In Kai’s eyes, Ember had already left.
That was what mattered.
He had watched her step out of the cave after sunset, wings folded tight, tail dragging over the stone one last time before she forced it away from his ankle. He had stood near the entrance with the phoenix egg glowing against his chest and tried to look calm.
He failed.
Ember saw the worry in his face immediately.
“I’ll be fine,” Kai had said.
That was a lie.
Not because he meant to lie.
Because he was Kai.
He thought being fine meant standing upright and not bleeding too much.
Ember had stared at him for a long moment, memorizing him in the cave mouth. His messy hair. His tired eyes. The egg sling tied awkwardly across his chest. The way he kept one hand near his weapon, as if that made him look prepared.
Then she nodded.
“I will return.”
“I know,” Kai said.
“You will stay inside.”
“I know.”
“You will not touch strange glowing objects.”
“That happened one time.”
“It happened recently.”
Kai sighed. “I won’t.”
“You promise.”
His expression softened.
“I promise.”
Ember turned away before the promise made her stay.
Then she stepped into the forest.
She let the trees swallow her.
She let Kai believe she was gone.
But she did not go far.
Not yet.
Ember moved through the dark without sound, circling back through the trees until the cave came into view again. She crouched on a thick branch above the clearing, wings folded close to her back, tail wrapped around the trunk for balance.
From here, she could see everything.
The cave entrance Kai had tried to cover with branches and hide.
The loose stones near the fire pit.
The narrow crack in the rock wall.
The path where monsters usually approached.
And Kai.
He stood at the cave entrance for several minutes after she left, looking into the trees.
Waiting.
Ember’s chest tightened.
“Go inside,” she whispered.
He did not hear her.
The egg pulsed softly against him.
Kai looked down and touched the sling.
“I know,” he muttered. “Feels weird without her.”
Ember’s claws dug into the bark.
Good.
It should feel weird.
It should feel wrong.
A small, selfish part of her was pleased.
Then Kai finally stepped back into the cave and pulled the branch screen across the entrance.
Ember relaxed slightly.
Only slightly.
Now the test began.
Kai believed she had left for Mother.
Mother, who was likely furious.
Mother, who would smell Kai on her the moment Ember arrived.
Mother, who would ask far too many questions and pretend they were commands.
Ember would go.
Soon.
But not before she knew Kai would survive one night without her.
The egg helped.
She hated that it helped.
The phoenix egg glowed against Kai’s chest wherever he moved inside the cave. Even from the trees, Ember could see its faint golden pulse through the gaps in the branch screen. The light was soft when he stayed calm, sharper when he moved too far from it, and almost smug when he touched the sling.
Ember narrowed her eyes.
The egg had no right to be smug.
It had done nothing except bond to Kai and demand constant contact.
Pathetic.
Useful, but pathetic.
Kai moved around the cave, checking the entrance, then the fire, then his supplies. He kept glancing toward the empty space beside him, the place where Ember usually stood too close.
Each glance made Ember’s tail tighten around the branch.
He missed her.
Good.
No.
Not good.
She was supposed to be making sure he was safe, not enjoying his loneliness.
A rustle came from the eastern brush.
Ember’s head snapped toward it.
A lesser beast crept from the trees, low to the ground. It had a narrow skull, too many teeth, and patches of green rot glowing beneath its skin.
It sniffed the air.
Then it looked toward the cave.
Ember went still.
Come closer, she thought.
The beast took one step.
Then another.
Inside, Kai froze.
He had heard it.
Good.
His hand moved to his weapon.
Better.
The egg pulsed.
The beast stopped.
Its jaws opened in a silent snarl, but it did not move closer. Its body trembled, torn between hunger and fear. Another pulse of golden light slipped through the branch screen.
The beast backed away.
Ember watched carefully.
So the egg’s aura worked even when Kai was inside.
The beast turned to flee.
Ember dropped from the branch.
She landed in front of it without a sound.
The creature barely had time to blink before her claws closed around its throat.
She leaned close, inhaling.
Rot. Hunger. Weak corruption.
Nothing clever.
Nothing that could threaten Kai if the egg made it hesitate.
Ember crushed its neck.
Black mist spilled between her fingers.
Inside the cave, Kai moved toward the entrance.
Ember vanished into the trees before he could see her.
Kai pushed aside the branches, weapon raised, egg glowing against his chest.
“Hello?” he called.
Ember stared at him from the shadows.
Do not say hello to the forest, Kai.
The forest does not deserve manners.
The egg pulsed.
Kai looked down.
“Yeah. Probably nothing.”
He went back inside.
Ember pressed a hand over her face.
Impossible.
He was impossible.
The night stretched on.
