Archive of Our Own

Months had passed since Felix had stood at the edge of the aerie well of Mars Lighthouse, the vicious cold of a relentless blizzard bearing down over him, the apparent dead bodies of his parents behind him, and made a choice. It had been at once both the easiest and hardest thing he had ever done, taking the Mars Star in his hand and throwing it into the lighthouse’s heart; casting away that object which had caused so much trouble. At that moment he had done something which could never be undone, which would forever change the course of Weyard.

It all still felt unreal; like a dream, or a story he had been told by another. He had spent such a large amount of his adult life preparing, and then undertaking the journey across Weyard, lighting one lighthouse after another. He had seen people close to him die, and seen others be reborn. There were so many sights he would never forget.

But now it was all done.

Some part of him felt like the adventure was still going, that there was yet more than needed done before he could be sure that alchemy was truly back and Weyard’s destruction was averted. Those final weeks of their journey after Jupiter Lighthouse, rushing north to Prox before the world froze over, had been so stressful. The intensity of their final battles, the relief at everyone’s survival, and the bitter-sweet reunions at the remnants of what had once been Vale and Mt. Aleph... It had all been so much to experience that, when the dust did settle, he had felt so very tired. Perhaps in some way, it was easier to try to feel that he still had more to do than to accept that it was indeed over.

There was a growing fear in his heart that he did not want to face.

Unzipping the thick sleeping bag, Felix sat up, knowing that he wasn’t getting any more sleep. As always, when he let his thoughts run wild, they ended up somewhere he did not like.

He gathered up his clothes, pulling on his tunic and the familiar green cloak which had seen so much. After that, he put on the thick fur-lined coat that he had been using of late, followed by his boots, and he stepped out of his tent into the cold air of northern Angara.

The campfire had died hours ago, snuffed out by the heavy snow that had fallen in the night. This far north, there was always snow, but now the hills were blanketed by it as far as the eye could see.

Felix was familiar enough with snow. For him, the journey had begun in Prox, where it was inescapable. Still, it felt to him ironic that he should end up completing his journey in yet another frigid place.

This region of Angara was cold enough to begin with, but in December it was brutal.

The sun was beginning to crest the mountains in the distance, casting golden rays over the frosty landscape. It was time to get moving once more.

Felix went to the tent across from his, and looked inside.

The Adept within was still sleeping peacefully, looking so content that he felt a pang of guilt to disturb her. He reached over to the sleeping bag, gently shaking until blue eyes opened.

Blinking sleepily, Mia regarded him.

Felix stepped away to give her space. A few minutes later, she emerged, dressed in the thick white robes and cloak, her cerulean hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Her eyes blinked sleepily, though still the usual lovely shade of light blue.

“We should reach Imil today,” he told her.

Mia simply nodded in response, not saying anything.

The survivors of Vale had spent only a day camped out by the crater that had been left behind where their home had been. Upon Isaac’s arrival, they had flocked to him for guidance; the shared vision gifted by the Wise One had only urged them out of Vale, not including any suggestions of what to do beyond that. At Ivan’s suggestion, Isaac had led the refugees to Kalay, where they were happily taken in by Master Hammet. Within weeks, they again had homes and jobs, and some semblance of normalcy had returned to their lives.

The eight Adepts, as well as Kraden, had stuck with the people of Vale during this transitory period. However, once they were settled in, the question of what they would do next slowly dawned on their minds.

For the three who had left Vale - Isaac, Garet, and Jenna - they were back with their families. Even though their home had been destroyed, they were all together and they were happy with that. Kalay was also Ivan’s home, far more than Contigo despite the things he had learned there, so he was content where he was. Sheba decided to return to Lalivero, having grown nostalgic at the sight of all the reunions and deciding she wanted to see Faran again. Piers’ only home was the sea, and he was more than happy to offer the young girl a ride back, to which they had left after saying their goodbyes.

This left only Mia, who had faced a long journey on foot back to Imil.

As for Felix... he had no home now.

His family was together again, and he had enjoyed his time with them, but deep down he had known that it was a gift for Jenna more than him. He could have stayed with them, perhaps, but the people of Vale would never have accepted him again after what he had done. He had already spent enough time around people who hated him in Prox, and the cold shoulders they gave him during the trip to Kalay reminded him far too much of his time there.

So when Mia had announced to everyone that she was ready to return home, he had offered to accompany her.

He still wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps it was some mix of pity for her, a desire to be away from the people of Vale, and an attempt to hold on to the feeling of adventure. He barely knew Mia; the beautiful Mercury Adept had caught his eye easily enough, but the two of them had spoken on the Lemurian ship perhaps few enough times to count on one hand. He had half expected her to politely decline.

It was the flicker of joy on her face when he had spoken up that had given him pause. He hadn’t been sure what to make of it, so he had written it off as simply relief that she would not be making the long, cold journey alone.

