The climb from the fourth floor to the second was a silent journey, broken only by the crunch of Sebastián's boots against the twisted roots jutting from the stone staircase. The air grew colder and thicker with each step, a stark shift from the oppressive heat of the fourth floor, where Aurora reigned amid shadows and bones. The makeshift fishing rod slung over his shoulder—a gnarled wooden stick with a braided thread line—bumped softly against his back, and Aevia followed close behind, her light steps accompanied by a faint jingle, as if the golden gears on her clothes kept their own secret rhythm. He didn't speak, but his mind lingered on the garden: the flower crown he'd made for her, that brief trance in her feline eyes, and the way her blush had thrown him off.
"Why so quiet, little gardener?" Aevia asked, breaking the silence as they climbed the final steps. Her resonant voice vibrated in the damp air, and he turned his head to look at her. Her light corset and short skirt swayed with each movement, flashing a glimpse of thigh that made him smile.
"I'm not quiet," he replied, his rough voice steady but relaxed. "Just thinking. What was that with the flowers? You looked… gone for a second."
She stepped closer, leaning against his arm with a provocative sway. "It was your flowers, little gardener," she said, her voice dropping to a flirtatious whisper. "They made me remember something. Don't you ever get that? Seeing something and feeling like you've lived it before?"
Sebastián chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Sometimes, I guess. But I don't just stare off into space like you did. What'd you remember?"
Aevia tilted her head, her feline eyes glinting with mischief. "You," she murmured, so close her short hair brushed his cheek. "But I don't know when. Time's… noisy with you."
He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with curiosity. "Noisy? You're gonna have to explain that to me someday, Aevia."
"Someday," she repeated, her sly smile widening as she pulled away, leaving a lingering warmth on his arm.
The second floor greeted them with an eerie stillness. The air was heavy with moisture, clinging to the skin, and a greenish glow radiated from gems embedded in the walls, casting dancing shadows over the pulsing roots hanging from the ceiling like dormant snakes. The underground lake at the chamber's center reflected the faint light on its dark surface, creating a play of light and shadow that seemed alive. The uneven, slippery floor was covered in moss and tangled branches, and a scent of dampness, wet stone, and a hint of sulfur filled the air. In the lake's depths, blind creatures with translucent skin swam, their bodies emitting a faint phosphorescent glow that barely pierced the gloom.
Sebastián dropped the rod beside a flat rock near the shore and sat, stretching his legs. His green tunic, stained with dirt, hung loose over his frame, and his tousled brown hair fell over his warm brown eyes as he watched the ripples on the water. "Here we are," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Second floor. Not as pretty as the garden, but it's got its charm. What do you think?"
Aevia paused beside him, scanning the lake with curiosity. "It's dark," she said, her resonant voice humming in the humid air. "And wet. This is where you fish, little gardener?"
"Yeah," he replied, propping an elbow on the rock. "It's slow, like the plants. You sit, wait, and hope something bites. I'll show you how." He picked up the rod and started rigging the line, tying a worm he'd brought from the garden with deft fingers.
Aevia stepped closer, leaning toward him with that sway she only used around him. "Wait?" she said, her tone playful as the corset outlined her firm breasts. "That sounds boring, little gardener. Isn't there a faster way?"
"Sure there is," he said, glancing at her with a crooked grin. "You could use your magic and yank every fish out of the lake. But then where's the fun?"
She laughed, a mischievous sound that echoed through the chamber. "Fun?" she repeated, snapping her fingers. In an instant, her clothes shifted: the corset and skirt vanished, replaced by a bikini of solidified shadows that left little to the imagination. The top, a thin strip, barely covered her breasts, exposing the sides and the curve beneath, with tiny golden gears dangling like ornaments that jingled as she moved. The thong, made of crystallized coagulated blood, clung to her defined buttocks, showing off her agile thighs with high cuts that left her pelvis on the edge of revelation.
Sebastián swallowed hard for the first time, his eyes flickering, unsure where to land. The bikini, already translucent from the damp air, stuck to her iridescent skin like a teasing veil, and the sway of her buttocks as she turned took his breath away for a moment. But his natural calm held firm, and a crooked smile crept onto his lips. "Well, Aevia," he said, his voice low but steady, "if you wanted my attention, you've got it. What happened to keeping it modest?"
She spun with a sway, the gears chiming softly. "This is more comfortable for fishing, little gardener," she said, bending over the water to splash him with a deliberate move that bared her buttocks. "Don't you like it?"
He laughed, dodging the water as it soaked his tunic. "I like it more than I should," he admitted, his tone roguish but restrained. "But if you keep that up, we won't catch a thing. Come here, I'll show you."
Aevia stepped closer, pressing against his shoulder as he held the rod. "Show me, then," she said, her voice a flirtatious whisper that hummed against his ear. "How do you wait?"
"Like this," he said, guiding her hands with his own. "You cast the line, sit, and let the fish come to you." His fingers brushed hers, and the warmth of her skin made him pause for a second before letting go. "It's patience, not magic."
She gripped the rod, but her stance was anything but patient. "And if I don't want to wait?" she said, leaning toward the water, the thong flaunting her firm buttocks. "What if I make it faster?"
"Don't," he said, his voice firm but amused. "Last time you sped something up, I ended up tangled in vines."
Aevia laughed, turning her head to him with a sly grin. "That was fun, little gardener," she said, snapping her fingers. "Let's see what happens here." Time around the lake accelerated, and the water began to churn, small ripples swelling into a whirlpool.
