Cracking Foundations

Aen sat beside me as we watched Jin chase after the kids, her eyes filled with delight, giggling and squealing with them, but I couldn’t shake the weight pressing down on my chest. I set my empty teacup down, fingers lingering on the porcelain rim as I exhaled. “I need to head out soon,” I murmured.

The half-elf glanced at me through a stray few strands of blonde hair, her expression unreadable at first. Then, she nodded. “I figured.” Her voice was calm, understanding, as always. “Let me get the kids.” Before I could respond, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, her voice ringing through the clearing. “Kids! Jin! Come say goodbye to Raku.”

The children’s laughter grew louder as they tore out from the trees, Jin trailing behind them. Her steps slowed when she saw us, her tail swaying behind her uncertainly as she glanced between me and the house. The kids got to me first, a flurry of arms and grins. “You’re leaving already?” Nema pouted.

“I have to,” I replied gently, ruffling their hair one by one. “But I’ll be back soon.”

“You better,” Lior said, their voice grumpy despite their arms slinging tighter around my shoulder.

“You promise, right?” Esha chimed in, tilting their head to peer at me with wide, earnest eyes.

I gave them a small smile. “Always. You know I don’t break promises. Besides, I can't just leave my girlfriend with you guys forever.” Jin hovered at the edge of the chaos, her claws flexing at her sides as she watched the children cling to me. I opened my arms toward her, and her hesitation vanished. She rushed forward, burying herself against my chest with a soft, hitched breath. Her kisses came fast and frantic—against my jaw, my cheeks, wherever she could reach. “Hey,” I murmured softly, holding her close. “It’s okay, love. I’ll be back soon.” She trembled in my arms, her tail curling tightly around my leg. Her eyes met mine, shining with unspoken worry, and I leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. “I promise,” I whispered.

Aen’s gentle hand on Jin’s shoulder finally broke the moment. “We’ll take good care of her, Raku,” she assured us quietly. I nodded, forcing my hands to release Jin even though everything in me wanted to hold on. The succubus hesitated, her claws grazing my shirt as if reluctant to let go, before she finally stepped back toward Aen. “Go on,” the half-elf encouraged her, gently guiding Jin toward the kids, who were already chattering excitedly about showing her the house.

I stood there for a moment longer, watching as they disappeared inside. The ache in my chest grew heavier with every step I took toward the car. When I finally slid into the driver’s seat, it felt like I’d left part of myself behind.

---

The drive back toward the city was long and quiet, the hum of the engine doing little to soothe the unease building in me. My thoughts kept circling back to Jin, how my heart already longed for her, despite us having been barely an hour apart. She’d be safe, I reminded myself. Cared for and loved. It was just for a day or two at most.

But the thought barely registered before a sharp, stinging sensation flared in my left arm. I frowned, flexing my fingers on the steering wheel as the pins-and-needles ache spread, jagged and hot. I glanced down—and my stomach sank at a familiar sight.

The skin near my elbow had begun to petrify, cracks spreading outward in delicate, branching patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. The runes etched into my skin pulsed with black unlight, their glow growing brighter with every heartbeat as they heated up, trying to prevent my body from consuming itself to vent magic energies. The joys of being an antimage stuffed full of magic.

“Damn it,” I muttered, my voice tight as I tried to keep the car steady on the road. The heat beneath my skin was intensifying, licking up my arm like fire. My breathing quickened as I fumbled for my datapad with one hand, my other gripping the wheel tightly. I scrolled through my contacts until I found the one name I needed. My thumb hovered for a split second before I tapped it, the call connecting after a single ring.

“Raku?” Vivi’s voice came through, clear and familiar. “What’s going on?”

“Are you still home?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended as another wave of heat pulsed through my arm.

“Yeah, I was about to head towards HQ just now,” Vivi said, and I could hear the faint sound of movement on their end. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you to bring the needles,” I said, the words rushing out. “The dragon bone ones. And I need you to help me—before the assessment. Arm's turning.”

There was a beat of silence, but Vivi didn’t ask for more details. “I’ll be ready,” they said, their voice calm and steady. “Just get to HQ, I'll wait in my quarters.”

I hung up, my breath ragged as I tightened my grip on the wheel. The city skyline loomed ahead, but the cracks on my arm were spreading, the petrification creeping upward as the runes fought to contain it.

---

By the time I reached the gates of Crimson Reverie HQ, my arm was burning like live coals had been poured beneath my skin. The jagged cracks of petrification crept higher, branching toward my shoulder, while the runes carved into my flesh pulsed erratically with black unlight, some of them evaporating as the petrification broke them. My fingers trembled on the steering wheel as I rolled up to the security checkpoint.

Yennick was leaning against the gatehouse, xir tusked jaw set in a bored expression. Xe straightened when xe spotted me, xir broad shoulders filling out the reinforced armor with ease. “Raku,” Yennick called as I slowed the car, xir deep voice carrying easily through my not yet opened window.

“Yennick,” I greeted, keeping my tone as steady as possible after rolling the window down.

“Cutting it close, huh?” Xe crossed xir arms, one thick finger tapping against a clipboard. The orc's greenish-gray skin caught the glow of the guardhouse's overhead lamps, making the small, jagged tattoos along xir jawline shimmer faintly.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I replied, forcing a casual shrug. My left arm stayed out of sight, hidden in the shadows where the dashboard light couldn’t catch the growing cracks. “Ran into some delays.”

