Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 40: You’re going to be the best. Because I don’t train mediocrity

Steam curled lazily above the calm surface of the water, wrapping around the ornate columns like wisps of milky smoke. The gentle drip of water echoed off the marble walls of the palace garden's bathing pool. Here, time slowed. Here, one could finally breathe.

Calista leaned against the pool's edge, eyes closed, wet hair clinging to her neck. The water rose to her shoulders. She let out a quiet sigh.

"Finally, a moment without monsters, corpses, or arrogant men," she muttered with amusement. "I was starting to feel like the heroine of a tragic poem... just with less flair and more exhaustion."

"Maybe you should start writing," Veynessa said, half-submerged and stretching like a cat basking in sunlight. "It’d be a bestseller in the capital."

Calista opened one eye, smirking.

"I get the feeling you didn’t bring me here just to relax."

Veynessa didn’t answer right away. She swam closer, her tone shifting with a seriousness that didn’t match the peaceful setting.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher?"

Calista blinked. "Me? Do I look like someone with the patience for other people’s failures?"

"I’m not talking about random students. I’m talking about Shion."

Silence settled for a beat. Calista exhaled through her nose, leaning harder against the marble.

"I’ve only seen her once, but you can tell at a glance—she’s been through a lot. Closed off. Uncertain. She’ll cry. She’ll resist. She’ll probably try to quit three times in the first week."

"I know."

"And you want me to guide her?"

Veynessa smiled softly. "Because you know what it’s like to fight the world when no one gives you a chance."

Calista closed her eyes again for a moment.

"If she’s late by even a minute tomorrow, we’re starting with a run over the palace wall and back."

Veynessa nodded. "I knew you'd say yes."

Calista scoffed. "I never said yes. I'm just... curious how far that girl can go. I won’t go easy on her."

"That’s exactly why you’re perfect for this."

Calista stretched in the water, then raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"And speaking of baths... why didn’t you bring Sylphia?"

Veynessa sighed, amused.

"I told you. That girl’s too shy for group baths. Even when I invite her, she hides behind the curtains like a ghost."

Calista shook her head in mock disapproval.

"Okay, listen up—this is serious now. If you don’t bring her next time, you can find someone else to train Shion."

Veynessa chuckled. "Are you threatening me, Calista?"

"Absolutely not. It's just... a term of cooperation," she replied with theatrical calm.

Veynessa raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Next time, she comes."

"You said it," Calista laughed. "No backing out now!"

***

Golden light from the setting sun poured through the tall windows of the royal chamber, casting streaks across the stone floor and embroidered drapes. Veynessa stood in the doorway for a moment, silent. Her eyes landed on the figure of the man by the balcony, hands clasped behind his back.

The King. Her husband. A man she knew like her own reflection—yet now, his silence felt foreign.

"You’ve returned," he said without turning.

"I have," she replied calmly.

Only after a pause did he face her. His expression was calm. Too calm.

"Where is Pharos?"

The question hung in the air like a blade. Veynessa stepped forward, slowly, coming to stand before him.

"We don't know where he is. But knowing Pharos... he's probably lounging somewhere in a hammock, sipping tea and pretending the world doesn’t exist. That old fox has a talent for vanishing at the worst possible moment."

The King's face shifted instantly. His brow furrowed with anger, and concern burned in his eyes.

"So it happened after all... I knew it was a mistake. I told you, Veynessa. I was against it from the beginning! But of course, you had to push your way through, like always!"

Her hands clenched at the folds of her dress, but her voice remained calm.

"I understand your concern. But yelling won’t make me feel any safer."

He went silent. Inhaled deeply through his nose, then let the breath out slowly.

"It’s not that... I just don’t want to lose you." His voice wavered slightly, as if saying the words fractured something deep inside.

"Every day, I wake up with the fear that one day, you won’t come back. That you’ll take on the world again, like you always do. That you’ll think you're invincible. And I... I don’t know what I’d do if that happened."

He clenched his fists, like trying to hold something back.

"You’re my wife, Veynessa. My partner. Not just a warrior. You have the right to be tired. You have the right to take a step back. You don’t have to prove anything... because I already know."

Veynessa stepped closer and placed her hand on his chest.

"I know. And thank you for worrying. But you have to understand—I can’t always stand behind you. Sometimes, I need to be out front."

"I didn’t train my whole life just to be an ornament by your side. I don’t want to be a pretty wife who smiles at banquets and nods along to every word her husband says."

"I have something to prove—to myself and to the world. That my place isn’t just in the shadow. That even if this world doesn’t hand us easy roads, I will walk the one I must—not the one that’s safest."

The King let out a quiet sigh, his shoulders sinking, as if the weight of her words had finally broken through his defenses.

"Sometimes I want to protect you so badly... I forget who you are."

She stepped even closer, their hands intertwining in silent understanding.

"So... tell me everything. What happened in the Labyrinth?"

Veynessa nodded. Her voice was quiet, but steady. She told him everything—the chaos, the beasts, the missing guardian, the trap... and finally—Him.

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When she said Kaen’s name, the King froze. For a long moment, he stared into the distance, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

"He... made a move? After all these decades?"

"Yes."

The King swallowed hard. His eyes sharpened with a new clarity.

"That changes everything. The whole world trembled at the thought of his return. If he’s truly back now..."

They both fell silent. Only the soft beat of their hearts and the glow of the setting sun remained.

***

The morning at the eastern courtyard was cold and damp. Mist crawled low over the ground, each footstep leaving a wet print on the stone tiles.

Shion stood alone, wrapped in a cloak, fists clenched. She had arrived earlier than needed. She couldn’t sleep. Not after everything.

When the mist parted before a confident stride, her heart jumped.

Calista.

She circled Shion once without a word, then stopped in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes.

"You’re on time. Surprising."

Shion nodded.

"From today," Calista continued, "I’m your teacher. Your demon. Maybe even your salvation, if you're lucky."

Silence.

"This is going to hurt," she added with a smirk. "But if you survive it... I promise, you'll never be weak again."

Shion nodded again. There was determination in her gaze.

Calista grinned wider.

And then—as if flipping a switch—the serious instructor vanished, and the real Calista emerged.

"Alright, enough with the tough act," she muttered, stepping forward and pulling Shion into a sudden hug. "Seriously, who would’ve thought I’d get a student who looks like a lost bunny."

Shion stiffened, surprised by the closeness, but after a moment, she relaxed.

"We learn through emotions, got it?" Calista said softly, still holding her. "And I’m going to give you the full spectrum. Joy, rage, pride... maybe even a little love."

She stepped back, winking with a playful grin.

"But don’t get used to it. I’m not going easy on you. You’re going to be the best. Because I don’t train mediocrity."