakuga. "To the weirdest thing we’ve ever adopted."

"yeah," Grix said. " And we’re counting you, manmeat,"

Lakuga burbled happily, the sound a wet, bubbling hum that made everyone laugh. Even Vaeliyan couldn’t help but grin. "You’ve all lost your minds."

Nanuk chuckled, shaking his head. "Anyway, whatever those spores are, they’re some kind of deterrent. The tiny ones are smart. They’re building, organizing, defending their territory. It’s not the Heart, but it’s something. Like you said, every forest has its own kind of life. This one just happened faster than the others."

Vaeliyan tilted his head thoughtfully. "So, we found new natives then."

Cassian nodded. "Yeah. And considering how young the Fungal Forest is, what, a few decades old at best? That’s fast. Car said it wasn’t even there when he was running with the tribes. That was, what, thirty years back?"

Deanna folded her arms. "If that’s true, they’ve evolved faster than anything I have ever heard of. "

Vaeliyan exhaled slowly, glancing down at Belle before looking toward the waterline, where the faint shimmer of the light danced on the artificial waves. "Yeah. Either they’ve been hiding a long time, or that forest grows civilizations faster than weeds."

Vaeliyan got a message on his AI moments later. It was a soft ping, one he barely noticed at first, tucked beneath the rhythm of the simulated waves. He read the message once, short and decisive. Then he looked up from the poolside and said quietly, almost to himself, "The Last Testament’s here."

The group around him stilled. Conversation faded into the gentle mechanical hum of the artificial surf system cycling its next wave. The smell of salt and synthetic ozone filled the air, a trick of carefully designed vents and atomized chemicals. The vast illusion of an endless beach stretched before them.

They were scattered along the pale sand, sprawled across towels or half-submerged where the pool’s gradual slope imitated a shoreline. Drinks rested beside half-finished plates, laughter still echoing faintly from earlier moments. Lakuga burbled near the edge, puffing up like a soft white balloon, its three tiny mouths opening and closing as it gurgled with contentment. The creature blinked twice, letting out a squeaky sound that made Deanna laugh softly.

Vaeliyan smiled faintly, something proud and distant in his expression. He stood, shifting Belle in his arms as she clung to his collar and pressed her cheek against his neck. Her quiet laughter hummed against him, grounding him more than he cared to admit. He glanced around at the people lounging in the simulated sunlight and said, his tone light but deliberate, "Well, the instructors from the Red Citadel are here, so I’m going to head out. You guys enjoy your time. It was nice meeting you, Lakuga. When my Citadel is up and running, you lot are going to be the first class. I can’t wait to explain tiger-based motivation to you all."

That got a few raised eyebrows and a couple of nervous laughs. Cassian groaned and muttered, “Whatever that means, it sounds painful.”

Grix smirked over the rim of her glass, her eyes sharp even through the alcohol haze. “Oh, it will be. You just know it.”

Vaeliyan looked toward the younger two at the far end of the pool. “Mel, Tasina, you’re coming with me. You can come back and play later. There are some really strong people who would love to meet you.”

Mel looked up, surprised, and frowned as he crossed his arms. “I’m not playing. I’m watching my niece.” He nodded toward Tasina, who was on her knees near the waterline, carefully constructing a crooked little fortress made of damp sand and shells.

“Sure, you are, buddy. Sure, you are,” Vaeliyan said, his voice threaded with amusement. He tilted his head toward the finished sandcastle. It had structural balance, proportion, even defensive placement. “You’re telling me she did that?”

Mel didn’t answer, just rolled his eyes. Tasina, meanwhile, had stopped mid-scoop and was staring up at Vaeliyan with curiosity. She dropped the handful of sand she had been about to taste and ran over, her bare feet kicking up flecks of wet sand. “We’re going to meet strong people?” she asked, voice filled with excitement.

“That’s right,” Vaeliyan said, adjusting Belle against his shoulder before offering his free hand to the little girl. “The strongest people you’ve ever met. Come on. You’ll like them.”

Tasina grabbed his hand, grinning wide enough to show all her teeth. “Do they fight monsters?” she asked.

Vaeliyan’s mouth twitched into a smile. “No, honey, they are the monsters.”

Tasina giggled and asked, “Like you?”

He laughed quietly. “Worse!”

They both laughed together.

As he turned toward the exit ramp, Tasina waved her free hand high in the air. “Bye! Bye, everyone!” she called. Her voice echoed, clear and happy.

Cassian lifted his drink lazily, saluting her. “I feel like we should be worried,” he said under his breath.

Deanna nodded, her tone dry. “Oh, yeah. No. He definitely just threatened us again.”

Grix laughed, tipping her head back in her chair. “And somehow, I like him more every time he does it.”

The laughter that followed was easy, genuine. It rolled through the artificial beach like music, the sound of people who had forgotten, for a moment, what kind of world they lived in.

Vaeliyan turned away, stepping onto the path that led to the lift. The dome’s light shimmered across his armor’s edges as he walked. Belle’s small fingers played with the fabric at his neck, her eyes heavy with sleep. Mel trailed a few steps behind, still trying to act unimpressed, while Tasina skipped beside him, her free hand swinging wildly. The mechanical hum of the surf faded behind them, replaced by the soft thrum of the platform’s rising mechanisms.

He looked down once more at the child in his arms and the two following beside him. “You’ll like them,” he said again, quieter this time, as much to himself as to them. “They’ll like you too. You remind them what this world’s supposed to be.”

The doors closed, sealing off the sunlight and laughter behind them.