"Aevia, hold on—" he started, but it was too late. The lake erupted in a spray of water, and a giant fish burst forth, its iridescent scales glinting under the green light, its dagger-like teeth gleaming in a cavernous maw. It was massive, its dorsal fin grazing the ceiling, and its cold eyes flared with primal fury.
"Look, little gardener!" Aevia exclaimed, dropping the rod and leaping toward the fish. "This is fishing!" With a bold move, she mounted its scaly back, gripping its fins like a wild rider. "See? Much better!" she shouted, her soaked bikini clinging to her skin as the fish thrashed, tossing her into the air.
"Aevia, get off that thing!" Sebastián yelled, rushing to the shore as the fish roared, a sound that shook the stalagmites. "That's not fishing, that's suicide!"
She laughed, landing gracefully on the rock. "Run, little gardener!" she squealed, hitting the ground as the thong, now translucent, bared her buttocks. He chased after her, dodging a tail swipe that nearly knocked him over. "You can stop it, use your powers!" he shouted, panting as he ran behind her.
"But this is more fun!" she replied, spinning to face him, the bikini top barely hanging on. "Don't you like the thrill?" Then, with a fake stumble, she fell forward, the top slipping off in a deliberate move. She crashed into Sebastián, their bodies colliding in an unexpected embrace. He felt the shape of her bare breasts against his chest, the hardness of her nipples pressing through his wet tunic, and her skin's heat enveloped him like a jolt.
"Aevia—" he began, his voice catching as she wrapped her arms around him, her feline eyes locking onto his with a deep, strange fondness. "What are you doing?" he murmured, a mix of confusion and amusement in his tone as the fish lunged, its jaws wide open to swallow them.
"Looking at you, little gardener," she whispered, her resonant voice humming with warmth. Time stopped. The fish froze midair, jaws gaping, and the lake's chaos fell silent. Aevia stared at him, her short hair dripping water, her bare breasts pressed against him, and a soft smile curved her lips. "I've lived this moment with you before," she said, her tone intimate and laced with something he couldn't grasp.
Sebastián blinked, his mind spinning as he tried to process it. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice low but curious as his hands rested on her arms, feeling her skin beneath his fingertips. "When did you see me before?"
She laughed softly, leaning closer until her lips nearly brushed his. "Time doesn't tell me everything, little gardener," she whispered. "But I know you were there. Don't you feel it?"
"I don't know what I feel," he admitted, his tone relaxed but tinged with bewilderment. "Just that you're naked on top of me and there's a giant fish behind us. It's… weird, even for this place."
Aevia smiled, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Weird?" she said, her resonant voice dropping to a murmur. "Or fun?"
Before he could answer, her brow furrowed, as if sensing something. "Kaili," she muttered, snapping her fingers. Time rewound for the two of them: the bikini vanished, replaced by the long corset and calf-length skirt that draped her figure in elegance. The water evaporated from Sebastián's tunic, leaving him dry, and the fish sank back into the lake, as if nothing had happened.
"What the hell was that?" he muttered, scratching the back of his neck as he looked at Aevia, her clothes now pristine. "Did you just… erase all that?"
She straightened, her stance regal. "I just adjusted time, little gardener," she said, her resonant voice softening. "Don't you like it?"
"I do," he said, his crooked grin returning. "But you're confusing me. One second you're naked on me, the next you're all proper. How am I supposed to keep up?"
Aevia laughed, a soft sound that filled the chamber. "You don't keep up with my rhythm," she said, her tone playful but warm. "I keep up with yours."
"What mess did you make this time, Aevia?" a sharp voice cut through from the passageway. Kaili emerged from between the stalagmites, her purple skin glowing under the green light, golden and red runes pulsing on her tight armor. Her six iridescent wings cast purple glints, and her dark eyes fixed on them with a mix of annoyance and amusement.
Aevia tilted her head toward her, her voice resonant and gentle. "Just exploring this place's time, Kaili," she said, her tone elegant as the skirt fell in neat folds. "There's no mess."
Sebastián stood, picking up a fish tooth left on the shore. "A souvenir from your idea of fun," he said, twirling it between his fingers with a grin. His mind still reeled from the intimate moment—Aevia's breasts against him, her warm gaze, time frozen—but he chalked it up to another quirk of the Thrones. This chaotic world was his norm now, and though he didn't fully get it, it didn't bother him.
Kaili crossed her arms, snorting. "Exploring time, sure," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Looks more like you tried to drown the gardener with a fish. What's next, Aevia, riding the stalagmites?"
"Maybe," Aevia replied, her resonant voice carrying a playful edge. "Time here is… interesting."
"No kidding," Kaili said, glancing at Sebastián. "And you? What do you have to say about this disaster?"
He laughed, tucking the tooth into his tunic. "It was fun," he said, his tone relaxed. "Confusing, but fun. Aevia's got a weird way of fishing."
Kaili grunted, stepping forward. "If you're done with your nonsense, let's go," she said, pointing to the passageway. "I'm not cleaning up another one of your messes."
Sebastián shook his head, following Kaili as Aevia walked beside him, her presence elegant but brimming with a mystery that intrigued him. "Your time's noisy, little gardener," she murmured, low enough for only him to hear. "I like it."
"Glad to hear it," he replied, glancing at her with a smile. "But next time, warn me before you pull out a giant fish. Or… the other thing."
She laughed, her skirt swaying with the motion. "The other thing?" she said, her tone flirtatious for a fleeting moment. "Did you like it?"
He raised an eyebrow, his voice low but amused. "Let's just say I'm not complaining," he replied, before following Kaili into the passageway, the lake's echo fading behind them.