Submission (#8294) Approved

The branches of Yggdrasil stretched wide into the humid night, heavy with moss and vines that swayed gently in the breeze. Yuji led Red along one of the winding root paths until they reached a pool nestled between the mangroves. The water was dark, reflecting the stars above … but there was already something glowing in the shallows.

Red stopped in his tracks. “…That thing is huge.”

Half-submerged, grazing on floating lilies, was a beautiful creature. Its shell curved high like a dome, etched with patterns that glimmered faintly, not unlike firefly light trapped in cracks of amber. Its head, turtle-like but longer, rose slowly from the water, crowned with a frill of soft, translucent fins that pulsed with golden light. Every few moments, the glow brightened, as if the creature was taking a slow, steady breath.

Yujis eyes softened. “A Lanternback.” His voice carried a hushed reverence. “They live only in these waters at the edge of the mangrove glade. They come up when the air is warm and the flowers are blooming.”

Red squinted, his tail flicking nervously. “…It looks hungry,”

Subaru, settled a little ways back on the root trail, gave a faint, amused huff. “Don't worry, it prefers plants.”

Yuji nodded, his calm tone making it sound as ordinary as rain. “They feed on glowing algae and moss. Their shells store light from the sun during the day, and at night…”

As if on cue, the Lanternback shifted. With a gentle ripple, its shell brightened; faint lines of blue and orange lighting up in slow waves, flowing across its back in mesmerizing patterns. The glow cast shimmers on the waters surface, turning it into liquid light.

Reds jaw dropped. “…Okay, that’s… actually kind of incredible.”

Yuji chuckled softly. “They use the light to find one another. They hum in patterns too, though you feel it more than you hear it.”

“Feel it?” Red asked, skeptical as ever.

Yuji only gestured for him to come closer. “Put your paw on the water.”

Red hesitated, glancing back at Subaru, who only raised an eyebrow, silently daring him to argue. With a grumble, Red crouched and pressed his paw lightly against the waters surface.

At first, nothing.

Just cool water lapping around his toe beans. Then, a slow vibration … faint, like the echo of a heartbeat beneath the surface. The Lanternback let out a low, resonant hum and Red’s paw tingled with the sound, the ripples carrying the song through the pool.

Red’s eyes widened. “…It’s singing.”

Yujis expression warmed. “In their way, yes. Each one hums a little differently. That’s how they know who’s who.”

The Lanternback lifted its head further, looking at the kittom with calm, glowing eyes. Then, with surprising grace, it extended its long neck and bumped its nose gently against the root near his paw - curious, but not threatening.

Red flinched back, ears high. “Did…did it just say hello?”

Soft laughter echoed across the glade and Yuji smiled at him. “I think it likes you.”

Subaru rumbled from behind, voice low but affectionate. “Everything likes him. He’s too stubborn to be afraid.”

Red shot him a glare, but the effect was ruined by the tiny smile tugging at his mouth as the Lanternback gave another slow hum, its shell glowing brighter in rhythm. The patterns spread like rippling tides across its back.

“…That’s actually…so amazing,” Red admitted grudgingly. “Better than the invisible fish you showed earlier.”

The white elnin tried to hide his amusement. “The Songscales are beautiful too. You just had to open your heart a little.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Red waved him off, though his eyes never left the glowing giant. “This one at least doesn’t try to chew my paws.”

The Lanternback began drifting away, trailing faint motes of light in the water like glowing pollen. Red watched it vanish into the mangrove shadows, its shells glow fading with the distance until the glade was dark again.

For a while, there was only the sound of insects buzzing and the distant laughter of elnins near the shores. Then Red spoke, softer this time. “…Kinda makes you feel small, huh?”

Yujis gaze followed the rippling glow until it was gone, his voice gentle. “Small, yes. But also… part of something bigger.”