Their unfamiliarity with one another became evident not long after they had set out. Mia tried several times to strike up conversation, and Felix had floundered in his usual silence, leaving an awkward empty space between them. He hadn’t wanted to be standoffish to her, but he simply did not know what to say. They were both similarly guarded and quiet, and there was no connecting thread between them.

And thus, they had continued on like strangers, Felix feeling more like a bodyguard than a travel companion. It was a marked difference from his travels with his team of Adepts. Jenna, being his sister, had always known how to get through to him. Sheba was a mischievous little devil that he couldn’t bring himself to stay stone-faced around. Piers was both wise and down-to-earth, and they had an implicit understand of each other. And Kraden was always happy to talk, while Felix was always happy to listen.

On the other hand, Mia seemed to be expecting something from him, yet was unable to simply express what it was.

Over the weeks of travel, a melancholy had set in her. Felix had tried various ways to cheer her up, but when they had only driven her deeper into sorrow, he resolved to instead give her space to work through it in her own way.

In the final days of their trek, she had spoken so little that Felix sometimes forgot he was not travelling alone.

There was dispute among the scholars of Weyard as to whether the sea north of Angara should be considered part of the Eastern Sea. Some chose to call it the Northern Sea, and some map-makers opted to label it as such.

The reason for this debate was that, due to the stretch of glaciers that ran in a ring from the northeast edge of Weyard to Gaia Falls, the sea was inaccessible to ships. As travel by boat was all but impossible, and going by foot required traversing through the passes under and around the hostile mountains of the north, Imil was left a lonely and remote place.

Whatever it was agreed upon to be called, the sea around Imil was a sight. Much of the water’s surface was frozen over, the ice breaking apart father out from land and leaving scattered pieces floating gentle upon the placid waves. Under the bright sun, the water and ice sparkled brilliantly.

In the distance, Mercury Lighthouse was visible, its towers reaching up to the heavens. At night the beacon was a faint blue light that filled the sky, unavoidable. They had seen it first days ago, and it remained there waiting for them as they drew closer to Imil.

Felix had caught Mia staring at the lighthouse at times, deep in thought. Whatever she was thinking, she did not share it.

As he had predicted, they reached the outskirts of town by midday. Mia seemed to grow apprehensive as they drew near the first scattered sets of thatch-roofed wooden houses. Felix glanced searchingly to her, wondering why she was not more happy to be home.

A few villagers noticed them, one or two even waving to her. Mia returned waves and smiles, but there was an apprehensiveness to her movements.

“Well,” Felix said to her, “we’re here.”

Mia drew her cloak around herself. “So we are.”

He looked to her, wondering if there was something he should say.

Perhaps she simply wanted him to leave?

The snowfall around them had grown calmer, now falling in gentle flakes of white. Mia was quite the sight: her cerulean hair was speckled with fallen snow, her cheeks flushed pink, and her breaths coming out in clouds of steam. It made Felix divert his eyes elsewhere, lest she catch the red in his own cheeks.

“Why don’t we get out of the cold?” Felix awkwardly suggested.

Mia looked to him, considering for a long while. Finally, she said, “All right. My old house isn’t far.”

Mia led Felix to a large house atop a hill, near the edge of town closest to the lighthouse. As soon as it came into view, it was clear it had gone unused for some time; the snow-shovelled path ended abruptly on the threshold of the old house, and the two Adepts were forced to trudge through knee-high snow to reach the front door.

Felix stomped his boots on the edge of the porch to clear the snow, while Mia checked the front door.

“Good, no one has decided to move in,” she said. She pushed open the door, which responded with a heavy groan.

As soon as she had stepped inside, Mia coughed. “By the gods, there’s so much dust...”

Felix follower her into the dark house, the wooden planks of the floor creaking under his steps. A short hallway at the doorway led into an open living room, centred around a large fireplace. A sofa, and several chairs stood around it, all pristine from years of disuse.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Mia offered. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

Felix found one of the cushioned chairs and sat awkwardly on it, while Mia disappeared back outside. He fidgeted, feeling like an intruder despite her having brought him in.

A few minutes later, Mia returned, her hair and shoulders covered in a layer of fresh snow, cradling several logs of firewood in her arms. She shut the door behind her, silencing the rising sound of the wind outside, and went to the fireplace.

After placing the wood, she searched through her bags until she found a book of matches. She struck the match unsuccessfully a few times, eventually managing to produce a sparking flame.

“If only we had Garet or Jenna here,” she said in a shaky voice.

A flame gradually built around the wood. After a few moments, warmth began to spread through the room. Felix found himself able to relax to an extent, sitting back in the chair as the chill in his bones was finally eased.

Mia seemed more comfortable as well. She removed her thick fur-lined cloak, hanging it on a hook on the wall in the entrance hallway. Next she removed her felt gloves, and hung them up as well. At the floor beneath them, she placed her snow-wet boots, her backpack, and the steel mace she had carried the extent of her adventure.

