Chapter Text
A celestial glow danced through the lighthouse as the sun outside began to set. Six people were sprawled out on its floor, unconscious after their journey through the realms. The lighthouse belonged to The Star, a cat-like being with moon-like eyes, who sat comfortably above them all, waiting for them to awaken. She had pulled each of them there from their own realms herself, and was eager to see how everything would play out.
The sapphire dress she wore cascaded down her legs, fluttering in a light breeze while she purred quietly to herself. The Major Arcana were not used to relying on others, but The Star was content, certain that the humans in front of her were going to be very entertaining.
Asra’s hair, pearly in the light, tickled his face gently as he began to open his iolite eyes. He was the closest to The Star, but completely unaware of her presence. Instead, he was focused on one thought: where is Adelaide?
The last thing he remembered, he and Adelaide had just gotten home after a much needed vacation away from Vesuvia. He remembered their face as they scanned the golden fields around them, admiring the beauty of home. How he had woken up that morning to find they had fallen asleep under the stars, without any shelter. How his familiar, Faust, took up too much space when the three of them cuddled in the gentle morning breeze. He remembered telling them that he wanted to travel the magical realms with them, and them saying that his presence makes any place wonderful. The memory makes him blush slightly, his mind rapidly trying to piece together what happened next before his eyes could finish opening.
They had gone to the baker, Selasi, for Adelaide's favorite bread. Pouncey, the orange cat Selasi adopted, had been there to greet them. And then what? Asra's head hurt, dizzy still from his travel to The Star's realm, but the memories kept coming. He had given Selasi Hyberian spices as a gift. Then they had made their way for the palace, greeted by Portia Devorak, who took them to see Asra's parents, Aisha and Salim. His parents were working with Julian Devorak and Nadia Satrinava, the Countess of Vesuvia. He remembered Julian fussing over Nadia, how those two had clearly fallen for each other sometime during his absence. It was cute, not that Asra would tell them that. He was happy for them; he had grown quite fond of Julian, and Nadia had always been one of his best friends. They deserved to be happy. He remembered secretly being grateful that Nadia had made Julian her court physician, and that the two had bonded. Perhaps a double date was in order? He would have to ask Adelaide later.
He remembered Adelaide recounting their adventures to everyone, and how embarrassed he was by some of their comments. He could practically hear his mother saying "Asra Alnazar, what did you do?" all over again. Then he took his love back to their shop, to let their dear friend Muriel know they got back home. And then...? He wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that his head was throbbing, and he couldn't feel Adelaide next to him on this cold surface on which he was lying.
He didn't yet realize he wasn't at home, but he could tell something wasn't right. He tried to sense Adelaide's magic, but felt nothing, and it worried him. Asra thought of their eyes, like a reflection of a starry morning sky in a tropical sea. Their hair, soft and brown like their favorite bread and curly like the swirling galaxies they so admire. He missed their scent, a mix of cherry, pomegranate, rose and raspberry. The lushness of their lips, the way their fingernails (painted like the night sky, of course) would trace his face and play with his hair as they kissed him. He could practically feel their breath on his mouth, the desperation of their kisses. And when he finally finished opening his eyes to see they weren't there, his heart shattered and breath quickened, his surroundings going unnoticed as he wondered where they could be, and why they weren't with him.
He didn't see that near him, a man in typical pirate attire with fiery hair and an eye-patch was lying there, breathing slowly. Julian Devorak, the man once accused of murdering Count Lucio, now free at last. Free to travel, free to practice medicine, free to love. And love he did, deeply and truly, like he never had before.
Julian’s eye began opening too, his mind on Adelaide, same as Asra's. His nose searched for the salt-scented air of Nevivon, his fingers for the fabric of the robe that Adelaide had slept in the night before, but he was found wanting. Where could they be? As his strength began to return to him, he reached out, but only felt the freezing floor beneath him.
Much like Asra's, Julian's memories came crashing in, and he clung to those memories tightly, as if afraid they would disappear if he didn't. How he had taken Adelaide to meet the grandmas in Nevivon after their battle with the Devil. How Adelaide had impressed the children with their magic and the grandmas with their skills in the kitchen; how they impressed him with their curiosity about the culture and customs of Nevivon. He remembered the stories that the grandmas shared with Adelaide, like the one about him and the tooth fairy- he would much rather have forgotten that one- and the stories he told the grandmas, only slightly exaggerated, of course. He remembered his intense anxiety, wondering if something that was said or done would make Adelaide leave him for good. Even after all they had been through, he didn't always feel good enough for them, and he still felt like they were too amazing to be real. How could someone so perfect love him so? Adelaide was a mystery, but he cherished them and every moment they spent together because of it. That, and because no one else could match his sense of humor or his dramatic tendencies the way they could.
His mind wandered to how beautiful Adelaide had looked as they relaxed in the salt springs with the moon making their features glow and the water caressing their body the way he often did. How he could never hide anything from those aquamarine eyes, and how he admitted he was afraid of them being scared away. The laugh in their tone as they pointed out their history- the way he tried to break up with them after knowing each other barely a day, the way they watched him die as punishment for a crime he didn't commit, how they battled the Devil together- and how, after facing all of that, how could he still think something could scare them away from him? His lips curled into a smile at the thought. They were right, of course. Adelaide is always right. That's part of why they are so magnificent, and part of why he could hardly believe his luck sometimes.
He remembered returning home to the grandmas with Adelaide's hand in his. How great it felt to be at home, and how at home he felt with them by his side. But what happened after that, exactly? Did they fall asleep together? Julian couldn't be sure.
When his eye finished opening, he too found himself unable to process his surroundings. All he noticed was that Adelaide wasn't around.
Then Asra's voice cut through his thoughts. "Ilya? Is that you?"
