Time, as it grows old, teaches all things.

Eris stood on the balcony in front of one of the glass doors leading inside the ballroom. She was dressed in a blue ball gown that hugged her body tightly, with a slit on the side showing off her long legs, the fabric shimmering with gems like stars in the night sky, her fur coat hanging loosely off of her shoulders to not disturb her wings. She had flown up there, knowing full well no guard would let her in if they were to recognize her. Now it was time to execute her plan.

The ballroom itself was the type of sight Eris hadn't witnessed in some time: decorated in gold and marble, matching the aesthetic of its exterior, it boasted the kingdom's opulence in the crystal lights hanging from the ceiling, reflecting every vibrant color in the room. It felt light, almost like the soft night sky in the snowy tundra that she oh so loved to fly through. The person who designed it clearly had a good eye.

The people inside had something to prove, too, all of them wearing what were clearly their best outfits. Some wore bright coloured dresses, some neutral color suits, but almost everyone had jewels and chains decorating their costumes to show off their status - all of them competing for a sense of superiority.

But Eris wasn't here to enjoy the glamor. She was here on a mission, one she was sure would be achieved with no questions asked, but as soon as she entered the room, her body froze in place.

"Tommy, stop stuffing your face; we didn't come here to eat!" She heard a shout from somewhere nearby.

It didn't take her long to find the source - glancing to the side, she spotted Tommy and Wilbur by the buffet. Tommy looked as if he had not been fed for days as he kept shoveling more and more food into his mouth, sometimes even shoving it into his pockets for later. It looked embarrassing, and it didn't help that both Tommy and Will had decided to attend with their usual clothing - stained, ripped up and stinking to high heavens. They did not fit into the classy environment around them, sticking out like a sore thumb.

Eris knew that if they were here, then at least Phil would be here as well. That made a shiver run down her spine, and after some internal debate, she settled on approaching them for information.

Finding Phil wasn't difficult. As soon as she neared the embarrassing group, she spotted Phil standing nearby with his back pressed against the wall and wings folded in front of himself so as not to catch any wandering eyes. To Eris' surprise, Phil wasn't dressed in his usual clothes. For the first time, she got to see him in a suit - a green jacket decorated in gold chains, with a heart firmly sewn into the fabric right on his chest. He hadn't ditched the hat, of course, as he never went anywhere without it. That's what made him so immediately recognizable to Eris.

"Yea, but this food is so good! And it's free, Will!" Tommy sputtered out between chomps as Eris quietly approached the table, poured a glass of wine and went straight up to Phil.

He did not notice her at first. It seemed like he was buried deep in his thoughts, hypnotizing the clock so prominently displayed in the middle of the room, like trying to make the time go faster or meet some deadline unknown to Eris. If she had to guess, he probably wanted to be at home - and to speak with Kristin again.

She reached out with a glass of wine in her hand, and once Phil glanced at her, she offered him a smile to remind him of the good old days, back when everything was easier - back when Eris was just a kid playing in the snow or staring longingly into the sky. Of course, he hesitated, but that also was something Eris expected. After all, it wasn't too long ago that she'd tried to kill his best friend.

"What are you doing here?" he asked almost in a whisper. Perhaps to him it was more believable that he was hallucinating than seeing Eris really before him once more. And yet he was, and she seemed to act the same way as she used to - calm, collected, calculating and at ease. He wouldn't know how much of it was an act.

With slight hesitation, he took the glass from her hands, but did not dare to take a sip, not yet - in case she'd come to finish the job she had started.

"Oh, you know. I heard some rumors about this place and came to investigate; you know you and I hold similar ideals," she explained, and to her own surprise, this was not a lie. She may have skipped over the finer details, but Phil didn't have to know them.

He sighed with a slight nod and lifted the glass up to take a sip, but the action was cut short as someone grabbed the glass out of his hands. Eris' stomach dropped; she could feel remnants of shame running through her head as she stared at the man right in his blood red eyes. He took a few sniffs, earning a laugh from Phil, then handed the glass back to him.

"I'm surprised I don't smell any cinnamon," he stated. "What are you doing here?"

