Tales of flame and void

It was late midnight when Atiya's phone buzzed with a sharp pop.

A summon.

From his sister.

> "Her whims again, I guess. Fuck, it's the middle of the night… can't she let me sleep for once?"

Grumbling under his breath, Atiya dragged himself out of bed. He didn't want to go. He never did. But what choice did he have?

The walk to her office was quiet. The halls of the Yaisha estate always felt colder at night — wide, empty, and watching. The heavy double doors weren't locked, not that they ever were, but still, he paused to call her.

Seconds passed before the doors creaked open on their own.

Moonlight spilled into the chamber, soft and silver, illuminating the paintings of roaring flame that lined the walls. At the far end, seated behind a desk carved from obsidian and voidwood, was Yaishna Yaisha — the woman known as the Redflame, and his sister.

Black-eyed and black-haired, she sat with effortless elegance, folding a sheet of paper as if nothing else in the world mattered. Her expression was unreadable, as always. Yaishna rarely showed her hand. She was like a lockless box — one that you knew hid something vast, but not even where to start picking.

Still, despite the frustration, Atiya couldn't help but admire her. He always had.

She didn't even glance up as he entered.

> "This isn't like you," she said calmly, creasing the fold. "I didn't think my little brother was a sore loser."

>Atiya turned as another voice cut through the room — calm, flat, and unmistakably amused.

Leaning against the moonlit wall was Zelaine Roseblood, arms crossed, posture relaxed but watchful. Draped in maroon silks, her figure was poised like a noblewoman from an oil painting — cold, untouchable, and sharp at the edges. Crimson eyes flickered beneath her dark lashes, reflecting the torchlight like old wine stirred in glass.

> "That was entertaining," she said dryly. "I haven't seen someone flop that dramatically since you tried spellcasting last winter."

Atiya narrowed his eyes, instantly annoyed.

She was Roseblood through and through — icy, smug, and born from a bloodline that prided itself on control and cruelty. A fellow disciple of Yaishna's, and the single person he found more unbearable than the silence in his sister's office.

> "Hello, vampy. Lovely to see you," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Rooting for me again, I see."

Zelaine gave a soft, elegant shrug

"Of course I was. I love your consistency. Always aiming for mediocrity and somehow falling short."

Teasing her was one of the few pleasures Atiya really enjoys. And she made it so easy.

"You actually dragged yourself out of bed just to flatter me? How cute," Atiya said with a grin.

Zelaine smirked — though her eyes flashed with irritation.

> "Oh my, this poor little vampire hasn't tasted blood in days. What shall she do, I wonder?"

Atiya leaned back, eyes twinkling with mock concern.

> "Cute? I don't see any cute lady here. Are you sure vampires don't suffer vision loss? I'm worried, Vampy."

Yaishna sighed quietly, eyes still fixed on the page she'd been folding.

> (Did he forget I summoned him? Or am I just background noise now?)

She glanced toward Zelaine. Another sigh.

> (I didn't call her. What is she even doing here? Must've been one of her whims.)

"Both of you," Yaishna said coolly. "Stop."

The words weren't loud. But they silenced the room instantly.

A few seconds passed. Then, Atiya eased into the chair opposite her and spoke, half-genuine, half-bothered.

> "Ha… seriously. Why did you call me?"

Yaishna looked up at him, expression unreadable.

> "I just wanted to know if you were down."

Atiya stared at her.

> 'What kind of answer is that? You woke me up to… check on me?'

> "You could've just messaged me," he said, trying to keep his voice level.

> "If you were asleep," Yaishna replied, "you wouldn't be here."

Atiya exhaled.

> 'Okay. That's fair… annoyingly fair.'

> "Fine. I'm here. Can I go now?"

Yaishna gave a soft hum, then answered:

> "Absolutely… no."

> 'Of course. There's always more.'

> "Alright. So what now?"

Yaishna set the folded paper aside and finally stood.

> "There's something I want to show you."

Zelaine, now casually sitting atop the windowsill, cut in smoothly.

> "Oh? Are you finally kicking him out?"

Atiya rolled his eyes. He didn't even bother replying this time.

> "No. Certainly not," Yaishna said.

> 'Was that "certainly" really necessary?' Atiya thought. 'Come on, I'm your brother.'

Without another word, Yaishna raised her hand. A small flame danced to life above her palm — faint, almost lazy, but pulsing with controlled energy.

> "We'll talk somewhere else."

> 'Where—'

> "Teleport," she muttered.

The flame burst outward in a soft wave, engulfing the three of them. Space folded in on itself, and before Atiya could brace, the chamber vanished.

"You actually dragged yourself out of bed just to flatter me? How cute," Atiya said with a grin.

Zelaine smirked — though her eyes flashed with irritation.

> "Oh my, this poor little vampire hasn't tasted blood in days. What shall she do, I wonder?"

Atiya leaned back, eyes twinkling with mock concern.

> "Cute? I don't see any cute lady here. Are you sure vampires don't suffer vision loss? I'm worried, Vampy."

Yaishna sighed quietly, eyes still fixed on the page she'd been folding.

> (Did he forget I summoned him? Or am I just background noise now?)

She glanced toward Zelaine. Another sigh.

> (I didn't call her. What is she even doing here? Must've been one of her whims.)

"Both of you," Yaishna said coolly. "Stop."

The words weren't loud. But they silenced the room instantly.

A few seconds passed. Then, Atiya eased into the chair opposite her and spoke, half-genuine, half-bothered.

> "Ha… seriously. Why did you call me?"

Yaishna looked up at him, expression unreadable.

> "I just wanted to know if you were down."

Atiya stared at her.

> 'What kind of answer is that? You woke me up to… check on me?'

> "You could've just messaged me," he said, trying to keep his voice level.

> "If you were asleep," Yaishna replied, "you wouldn't be here."

Atiya exhaled.

> 'Okay. That's fair… annoyingly fair.'

> "Fine. I'm here. Can I go now?"

Yaishna gave a soft hum, then answered:

> "Absolutely… no."

> 'Of course. There's always more.'

> "Alright. So what now?"

Yaishna set the folded paper aside and finally stood.

> "There's something I want to show you."

Zelaine, now casually sitting atop the windowsill, cut in smoothly.

> "Oh? Are you finally kicking him out?"

Atiya rolled his eyes. He didn't even bother replying this time.

> "No. Certainly not," Yaishna said.

> 'Was that "certainly" really necessary?' Atiya thought. 'Come on, I'm your brother.'

Without another word, Yaishna raised her hand. A small flame danced to life above her palm — faint, almost lazy, but pulsing with controlled energy.

> "We'll talk somewhere else."

> 'Where—'

> "Teleport," she muttered.

The flame burst outward in a soft wave, engulfing the three of them. Space folded in on itself, and before Atiya could brace, the chamber vanished.