A nostalgic look took her. Turning back to Felix, she said, “It’s been more than two years since I was here. The last time I was in this room, I was heading out for my morning round of stops to ease sick villagers. I had no idea that day. that I was about to meet those three boys and race up the lighthouse...”

Felix regarded her with some surprise. “You didn’t stop at home before leaving?”

“We were in quite a hurry,” Mia said, with a slight shake of her head. “Isaac hoped that, with Saturos wounded from the battle, we might be able to catch up with you and the others before you reached the next lighthouse...”

She trailed off, her eyes suddenly looking elsewhere.

“Sorry,” Felix muttered. “I guess we didn’t exactly make things easy for you.”

“No, please don’t apologise,” Mia insisted. “If we had succeeded in our prospects to stop you, it would have ended disastrously for Weyard.”

Felix caught sight of the snow falling from a window across the room, near the kitchen. He couldn’t help but think of the vicious blizzard that had greeted them upon arriving in Prox, and Hama’s warnings that all of Weyard would soon face an unlivable cold if they did not light Mars Lighthouse.

“In any case,” Mia continued, “it ended the way it was supposed to.”

Something in her voice then caught Felix’s attention. He looked back to her, searching her face, but she wore only a slight frown as she made her way back to the fireplace.

Mia sat down and held her hands near the flames to warm them. She was dressed more plainly, still wearing the thick coat and pants she favoured beneath her cloak.

She seems more comfortable now, Felix thought. Perhaps now is the time to ask her.

“Mia,” he said carefully to her, “do you hold what I’ve done against me?”

She looked to him with a baffled expression, as if he’d just said something absurd. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

“Well, you left to stop me and the others.” He scratched at the edge of his chin nervously. “And then you were forced by circumstance to not only abandon that goal, but to help us instead. People don’t like being told they were wrong about minor disagreements, much less things so important.”

“Felix, please,” Mia said, shaking her head slightly. “I’m a healer, I couldn’t hold such a grudge in my heart. That’s totally irrational.”

“Feelings often aren’t rational,” Felix pointed out.

“You’re mistaken,” Mia insisted. Turning her attention back to the fire, she continued, “I apologise if I gave you reason to think I felt that way. I hold no ill-will towards you, or any of our companions.”

Felix hesitated. “What about Alex?”

“That’s different,” Mia said, her voice lowering. “He did betray me, and the memory of our clan with what he did. I can only pray the gods will have mercy on him in the next life.”

They had searched fruitlessly for Alex in the chasm where Mt. Aleph had stood, after returning. The Wise One had told them he was atop the mountain at the time it sank, in the hopes of claiming some sort of ‘Golden Sun’ power. It had been his goal all along, and he had used them all to achieve it. Even Felix, despite never quite trusting him, had felt the sting of that betrayal. Nonetheless, there had been no sign of Alex, and with how violently the mountain had collapsed within itself, no mortal could have survived. They could only presume he was now dead.

“Why did you ask this, Felix?” Mia said, looking back to him again. Her blue eyes flickered, reflecting the crackling flames before her.

“I only...” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “You have seemed unhappy during this trip back. I... thought you would be happier to return home.”

Her face fell, and she did not speak right away.

“I thought that it was something I had said,” Felix continued, “or something about me, that was causing your unhappiness.”

“Forgive me,” Mia said, casting her eyes down. “I was occupied with my own thoughts, I missed the effect I was having on you.”

“It’s okay, I just...” He searched for the right words, and then chuckled. “I’m not the best at this sort of thing.”

“I think you’re better than you give yourself credit for,” she said, smiling. “Trust me, my mood of late has had nothing to do with you.”

She placed unusual emphasis on the word ‘nothing’ which Felix found odd.

“It was just...” Mia’s eyes lowered again. “My own feelings about coming home. About facing what has happened.”

Felix nodded, not answering. He felt it was best to give her space to continue, if she wished. After a moment, she did.

“I had a lot on my mind when I left,” Mia said slowly. “Everything happened so quickly. It started as a morning just like any other, and by the end of it I was away from my home with three people I barely knew, reeling from the betrayal of the only direct family member I had left, and the loss of my clan’s purpose. It was a lot of come to terms with, and perhaps I never fully did.”

Mia leaned away from the fire, and she turned her head towards the door. “A part of me was afraid to come back, I think. I guess... I felt like I had failed the people here.”

Felix said nothing.

She looked back to him. Her eyes were strained, uncertain, and vulnerable. “Does that make sense to you?”

He met her gaze. “Yeah. Like I said, feelings aren’t always rational.”

She gave a silent chuckle to that. “I wanted to go right to the town sanctum, and check on my two old apprentices. But I couldn’t bring myself to. So I suggested we come here instead.”

“Do you want to go there now?”

Mia hesitated. “Well... I suppose they would be cross if they found out I was back and had not visited them. All right! Let’s go.”

She smiled to him, and it was a lovely sight, but there was still an anxiousness to her eyes.

