They talked for almost an hour.
The Crown Prince was easy company. He asked Kraven about his cultivation, listened to his answers with actual interest and offered his own advice. He talked about the upcoming marriage, about how deeply he loved Kraven's sister and how strong their family would be after the ceremony.
Kraven's sister sat between them and said very little. She had faint blush coloring her cheeks.
This was in every right completely wholesome. A young man meeting his future brother-in-law, a sister watching the two people she cared most about opening up to one another.
Meanwhile,
In the back of Kraven's sea of consciousness, the mental battle he had abandoned continued on without him.
His fire mana, no longer actively directed, began to lose ground.
The black flame didn't rush. It simply maintained its pressure steadily and Kraven's unattended defenses gave way part by part.
