Kain and Alexis stared at each other for a while, both of them trying to make sure that they were who they were. Alexis’ raging aura slowly decreased for a bit and then fell away like a veil had been lifted. The two could now both see each other as they truly were and before Kain could act or speak Alexis flew over to him and held him in a passionate embrace. Her face was pushed against his neck, but she had no intention to bite, she instead merely nuzzled Kain's form with hers and tightened her vice-like bear hug.

If he were anyone else, he would almost certainly have been immediately reduced to a mass of broken bones and crushed flesh, but Kain's freakish durability allowed him to withstand the force with which his beloved held him in her arms. Alexis seemed to really be enjoying their hug, but Kain began to notice that her breathing slowly became more and more erratic as she seemed to be sniffing him like a dog that was left at home for a day. Her behavior was becoming more and more creepy and Kain forcefully ended their embrace, much to Alexis' obvious disappointment.

“Lexi, it has certainly been quite a while…”

Kain tried to talk to her, but he couldn’t think of the right words to say. What exactly was he supposed to tell her? Was he supposed to whisper sweet nothings into her ear and act like a typical Romance Protagonist from fiction? Was he supposed to sweep her off her feet in a princess-carry and take her away? All of this was entirely new to him. Even with lold Kain’s memories, he was still clueless about relationships as the Creator had never been in one. What was he supposed to do/ say to her?

“My love, my husband, at last, we are reunited! I beg of you, never fall into such a slumber again, for I do not know if I will be able to endure without you another time.”

So, she was taking the initiative. Well, let’s just roll with the punches…

“Lexi, if I were to have had my way I would never have fallen into that deepest of dreams. I do hope you forgive me for my sin of leaving you alone for so long. I will endeavor to make certain that I never succumb to such a thing ever again. All I could ask of you is that you stay at my side, like the olden days before the fall, and help me rebuild the nation that once sent shivers down the spines of all who stood opposed to it. Will you be mine, and let me be yours, just like in the times long since past?”

Alexis tilted her head and looked confused.

“Love, why are you talking in such an uncharacteristic fashion? It seems as though you are trying to sound different from how you were before, but unfortunately, it merely comes off as forced. Speak as you used to, there is no need for such grandiose language with me. Talk to me as you always have and let me hear you as you truly are.”

Okay, so talking like a Romantic Fiction Protagonist is out. Let’s try casual dialogue.

“Is this better, Lexi? Do you really want me to talk like this?”

Alexis smiled and gave Kain a kiss on the lips.

“Much better. Now, please, do tell me what exactly you have been up to lately. I can’t assume that you took this damnable bastion without immeasurable losses and great struggle. By taking the unconquerable fortress, am I correct in my assumption that you have already remade our nation and surpassed its original heights?”

Kain shook his head and gave an answer she most certainly did not expect.

“No, I merely exploited the knowledge and capabilities that I recently acquired as well as utilizing some rather unconventional yet quite conventional assets.”

Now visibly confused by his rather cryptic sentence, Kain filled Alexis in on a slightly doctored version of events that started with his reawakening and ending with his destruction of the last of the Francusian elites as they left the catacombs and made their way back up to the surface. As he regaled her with as many details as he could, she hung on every word like she was taking in the intricacies of a classic work of literature being taught by lecture.

She was both overjoyed and confused by the knowledge that Kain had ‘learned’ to create self-contained units of undead and that he could command them just as easily as if they were singular entities. What really surprised her was the amount of effort that he had spent taking the ruined city that once was such a pain in their side and turning it into a place that served the revived Darksol Empire. With the deaths of the last few loyalists to Francus, the nation was no more and was instead merely an extension of the territory of the Empire.

And Kain could not have been happier! His wife was once again with him AND he had finally dealt with the last remaining bits of the greatest nuisance the old Kain had ever experienced. Kain was over the moon with delight as he and his beloved Alexis made their way back to the now much less crowded capital of their nation, Necrograd. They made a triumphal procession through the streets and all the way to the castle itself. All along the parade route there were cheers of joy and waving hands, not to mention the blood-red flower petals that were raining down from on high due to both the civilians and groups of Fel Bats that acted like stunt flyers.

As the day slowly came to an end, Kain retired to his private chambers, hoping for some much-needed bed rest. Once he reached the bedroom, however, he was met with the sight of Alexis in fishnet lingerie beckoning him with a sultry and seductive gaze and pose. She was lying on the bed on her side and was practically flooding the room with charm-type spells while the majority of the lights had been turned off and in their place were dozens of candles. She flashed a grin before licking her lips and with a voice laced with every charm-type spell she knew she uttered only two words.

“Come hither.”

She didn’t have to say that twice. Kain threw off the rest of his clothing and dived into bed. This was going to be amazing.

…

That night, the dreams of everyone in the world were either a good one or a nightmare unlike any they had ever experienced. The waves of magical energy and passion that wafted off the Emperor and Empress of Darksol were felt around the planet, as even the animals themselves struggled in their sleep. When the morning came, and the sandman departed, no one could truly remember what had occurred within their dreams.

Some awoke feeling refreshed and ready to take on a new day, while others woke screaming and sweating as they sat up straight in their bed with looks of abject horror. Whatever happened to craft such an event could not be known to all, but to the nations that followed the Luminas Church, it was believed that such a world-spanning night-terror was a sign of dark things yet to come. They could not have been more correct if they tried.