After putting on their still-damp travel clothes, and putting out the fire, Felix followed Mia to the heavy double-doors of Imil’s sanctum.

She hesitated, her gloved hand hovering over the wooden surface in a restrained knock, unable to bring herself to do it.

“Go ahead,” Felix gently urged her.

Mia looked to him, giving a curt nod, and then she knocked on the door.

They waited, and she shivered, either from the cold, her own nerves, or both.

“One moment!” came a young, feminine voice from inside, followed by hurried footsteps.

The doors swung inward, and a younger girl with fair hair emerged. “You’re allowed to just come in, you know, we don’t lock the...” She trailed off at the sight of Mia, her eyes going wide.

“Mia!” the girl cried, rushing forth and engulfing the Mercury Adept in a tight hug.

Felix watched Mia’s face, seeing her anxieties melt away at the embrace.

“Megan,” Mia said gently. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“When did you get back?” Megan asked her, pulling back and beaming.

“Just an hour or so ago,” Mia answered.

“I can’t believe it,” the girl said, all but bouncing on her feet. “After we heard you at the lighthouse, I knew your quest was over and you’d be back soon, but still...”

Felix remembered that. Atop Mars Lighthouse, after lighting the beacon, a temporary connection had been made between the other three towers. Their minds had been linked, for several moments, with Mia’s apprentices, as well as Ivan’s sister Hama.

“Justin!” Megan called into the sanctum. “Get out here! You won’t believe who it is!”

Moments later, another blonde-haired youth had emerged.

“Mia...?” Wide-eyed in surprise, his voice was cracked from the first deepening of puberty. He ran out to her, and as he hugged her too, Felix noticed he was nearly as tall as Mia herself.

Mia noticed this as well, as the next thing she said was, “Gods, you’ve grown so much!”

As Justin stepped back, standing beside his sister, the two exchanged glances.

“So,” Megan said, holding back a grin. “Who is your friend here?”

“Oh, this is Felix,” Mia said, stepping to the side to introduce him. “He’s a friend; he helped with the quest, and was nice enough to accompany me on my trip home.”

They had discussed this in advance, on their way there. The whole truth would come later, once Mia decided it was time to tell them.

Felix simply waved to them.

The two young Adepts traded glances again, and they were both holding back giggles like a dam about to burst.

“Felix is a friend,” Mia told them warningly. “That’s all.”

Realising why they were so amused, Felix quickly found somewhere else to look.

“Okay,” Megan reassured her, despite having a smile she was failing to hide with her hand.

“Mia, you got back at the perfect time!” Justin exclaimed suddenly. “The festival is happening tonight!”

Felix looked to Mia, seeing she didn’t seem surprised by this news.

“The winter solstice,” Mia explained for him. “At the end of each year we throw a celebration. It used to be a more religious practice, in the days when my clan was still prominent, but nowadays it’s mostly just a cause for folks to feast, drink, and exchange gifts.”

“There’s going to be a big celebration at the inn!” Megan said. “Everyone in town is going. You’ll be there too, right Mia?”

“I...” She shifted uncomfortably, but faced with the prospect of shooting down the hopes of the two excited kids before her, Mia had no choice. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

Megan clapped, grinning and jumping in excitement. “What about you, Mr. Felix?”

Felix frowned.

Truth be told, he hadn’t planned to stay that long.

Nearly an hour later, Felix found himself sitting at a wooden table beside Mia, with the two apprentices opposite of them. Four plates of steaming fresh roast and potatoes sat on the table waiting to be devoured.

“So Mia,” Megan said, “tell us all about your adventure. What happened after you left?”

“Gods, I could never cover it all in one sitting,” Mia replied, her eyes wide. “We traversed the length of Angara, then northern Gondowan... And after that we took to the seas. We saw so many places I never could have imagined.”

Megan and Justin waited with hushed awe.

“The lighthouses...” Mia hesitated, casting a quick glance at Felix beside her. “Well, that all didn’t go the way I expected.”

“Yeah what happened with that?” Justin asked, leaning intently forward on the table.

Felix quickly found something on his plate to focus on.

“It’s... complicated,” Mia told them. She took a deep breath. “The thing is... things changed by the end of my adventure. I realised that certain beliefs I once held were not as true as I had thought, and the world was a very different place than the one our ancestors had lived in. I had to accept certain things about myself that were hard to come to terms with.”

The apprentices’ excitement had been replaced with uncertain frowns.

“Mia?” Justin asked. “Are you... coming out to us?”

Mia’s cheeks were immediately burning red. “Wh-what? No!”

“It’s okay,” Megan reassured her. “You’re like a sister to us, Mia. We’ll understand, and we’ll love you no matter what.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Mia exclaimed. She took a moment to compose herself, and then continued, “I was referring to our clan’s long-held duty to protect Mercury Lighthouse and keep it from being lit.”

Justin nodded thoughtfully, his eyes turning just a bit sad. “That was why you left. To stop the other lighthouses from being lit as well?”

