The cave stayed quiet long after her confession settled into the stone.
Cadmus and Kallis had both risen from their kneel, but neither moved far. They paced in tight circles—mirror images of agitation—serpentine tails dragging restless patterns through the polished floor.
Harvey stood nearer to the entrance now, hands clasped behind his back, eyes darting between the brothers like he was observing an unfamiliar species.
Novalyn watched all three of them breathe through the truth.
She expected confusion. She expected fear.
She did not expect the ripple.
A warm pulse fluttered beneath her palms.
Then another.
Then three.
Novalyn stiffened.
"Oh," she whispered.
Cadmus froze mid-pace. "What? What's wrong? Did they hurt you?"
Kallis was instantly in front of her, cupping her cheeks, voice low and sharp. "Tell me."
"I'm not harmed," she breathed, "They are stirring."
A soft golden glow spiraled under her fingertips. The energy wasn't hers—this was smaller, newer. Playful.
Harvey tilted his head, pupils widening. "They're reacting. Spiritually—almost like imprinting."
Cadmus approached, hesitant for the first time. "On… us?"
Novalyn nodded. "On all three of you. Your reactions to the truth… affected them."
Cadmus blinked. "How?"
She smiled. "Because you didn't reject them."
Cadmus looked away quickly, throat working.
Kallis stared down at her belly with an unreadable expression.
Harvey covered his mouth with both hands, overwhelmed.
A sharp flutter struck again—this time like a pebble tossed at her ribs.
"Oh—ow—okay, that one was the wolfling," she winced.
Kallis straightened. "He attacked you?!"
"No—no, not attacked." She laughed softly. "Just… announced himself."
Cadmus crouched again, leaning close. "Can I… is it okay to touch?"
Novalyn guided his hand to the warm spot.
A tiny pulse answered him.
Cadmus inhaled like the world had stopped spinning. "He's… bold."
"And the other wolfling?" Harvey asked softly.
Novalyn moved her hand slightly. The second presence was gentler—more cautious. "Here."
Harvey stepped forward, then hesitated.
Cadmus nudged him with his shoulder—surprisingly gentle for a paranoid serpent.
"Don't hover."
Harvey let himself lean in and gasped as Novalyn took his hand and guided it to where he could feel a faint pulse brush against his aura, he startled. "Oh! He's… shy."
Novalyn nodded. "A quiet one."
"And the crocodile?" Kallis murmured.
Novalyn moved her palm lower. "Here. He's slower. He listens first."
As if on cue, a deep thrum pressed outward—calm, steady, old.
Kallis's breath shook. "He feels… ancient."
"Preserved souls often do," she said softly.
Cadmus scrubbed at his face. "This is insane. Absolutely insane. Wolves and a crocodile. Soul-seeds. Qilin magic. And we're supposed to—" He cut himself off. "—I need a moment. I'm trying to process."
"You and me both," Harvey muttered.
Novalyn patted the bed beside her. "Come here. All of you."
Cadmus sat first—tense, coiled, trying to mask trembling.
Kallis sat next—rigid but calmer, shoulders squared like he was protecting her from the world.
Harvey perched at the end, tail flicking nervously, but eyes soft.
Novalyn let silence hold them for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"I didn't lie to you. I never will. Not about them… not about anything."
Cadmus raked a hand through his hair. "We know."
But his voice cracked on the second word.
Kallis exhaled hard. "We just… didn't expect to be chosen. By you. Or by them."
Harvey stared at the floor. "I thought you'd be angry that I sensed something before you told us."
Novalyn reached out and placed her hand on his wrist.
"I'm grateful. As a Qilin I must tell the truth—but you made it gentle."
Harvey's ears burned scarlet.
Cadmus suddenly leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Novalyn… are we enough? For you? For them?"
Kallis shot him a sharp look. "Don't start with insecurity."
"It's not insecurity," Cadmus snapped back. "It's responsibility."
Harvey swallowed. "He's not wrong. Raising soul-seeded cubs… it won't be simple."
Novalyn straightened, voice firm.
"You don't need to be perfect. You just need to show up. They will choose you only as much as you choose them."
The three men stared at her.
The cubs pulsed again—three distinct notes in one chord.
Cadmus pressed a hand over his heart. "I… felt that."
Kallis nodded. "They're acknowledging us."
Harvey ran a hand down his face. "This is too much. I'm going to pass out."
Cadmus smirked. "Do not faint in our home."
"I'm trying not to!"
Novalyn laughed—tired, emotional, but real.
Then she caught Cadmus watching her. Softly. Like she was something holy.
Kallis reached for her hand with quiet reverence.
Harvey wiped his eyes and pretended he absolutely was not crying.
And the cubs, sensing unity, pressed their energies toward her ribs again—three warmths, overlapping.
Novalyn sighed with relief.
"They're happy," she whispered.
Cadmus's voice went rough. "Then… so am I."
Kallis nodded in agreement. "We accept them."
Harvey forced a deep breath. "…Me too."
The system chimed softly.
[Bond Update:
Cadmus — Stabilizing
Kallis — Deepening
Harvey — Awakening]
Novalyn leaned back against the pillows.
She truly wasn't alone in all this.
And her cubs—her chosen—rested peacefully beneath her hands.
The past could begin healing now.
And the future… felt possible.