The Aftermath

Sorin woke up, he had long forgotten what it felt like to wake peacefully. Instead, his body twitched violently as his eyes snapped open, and adrenaline ran through his veins as if he were doused in freezing cold water. A horrible habit he got from the war.

"...You're awake." 

It was Neve's voice that made his senses adjust, Sorin sat up from his bed, and for a moment, he had to look at the archmage's appearance. It took a long moment for recognition to flicker between his gaze as he spoke,

"Neve?"

The archmage looked amused, a pleased expression on her face "I look different, don't I?" she asked him. Neve's hair had turned into an obsidian black, contrasting her previous white hair. Her eyes looked like deep pools of honey, a golden color that reminded Sorin of the sun.

Still, she looked as beautiful as ever. A beauty that stood out despite her physical disguise.

Sorin ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a mixture of relief and surprise washing over him "You look...different." He commented, his violet eyes lingered on hers longer than he expected.

"It's better to hide my identity for a while, after all, Neve Adurne had perished during the attack." She took a seat beside him, her expression filled with mirth, the usual coldness in her demeanor had melted.

Sorin nodded his head, staring at the archmage "How long was I asleep?"

Neve sighed, her gaze momentarily drifting away from his "A few days, the entire empire was in complete chaos. T-They were looking for you." 

Sorin couldn't help but chuckle at their desperation, of course, they had to turn to him. At every single problem, every catastrophe... they were all reliant on him.

They didn't know he was the one who orchestrated everything. That made everything more amusing in Sorin's eyes.

His laughter echoed in the room, bitter and ironic as he clutched his stomach, heaving out choked breaths. Neve watched him, her expression remained passive, not even bothered by Sorin's sudden shift in demeanor.

"...You pushed yourself too much for me, Sorin," Neve said in a soft tone, her golden eyes flashing with concern.

"I did what I had to," Sorin stood up from his bed, studying Neve's face as a sardonic smile played on his lips "I wanted to watch that wretched tower fall from grace..."

"You did," Neve said breathlessly.

"So did you, archmage." Sorin smiled at her "Did you enjoy it?"

The amusement in Neve's eyes matched his own as she gave him a knowing look "I did, I appreciate theatrics more than anything."

The memory of The Sanctum's destruction flashed in his mind, a shudder running through Sorin's spine as he remembered the chaos that unfolded in its extravagant halls-- the screams and the sounds of flesh being torn had already been engraved in his mind.

It was a display of destruction, the extent of what Sorin could do if he had just shed this...human mask of his. 

"How were you able to deter them?" Sorin changed the topic, any more of this would have made him lose his composure.

A faint smile played on Neve's lips as she flicked Sorin's forehead, Sorin blinked in surprise, realizing how worried he must have looked.

"It's simple enough, magic is easy to use when it comes to manipulation...I never tried before. I was too...naive."

Sorin chuckled, the tension around him dissipated "You sounded almost evil there, Neve."

Neve rolled her eyes "Sounds a lot like you, doesn't it?"

He snorted at her words.

***

Adrien clung onto Sorin's side, his grip tight around his arms as if afraid that he'd disappear. This childishness and naivety is what made Adrien so precious in Sorin's eyes, an innocence that he should have had before...but now he had the freedom to be as childish as he could be.

Sorin's finger gently brushed through Adrien's hair "I worried you a lot, huh?" he smiled at him, purple eyes soft with fondness.

Adrien nodded his head, nuzzling himself on Sorin's side "I was scared..." He mumbled, words a fragile whisper.

Sorin's embrace around the young boy tightened, he could feel the remnants of anxiety and fear that lingered in Adrien's heart "I won't do it again." 

Adrien looked. up at him, wide blue eyes seeking reassurance "...Promise?"

Sorin chuckled "Mhm, promise."

The solemnity of Sorin's tone then shifted to something playful as he ruffled Adrien's hair "I won't be able to do it without your help, Adrien."

Adrien's eyes lit up at his words, a spark of enthusiasm as he basked in Sorin's encouragement "I'll do better next time!"

The cheeriness in Adrien's voice made Sorin almost ignorant of the demonic serpent that was slithering on the young boy's chest. The demon's scales are iridescent under the light that catches Sorin's eyes the moment Adrien arrives.

The serpent seemed to purr in satisfaction at Adrien's happiness. 

Sorin sighed as his finger trailed on the serpent's scales "You are making them your pets?"

Adrien smiled sheepishly as the serpent coiled around his arm "W-Well, its demonic energy is being suppressed by a spell so... it would look like a normal snake to everyone else."

Sorin tilted his head "Oh? Who cast the spell?"

Adrien fidgeted with his fingers "E-Erm...um... the m-mage... the one with the black hair...um... Aunt Neve?"

Sorin blinked at his words before sputtering out a laugh at how Adrien addressed Neve "...A-Aunt Neve?"

The thought of Neve, the archmage, being referred to as 'Aunt Neve' added a touch of domesticity...and Sorin found it amusing too.

"Yeah? W-Will she stay with us from now on?"

Sorin's laughter subsided as he smiled brightly, meeting Adrien's curious gaze "Yes."