Primordial Heir: Nine Stars-Chapter 323: Before heading out

The music from the banquet hall was a soft, muffled melody behind the tall glass doors. The buzz of conversation and the clink of crystal had become a distant hum. Sensing the need for a true moment of quiet, Nero had caught Khione’s eye, given a slight nod toward the terrace doors, and she had understood.

Without a word, they slipped away from the glittering crowd. No one noticed, or if they did, they were too polite to interrupt. They stepped through the doors and onto a wide, stone balcony that overlooked the sleeping city of Oxglen.

The night air was cool and clean, a gentle contrast to the warm, perfumed atmosphere inside. The endless clear skies of Oxglen lived up to their reputation here at night, presenting a breathtaking tapestry of stars, sharp and brilliant against the velvety black. Below, the city was a constellation of its own—strings of golden streetlights, the warm glow of windows, and the distant, moving dots of late-night traffic.

They walked to the railing and leaned against it, side by side, looking out. After a moment, Nero shifted. He turned and opened his arms. Khione didn’t hesitate. She turned into him, fitting herself against his chest, her back to the view as she buried her face in the fabric of his suit jacket. His arms came around her, holding her close, his chin resting gently on top of her head.

Here, there were no missions, no rival princesses, no looming clans or mysterious organizations. There were no laws to wield, no strength to prove. There was only the steady, reassuring beat of his heart under her ear, the solid feel of his arms around her, and the vast, silent witness of the stars.

They didn’t speak. Words would have been an intrusion. The silence between them was deep and comfortable, filled with more understanding than any conversation could hold. He breathed in the scent of her hair—cold and clean, like winter air. She felt the tension slowly leave his shoulders, the protective shell he wore in public softening here, with her, under the open sky.

They stayed like that for a long time, two silhouettes against the starry backdrop, motionless. The music inside changed tempo, a livelier tune beginning, but it didn’t touch them. The world beyond the balcony railing didn’t exist.

•••

The walk back to the villa was quiet. The glitter and noise of the banquet felt like a dream already fading. The real world was the cobblestone street under their feet and the mission waiting in the dark. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Inside their temporary home, they gathered in the living room. The cozy space felt serious now, a command center. They sat around the low wooden table, a simple map of the Oxglen region and the outlying villages laid out before them.

Elreth spoke first, her tone all business. "We should start at first light. The nearest village with disappearances is Oakhaven, here."

She pointed to a spot on the map about ten miles into the foothills. "We can interview the families, see the last known locations, and survey the area for any traces of magic or unusual activity."

Nero studied the map, then nodded.

"Agreed. Standard reconnaissance protocol. Observe, interview, then track."

Khione gave a single, cool nod of agreement. The plan was straightforward. There was no need to debate it.

With the strategy set, the unspoken need to prepare took over. Sitting still felt wrong.

"I’m going to run through some forms," Elreth said, standing up. "Clear my head."

She retrieved her spear from her spatial ring and slipped out the back door, heading toward the rocky outcrop she’d used earlier.

Nero and Khione exchanged a look. They felt the same restless energy. "We should too," he said.

They changed into their training gear and left the villa, but they didn’t follow Elreth. They headed in a different direction, climbing a narrow trail that led to another secluded area further along the mountain’s spine. They found a wide, flat ledge overlooking a deep, dark ravine. The only light came from the moons and the distant glow of Oxglen.

They didn’t spar with each other this time. The upcoming mission wasn’t about their rivalry or their synergy. It was about being individually sharp, ready for the unknown.

They started separately. Nero began with sheer physical conditioning. He focused on his sword forms, running through them slowly at first, then with increasing speed and power. He practiced switching between Fire and Lightning seamlessly mid-swing—a flickering flame slash that suddenly crackled with energy, or a lightning-fast thrust that burst into fire on impact. He wasn’t fighting an opponent; he was drilling the muscle memory into his bones, making the law-shift as natural as breathing.

Across the ledge, Khione worked on her precision. She summoned small, complex shapes of ice—a hovering, intricate snowflake, a chain of interlocking rings, a series of needle-thin icicles suspended in the air. She would hold them perfectly still, then shatter them all at once with a thought, only to instantly reform them into a different pattern. She was practicing control under fatigue, maintaining spell integrity with minimal prana expenditure. For a mage on a field mission, efficiency was survival.

After an hour of solo work, they came together, but not to fight. They started running joint drills. Nero would unleash a controlled burst of fire at a cluster of rocks. Before the flames died, Khione would flash-freeze the superheated stone, causing it to shatter with a loud crack. Then, he would send a branching bolt of lightning through the resulting rubble, and she would guide the energy along pre-made trails of conductive frost, directing it to a specific target.

It was a wordless, rhythmic dance of destruction. A call and response of elemental power. They weren’t trying to win. They were practicing the grammar of their combined strength, so if they needed it tomorrow, the sentence would come out perfectly without thought.

The night grew deeper, colder. Sweat gleamed on their skin under the moonlight. Their breaths came in plumes. They pushed until their muscles burned and their prana reserves felt thin.

Finally, as the larger moon reached its zenith, they stopped. They were both exhausted, but it was a clean, hollowed-out feeling. The restless energy was spent. They stood at the edge of the ledge, looking out at the sleeping world that held their mystery.

"Whatever it is," Nero said quietly, his voice rough with exertion. "We’re ready."

Khione moved to stand beside him, her shoulder touching his. She didn’t speak. She simply leaned into him, to share some sweet moment. The training was over.