Julian turned, startled. His confused expression was mirrored in Asra's face. "Asra, what are you doing here?" It made no sense for Asra to be with him in Nevivon... unless that wasn't where they were. This floor certainly didn't seem like any floor from Nevivon that he remembered. "And, erm, where is here, exactly?"
A good question indeed. Asra looked around, stopping once he noticed another figure lying nearby. Nadia. Asra would recognize her anywhere, regally draped on the floor, her hair an ombre of pink and purple like a sunset, her skin radiant in a way only Adelaide's could match. Even unconscious, Nadia was among the most glamorous people Asra knew.
As if on cue, Nadia began to stir. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Adelaide, on how excited Nadia was to be marrying the love of her life. It wouldn't be the first time she got married, but she hoped it would be the last, and knew it would be the best. She remembered that they had spent the day with her siblings, looking at the markets. There were leeches, much to Nadia's disgust. She remembered her baba, Namar, crying when she said that she would like for her family to visit regularly. How Natiqa wanted to set up a Prakan embassy in Vesuvia. How they spotted Asra and his boyfriend, Muriel, in the market, and later Julian and his honorary grandma Mazelinka. Portia, in her new role as chamberlain, had run up to them, and Nadia remembered having to go to the palace to deal with some paint emergency... but not before Portia and Nahara flirted with each other a bit. It was precious, and she was excited to see their relationship blossom. Then after a busy day of typical Countess stuff- meetings, disasters to advert, people demanding attention- Adelaide and Nadia had reminisced about their time together under the stars. Pledging to keep adventuring together. And then...?
Nadia realized she couldn't remember, and suddenly the feeling of the cold floor chilled her to the bone. Where was Adelaide? The palace? She opened her eyes and looked frantically around, wondering where her love could be, only to settle her gaze onto Asra and Julian beside her. Both looked as exhausted and puzzled as she felt, the fabric of Asra's shirt wrinkled slightly, Julian's thick brows high with surprise at their situation. "My friends... What is happening?"
Asra shook his fluffy head. "We were just wondering the same thing." Again, the three looked around. They took in the sight of large windows all around, a blinding light at the center of the room. It looked like a small, golden galaxy contained in a sphere by magic, bright enough to guide travelers from many miles away. Julian realized they were in a lighthouse, and more than that, that he knew this lighthouse. He could practically see Adelaide standing beside him in their Masquerade dress, their skin and hair scented like floral perfumes after their time in the Countess's private bath. They had been here before, together, not long before taking on The Devil. Things were clicking into place as he looked around once more. He couldn't smell Nevivon, couldn't remember a floor like this in Nevivon, because he wasn't in Nevivon anymore... he was in the magical realms again. Without Adelaide.
But... how? And perhaps more importantly, why? He didn't know, but he believed Asra might.
"Er, Asra, isn't this The Star's realm?" Julian asked, to Asra's surprise. Asra thought back to his own travels to the magical realms. Sure, he had gone to The Magician's realm a few times with Adelaide, and The Devil's too. But they hadn't gone to The Star's together, and he was certain Julian had never been there, and that Julian had only ever seen The Hanged Man's realm. Still, hearing Julian say it, it felt right.
After some consideration, Asra responded hesitantly. "Why, yes, I think it is, but... how do you know that?" It just didn't make sense. He could almost feel The Star's presence here, but surely Julian couldn't? The Julian he knew didn't know magic, didn't know the Major Arcana... unless something happened during his vacation with Adelaide? He looked at Nadia, who seemed equally confused. Nadia was only familiar with The High Priestess's realm, and with The Devil's. She knew Julian knew The Hanged Man's realm... but The Star's? When did that happen? Did Mazelinka somehow take him? Mazelinka was teaching him basic potion making, but travel through the realms is quite a bit more advanced. Julian didn't seem like the type to master advanced magical techniques to her.
Julian couldn't understand his friends' confusion. Surely he had told them about his time in the realms with Adelaide? Perhaps they had simply forgotten. It had been a while, after all. Or perhaps that detail had gotten lost in the rest of his stories. So much had happened all at once, it wouldn't be surprising if he had missed some details in his retelling of events.
He started to reply to them, but a grunt from a corner interrupted. The three chased the sound with their heads, and once their eyes found the source of the sound, all three gasped at the same time. It was a man, with large bulging muscles under fine green fabric and thick brown furs. Though his hair was different than the three friends remembered- braided in a style they had never seen before from him- they knew who it had to be. "Muriel?" they all asked at once. They looked at each other, minds racing. Julian and Asra were both wondering why all of their friends were here in the magical realms together, and what could have brought them all there. Nadia, however, had a different question in mind.
Nadia raised an eyebrow, her gaze on Asra. "Asra, since when does your boyfriend braid his hair like that? He looks quite dashing. I'm impressed."
Julian's eyes lit up while Asra's face flashed fifty shades of red at once. "M-m-my what now?" He couldn't believe his ears.
Nadia chuckled, and Julian grinned. He was excited for his dear friend, and eager to hear all the details, even if this was perhaps not the best time. When did this happen? Was this before or after he and Adelaide had left for Nevivon? Julian wanted to know everything. Asra, on the other hand, was completely lost. Why would Nadia think he was dating Muriel when she knew that he was with Adelaide. Unless, maybe, Nadia knew something Asra didn't? Did Muriel like him? Asra's face kept getting redder as his mind wondered at the possibility. "P-p-perhaps this isn't the time to be talking about relationships-" he sputtered. "We don't even know how we got here, or why, or-" Nadia's laughter made him flush, unable to finish his comment.
From her perch, The Star smirked at her visitors, amused. Just as she had predicted, these humans were quite the source of entertainment.