NOVEL NEXT Chapter 411: A New Soul
The fire pit crackled to life as Thorn stacked the last of the dry wood, sparks shooting upward like scattered stars in the dim underground room.
He crouched low, rubbing his soot stained palms together, and gave a satisfied grunt.
"There. Should last us a good while," he muttered, half to himself, half to Ren who was sitting a few feet away, sharpening one of Lilith's throwing knives on a whetstone.
Ren didn't look up from the steady back and forth scrape of metal against stone.
His voice, when he spoke, was low, tired but firm. "I've been thinking about where we'll have to go. When the whole thing begins. You know the Primordial Flame isn't going to wait for us."
Thorn leaned back on his haunches, poking at the fire with a stick. "You said before there's only one path, right? That tunnel you mentioned?"
Ren finally sheathed the dagger and met Thorn's gaze. "Yes. There's only one route into the fold in reality where the Primordial Flame is kept."
"But that's the problem. The entrance lies beneath the Elders' Building, where they hold their meetings in the deepest layer of Carthage. It's also the most heavily guarded place in the entire city. Well, the second most heavily guarded after their Blood Tree."
Thorn whistled, his eyes narrowing in thought. "So we're walking straight into the lion's den."
"More than a lion's den." Ren replied. "It's the heart of Carthage's power. The Elders don't just leave that building unguarded. Even with a war raging above, they'll know how valuable that place is. At best, the invasion will thin their defenses. At worst, they'll double them."
Thorn sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "Then we'll have to pray that the Blurred Man's army does enough damage to drag the Elders' attention away. That's our only shot."
The crackle of the fire filled the silence between them. Ren's mind drifted, calculating, weighing odds he didn't like. He opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of light footsteps reached him first. He turned, already smiling faintly.
Lilith emerged from the hallway leading to their makeshift sleeping quarters. She wore one of Ren's jackets, far too large for her slight frame, the sleeves rolled up clumsily. His trousers were cinched at the waist with a strip of cloth, and she padded barefoot across the cool stone floor.
Despite the fatigue in her eyes, she carried herself with the poise of someone refusing to be broken.
"Talking about the Flame again?" She asked softly, approaching the fire. She lowered herself beside Ren, her shoulder brushing his, and let out a small sigh. "Tell me, are there any chances that the Elders' Building will be left unguarded?"
Ren reached into his spatial pouch and pulled free a seasoned leg of boar. The smell of spice and smoke clung to it even before Thorn took it and speared it over the flames.
"No chance." He said, shaking his head. "If anything, they'll fortify it. War or not, the Elders know that building is sacred. They'd never leave it unattended."
Lilith leaned into his side, her hair brushing against his cheek. "Then we'll have to carve our own opening when the time comes." Her voice was steady, but Ren caught the flicker of worry in her eyes.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he let the warmth of her presence soothe the storm inside him.
Thorn shifted the boar leg over the fire, and the sizzling fat released an aroma that filled the chamber. The air was quickly filled with the smell of roasting meat.
Then Lilith stiffened. She pressed a hand to her lips, gagging suddenly.
Her face paled, and before either Ren or Thorn could react, she stumbled to her feet and rushed a few paces away. The sound of her retching echoed against the stone walls.
"Lilith!" Ren was on his feet instantly, sprinting to her side. Thorn dropped the stick he was using and stood, wide-eyed.
Lilith braced herself against the wall, her body trembling as she heaved. After a moment, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned toward them.
Her eyes were wide, shining with something more than fear. Her hand moved to her stomach, pressing gently, almost reverently.
"Ren… Thorn…" Her voice cracked as she whispered. "I can feel it. There's a soul… growing inside me."
Ren froze, his mind going blank. His heart stuttered in his chest. "You mean…" His voice trailed off, unable to complete the thought.
Lilith nodded slowly, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "I'm pregnant."
The words hit Ren like a truck. He couldn't put a name to the emotion that crashed into him. It was like joy, happiness, ecstasy, a smidge of worry, a hint of fear, all mixed together.
For a long moment, he couldn't move. Thorn muttered a curse under his breath, his usually steady hands clenching into fists. "By the gods…"
Ren stepped closer, his hands trembling as they hovered uncertainly near Lilith's shoulders. "Are you sure?" he whispered, though he already knew the answer.
He could see it in her eyes, feel the truth radiating from her Divine Gift. This wasn't a mistake. It wasn't imagination. Life was stirring within her.
Lilith gave a small, tearful laugh, her hand pressing more firmly against her stomach. "I've carried shadows my whole life… instability, whispers of becoming a monster. But this... this feels different. Warm. Real."
Ren's breath caught, his chest tightening painfully. The firelight flickered behind him, casting long shadows that danced across the stone walls.
Everything, the war, the Primordial Flame, the threat that was Yggdrasil, faded into the background for a single, fragile moment.
He reached out, pulling her gently into his arms. "Then we'll protect it." He said, his voice breaking with emotion. "We'll protect both of you."
Lilith buried her face in his chest, and Thorn, standing a few paces away, looked away, blinking hard. The fire pit crackled louder, filling the silence that words couldn't.
For the first time in what felt like forever, a different kind of hope had taken root among them.
It was fragile and trembling, but alive.