The break days had scattered the recruits like seeds on the wind, but some found themselves growing closer instead of drifting apart.
----
Late afternoon sunlight painted the cobblestone streets gold as Kael walked a few steps behind Veila, Mira, and Altherion. The quiet district of the town, far from the market noise, carried only the gentle hush of wind and the distant bell of a turning windmill.
Mira pointed toward a strange fountain shaped like a spiral shell.
"Bet that spits water at midnight," she said, grinning.
Altherion chuckled lightly. "You two really grew up far from here, huh?"
He turned his gaze to Veila — not pressing, just curious. "Where exactly are you three from?"
Veila glanced at Kael, then Mira, before answering softly, "Somewhere that doesn't matter anymore."
Mira shrugged. "Let's just say we took the scenic route to get here."
Altherion nodded, unfazed. "And you've known each other since then?"
Kael said nothing. His arms were folded, gaze half-focused on the rooftops above. But there was no tension in his body — only thoughtfulness.
Then Altherion added, almost too casually, "By the way… I'm the prince. Figured I should mention that before someone else does."
Veila didn't even look surprised. "We know," she said flatly.
Mira gave a theatrical gasp. "No way, really? I thought you were just some random quiet guy who blends into crowds a little too well."
Altherion blinked. "…You knew?"
Kael's eyes flicked toward him once. "You don't walk like a soldier. But you stand like one."
That earned a rare laugh from Mira — a real one, not her usual teasing kind.
"We just liked seeing how long you'd keep the act up."
Altherion looked like he wanted to say something more when Mira's eyes suddenly narrowed—then lit up with mischief.
"Hey Kael!" she blurted, grabbing his wrist. "I need your help with something, real quick!"
Before anyone could respond, she was running—dragging Kael with her.
"Veila! We'll meet up later, okay? Don't wait up!" she called back, voice echoing down the alley.
Kael blinked once, twice. "Wait—what?"
"No time!" Mira said between light laughs. "Urgent girl stuff. You're involved."
He didn't resist, just let himself be pulled, a confused frown on his face and a glance back at his sister—who raised an eyebrow in question but didn't stop them.
Altherion stood beside her in the silence that followed, watching them vanish.
"…That was unexpected," he muttered.
Veila nodded. "That's Mira for you."
Kael finally stopped walking when Mira did. They'd run so far down the curved alleyways that the other streets felt like a distant memory. Mira stood with her hands on her hips, looking perfectly satisfied with herself.
Kael's tone was dry. "So. What do you need help with?"
But just as he opened his mouth to continue—
"Wait, this way!" Mira grabbed his arm again, yanking him toward a wide street glowing with soft golden lanterns. In the sky, colored lights bloomed like stars in bloom — reds, purples, and silvers bursting over rooftops.
A festival.
Kael stumbled as he tried to keep pace. "Mira—"
She shoved something hot and sweet into his hand. "Eat that. Don't ask."
He blinked, then took a bite — it was crispy and filled with something like melted fruit and honey. As he swallowed, she was already pushing another toward him.
"Here's another one. Try this one too."
"Mira," he tried again, cheeks full. "You said you—"
"I lied. It's not important," she grinned, practically bouncing on her heels. "Come on, we're celebrating."
He raised an eyebrow. "Celebrating what?"
"Who cares?" she shot back. "This is the best part of the city during breaks. People light up the streets even if there's no reason."
They weaved through the glowing market together, Mira pulling Kael toward stalls with fruit juices, tiny trinkets, and bright pastries. Every time he tried to speak, she stuffed something new into his hands—or worse, directly into his mouth. At some point, Kael simply gave up, swallowing another unfamiliar bite as Mira laughed like a child.
Eventually, they slowed. Lanterns floated above them in drifting silence, like stars loosened from their sky. Children chased fireworks. An elderly couple danced near a glowing fountain.
Kael slowed, then stopped. His eyes lingered on the floating lanterns, on the way the golden light brushed over every surface. It was warmth without fear. Movement without duty.
"This feels like home…",he thought to himself.
For the first time in what felt like years, a full, genuine smile broke across Kael's face. Not small. Not hidden. Something real.
Mira noticed it immediately. She blinked, then stared.
"Kael…," she really couldn't help but think,
"...he really is too good, just that he never shows it. Too kind to belong in a world like this."
She was about to say something when Kael slowly raised his head, gazing up at the sky, still smiling—but gentler now.
"Thanks," he said.
The word was soft. Honest.
Mira's eyes widened a little. She didn't know what to say back. A quiet stretched between them, rare but not uncomfortable. Only the sounds of the celebration hummed around them.
She eventually broke it with a cough and an awkward gesture. "Alright. Let's find Veila before she thinks I actually kidnapped you."
They turned—only to stop dead.
Veila and Altherion were right there, barely ten feet away. Veila had her arms crossed and the widest smirk Kael had seen in her in years.
"Well, well," Veila said, raising an eyebrow. "Lovers returning from their secret escape?"
Mira jumped like a startled cat. "W-What?! No! Absolutely not!"
Kael just blinked, unbothered. Mira glared at him. "Say something!"
"I didn't deny it," he said simply.
Mira let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a groan.
Altherion stepped beside Kael and threw an arm over his shoulder like they were longtime drinking buddies.
"Well played," he said, grinning. "Didn't think you had the stamina to survive Mira's full force."
Kael shrugged. "Barely did."
And just like that, the group started walking back toward the quiet streets, their silhouettes lit by the glow of fading fireworks and the warmth of something new — something slowly growing between all of them.
---------------
The training fields were empty save for the clatter of sparring staffs. Liane sat on a wooden fence under the high shade of a tall willow tree. Her chin rested in her palm, and her usually cold gaze was still, softened by thought.
Below, her father stood in a loose stance — bare-handed — facing off against her sister, whose flame-colored hair flashed as she launched a burst of magic that curved in midair. He deflected it with nothing but wind pressure.
No shouts. No grunts. Just movement, precise and fluent. Their family never wasted words in training.
Liane watched in silence, arms crossed. But her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
—Kael standing in front of her without being asked.
—Ren analyzing their opponents and relaying it calmly, not for show, but to help her.
—No hesitation. No expectations.
"They had my back. I didn't ask… but they did it anyway."
She looked at her hands — hands that had always relied on barriers, isolation, power without trust.
Down below, her sister laughed. Their father chuckled once in reply.
The wind blew gently through the branches overhead. Liane stood up.
"Maybe I can let my guard down… just a little."
---
As the sun dipped lower behind the trees, some bonds had already begun to thread themselves tighter — quietly, without ceremony. But strong nonetheless.