The couple didn't say much during the flight. Khan and Liiza were out of words and tears, and exhaustion filled their minds. They could experience how tired they truly were after getting away from their group and roaming among the dark sky.
The months under the sunlight had featured constant tension that Khan and Liiza didn't fully acknowledge until they left. The winds and familiar darkness that enveloped them while they flew through the sky forced them to feel how deeply Nitis and they had changed.
Nitis had regained its natural shades, but everything was different. The changes didn't only affect its fauna and overall environment. Khan and Liiza felt unable to appreciate those wonderful sceneries after everything they had gone through. They couldn't experience the same naïve happiness from the months before the crisis.
Khan and Liiza hugged each other, exchanged casual kisses, and filled their partner with caresses, but they didn't speak. Those gestures were enough to express how they felt. The sunlight had brought them even closer, but it had also shattered their previous view about the world.. Their respective love was their only consolation.
Liiza grew tired of clinging to Khan's waist after the couple spent an entire day flying above lands that he had never seen. Khan didn't hesitate to place her on his lap so that she could wrap her legs around his torso. The new position almost made them fall prey to their passion, but Snow made sure to express its annoyance when it felt that they were going too far.
It felt nice to experience that complete intimacy. That was different from the time spent in the castle. It reminded Khan and Liiza of the cave in the marsh when they had a home for themselves. The world around them had disappeared and had left them with nothing more than Snow's back, but they didn't desire anything else. Their happiness reached its peak only when they were truly alone.
It turned out that an entire day of travel wasn't enough to reach the elders. The couple had to take a few breaks to let Snow rest and handle natural needs. Of course, Khan and Liiza inspected every area multiple times before deciding to stop there and create a cozy home. They never remained too long on the surface, but they always made sure to enjoy that time together.
Snow landed in a simple-looking plain after almost three entire days of flight. The area appeared empty, except for the short vegetation that covered the surface, but Khan felt that something was off. He didn't sense anything specific, but he couldn't be at ease either. The region carried a strange pressure that didn't allow him to relax.
"[The elders are just ahead]," Liiza stated while taking Khan's hand and moving toward the center of the plain.
"[I thought I couldn't see them]," Khan replied without halting his steps.
"[No human should ever see these areas]," Liiza explained.
"[Are you creating troubles for me]?" Khan asked.
"[Maybe]," Liiza revealed before taking his arm in her embrace, "[But I want you to see Nitis' true face. I'm tired of these traditions]."
Liiza fixed her timid eyes on Khan, and he didn't hesitate to free himself to wrap an arm around the back of her waist. Liiza tried to appear resolute, but it was clear that the meeting worried her a little, and Khan wouldn't let her face it on her own.
The two walked until they crossed an invisible barrier that transformed the scenes in their vision. Khan's mouth opened in surprise when he saw an immense circular gorge replacing the simple plain, but he soon realized that he had barely scratched the surface of the area's secrets.
A circular metallic structure slowly unfolded in Khan's vision as he approached the gorge's edges. Scarlet symbols glowed on its smooth and dark surface, filling the entire area with a red halo that carried a chilling feeling.
'Is this technology?' Khan wondered when he noticed that the scarlet halo hid azure tubes near the base of the circular structure.
The building resembled a dome with a flat roof that fused the studies of two different species. Khan recognized the Niqols' old ways in the scarlet symbols, but he didn't fail to notice how the tubes were almost identical to those seen in the teleports. Moreover, the structure didn't have the iconic hidden doors seen in the other palaces. It had actual entrances marked with words written in the alien language.
"[Don't look at me for answers]," Liiza chuckled when she noticed Khan's questioning eyes on her. "[I also don't know much about this area. The new generations learn about these locations, but the actual knowledge arrives only after we become actual members of our tribes]."
"[The Global Army would pay any price to learn about this]," Khan commented after his eyes returned on the odd dome.
"[I know]," Liiza replied. "[We have similar buildings all around Nitis, but the older generations want us to study mana in its pure form before gaining access to technology. I can't disagree after watching the humans in battle, but I wonder if we could compromise a little]."
Khan sighed and brought Liiza closer to her chest. He knew what she was thinking. She wanted to improve the Niqols' society to prevent so many losses.
'Zalpa is right,' Khan thought as he caressed Liiza's hair. 'This generation will bring the Niqols to greater heights.'
"[Let's go]," Liiza eventually said in a sweet voice after leaving Khan's chest and taking his hand.
The canyon had steep staircases dug inside the ground that led to its bottom. The steps appeared unstable, but Khan confirmed that the red symbols on their surfaces granted them a metallic texture. The couple could reach the flat dome in no time, and Liiza quickly led him toward one of the tall entrances.
The red symbol on the entrance transformed into a palm-shaped figure when the couple approached it. Liiza pressed her hand there, and Khan noticed that a small bloodstain had appeared on the wall after she retracted her arm.
The symbol confirmed Liiza's identity and returned to its previous shape. Yet, it flashed with a soft light that didn't match the other runes on the structure.
"[An elder should come out soon]," Liiza explained while sitting in a spot right next to the entrance.
Khan sat next to Liiza, but she didn't hesitate to jump on his lap. The two rested in each other's embrace as they waited for the elder to arrive.
