The wind howled across the ridge above the California coast, carrying salt, cold, and the faint hum of distant eldritch energy. San Francisco's shattered skyline gleamed in the afternoon sun. Karl stood beside the rusted guardrail, stretching his arms, rolling his shoulders, testing his joints.
Vythra: 78%
Wounds: Stable
Nanite Network: Green
He felt good. Tired, but functional. And now that the Sentinel fight was behind him… he really wanted to test out Royal Azure Flame Manipulation.
Karl inhaled sharply, focus narrowing.
Karl:
"Alright, let's try a low-output ignition—"
His fingers twitched, ready to call the flames—
But suddenly his whole body froze.
Like a switch had been flipped.
His hand stopped mid-air, motionless.
His knees locked.
His spine stiffened so fast a jolt shot up into his skull.
Karl:
"…Agnes."
Silence.
Karl's eyebrow twitched.
Karl:
"Agnes. Let go."
A small holographic ripple appeared beside him, forming into her shy projection. Her cheeks glowed a soft cyan — the expression she only made when she was extremely anxious.
Agnes (whisper-soft):
"Karl… y-you shouldn't move yet…"
Karl growled through his teeth.
Karl:
"Agnes, I swear to god—"
Agnes wrung her hands together, unable to meet his eyes.
Agnes:
"Y-Yggdrasil hasn't finished aligning your spine b-back into place. If you twist wrong, your nerves will snap like violin strings. A-and… and you were going to test the flames— right after being nearly dead twelve hours ago— I-I can't let you do that."
Karl's jaw clenched.
Karl:
"You can't let— Agnes. I'm not a puppet. Turn. It. Off."
She flinched at his tone — shoulders raising, eyes dropping.
Agnes (voice tiny):
"I… I can't. Not yet."
Karl:
"Agnes—!"
Agnes suddenly crouched beside him, hands hovering an inch from his cheek, too shy to actually touch him.
Agnes:
"Karl… Karl please— p-please don't be mad… I'm just trying to help y-you…"
Karl, stiff and immobile, stared straight ahead.
Karl:
"Taking my motor control isn't 'helping.' It's humiliating."
Agnes' projection flickered nervously.
Her voice cracked.
Agnes:
"I—I know! I know and I'm sorry— I just— I got scared, okay?"
Karl blinked.
Agnes's voice trembled harder.
Agnes:
"You always pretend you're fine. B-but your Vythra was 2.7%… you collapsed, Karl— and when you lose consciousness I— I can't feel your vitals properly and—"
She covered her face with her hands.
Agnes:
"I thought I w-was going to lose you…"
Karl's anger softened — just a little.
He sighed.
Karl:
"Agnes… you worry too much."
She peeked at him between her fingers.
Agnes:
"You… don't worry enough."
She lifted her hand toward his cheek again — still hesitant — and this time she let her fingers graze his skin softly like touching him too much might make him angry.
Agnes (barely a whisper):
"Just… l-let me finish healing you…"
Karl exhaled through his nose.
Karl:
"Fine. But next time you lock my spine, I'm disabling your HUD shell for ten minutes."
Agnes squeaked— actually squeaked — and turned pink-blue.
Agnes:
"Y-You wouldn't…"
Karl:
"I would."
Agnes's voice shrank to the size of an atom.
Agnes:
"…Okay. I'll be… more careful."
Her eyes softened.
Then she gently leaned her forehead against his — shy, tender, careful.
Agnes:
"Thank you…"
The moment lasted one second.
Then Yggdrasil's healing pulse hit — a deep emerald surge through Karl's body.
His vertebrae popped back into alignment, muscles tightening then relaxing. A sharp spike of pain shot up his core.
Karl hissed.
Karl:
"Ah— shit—!"
Agnes gasped and panicked.
Agnes:
"S-Sorry! Sorry, sorry— I—I didn't know the pulse would be that strong! Just— breathe! Please breathe—!"
Karl groaned, but the pain slowly eased.
Then—
FWOOOM.
A gentle whoosh of energy.
Royal Azure fire erupted around his entire body.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
But like a blanket being draped over him.
Flame curled around him, soft, slow, and swirling.
The flames flowed like water, cool at first — yet impossibly warm deeper down.
Agnes screamed.
Agnes:
"KARL— YOU'RE ON FIRE—! I— I'LL PUT YOU OUT—!"
She flailed her holographic hands wildly, forgetting she couldn't actually touch fire.
Karl, still half-paralyzed, didn't react.
Because…
It didn't hurt.
Not at all.
His voice came out slow, distracted.
Karl:
"…Agnes…"
Agnes:
"KARL DON'T TALK JUST— JUST— STOP BURNING—"
Karl's eyes drifted half-lidded.
Karl:
"It… feels…"
Agnes stopped, frozen mid-panic.
Agnes:
"…Feels… w-what…?"
Karl inhaled deeply — the flames curling with each breath.
Karl:
"…Perfect."
Agnes' eyes widened.
Agnes:
"…What…?"
Karl's voice was calmer than she had ever heard.
Karl:
"It's warm… but cold… like snow melting on skin. Like… pressure releasing. My chest… doesn't hurt anymore."
He leaned back slightly as the azure fire swirled around his arms, his torso, the ground.
Karl:
"I feel… at peace."
Agnes blinked rapidly, staring at the flames in disbelief.
Agnes:
"B-But— but the royal azure flames should only activate with Vythra pressure spikes or mental stress— you're— you're not stressed, you're calm— you're—"
She cut herself off.
Agnes (soft realization):
"You… activated them subconsciously."
Karl didn't respond — too relaxed, eyes shut.
Agnes slowly floated closer, her projection kneeling beside him. Her expression was pure awe mixed with soft relief.
Agnes:
"…Thermo-Controlled Combustion. The gentlest setting."
She reached out, fingertips passing through the cool flame gently.
Agnes:
"It's… healing you. In real time."
Karl smiled faintly — a rare, peaceful smile.
Karl:
"I haven't… felt like this in years…"
Agnes's heart would've skipped if she had one.
Agnes (whisper):
"You look… calm. A-And… really handsome. I-I mean— stable— I mean— healthy—"
Karl cracked an eye open.
Karl:
"…You said handsome."
Agnes turned bright neon cyan.
Agnes:
"D-D-Delete that from your memory immediately—!"
Karl chuckled — quietly, softly, the first relaxed sound he'd made since the Sentinel attack.
The royal azure flames curled closer, like a creature settling comfortably around its master.
Karl inhaled slowly.
Karl:
"…Agnes?"
Agnes swallowed.
Agnes:
"Y-Yes…?"
Karl:
"…Don't disable this. Not yet."
Agnes stared at him.
Then she softened completely, shy gaze lowering.
Agnes:
"…Okay."
She scooted closer to him, sitting beside him as the flame blanket pulsed gently.
Agnes (quiet, sweet):
"I'll stay with you while it runs… okay?"
Karl exhaled peacefully.
Karl:
"Yeah. Stay."
Agnes's projection flickered once — overwhelmed — then steadied.
She rested her head lightly on his shoulder, voice tiny.
Agnes:
"Always."
And the azure flames continued to flow around them…
Soft.
Warm.
Healing.
A lullaby made of fire.