As they walked through the house on their way up from the third sub-basement, Belle began to whine, a soft, restless sound that echoed down the wide corridor. Vaeliyan shifted her gently in his arms, trying to soothe her, though he wasn’t sure exactly what she needed. The steady hum of environmental systems and the faint hiss of air vents filled the quiet until House’s calm, resonant voice broke through, smooth and certain as always.

"Warren, Belle needs to be changed. She is also quite tired. She may not be able to go out to see your former instructors. Perhaps they will be able to see her later, but it is nap time. Please proceed to her nursery."

Vaeliyan slowed, a faint smile tugging at the edge of his mouth. Even now, the AI’s tone reminded him of a well-trained nursemaid. “Thank you, House. I think they’ll be sad not to see her, but it’s better for her,” he said softly, glancing down at the little girl in his arms. Belle’s face was scrunched, her tiny fists gripping the fabric of his shirt. She made a pitiful sound that melted any irritation he might have had.

They continued walking through the corridor, the lighting panels above adjusting to his movement. The walls shifted hue subtly, sliding from a warm amber to a softer ivory as the system read his proximity and temperature. The air here smelled faintly of pine and soft citrus, the carefully maintained scent of the household. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⚑fire.net

He stopped at an intersection where several corridors branched off, pausing to look back at the two trailing behind him. Mel was walking beside Tasina, keeping an idle hand on her shoulder as she half-skipped, half-wandered in her own rhythm. “Mel, can you and Tasina go get Wren and wait for me at the entrance?”

Mel looked up, instantly attentive. “I can do that.”

Vaeliyan nodded approvingly. “Good man. Make sure she doesn’t touch anything she shouldn’t.”

Tasina grinned and pretended to zip her lips, though the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her mischief. “We won’t touch anything,” she promised, already looking around at the glowing patterns running along the floor tiles.

“Right,” Vaeliyan said dryly. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

The siblings took off down the branching corridor, their voices echoing faintly as they disappeared around the curve of the hall. The house adjusted the lights behind them, dimming that direction automatically.

Vaeliyan exhaled, his expression softening as he turned back toward the nursery wing. The hallway ahead brightened slightly at his approach, the system anticipating his movement. The walls curved smoothly, seamless and polished, their sheen reflecting faintly off the soft glow of the floor. Belle’s tiny hands tugged at his collar as she squirmed again, half-asleep, murmuring nonsense against his chest. Her warmth was a comfort, small but grounding.

He smiled and brushed a hand over her hair. “You’re not missing much, little one,” he whispered quietly. “They’ll still be here when you wake up.”

The nursery door recognized his presence and slid open with a muted chime. The room beyond was softly lit, filled with pastel colors and faint music that drifted from hidden speakers, an orchestral lullaby. He stepped inside, the temperature automatically adjusting to the ideal range for an infant. The air smelled faintly of linen and milk.

When Vaeliyan set Belle down on the padded table, the room came to life. Gentle lights swept across the ceiling, the air shifting in tone as the nursery’s automated caretaking systems activated. Soft articulated arms emerged from recessed panels, working with quiet precision as they cleaned and changed her. Another compartment opened to reveal a small bottle of milk, perfectly warmed and waiting.

Vaeliyan watched, smiling faintly as the room completed its work. When it finished, he moved to the reclining chair in the corner and sat down. The bottle was automatically delivered into his hand, and he began to feed Belle, rocking gently in rhythm with the hum of the air systems. Her breathing slowed as she drank, her small hands clutching at his finger, and for a moment, he let himself just exist there, father, not the High Imperator or even the Ghost in the Mist.

When she finished, he set the bottle aside and began to sing softly. His voice was clear, resonant, and full of quiet warmth, the kind of voice made for song, and this was the first time he had ever used it for her. It was a moment of pure joy; one he hadn’t realized he needed until now. The face she saw was not his true one; too many people needed the other face, the one the world recognized. But the voice was his. The song was his. And it was for her.

“If all the little raindrops Were lemondrops and lollipops Oh, if all the little raindrops Were lemondrops and lollipops Oh, what a rain that would be! Standing outside, with my mouth open wide Singing La la la la, la la la, La la la, la la la La la la la, la la la, La la la, la.

If all the little snowflakes Were candy bars and milkshakes Oh, if all the little snowflakes Were candy bars and milkshakes Oh, what a snow that would be! Standing outside, with my mouth open wide Singing La la la la, la la la, La la la, la la la La la la la, la la la, La la la, la.

If all the little sunbeams Were bubblegum and ice cream Oh, if all the little sunbeams Were bubblegum and ice cream Oh, what a sun that would be! Standing outside, with my mouth open wide Singing La la la la, la la la, La la la, la la la La la la la, la la la, La la la, la.”

Belle’s eyes fluttered open as he sang, her gaze finding his face. She didn’t really recognize him, not this face, but his voice made her smile. She giggled softly at the end, a sound that struck something deep in him, and then her eyes drooped again. Her tiny fingers loosened their grip as she sighed, safe and content.

Vaeliyan’s voice softened to a whisper, the final notes fading into the air. He leaned forward, brushing her hair from her forehead. “Sleep well, my little love,” he murmured, his tone full of affection and quiet sadness.

He lifted her gently and placed her into the cradle built into the wall. The lights dimmed as the crib detected her weight, soft starlight blooming across the ceiling. For a long moment, he simply watched her, this perfect little piece of peace in a world that never stopped asking for violence. Then, with one last look, he turned toward the door.