Most of the hatred for Techno had faded over these weeks with the stories and rumors Eris heard on her way here, but her mistrust clung to her skin like an ugly stench she could imagine every time she had thought of him - and more so now that he stood before her. Techno, just like Phil, was wearing a suit in an attempt to blend into the crowd, a pretty difficult job when you had two bumbling morons dressed in unwashed rags, but she had to admit - the outfit suited him.

It was a blue suit with gold and red detailing that screamed of nobility. It showed off how powerful he was, it showed off his huge stature like a warning sign not to fuck with him, and to top off his look he wore his crown - one which he never took off, much like Phil.

Eris was not used to this monotone and cold voice towards her. They had once both grown fond of each other, but their parting had now left a cold air between them. It made her feel weak, it made her pathetic, and it reminded her of how much she had lost and would never get back - all for the sake of her revenge.

"Cinnamon?" Phil asked, confused by the statement, but Techno refused to break eye contact with Eris, like making sure she wouldn't use it as a chance to slip away.

"Cinnamon and a bit of citrus is a great way to cover up poison. Of course, it works only on people that don't know this fact - but I have no motive for killing Phil, Techno," she stated, still smiling, however the eye contact between the two seemed at once icy cold and flaming hot.

"With you, anything is possible. You still didn't answer my question."

She was about to, she really was, but the moment she felt a hand glide under her coat and gripping her waist, she froze, and Techno's eyes immediately trailed off to the man next to her. The stare was still ice cold, but this time, if looks could kill, Techno could have slain him and everyone else in the room on the spot. The stench of dried sweat, alcohol and cigarettes crashed against Eris like an ocean's wave and she could barely hold herself back from plugging her nose and stepping as far as possible from the man beside her.

"Ayy~, the gang's all here! " Wilbur almost screamed, pulling Eris closer while staring back at Techno with an unreadable smirk. "It's wonderful to see us all together again! How's your revenge going, Eris?"

Their corner of the room went silent. For Eris, the air felt so heavy, like a blanket she was tangled in and could not get out of. All eyes were on her, and if it wasn't for Will's cheerful expression, everyone would have been staring at her with confusion - or perhaps fear.

"Will, what are you talking about?" Phil finally broke the silence with a question Eris hoped no one would ask. Eris wasn't stupid - she could see they were ready, given away by small movements within reach of their hidden weapons. She couldn't run as Wilbur, intentionally or not, was gripping her so tight there was no escape, not even a thought of it.

"The question wasn't for you now, was it Phil?'' He expected an answer, but when none came, Wilbur finally released Eris from his crushing grip and moved towards the center of the room. "Ay, everyone! This lovely couple would love to show you how real dancing is done!" He shouted while shoving Eris towards Techno.

If it wasn't for Techno's quick thinking, Eris would have fallen on the cold floor, tripping over her dress and possibly ripping it. However, Techno, as always, was on high alert and caught her mid-fall, holding her as properly as he could until she could regain enough balance to stand on her own two feet.

"Wilbur, what the hell are you doing?" Techno spat, a gesture that went unnoticed by Wilbur.

"The floor is yours, Techno."

The rage in Techno's eyes could light the room aflame. Everyone was looking at them, waiting, and Techno had no choice but to extend his hand to Eris, asking: "May I have this dance?"

And Eris, just like he, did not want to blow her cover, so she accepted his request and took her place in the middle of the dance floor.

Quite soon after, Eris felt a heavy hand on her waist and was met with a cold stare that could freeze her right over. The music started playing - it was a soft violin melody that bounced through the room in a slight echo. Later on, it was accompanied by the slow hum of a cello. They gracefully moved through the room with firm and sure steps, captivating the people around them with their motions. This was a dance of two gods, two beings that moved so fluently in rhythm, not missing a single step and seemingly perfectly in sync. The crowd watched in awe as the movements made Eris's dress flow in equal grace. Her wings parted slightly as she returned Techno's gaze; they seemed like the perfect couple from the outside, but between them, a deadly staring contest began.

"When were you gonna tell me about this revenge? Since when do you trust Wilbur more than me?"

"When were you going to tell me about your execution? Seems like pretty vital information."

As the music quickened, their steps became harsher. They stared at each other like there was no way to look away while Techno gripped her hand in his own. It could have been because he was mad, but it also could have been because he refused to let her go again, either to end the job or to have her company once more. He wasn't sure.