“It was,” Mia said, glancing around the inn, before hushing her voice nearly to a whisper. “I thought it was what I had to do, to prevent the world from ruin. But... I was wrong. Our people were wrong. Keeping the lighthouses sealed was bringing Weyard to a slow death.”

Megan and Justin exchanged frowns and glances.

“I, uh...” Mia struggled for the words. “I helped light the final lighthouse.”

“We figured something like that happened,” said Megan.

Mia blinked in surprise. “You did?”

“Yeah,” Justin answering, giving a slight smile. “That floating eyeball rock guy said something like it.”

“Specifically,” Megan said, with emphasis and a slight look of annoyance at her brother, “he told us that you ‘did what you had to do for the sake of Weyard’. I didn’t understand what he meant by that until we started hearing from travellers about the other lighthouses.”

Mia seemed both surprised and relieved. “Yes. It wasn’t an easy choice to make. In fact it was harder to do than anything else in my life. But in light of what we learned, I could not return home otherwise.”

The siblings nodded, and exchanged smiles.

“Mia, you taught us everything we know,” Justin told her. “You know we would stick by you, not matter what choices you made, right? We know you wouldn’t have done something like that unless you had a good reason to.”

“And I’m sure if Grandpa were here still, he would understand too,” Megan added.

She looked on the verge of tears. Her lips trembling, she managed a smile. “Thank you. That means so much to me, truly.”

Felix remained quiet, busying himself with his meal.

Though some part of him was happy for her, another piece of him was churning in uncomfortable feelings. And though such feelings were far from rare in Mia’s presence, this was different.

“Have you spoken of this to anyone else?” Mia asked them.

“No,” said Megan. “We didn’t know how any of the other villagers would react. So we thought it was best we wait and talk to you first.”

Mia nodded, and frowned. “A lot of the older villagers might not be so open-minded.”

“Yeah,” Justin said, grimacing. “There was already talk after you left. A lot of people had unpleasant things to say about Mercury Lighthouse being lit. Doesn’t stop them from drinking up Hermes’ Water every time they have a sore knee...”

“Justin,” Megan said pointedly. “That isn’t our way.”

“I know. But it isn’t fair. Mia did so much for them, and then they just...” He trailed off, catching the sharp look Megan was giving him, and then following her back to Mia’s eyes. “Sorry.”

Mia waved her hand. “It’s quite all right. I expected such things, after all. I only care for how the two of you feel; you’re my last living relatives now, and I couldn’t bear it if you shunned me. The rest of the village can think what they want.”

“For what its worth,” Megan added. “It was only a few that Justin was talking about. Most villagers were asking about you in your time away, and I’m sure will be happy to have you back.”

Mia smiled.

Felix thought of Vale, of his parents, Jenna, and the others. Though they had stuck by him, ultimately he knew he had no place in the people of Vale’s new home. He could not live his life surrounded by people who hated him. At first he’d thought that perhaps his close friends and family would be enough, but in time he started realising he had wanted to leave it all behind and start anew.

And yet, there had been bitterness. He hadn’t expected it, and indeed the reality had been what he’d been counting on, but some part of him had hoped for a conversation like this one on his return. It was hard not to feel a tinge of jealousy at Mia for what she had.

No, that isn’t fair, Felix thought. It was my choice to leave, just like it was her choice to come back.

As always, the truth of his feelings were a mystery to him. There were so many layers of emotion overlapping the reality of things, and it was simply too exhausting to sort through it all.

Mia turned to him then, catching his sight and stealing his breath with a radiant smile.

Caught off-guard, Felix returned the best smile he could, which managed to be little more than a strained grimace, before occupying his mouth with a forkful of potatoes.

Mia’s smile had faltered to something resembling a concerned frown.

She is where she belongs, Felix told himself. I escorted her back home, and she’s with her remaining family now. It’s best I leave it at that, and do what I was planning to do in the first place.

He remained silent as Mia wowed her two apprentices with stories of her travels.

With their lunch finished, Mia said her temporary goodbyes to the two youths.

“We’ll see you tonight at the celebration, right?” Justin asked once again.

“Of course,” said Mia, smiling gently. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

A few hugs were exchanged, and then Felix was back outside in the snowfall, following Mia back home.

The villagers of Imil were busy at work now that the sun was higher in the sky. Snow was being shovelled from paths even as more fell. Families were hanging decorations, including red banners and wreaths of evergreen on their doors. As they passed, many smiled and waved, and a few came over to Mia, expressing their joy that the healer had finally returned.

These interactions quieted as they approached the hill where Mia’s house sat.

“You’ve been very quiet,” Mia said to Felix suddenly.

He regarded her, wondering what to say. “It was your big reunion. I was giving you space.”

Mia gave him a searching look, frowning slightly. Did she not believe him?

“Well, I was glad to have you here,” she said to him. Her eyes softened with a warm smile. “Your encouragement gave me the conviction to face my worries, and see they were imagined. Thank you, Felix.”