A few minutes had to pass before the dome's entrance opened and let a wave of dense mana flow out in the environment. The energy filled the entirety of the canyon, but the symbols on the structure quickly brightened and absorbed it, returning the area to its previous state.
Khan couldn't focus too much on that process since a heavy presence manifested itself after the entrance closed. A tall figure had appeared next to the Khan and Liiza, but neither had seen it leaving the dome.
"[I thought humans were still forbidden from seeing these areas]," A hoarse voice resounded in the area and applied heavy pressure on Khan.
Khan felt unable to move under that pressure. He could only raise his eyes to inspect the elder. The figure belonged to an old woman with long red hair and glowing scarlet eyes. Wrinkles filled her cold face, but her slender body seemed to brim with power.
"[He is-]," Liiza began to speak, but the elder interrupted her.
"[We receive reports from the various tribes]," The elder announced before fixing her intense gaze on Khan. "[You must be Khan]."
Khan wanted to stand up and bow, but the pressure didn't allow him to do anything. Cold sweat started to fall down his forehead as the elder continued to inspect him. He felt naked in front of those scarlet eyes. The Niqols seemed able to study every corner of his mind easily.
However, the pressure suddenly vanished when the elder revealed a warm smile and performed a polite bow. Khan remained speechless, and his surprise only intensified when the old Niqols spoke in a motherly tone. "[Thank you for taking care of my great-granddaughter. The whole tribe was worried about her. I'm glad that she had you during the crisis]."
'Great-granddaughter?!' Khan shouted in his mind before performing a timid nod and moving his eyes on Liiza.
Liiza blushed before diverting her gaze and laying her head on his chest. She was happy that the elder had acknowledged her relationship, but she couldn't stop thinking about the possible consequences of that event. Her relationship had become so serious that she inevitably considered taking it to the next step.
"[The situation must be tragic for you to be here]," The elder exclaimed while tapping the black surface of the dome a few times. "[Tell me everything]."
The wall soon opened to reveal a small compartment containing a big flask and three cups. The elder picked everything and poured the drinks before sitting in front of the couple. The three exchanged a silent toast before Liiza started her story.
The elders received updates, but they remained ignorant about many details. Liiza's great-grandmother knew about the attack on the valley, but she wasn't aware of its outcome. She also needed Liiza to describe the months before that to check whether Yeza had told her everything.
"[So, Yeza is dead]," The elder sighed. "[She would have become a great elder, but her legacy is equally promising]."
Liiza couldn't help but sniff at those words. Yeza's death was still too close to her mind, but she managed to suppress her grief and remain focused on the conversation.
"[It seems that the sunlight has only helped reveal problems rooted deeply in our society]," The elder continued. "[Maybe we are to blame for this outcome. We tried to evolve too quickly, without worrying about the consequences that progress could cause]."
Khan couldn't help but feel a strange detachment in the elder. She talked about Nitis' matters as if they didn't involve her. She had appeared sad about Yeza's death, but she didn't linger too long on that revelation.
"[What should we do now]?" Liiza asked after the elder fell silent.
"[Your role in this crisis is over]," The elder stated. "[The elders must step into the battlefield to prevent the annihilation of the younger generations. Go back to a safe area and wait for us to clear the planet. We'll hold a meeting to decide the Niqols' future after taking care of the monsters]."
"[That's it]?" Liiza questioned. "[What about the rebels? Won't they get any punishment]?"
"[Do you want us to reduce the Niqols' population even more]?" The elder asked. "[I can't blame them too much. They have seen their traditions crumble in a matter of decades. In their minds, they were only defending what made them true Niqols]."
"[But-]!" Liiza wanted to complain, but the elder raised a hand to interrupt her.
"[I'm sure some elders will mention this topic]," The old Niqols said, "[But these matters are outside your control now. Go back, rest, wash away the sorrow accumulated in this period. Your generation did well. I'm sure you'll create a better future]."
Those words didn't make Liiza happy, but she remained silent anyway. Khan sensed her grip on his robe tightening, so he decided to put an end to the meeting. He wrapped an arm around her waist and forced her to stand up with her before performing a polite bow.
"[Thank you, elder]," Khan exclaimed, and Liiza uttered similar words after suppressing her conflicting feelings.
"[I wouldn't thank us so soon]," The elder announced in an aloof tone.
Khan and Liiza raised their heads to inspect the elder, but they found themselves unable to speak when they saw that she started to levitate without breaking her sitting position.
"[I can see the intensity of your feelings]," The elder explained as she continued to rise toward the sky. "[I'll fight to give you a chance, but I don't think you should take it]."
Liiza and Khan didn't understand what she meant, but they kept their eyes on her figure as she flew higher in the sky and disappeared behind the dome's roof. The meeting was over, but the couple didn't feel glad about that. Something in the elder's words had given birth to a faint worry inside them.
****
Author's notes: This chapter fills yesterday's release, but I'll take a break today since I don't have time to write everything I failed to complete. I'd rather rest than force myself back into the cycle of sleeping every two days. I don't want to burn myself, and I need to preserve the story's quality, so I will slow down today to restore my schedule. Chapters will go back to normal in 26 hours.