Kai tried to stay awake.
He failed after an hour.
He sat near the fire, weapon across his lap, egg against his chest, head slowly dipping forward. Every time he jerked awake, he looked around like he had meant to do that.
Ember watched from the cave wall’s shadow.
“You are not convincing,” she whispered.
The egg pulsed faintly.
Kai’s hand settled over it.
His breathing slowed.
Asleep.
Defenseless.
Ember’s instincts screamed at her to go inside.
To wrap her wing around him.
To put her tail over his legs.
To guard him properly.
She did not move.
This was the test.
If she went to Mother, he would sleep without her there.
If she returned every time he looked fragile, she would never leave.
A second beast approached near midnight.
Then a third.
Both stopped at the edge of the clearing.
Both felt the egg.
Both fled.
Ember let them go this time.
The egg was enough for those.
She hated admitting it.
But she did.
Near dawn, something larger came.
Ember felt it before she saw it.
A heavy shape moved between the trees, dragging one twisted limb behind it. Its body was covered in bark-like armor, and its mouth glowed green from within.
Not lesser.
Not strong either.
But stronger than the others.
The egg pulsed sharply.
Inside, Kai woke at once.
He grabbed his weapon and stood.
Good.
Ember crouched lower in the shadows.
The monster stepped into the clearing.
It did not flee.
It slowed, clearly bothered by the egg’s aura, but it kept coming.
Ember’s lips peeled back from her teeth.
No.
The monster reached the cave entrance.
Kai stood behind the branch screen, blade raised, face pale but steady.
The egg flashed.
The monster flinched.
Kai stepped forward and stabbed through a gap in the branches.
The blade sank into the creature’s shoulder.
Not deep enough.
The monster roared and swung.
Before it could tear through the entrance, Ember struck.
She came down from above like a falling shadow, claws tearing through bark and rotten flesh. The creature collapsed beneath her. She ripped out its glowing core and crushed it under her heel.
Silence returned.
Kai pushed through the entrance.
Ember stood over the corpse.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kai narrowed his eyes.
“You didn’t leave.”
Ember looked at him.
“I did.”
“You are currently here.”
“I came back.”
“That was fast.”
“Yes.”
Kai stared at her.
Ember stared back.
The egg pulsed once between them.
Kai sighed.
“You were watching me.”
“Yes.”
“You made me think you left.”
“Yes.”
“Ember.”
“You were fine against the weak ones.”
Kai paused.
“The weak ones?”
“Three approached. They fled from the egg.”
His eyes widened.
“Three?”
“You did not notice two of them.”
“That is not reassuring.”
“No.”
She stepped closer and examined him from head to toe.
“You woke quickly when the stronger one came.”
“I had the egg.”
“You used the entrance.”
“I stabbed through it.”
“Poorly.”
“It worked a little.”
“A little is not enough.”
Kai lowered his weapon.
“So… what does this mean?”
Ember looked toward the mountains beyond the trees.
The sky was turning gray.
Mother was still waiting.
Angry.
Worried, though she would deny it.
Ember hated leaving.
But the egg did repel lesser beasts.
Kai did wake when danger approached.
He was still weak.
Still dense.
Still terribly easy to kill.
But not entirely helpless.
Ember looked back at him.
“I will visit Mother.”
Kai’s face softened with relief.
“Really?”
“Briefly.”
“Okay.”
“If anything stronger comes, you hide.”
“I can do that.”
“You do not fight through the entrance again.”
“It was a decent idea.”
“It was a Kai idea.”
“That sounds insulting.”
“It is accurate.”
He smiled a little.
Ember hated how much that made leaving harder.
She stepped closer, wrapped one wing around him, and pressed her forehead to his.
The egg pulsed between them.
Ember ignored it.
“I will return before the sun sets.”
Kai nodded.
“I’ll be here.”
“You promise.”
“I promise.”
Ember held him for one more second.
Then one more after that.
Then she forced herself to step back.
Her body shifted.
Scales rolled over skin. Her wings expanded, massive and dark against the dawn. Her claws dug into the earth as her dragon form rose above the cave entrance, powerful enough to shake leaves from the trees.
Kai looked up at her.
Even now, with the egg glowing against his chest, he looked small.
Too small.
Too warm.
Too easy to miss.
Ember lowered her massive head close to him.
“Do not make me regret this.”
Kai smiled weakly.
“I’ll try not to.”
“That is not enough.”
“I won’t.”
Better.
Not perfect.
But better.
Ember spread her wings.
The wind bent the grass around him.
Then she launched into the sky.
This time, Kai watched her go.
And this time, Ember truly left.
But every beat of her wings counted the distance back to him.