Yennick’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, xir gaze flicking over me in that careful, assessing way xe always had. “You look like shit.”

“Long day,” I said quickly, cutting off any follow-up questions. “You know how it is.”

Xe didn’t look entirely convinced, but after a beat, xe stepped back and waved me through. “Alright. Stay sharp in there. And don’t forget to eat something—you’ve got that look like you’re running on fumes again.”

I forced a smile, nodding as I drove past the gates. “Thanks, Yen. I’ll take care of it.”

Once the gatehouse disappeared in my rearview mirror, the tight knot in my chest loosened slightly. But the relief was short-lived. The heat radiating from my arm flared again, sending sharp pulses of pain through my muscles. By the time I parked near the residential wing, I was gripping the steering wheel hard enough to make the leather creak.

I grabbed my datapad and sent a quick message to Vivi: I’m here. Need your help now.

The door to their quarters was already cracked open by the time I made it down the hall. Vivi stood just inside, their arms crossed and their brow furrowed in concern. Their sharp green eyes scanned me from head to toe, lingering on the arm I was cradling against my side.

“Let me guess,” Vivi said as I stepped inside, their voice dry but edged with worry. “You ignored the signs again, didn’t you?”

“I did nothing of the sort, it just randomly started while I was driving,” I muttered, already pulling off my jacket.

“Raku,” Vivi said, exasperation clear as they gestured for me to sit on the stool by the table. “You know how this works. The signs don’t creep up—they’re always there. You just ignore them until it’s almost too late.” I didn’t argue. There wasn’t any point. Vivi was probably right, even if this time I really hadn't noticed anything beforehand. Instead, I focused on rolling up my sleeve, revealing the full extent of the petrification spreading along my arm. Vivi’s lips pressed into a thin line as they grabbed the case containing the dragon bone needles and ink. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had to fix your mess,” they muttered, setting the case down with a little more force than necessary. “One of these days, Raku, this is going to—” I cut them off by leaning forward and pressing a quick, hesitant kiss to their lips. It wasn’t something I did often, but Vivi froze, the sharp line of their jaw softening slightly as they processed the gesture.

“I know,” I murmured, my voice low and hoarse as I pulled back. “I know, Vivi. Just… please. Help me now, lecture me later.”

Vivi exhaled sharply, the tension in their shoulders easing just a fraction. “Fine,” they said, though the worry in their eyes didn’t fade. “You’re lucky I’m good at this.”

“You’re the best,” I drawled, trying for a faint smile as I settled onto the stool.

Vivi didn’t waste any more time. They worked quickly, their hands steady as they prepared the ink and the needles. The first prick of the needle sent a sharp jolt through my arm, but it was nothing compared to the searing heat that followed. The ink burned as it sank into the cracks, the ancient magic twisting and binding itself to the existing runes while Vivi busied themself carving new ones into me. I never tired of the sight of my skin knitting itself back together with every new or touched-up rune. “You need to stop waiting until it gets this bad,” Vivi muttered as they worked, their focus never wavering. “You know I don’t mind helping you, but this—this is reckless, even for you.”

I gritted my teeth, exhaling shakily as another line of ink burned into my skin. “I didn’t exactly have a choice this time,” I rasped.

“There’s always a choice,” they snapped, though their tone softened almost immediately. “You just don’t like taking the ones that mean slowing down.” The room fell into a tense silence after that, broken only by the scrape of the needle and the occasional hiss of my breath. Vivi moved with practiced efficiency, their hands never faltering even as the glow of the runes grew brighter, the petrification reversing. When they finally pulled back, the new runes glimmered faintly, the glow stabilizing as the petrification stopped spreading. My arm still throbbed, but the heat was less intense now, the edges of the cracks no longer biting into my skin as much.

“That should hold for now,” Vivi sighed, wiping their hands clean as they stepped back to inspect their work. “But you need to take it easy. You’ve been running yourself into the ground for weeks, and it’s going to catch up with you if you’re not careful.”

I nodded slowly, my shoulders sagging with relief as the worst of the pain subsided. “Thanks, Vi,” I murmured, my voice quiet but sincere. "Stone skin just gotta reverse by the time I head in for ORA in a bit."

Vivi gave me a long, searching look before finally shaking their head. “One of these days I'll tie you up and carve enough runes into you even that wytchblood of yours can't get through,” they muttered as they packed up the needles. I managed a small smile, but had to swallow my retort when my stomach churned violently.

“Shit,” I cursed, scrambling to my feet. I barely made it to the bathroom before I retched, the bile burning my throat as I clutched the edge of the sink. My head swam, the lingering heat of the runes still thrumming beneath my skin. When I finally lifted my head, my reflection stared back at me—pale, drenched in sweat, and utterly drained. The runes etched into my body shimmered faintly, their black unlight casting eerie shadows across the small room. I gripped the edge of the sink tighter, meeting my own gaze. “Get it together,” I hissed, the words rasping against my raw throat. "Assessors can't see you like this."

A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. “You good in there?” Vivi called, their tone worried. “Yeah,” I replied after a long moment of staring into the voids of my eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’ll be out in a second.”