Mara Sov motions to the chair across from her, a nonchalant offer.

"This one prefers to stand."

Luzaku stands stiff and upright. Mara is unsurprised; Hive Lightbearers aren't exactly welcome in the Dreaming City—not even one she considered an ally and, more recently, a friend. It seems something had compelled Luzaku to finally visit… and it was not for pleasantries.

"You're wanting more than my company. What troubles you?"

"No trouble. Yet curiosity haunts me. III is… disrupted in time."

Mara snorts at the explanation. "Put it simply. III is dead."

"But not as a result of necromancy. The Nine… manipulate time somehow, yes?"

Mara rests her legs on the chair she'd offered Luzaku, crossing them comfortably. She thinks for a moment, musing on how to phrase her explanation in terms that her guest would comprehend. "You understand the nature of the High Coven, yes?"

Luzaku stares blankly. "It lies outside of space, yes."

"Well, the Nine lie outside of time."

Luzaku begins to nod, then quickly shakes her head. "This one doesn't see the connection."

Mara clicks her tongue, trying to find an answer that'd help Luzaku connect the dots. She has barely connected them herself.

"It's… a complicated matter to explain. Not one to be rushed." She gestures at the other chair again. "Make yourself comfortable. It might make the information easier to digest."

The Lightbearer warms at Mara's welcome offer of companionship. She has denied the Witch Queen plenty, but oddly, she could never decline time with this monarch.