Chapter 1047: Chapter 1045- Rest and Teasing in a Hidden Garden
The lower levels of the underwater city had become a labyrinth of dim tunnels and forgotten passages, but we kept moving. Elowen led with the quiet determination of someone who had spent lifetimes running from threats, her cloak pulled tight, and bloom spots dimmed to faint glows.
I stayed close behind her, my disguised merman form blending into the shadows as I subtly guided our path with small space distortions nudging patrols away, creating false trails, and ensuring no one followed too closely. The sounds of the city above, distant market chatter, the hum of commerce, and the occasional patrol shout faded as we descended deeper into the underbelly.
"We’re close; there’s an old Bloomkin sanctuary ahead. Forgotten by most, protected by the reef itself. It should give you a few hours of real rest."
I said softly, my voice carrying through the water like a gentle current. Elowen glanced back at me, her amber eyes tired but sharp.
"You seem to know every hidden corner of this city. Just how long have you been planning to screw me over?"
I grinned beneath my hood.
"What can I say? I have been planning this for quite some time, or maybe I’m just really good at finding quiet places for my Big Sis to relax after she beats up corrupted agents and runs through markets like a badass."
She snorted.
"Oh god, I just want to beat you up bad, and even use you as bait."
We pushed through a thick curtain of ancient kelp, the fronds brushing against our skin like soft silk. The passage opened into a breathtaking sight: a small, forgotten garden sanctuary nestled in a natural hollow within the reef. It was like stepping into a secret world.
Massive living coral structures formed gentle arches and domes, their surfaces covered in glowing flowers that pulsed with soft golden and teal light. Vines hung from the ceiling like natural chandeliers, dotted with tiny bioluminescent blooms that drifted lazily in the gentle currents. The floor was a carpet of soft, mossy coral that felt like walking on clouds, and small symbiotic fish swam in lazy circles around the central pool of crystal-clear water that bubbled gently from an underground spring.
The air, or rather, the water, smelled sweet, like fresh lotus and deep-sea nectar. It was peaceful. Safe. A perfect hidden pocket where the city’s chaos felt miles away.
"Wow.....I haven’t seen a Bloomkin garden like this in... a long time."
Elowen breathed, her voice softening as she stepped inside. The tension in her shoulders eased visibly.
I smiled, already moving around the sanctuary with purpose. Using my influence, I arranged the space subtly, clearing a comfortable area near the central pool, summoning fresh food from hidden caches I had prepared earlier (glowing fruits, roasted glowfish wrapped in kelp leaves, and several bottles of the strongest fermented nectar). I even coaxed a few floating jellyfish lanterns closer, casting a warm, intimate glow over everything.
"Welcome to your temporary palace, Big Sis. Your annoying little brother has prepared everything. Food, drinks, soft seating, and zero corrupted agents trying to kill us. For now."
I announced dramatically, spreading my arms.
Elowen watched me with a burning gaze of danger as I fussed over the setup. I pulled out a soft seaweed mat and patted it invitingly.
"Sit. Relax. You’ve earned it after carrying the entire fight earlier. I’ll even try to braid your hair if you want. Little brother’s special service."
She raised an eyebrow, but sat down on the mat, crossing her legs.
"You really act like all is well after just a fight between us?"
"Completely, that’s how family is, drink up. It’ll help with the bruises and the existential dread."
I replied cheerfully, sitting across from her and handing her a shell cup filled with the strong nectar.
She took the cup and downed half of it in one go. The nectar was potent, deep amber with floating motes of bioluminescence. It hit fast, bringing a warm flush to her bronze skin and making her bloom spots open slowly, releasing that sweet floral scent into the sanctuary. She leaned back against a smooth coral formation, her cloak slipping slightly to reveal the elegant lines of her shoulders and the glowing patterns on her collarbone.
"It’s not easy, you know, killing....I don’t want to carry their weight, their sins. You know about my power, right? When I kill, I connect. It’s hard..."