“I didn’t do much,” he offered, but she shook her head.

“Just having you here helped,” Mia said.

As he often was with her, Felix was unsure what to say.

They arrived at the house once again, Mia moving to open the door for him. He hesitated.

“I should get a room at the inn,” Felix said. “I imagine you want your privacy.”

“Felix, please,” Mia said, as if gently chastising a child. “I insist. My home is welcome to you.”

He considered arguing the point. It was strange, after having spent several weeks on the road with her, with little more than tent wall between them as they slept, or a turned back as one bathed, but now it felt so odd to be sharing a space with her. Especially as she was the one inviting him in. But he knew that arguing against the point would only upset her, so he nodded and stepped inside.

They removed their snow-covered coats and boots, hanging them in the entrance hallway. Mia lit the fireplace once again, and she rose to her feet as the flames cracked to life, brushing back her ocean-blue hair, and half-turning to him with an inviting smile.

Once again, Felix felt his heart race and his breath falter.

He was no oblivious fool. Mia was a lovely young woman, and he had a distinct lack of experience with those. In his time in Vale, he had only really known Garet’s sister Kay, and that had only been for a few years, and before either of them were old enough for such things. After being taken to Prox, there had been no one; Menardi’s sister Karst, perhaps, if he would have dared risk the former’s wrath. And then after Venus Lighthouse when his journey had begun in earnest he had travelled with Jenna, his sister, and Sheba, a girl of fourteen.

Mia was the first attractive woman close to his age that he had been able to spend any considerable time with since childhood, so it was no wonder that her very presence tied his tongue.

He had noticed her early on: even during the meeting in Contigo, during the dire discussion of the fate of the world, he hadn’t been able to help but notice her during the few times she’d spoke. And then on the boat, during their frantic journey north, there had been a few times here and there that the two of them had crossed paths and such thought had wormed their way into his head. But there had been more pressing matters then, and he had set such ideas aside.

Now was a different story. It was hard to ignore her now, when she was shedding layers of winter clothes and revealing soft skin, and giving him those strange looks where her eyes seemed to sparkle with some mischievous intent. Had she picked that up from Garet? He hoped not.

“So,” Mia said, taking a seat on the couch by the fire, “how long do you plan to stay here before you return to Kalay?”

And there it was.

Felix sighed, moving to the same seat as before. There was no sense dancing around the truth; might as well just tell her.

“I’m not going back to Kalay,” he said.

Mia blinked in surprise. “You aren’t? Do you have some business somewhere else you have to attend to first?”

“No,” Felix said heavily, looking at the fire. “I just don’t plan to go back.”

“Then where will you go?”

“I don’t know yet. I was going to travel for a bit, see a few places I didn’t have time to check out during the adventure. Once I grow bored of that... find some remote place to settle down. Maybe a small farm, or a cave up in the mountains.”

Now, Mia was legitimately confused. “But... what about your family? And your friends?”

Felix kept his eyes on the fire. “They’ll be better off without me there.”

“After everything you went through to get your parents back?”

“I did what I did to free my parents, not to be with them. I’m happy they’re back where they belong, but the truth is that I always knew I couldn’t stay there with them.”

He knew Mia was staring at him in disbelief, but he kept his eyes on the fireplace.

This is better for you, as well. If the people of Imil found out who I was...

Finally, Mia said, “I think I understand.”

That surprised him. He’d expected her to be upset, to interrogate him, to try to change his mind...

Felix turned back to Mia. Now she was staring at the fire, with a sad look.

“You do?” he asked.

“I thought about doing the same,” Mia said. “I thought, after what happened, I didn’t belong anywhere. I wanted to just go somewhere and hide away from the world.”

“That’s not what I-” He stopped himself, because he knew it wasn’t true. That was exactly what he was doing.

“I’m not trying to compare our situations, Felix,” Mia said, turning back to him. “Our circumstances are very different. I only meant that I think I think I can relate. And I’m not calling you a coward. On the contrary, you’re perhaps the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

Felix lowered his eyes. “I just... It’s inevitable that word will spread of what happened. The world will change a lot in the next few decades. Isaac is ready to face that, to try to be a champion for Weyard. I don’t want that; I never did. I think I just want to find some quiet place to have some peace for the rest of my life.”

Mia considered, and for a moment she looked as though she was about to say something, but she bit her lip and kept quiet.

Felix searched for his next words. They never came. So to lighten the mood, he said to her, “Maybe in thirty years your kids can meet up with Isaac and my sister’s kids and have a big adventure of their own.”

Mia giggled. “Perhaps they will. If I have any.”

They laughed together for a moment, before growing quiet again. The only sound then was the gentle crackling of the fireplace. Felix looked to Mia, their eyes connecting. A long moment passed, and he could feel there was something she wanted to say.

Eventually, Mia let out a breath, and looked back at the fire once more.

“You never did answer my question, though,” she said.

“Hmm?”

Mia smirked. “How long will you be staying here?”

