Daniel's faint smile held a knowing edge as he glanced at Envy. He could discern her motive behind revealing this secret. Besides expressing concern for him, Envy likely wanted to dissuade him from destroying the entire Hightower. Daniel understood that while he currently lacked a way to deal with Golden Scale's pseudo-immortality, he would eventually devise a plan.
Perhaps a spell card with an "Exile" effect could be the solution to dealing with Golden Scale.
—
Author's Note:
Exile: This effect means the affected card is removed from the game. It doesn't count as "Destroy", so a card with "Indestructibility" would still be exiled from the game.
—
Daniel gazed into Envy's eyes, noting the genuine concern mixed with a faint hint of hesitation, barely perceptible. He understood that this hesitation stemmed from the last vestige of Envy's concern for the Hightower, an organization she still held a soft spot for despite its flaws. A silent understanding passed between them.
Daniel wouldn't actively seek to destroy the Hightower, at least not for now.
"Okay, I understand. Don't worry. Also... as long as Golden Scale doesn't come knocking or someone doesn't try to mess with me in the name of the Hightower, I'll try to play nice," Daniel assured Envy before turning to Reiko.
"Thank you very much, Reiko. Would you like a body for you to reside in? Always residing in my blade wouldn't be that comfortable... I think?" Daniel offered, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Reiko's spectral form shimmered with anticipation. "It would be my pleasure, Lord Emberweave. I'll surely repay this kindness," she replied with a polite bow and a grateful smile.
The process of transferring Reiko's essence into a new body would have to wait. For now, she returned to the blade, content with the promise of a more tangible form.
Daniel glanced at Envy, wanting to discuss something further, but the presence of outsiders at the table made him hold back. While he tolerated Ragnar's gruff demeanor, Dupont and Lust still inspired a healthy dose of suspicion. Dupont's connection to the Hightower was concerning, and Lust's unpredictable nature was a constant worry.
After the feast, Daniel excused himself and headed to the living room where little Sylvana and Koyuki awaited him. The evening was spent in lighthearted competition, with a Monopoly board serving as the battleground.
Greed, unsurprisingly, emerged victorious, her avarice translating well to the game's mechanics. Sylvana, fueled by childish determination, came in a close second. Koyuki, ever the pacifist, landed in last place, her good nature and lack of strategic ruthlessness proving to be a disadvantage.
Before Daniel could answer, she leaned forward and brushed a light kiss against his lips. The unexpected gesture sent a jolt through him, a mix of surprise and desire warring within him. This wasn't the business-like Envy he was used to. This was a side of her he hadn't seen before, and it was both alluring and unsettling.
"What is this place?" he finally managed to ask, his voice slightly breathless. Awe and wonder battled with a flicker of unease in his chest. The beauty of the room was undeniable, but there was an underlying sensuality to it all that made him feel strangely exposed.
The Lake of Avalon..." Envy spoke with a mysterious smile, her eyes gleaming with an unspoken expectation.
The words struck Daniel like a bolt of lightning. The Lake of Avalon? Wasn't that the location card he held within his mindscape? But this idyllic scene, bathed in moonlight and populated by glowing fairies, bore no resemblance to the landscape on his card.
Confusion and something deeper, a flicker of something Envy couldn't quite decipher despite her years of experience, clouded his expression.
Envy's smile faltered, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features. She let out a sigh, a hint of melancholy tingeing her voice.
"No, it's not right..." she admitted. "This should be... a part of the Lake of Avalon that I can barely remember. A fragment I tried to recreate from the hazy echoes of my past."
Her gaze drifted upwards, tracing the luminous arc of the crescent moon. A veil of sadness seemed to descend upon her as she spoke, her voice tinged with a longing for a forgotten time.
"Is all of this an illusion?" Daniel asked, his own voice hesitant. He was captivated by the beauty of the room, yet the sensuality of the atmosphere and the unexpected intimacy of Envy's greeting stirred a disquiet within him.
"No, not entirely," Envy replied, shaking her head. She crouched down by the lake's edge, her hand dipping into the crystal-clear water before emerging, palm outstretched towards him. The water clung to her skin, glistening in the moonlight.
Daniel reached out tentatively and brushed his fingertips against the water droplets. It felt real, undeniably so. A spark of curiosity ignited within him.
"Is it real?" he repeated, his gaze locked on hers.
Envy smirked, a playful glint returning to her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, the crescent moon morphed into a full, luminous orb, bathing the scene in a soft, ethereal glow.
"At least... the moon is not," she confessed. "This place holds a special meaning for me, Danny. I used scraps of memory – soil, water, air, even fairy dust – the very essence of the Lake of Avalon, to weave this pocket dimension within my own magical realm."
A wistful smile graced her lips. "I yearned to recreate the moon of that night... but alas, I cannot simply travel to the moon itself and pilfer its soil." Her voice trailed off, lost in a dream of a bygone era.