Warmth greeted her before consciousness did.
A heavy, enveloping cocoon of furs. Two solid bodies molded around her, breathing slow and even. The quiet rush of the waterfall outside. A faint, rhythmic pulse of magic humming through the stone floor beneath the bed.
Novalyn blinked awake. She glanced behind her shoulder.
Cadmus—silver hair sprawled messily—was curled along her back, his arm around her waist in the laziest yet most possessive embrace she'd ever experienced.
She turned her attention toward Kallis.
Kallis lay in front of her on his side, red hair draped over his shoulder, his silver eyes already open and watching her with that sharp yet gentle attention he carried so naturally.
He smiled slowly, as though he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"Good morning, Novalyn."
His voice was soft and resonant, as if he didn't dare disturb the quiet intimacy of the cave.
Before she could reply, Cadmus burrowed his nose into the back of her neck and inhaled.
"Mmm… warm," he murmured, voice thick with sleep. "You smell warm."
Novalyn felt heat bloom across her skin.
She wanted to bury her head into the pillows especially when she heard Kallis's soft chuckle, he placed a hand on her warm cheek and she instinctively leaned into it.
"This is nice," she said softly. "Having both of you here."
Cadmus hummed against her skin, causing her to shiver at the tingles that went down her spine from the action.
Kallis's expression softened in a way that made her heart squeeze.
She looked down at her bump, pressing a hand to it with a smile. Sending a thought subconsciously, 'We are not alone, little ones.'
A warmth stirred beneath her hand.
"Oh," she whispered. "I think something's changing."
Both brothers shot upright with the precision of coiled serpents.
Kallis's thumb brushed across her skin as he searched her expression. "Pain? Discomfort?"
"No," she breathed. "Just… warm. Different. A little dizzy maybe."
Cadmus's hand covered hers on her abdomen. "The little ones are shifting."
The words sent a tremor through her. Reality pressing in. Her babies. Already reacting.
---
When she finally sat up, stretching slightly, she blinked at the far wall where Kallis had set the hearth the previous day.
It was glowing.
Not with fire— But with a pulsing light, a soft bluish aura drifting upward like smoke made of moonlight.
"Is it supposed to do that?" she asked.
Both brothers turned toward the hearth and froze.
Cadmus exhaled, low and awed. "The spiritual hearth has awakened."
Novalyn frowned. "What does that mean?"
Kallis approached the hearth slowly, as though afraid to disturb it.
"A spiritual hearth ignites only for households with a developing bond," he explained. "A family unit that has chosen each other."
"We haven't set anything in place formally though," she said softly.
Cadmus snorted amusedly. "Novalyn, you fell asleep between us willingly."
"That counts," Kallis said gently.
The brothers crouched on either side of the glowing hearth. The light brightened as they neared—reacting to their presence, but then it pulsed again when Novalyn stood and approached.
As though it recognized her most of all.
Her chest tightened.
A soft chime sounded in her mind.
Cadmus grinned back at her. "See? The world is acknowledging you."
"You could hear and see that?"
The males nodded.
Kallis touched the stone rim, reverent. "Hearth flames of this type are rare. They form only when spiritual stability is established… or when new life is present."
Novalyn swallowed, eyes drifting to her stomach.
"My babies started this?"
"Partially," Cadmus said. "But hearths respond to intention. You wanted a safe home. That desire… is powerful."
Kallis nodded. "Beastworld magic builds around the mother's will."
Novalyn touched the rim of the hearth. It pulsed warmly under her fingertips—almost like a heartbeat.
---
Cadmus returned from his stasis space with fruits, vegetables, and smoked meat that smelled surprisingly good for breakfast.
"Eat," he urged. "You need variety."
Kallis sat beside her, carefully cutting pieces of fruit into bite-sized morsels. He held one up.
Novalyn blinked. "…You're feeding me?"
He blinked back. "Should I not?"
Cadmus settled on her other side, grin mischievous. "He's been wanting to since before dawn."
"Cadmus," Kallis hissed, silver eyes narrowing.
Novalyn laughed, warmth loosening her shoulders. "I don't mind."
Kallis fed her the first bite carefully, watching for any reaction.
The moment she swallowed, her stomach fluttered—heat pooling low, her senses sharpening.
Cadmus leaned forward, staring like he'd discovered treasure. "Your metabolism shifted."
"How?" she asked, startled.
"You are Level 50," Kallis murmured. "Your body adapts faster than a female's usual baseline."
Cadmus fed her a slice of melon. "Symptoms will come in waves. Heat, heightened senses, appetite changes."
"Maybe emotional sensitivity," Kallis added carefully.
Novalyn paused mid-bite. "Emotional sensitivity?"
Cadmus bumped her shoulder lightly. "Don't worry. We'll only tease you a little when you cry."
Kallis smacked his brother in the chest without looking. "Do not listen to him."
Novalyn covered her face, laughing helplessly. The hearth flared again, responding to the moment of familial warmth.
---
When she approached the hearth again after breakfast, the light shifted—gentle tendrils coiling out like mist around her ankles.
"Is that supposed to happen?" she asked nervously.
Kallis stepped beside her. "Yes. It's sensing your spiritual core."
"What does it… want?"
Cadmus leaned against the table and folded his arms. "To sync with you."
Novalyn blinked. "Sync?"
Kallis nodded once. "Hearths linked to expecting mothers align with their emotional will. It will warm when you are calm, brighten when you're happy, dim when you're tired."
"And react to danger," Cadmus added. "Violently."
Novalyn stared. "Violently?"
He grinned. "Don't worry. Only toward threats."
The light flared proudly.
Kallis placed a hand between her shoulder blades, warm and grounding. "It means you are settled here. That your spirit has accepted this place as a home."
Novalyn's breath hitched softly.
It felt too fast.
But oddly true, this cave felt more like a home now than her lonely apartment back in her old world did.
She touched the rim of the hearth again and whispered, "Thank you."
The hearth glowed so brightly for a moment that both brothers inhaled sharply.
Cadmus spoke first, voice uncharacteristically soft. "It likes you."
---
A gentle chime echoed inside her mind again.
[ Objective: Fortify and customize the home for comfort, stability, and protection. Progress: 1/5 Reward: ???]
Novalyn exhaled with a chuckle. "I guess the system wants us to nest."
Kallis smiled faintly. "Then we will."
Cadmus slung an arm around her shoulders. "You just tell us what you want. Soft bedding? Warmer lighting? A proper kitchen? A bath pool? This place can be anything."
Her chest filled with warmth so strong she had to blink against it.
"Let's… start with making it cozy," she said. "I want it to feel lived-in. Safe."
Kallis bowed his head slightly. "We will build that with you."
Cadmus kissed the top of her head without thinking, then froze as if realizing what he'd done.
"Sorry—uh—instinct."
Novalyn leaned slightly into him.
"It's okay."
The hearth flared brilliantly again, casting the entire cave in soft blue light.
And for the first time since her rebirth, Novalyn felt certainty settle in her bones—
She was exactly where she needed to be.