After a quick spin, Eris was almost launched into Techno, being closer than before. She had the urge to get closer still, but that was accompanied by a wish to slap him.

"The execution was not important; it happened and it passed; that's all there is to it. Phil already told you - I don't share unnecessary information," he growled, but once again, Eris did not care as she gripped his hand tighter in turn.

"So now you know about the conversations I have had? How low of you to not ask me yourself."

The audience started mumbling, admiring their steps. Every motion they made would be discussed, yet they did not care. It was what was between them that mattered, not the flowing moves, not the countless watching eyes. The air grew more and more tense between them, but the tension would briefly switch to something different, something that Eris could not understand but wished to feel more.

"Because I tried to understand why you left."

The song ended, and they were left standing there while applause rang through the room. They were slightly out of breath, but that didn't matter as their eyes remained glued to each other, trying to reach the emotions the other person was feeling. It wasn't an unnamed tension anymore. It was confusion, fear, and sadness.

"I-" Eris started but got cut off by a young brat with sunny gold locks.

"You guys are so fucking extra!" Tommy called out as the whole group approached the two dormant gods.

Eris couldn't help but notice Phil looking with fulfillment, as if he had seen two children that he had raised and taken care of for years, ones that he knew were destined to be together, finally settle their differences and enjoy each other's company - but that couldn't have been further from the truth. The air between them remained thick and oh, how Techno wished to cut it with a sword and go back to how they once were.

"Tommy, it was a fine dance. Appreciate the good things in life, you brat," Phil meant no harm by the statement, it came out more playful than anything, but Tommy's glare deserved a slap on the back of his neck, and Eris was ready to provide it.

"I just think they shouldn't have been this extra. We all know you're gods for fucks' sake."

The shuffle of the crowd as if to make more room was the first thing Techno noticed. The second - that all their eyes were on the group. The guards were approaching from the corners, slowly, as if to try and remain unnoticed. Phil saw the shift in his old friend's expression as well, and soon after, were on full alert as Eris, Wilbur and Tommy continued arguing. The crowd was backing away from them, bringing the guards to the front amidst their hushed voices.

"Phil?" Techno hissed out, the rest of the group quieting down to take in their surroundings for once. Not a second too early, as one of the guards suddenly attacked Eris who shot up her wings in defense. With a swift motion of her obsidian feathers she shoved the man aside, hoping to grant the rest as much time to escape - but in a moment she realized they couldn't follow her, nor should she desire them to do so. Her wings spread wide, and with a crashing torrent behind her, Eris flew up into the air and launched out of the closest door.

"Eris!" Phil shouted after her, but she was gone.

"She's not one of us anymore. She can handle herself; focus on us!" Techno shouted over the panic of the crowd and the roar of the guards.

The strikes to his blade echoed through his form, but the smell of fresh blood assured Techno that he had never lost his skills and the guards were no match for his ability. He swung and struck, once and again, never missing the mark. Quite soon, he could hear the voices demanding more. More bloodshed. They demanded death and torture, they demanded for the guards to pay for seeing Techno as a monster, and for making Eris…

But he was not one to lose to the temptation so easily, and the moment Phil secured their exit couldn't come at a better time.

The old man rushed to a window he had broken, and as always - Techno was the last one to leave, holding their rear from any assailants and making sure the rest had all passed safely.

They'd wound up on a balcony and jumped over the edge. The fall was high, but not enough to harm anyone. Of course, Tommy still used the chance to whine about it until they reached the forest - into the treeline, away from anyone who could spot them.

They were all out of breath; Techno could hear his blood rushing through his ears, but that didn't matter; they were safe.

"Well, the opportunity to get information was a bust. Wilbur, what the hell was that about?" Techno asked through clenched teeth. He was mad, but not for the failed operation so much as for having to deal with Wilbur.

"Oh, shut up! We had a whole discussion about this; you should be happy you got to dance with her. I got less than that when she abandoned us the first time around," Wilbur spat back, now face to face with his friend, almost like they were planning to fight then and there.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. What possessed you to think I would wish to even speak with a traitor?"

"'Wilbur, I feel so sad, I feel so fucking miserable', sound familiar?" Wilbur mocked.

"If that's the case, why did you come on to her? What's your goal here? At this point, I feel like there are still things I don't know."