She muttered, taking another sip as her hand trembled.
I leaned in with an innocent smile, sipping my own cup slowly.
"Yeah, I know, you saw my pain and mistakes, right? I won’t be able to give you an answer on this type of pain of yours, you would need to wish to handle the pain and fight, either swallow them and grow stronger or be swallowed and become that drunk which you are now but worse."
She stayed silent. The sanctuary felt even warmer and darker now, the glowing flowers pulsing gently in time with her bloom spots. I decided to push the "I-am-helping-you" act further for a bigger effect.
"Here, let me braid your hair, big Sis hair braiding service, complimentary with every escape. Hold still."
I said suddenly, scooting behind her before she could protest.
Elowen stiffened.
"What are you—?"
Too late. I gently gathered her long, rose-colored hair, the strands interwoven with tiny living vines. My fingers worked carefully, creating a loose, messy braid while making exaggerated comments.
"Wow, Big Sis, your hair is so pretty. Like deep-sea roses. Very majestic. Very queen-like. Perfect for a Matriarch who just kicked corrupted butt."
She tried to swat me away but was laughing too hard.
"You’re terrible at this. It looks awful."
"It looks artistic, very ’I just survived a market brawl and still look fabulous.’"
I corrected, tying it off with a small glowing flower. Elowen turned around, touching the braid with a half-amused, half-exasperated expression.
"You’re impossible."
"That’s the point, now, drinking game time. Every time you complain about your old life or are struggling, you take a sip. Every time I make you laugh, I take a sip. Fair?"
I said, sitting back down and refilling her cup. The domain to keep the water out was active.
She eyed me suspiciously but took the bait. The game started lightly. She complained about the "stupid merman" who ruined her gambling retirement. I laughed and took a sip. I made a bad joke about her "maternal instincts" protecting her little brother during the fight. She laughed despite herself and took a sip.
The alcohol flowed freely. The sanctuary felt like a private world, just the two of us, the soft glow of the flowers, and the gentle bubbling of the spring pool. Elowen loosened up more than I had seen before. Her shoulders relaxed, her bloom spots stayed open, and her amber eyes grew softer, more vulnerable.
"You know what I hate most about all this? The hope. In my old timeline, I fought so hard. I believed I could change things. I lost everyone anyway. Now I’m here, in this new timeline, and part of me wants to believe it can be different. But believing means risking everything again. And I’m tired of risking."
She said, her voice growing quieter as she stared into her cup. I listened without interrupting, letting her speak. When she fell silent, I spoke gently.
"Then don’t fight for the world yet. Fight for yourself first. Fight to see if this timeline is worth it. I’ll be right here, annoying you every step of the way. Little brother guarantee."
She looked at me for a long moment, then let out a soft, tired laugh.
"You’re really committing to this, aren’t you?"
"With my whole soul, big Sis Elowen and her loyal, wine-fetching, enemy-tripping little brother. It’s a package deal."
I replied with a grin.
The conversation deepened as the night wore on. She shared fragments of all her pain, the fear of her own power, and the full use of it. I listened, offering light teasing when it got too heavy and genuine support when she needed it. In return.
"You make me want to just shoot myself in the head. I really, really want to."
She admitted at one point, her head resting lightly against my shoulder.
I wrapped an arm around her in a loose, brotherly hug.
"Good. If that is all it takes to make sure you keep fighting."
I said the earrings were shining in the light. The sanctuary felt like a sanctuary in every sense, safe, warm, and healing. Thus, 4 hours passed by, but peace was temporary.
Distant sounds of pursuit reached us again, the rumble of reinforced search parties moving through the lower levels. Elowen sat up, her expression sharpening.
"Sigh.... let’s get moving.....again."
I stood up beside her, offering my hand.
"Lead the way, Big Sis. Your annoying little brother is ready for the next adventure."
She took my hand, and we slipped out of the hidden garden sanctuary, moving deeper into the city as the sounds of pursuers grew louder behind us.
Comments