More figures lingered in the shadows—lean shapes perched along branches or standing half-hidden behind pillars of root and stone. Their eyes tracked every movement.
Quiet.
Unblinking.
At the center of it all—
Vayu.
He lounged against a throne formed from twisted, interwoven roots, one arm draped loosely along its side as if this entire scene bored him. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy—but there was nothing careless about him.
Long black hair fell over his shoulders, framing a face too composed to trust. His golden eyes lifted the moment Kaya stepped into the light, locking onto her with quiet precision.
Taking her in.
Measuring.
A slow smile spread across his lips.
Sharp.
Thin.
Not warm in the slightest.
Like the glint of a fang—just before it sinks in.
Vayu looked at them with those unnerving yellow eyes, his expression shifting from scholarly interest to something closer to exasperation.
( Yeah, because he can utter a few words and now he is a scholar.)