"Alright, enough, you two!" Phil finally stepped in, standing between the two men. "What happened, happened. We can't change shit here; let's just head back and think of our next move."

It then went quiet. Techno had lifted his head to the sky, seeking something, and the rest followed suit. They saw a dark figure soaring through the sky. They followed it with their eyes, like a target that they had to escort. The sudden smell of sulfur hit Techno's nose, and right after - a bright arrow, bathed in fire, hit the figure, making it fall from the sky at a rapid pace.

"Ah shoot, there's no snow around, and the ground is pretty hard around here; hope they will do fine after," Phil said, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.

While the rest were slowly organizing their stuff, preparing to leave, Techno stood frozen in place. He stared at the sky, waiting for something, he didn't know what.

"It's pretty late. The aurora should be out by now," he said, making Phil look up once more from where he was sitting. He didn't say a thing, but Techno knew, he found it pretty odd as well.

A dim light glistened between the trees deep in the forest. Birds rose up in the sky, and for a split second, Techno's ears twitched as he heard his name whispered somewhere far in the forest. It seemed that no one else heard it, and at first Techno thought he was imagining things, but then it happened again. He could feel his heart pick up pace and the voices became louder and louder.

'Someone's calling you. Someone needs you. Don't go! No! Go, go, go!'

"Phil, get everyone back to the commune; I'll go check the forest to make sure everything's okay!"

"Alright, mate, just stay safe."

"That I'll do."

He wasted no time, the branches feeling like piercing thorns that sometimes stubbornly stuck against his clothing or his skin. Techno felt like time was running out, and soon he would lose something dear to him, something he wished to never lose, and so he ran. The forest darkened still around him. So dark, in fact, that the smell of sulfur seemed to be his only guide.

He rushed through the thick air, picking up speed by the second, but it didn't seem fast enough, and the hybrid pushed his body to its absolute limits, his muscles aching just from the force of his motions alone. The scent made him dizzy, and the lack of air in his body certainly was no help, but he could tell he was close once he heard voices coming from further down his path.

They could have been soldiers, or hunters, or more guards; Techno didn't really care, as the only thought in his mind was to slay them where they stood. He recognised their scent; they were the same men from the castle, so the excuse in his head was quite clear - they attacked my friends, therefore they deserve their actions returned tenfold.

He was so close that he could hear their laughter, their chatter and scheming. He was certain there were four of them, and they had surrounded something or someone who was either defenseless or dead. He prayed he had come on time. He prayed that there was still hope.

"That was an incredible shot! We're gonna be so rich!"

"Well, they said the king demands her alive, but they didn't say we can't have our way with her. What do you say, sweetheart?"

The conversation, although just a small part of it, had made Techno's stomach turn in disgust. He made quick work of their slaughter. Blood stained his clothing, matching Techno's shining eyes as he stood over the fresh corpses before him. He had been so quick that they hadn't even made a sound, not even a whimper. Their plans had been cut short by Techno's blade, and now they were laying beneath his feet where Techno thought they deserved to be.

His eyes slowly traced over the dark across the blood drenched ground to a defenseless, tied up figure that was staring back at him with eyes as sharp as daggers. She looked scared, she looked terrified, yet she said no word as her mouth had been tied with a dirty rag.

Techno swung his sword to the side, blood trailing over the blade's path, then made his way over to Eris, carefully cutting the ropes that had been tied around her body. Her eyes seemed to be glued on him as he avoided eye contact and just continued cutting the ropes, setting her free. He couldn't help but notice the cuts, bruises that were slowly picking up a dark shade of blue, the stab wounds and the arrow that had nested deep into her wing - made of a material which had managed to pierce the obsidian.

He made a mental note to take care of it all as soon as they got home, but for now, as soon as he had set her free and she had sat up, he freed her mouth and finally met her terrified yet confused eyes.

"You came," she whispered, her voice raw.

Techno just sat across her, once again looking away to avoid eye contact. He ran over his thoughts as quickly as he could, on the way beating himself up for saving a person who had tried to see the end of him. He felt regret, anger, but most of all - fear. Maybe it was fear of what he had done and signed up for, but maybe it was fear of getting hurt once more.

But in the midst of all of his wandering thoughts, the voices, which seemed to be nothing more than a whisper and her questioning eyes, he finally looked up.

"You called."