Space warped slightly, then it opened. Lilith and Atheline stepped out of the portal. As expected they were met with silence.
Night had already settled over the palace. The corridors beyond the private teleportation chamber were empty with occasional footsteps from the patrolling guards a few steps away.
The veins in the walls glowed softly a welcome from the constant bustle they had been in.
For a moment neither of them moved. Both of them just took in their surroundings, the slightly cold air, and the familiarity.
Atheline exhaled softly.
"We're back."
The words sounded simple, but they weren't. It felt like a sort of release of a burden to both of them.
They had gone through more things than they had both expected. The near-death experience, the island, the battle, the things they have taken... and those that might have escaped the island.
She stepped forward first, her steps slow and measured as they echoed through the empty hall.
