The next morning arrived too quickly.
Inside the sunlit throne room of the Elarian palace, Queen Seraphina sat atop her obsidian throne, her white robes flowing like ocean foam. She studied the trio in front of her with bemused curiosity.
Vaelion knelt. Lunaria followed suit. Kurumi did not.
"I am Kurumi," she declared boldly. "And I intend to claim my place at your son's side."
The Queen raised a brow. "Claim? Quite the choice of words."
Kurumi smiled sweetly. "I've already claimed him. I'm simply introducing myself properly this time."
"You're... forward."
"I'm divine."
The Queen stood and descended the steps, inspecting her closely.
"You are indeed divine... Goddess of Time, correct?"
Kurumi gave a single nod. "Hollow Hour. Tri-Gifted. I am as real as the threads of fate."
"And you, Lunaria," the Queen turned. "You stand with her?"
"I stand with him," Lunaria answered. "But I won't lose to her."
Kurumi's smile widened. "Oh? I like that fire."
The Queen sighed. "Then you shall all live together at the Sanctuary Estate. And Vaelion…"
He looked up.
"Try not to get either of them pregnant before your memories return."
He groaned. "Mother, please."
Later that night, Kurumi leaned against the balcony rail of the estate house, her twin pistols dismantled and floating in pieces around her as she cleaned each part with deliberate care.
Vaelion stood behind her.
"Why are you really here?" he asked.
She turned slightly. "Because you called me."
"I didn't."
"You did... when you nearly died. Your soul remembered before your mind did. That's why I came."
Vaelion frowned. "I'm not who I used to be."
Kurumi nodded. "And I'm not who I was either. But I remember the vow we made. 'When time burns away, and fate is lost... I will find you.'"
"Those words..." he whispered. "They're in my dreams."
"I know."
He stepped forward. "If I never remember... will you still stay?"
Kurumi looked up at the stars.
"I'll stay until time itself stops ticking."
Training began the next day. Kurumi's teaching method was... unique.
"Shoot me," she said casually.
Vaelion blinked. "What?"
Kurumi tossed him one of her pistols. "Shoot. Me."
He aimed, then fired. Kurumi vanished, reappearing behind him in a blink.
"Too slow."
Lunaria joined from the sidelines. "You're going to break him before he learns anything."
"Exactly," Kurumi said, grinning. "Broken things rebuild better."
The training session turned chaotic—Kurumi warping time zones to disorient Vaelion, bullets slowing mid-air, illusions flickering through worst memories, afterimages layering the battlefield.
Yet by the end, Vaelion stood tall, panting—but not broken.
Kurumi clapped. "You lasted seven minutes longer than yesterday."
Lunaria added, "He's adapting. Fast."
Kurumi smiled, brushing a hair from his face. "He always does."
And far above, the Divine Clock ticked once more.
to be continued...