“Er,” Felix struggled.

Truth be told, he thought, I was going to leave tonight. But now...

“I’m not sure.” He settled for that.

“At least tonight, I hope?” Mia asked. “The winter festival is tonight, after all. It would be a shame to miss out on that after we managed to get here just in time for it.”

“I...” Felix hadn’t wanted to go to that. Large crowds and celebrations were not his favourite places to be. He still remembered with some dread the celebration in Izumo...

Still, Mia had such a hopeful look in her eyes that he could not say no.

Mia showed Felix to a spare bedroom she had, not explaining who it had once belonged to. Aside from some dust, it was still in pristine condition. He shook the blankets clean and then lay down for a short nap, the fatigue of the morning’s travels finally catching up with him.

Mia woke him hours later, after the sun had set, blinking sleepily and yawning herself. They pulled on their cloaks and boots, and stepped outside once more into the cold.

Imil was a very different village as they emerged. There were lights everywhere: several bonfires and hundreds of candles hanging from porches, walls, and trees illuminated the town, leaving it looking like gathered fireflies in the night. The streets were bustling with people, most either making their way in or out of the inn, or gathered around in circles of conversation. A number of benches and long wooden tables had been placed around the inn, and many villagers were seated with plates of steaming hot food, or mugs of frothy drink.

Felix found himself faltering as they drew closer, seeing a crowd of unfamiliar faces and the growing hum of indistinguishable conversation. Mia noticed this, turning back and smiling.

Her small hand found his, giving a reassuring squeeze, and she guided him into the inn. Somehow, that made it easier.

Inside the inn, the noise was louder, as the villagers were crammed within the wooden walls of the building, their voices echoing off one another. A long aisle of food had been set up, and villagers were taking plates and helping themselves, even as the chefs on the other side were busy preparing more to replace it.

Noticing Felix’s confusion, Mia leaned close and explained, “It’s a buffet. You help yourself to whatever you want.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Felix replied. “Even the celebrations in Vale didn’t have this much food.”

“I haven’t seen one this big either,” said Mia. As she helped herself to a bundle of grapes, she said, “I guess this was a fruitful year!”

I can only imagine what led to the sudden plenitude, Felix thought.

Once they had their food, Mia led Felix back outside, where he felt less like drowning. After a short, she managed to spot two small yellow heads, and she all but dragged Felix over to them.

“You made it!” Justin exclaimed, grinning.

“I told you we would!” Mia answered.

“Yeah, I just...” he shifted uncomfortably. “I guess I’m still not used to you being back.”

They found their seats. Felix was not as hungry as most of the folks around him seemed to be, perhaps the result of having eaten already only a few hours ago. He poked at his food, and listened to what the three people around him were saying, to tune out the noise of everyone else.

Not too far from them, on a raised wooden platform, a few villagers were busy setting musical instruments up.

“This is even more than I expected,” Mia said. “I’m glad we got here in time for it.”

“The mayor went all out,” Megan said. “After that early winter scare, it was like a second spring came. Suddenly everything was growing, and there was so much game in the woods outside. So after how tough the winter two years ago was, everyone wanted to have a big celebration.”

Two years ago, Felix thought. That would have been the winter when we lit the lighthouse. Alex mentioned there was a seasonal flu that went around.

“We’re finally old enough to stay out after kid bed time,” Justin said proudly. “Still got a few more years before we can drink though.”

Mia was beaming, looking around the celebration with joy. Felix figured she must have been feeling proud to see the town doing so well. From what little he had gathered from Alex, Imil had struggled all of his (and by extension, Mia’s) life.

“So like,” Justin said, looking to Felix, “do you talk? Are you mute?”

“Justin!” Megan exclaimed, smacking the boy on the shoulder. “Don’t be rude!”

Felix considered. Rather than verbally answer, he shook his head, then pointed to his throat and then made a pantomime cutting motion with the butter knife he was using to eat.

Justin was mortified. “Oh gods. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

“I’m messing with you,” Felix told him.

Justin’s eyes went as wide as saucers. Then his shock gave way to a massive grin. “Ohoho! Wow! You got me!”

Mia stared in surprise, then she broke out in a fit of giggles.

“What?” Felix asked her.

“I just never thought you had it in you,” she said, modestly covering her mouth with her hand. “I would have expected something like that from Garet.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Felix told her.

“You sure are,” she said, her lips curling into a smile. And there it was: that look again.

Felix noticed the two apprentices were holding back giggles. “What?”

“Nothing,” Megan said, restraining her laughter like a dam about to burst.

“Don’t let us interrupt,” Justin added.

Mia’s cheeks burned red, and she quickly looked away.

Some time later, the villager band was ready to start. They made their way to their humble stage; the instruments comprised of a steel guitar, a bass guitar, a pan flute, a harp, and drums. They started playing upbeat folksy music, and many of the villagers began to dance.

Mia gave Felix a look, and he shook his head.

