My Pet Fox Is Actually A Demon Prince-Chapter 39: The Convocation Hall

Kyva’s pulse quickened at the sight of them.

She could see it in her eyes— the recognition, the disbelief... and the questions that would surely follow their shock. Her fingers curled into fists at her side, the tension coiling quietly beneath her calm exterior. It felt strangely satisfying to see that look on their faces, after what they had done, after leaving her to die in that forsaken place.

Truthfully, she had not even thought they would make it out either.

Her gaze lingered on them a moment longer than necessary, steady and unflinching, as if silently returning the weight of what had passed between them back in the jungle.

Vera glared harder.

And Cassian noticed.

Without drawing attention, he shifted a fraction closer, his presence calm and grounding. That simple gesture made the siblings know Kyva was not alone, and a flicker passed between them.

In the end, they said nothing.

Without a word, they stepped onto the platform, wisely choosing silence over spectacle in a place like this. But they did not look away from Kyva.

The lift shuddered faintly, then began its descent.

For a time, only the low hum of the reinforced cables and the gentle sway of lanternlight filled the air between them.

Cassian glanced toward Kyva, his expression thoughtful as he noticed the sudden dimness in her countenance.

"Kyva," he began, "if you will pardon my intrusion... did something happen?" His gaze flicked briefly to the lift carrying the siblings, then back to Kyva. "I believe I saw those two during the Trial of Calling."

Kyva drew in a slow, steadying breath, but it wasn’t enough to calm her rage.

"I was... unfortunate enough to merge with those two during the trial," she explained. "They took my token and just left me there. I thought I was going to die. I still can’t get that monster out of my head– the swamp... all of it."

"Then you should report this," he suggested, a frown settling on his features. "The laws governing the trial are clear. No initiate is permitted to bring deliberate harm upon another. What you describe is no small offense. This isn’t something you should ignore."

Kyva was about to agree, but then stopped herself.

As much as she wanted to, she was also afraid of having to expose to everyone that she was a slave. To do so would mean baring the truth before them all, and she was too much of a coward to carve it out. It was better to be seen as nothing but a peasant than draw any sort of attention to herself.

So she said nothing, only inclining her head. Without pressing further, Cassian stepped aboard on the next lift.

"....Come."

He extended a hand toward her, a simple, polite gesture.

Kyva hesitated for the briefest moment before placing her hand in his, and he helped her aboard with careful steadiness.

Once the lift began its descent, it lurched forward

Kyva staggered back instinctively, her balance slipping for a split second before Cassian caught her by the shoulders, steadying her. A few passengers within the lift glanced their way, then quickly looked off again, uninterested.

"Are you alright?"

"...Yes," Kyva replied, a hint of embarrassment creeping into her voice. "Just wasn’t expecting that."

She took a slow breath, forcing herself to steady, but the sheer height still made her stomach twist.

Without saying anything, she stepped further inward, putting more distance between herself and the edge.

Cassian noticed and he asked quietly, "Not a fan of heights?"

Kyva let out a small, nervous laugh, remembering the fall she had taken to escape the warden.

"Something like that."

Wanting to turn the conversation elsewhere, Kyva hesitated only for a moment before asking, "If... you do not mind me asking... How did you come to resonate with your orb? And what did it grant you?"

Cassian looked at her, his expression softening into something more contemplative.

"We cannot say for certain. Not yet," he admitted. "What we carry now, it’s only a fragment of what it may become."

He rested a hand lightly against the railing, his eyes drifting outward as the lift continued its descent.

"We assumed it’d be like... slipping a switch, but resonance is nothing of that sort, or maybe we just misinterpreted what we knew. It is more akin to learning a language you never knew you understood. At first, it’s just instinct, small things you barely notice unless you’re paying attention."

Kyva listened quietly.

"As an air user, the feeling is subtle," he continued. "I do not see it, not truly. But I feel it now. The shifts in movement, the way a body turns even before they act. It’s like the space around me is always speaking, just a little."

He gave a slight, almost uncertain smile as he looked back at her.

"I would not name it an ability. Not yet. It is more like a sense that has not fully woken. In time, it may become something more defined. For example, swiftness, control, manipulation." He shook his head lightly. "But that is the part no one can foretell."

Kyva pressed her lips together, turning his words over in her mind. If what he said was true, then... should she not have felt something as well?

"What about you?" Cassian asked, studying her now. "Have you noticed anything... unusual since you resonated? You’re multiple affinity-based. What orb did you get?"

Kyva looked at both her hands, turning her palms upward as if they might hold the answer.

"It was a blue orb," she said quietly. "I can only assume it was of water."

Cassian gave a small nod. "Then there is a fair chance you will be placed among Selene and Liora. You recall, they bear the same affinity."

"Yes, but..." Kyva drew in a breath, then let it out. "I... don’t believe I truly resonated with it. I was holding it when I lost consciousness."

Cassian’s brows knit together. "That should not be possible." His tone was firm, but not unkind. "The senior adepts would not have brought you here had the orb not resonated with you."

Kyva said nothing, her fingers curling slightly inward.

"Perhaps it occurred while you slept," he went on. "You said you were holding it. The resonance begins at the palm before it travels through the whole of one’s being. It is not something to fret about actually, but quite disappointing to miss such a sight."

Something in his certainty eased the tightness in Kyva’s chest.

He was right.

The adepts would know better, and would not have mistaken such a thing.

Now that she thought about it, that dream stirred more clearly. Right after she let herself fall in the dream, she had plunged into the water, but there was no immense struggle, like she could breathe beneath the surface, almost like she stood upon dry land. The depths had welcomed her instead of drowning her.

Does that count?

Cassian observed the look on her face, how she had drifted deep in thoughts, and a fond smile touched his lips.

There was something endearingly unguarded about her in moments like this.

She was... striking, though not in any overt, or commanding way. Rather, it was a gentler kind of beauty. Her wide blue eyes held a quiet innocence, clear as still water, and when she grew thoughtful like this, she seemed almost unreal.

"Kyva," he called softly, snapping her from her thoughts. He cleared his throat and said, "If you’re so eager to know more about resonance orb... I could take you to the library with me. There’s so many patterns you must know of."

For a fleeting moment, her eyes lit with quiet wonder, only to falter just as quickly.

Then it dawned on him.

Of course it did.

A peasant girl would not have been afforded such luxuries.

"It’s okay," he added at once," his tone softening. "Whatever you do not understand, I will explain."

"Really?"

The look she gave him made his heart skip multiple beats.

Then, almost instinctively, she dipped into a grateful bow. "You are very kind."

The words felt inadequate.

A tightness rose in her chest, sudden and unfamiliar. She lowered her gaze, blinking quickly as emotion threatened to surface within her.

She had not expected such kindness from Cassian and his friends.

***

Before long, Kyva soon found herself standing before a vast hall of many tiers, its sweeping roof layered one upon another like the folded wings of some great, slumbering creature.

Warm, golden light poured from within, spilling through the carved windows and open gates. It cast a radiant contrast against the deepening dusk.

The place looked far more intimidating than she had prepared for, with twin towering statues standing at each side of the staircase. It felt like a king resided in this building, and she hesitated.

"Come," Cassian said, beckoning her forward, and together, they began to ascend the grand staircase that stretched toward the entrance.