They continued to eat, alternating between Mia telling her apprentices stories of her adventures across Weyard, and the less exciting stories of what had happened in Imil in her absence.

“...the entire town was flooded, or so it seemed! It turned out to be these monsters that were spewing up disgusting spit,” Mia said.

“Ew!” Megan exclaimed.

“What?!” said Justin, excited.

“I have no idea how they were doing it,” Mia continued. “But they were continuously producing this stuff, and we needed to get through the mines. So we had to fight the monsters, and each time we killed on, the water levels would fall a bit.”

Felix listened intently. Isaac had never told him this.

“Inside the mines we figured out that the monsters were actually statues that had come to life! So we needed to find the last one, and we were searching around in those dark tunnels for hours. We were tired and exhausted and we were on the verge of giving up. There was one last tunnel that Isaac wanted to try.”

“And was the monster at the end of it?” Justin asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Mia said, her eyes twinkling. “We made our way down that extremely long, winding tunnel, and at the end all we found was a single support column. And a sign saying not to touch it.”

“What happened next?” Megan asked, unable to hide her own interest.

“Well, Garet got angry that we had wasted our time and he kicked it,” Mia said, holding back a grin. “The mines started shaking and we ran back the way we came before they fell down on our heads.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Sounds like Garet.”

“We eventually found the last monster farther underground, in some old ruins,” Mia finished. “I still have no idea what those things were, or why they were spewing up water constantly.”

“What a crazy story,” Megan said. “If it didn’t come from you, Mia, I’d never believe it!”

“What about you, Felix?” Justin asked suddenly. “Did anything like that happen on your adventure?”

Felix frowned, thinking. The sounds of the village alive with celebration around him did bring one memory to mind.

“Perhaps it’s not as strange as some of Mia’s stories,” he told them, “but there was the time we got a dragon drunk on sake and then fought and defeated it.”

The apprentices’ eyes lit up, and they immediately demanded he tell them. Mia considered something for a moment, and then she quietly excused herself, as Felix told the two youths the story.

“Well, the dragon was going to eat Kushinada, the fiancée of Izumo’s prince,” Felix started.

“What’s Izumo?” Justin asked.

“It’s an island nation to the east,” Felix explained. “The serpent had it’s nest in Gaia Rock, which the Izumo people called Mt. Mikage.”

“Gaia Rock?” Justin interrupted again. “Mt. Mikage?”

“It’s uh...” Felix wondered how to possibly sum up the elemental rocks. “A mountain we needed to go to. Anyway...”

Several minutes later, Mia returned with two mugs in hand. As she slid back into the bench, she passed one over to Felix.

“...even though we weakened it, Susa dealt the final blow,” Felix told them. “He jumped up and drove the Cloud Brand into the serpent’s head.”

Though he didn’t think he told the story very well, the kids still seemed excited. They grinned, and Justin asked, “What happened after that?”

“Well,” Felix said, thinking for a moment. “Susa and Kushinada were married, and they told us their future son would owe us a debt. That if we were ever in trouble, he would rush to help us.”

“What if they have a daughter?” Megan asked cleverly, as if she had figured out the solution to a riddle.

“Well, I guess they’ll have to keep having kids until they have a son,” Felix guessed.

“Sounds exhausting,” Megan grimaced.

Felix took note of the mug in front of him. Unlike some of the ones he had seen, this one was not frothing, but contained a clear, golden drink. “What’s this?”

“Mead,” Mia answered, smirking as she took a sip from hers. “Try it, it’s delicious.”

“Not fair!” Justin protested, crossing his arms in youthful indignation.

“There’s wine, beer, and ale, too,” Mia told him. “But I got mead because it’s my favourite. I love how sweet it is.”

Felix hesitated. He’d never had any alcohol before. He’d been too young in Vale, and In Prox, the warrior caste had strict rules against any substance that could feeble the mind or body. That spartan mindset had carried over to his travels, where he had had many opportunities to drink at inns and had refused them all, feeling that such things would only weaken him and distract from his task.

It was hard to let go of old habits.

“You don’t have to,” Mia said reassuringly. “I’m just trying to get you to loosen up a bit. If you don’t want it, I understand.”

“No, it’s okay,” he said, with a small smile to reassure her. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Felix took a sip of the yellow liquid and he grimaced as soon as it hit his tongue.

“Gah,” he groaned. “People drink this stuff? For fun?”

Mia giggled, clearly anticipating his reaction. She sipped some more of hers, savouring the taste. “My father used to let me have a bit during these celebrations. Just a sip, of course. It’s nostalgic; it can only be made during the summer when the flowers bloom and bees produce honey, so having it tonight is a sign of what came earlier in the year, and what we have to look forward to next.”

Only moments after taking that first sip, Felix felt the first effects hit him; a strange sort of pleasant light-headedness that was like nothing he’d ever felt before. He considered Mia’s words, and had another, finding it tasted better the second time.

He then caught sight of Megan whispering something in Justin’s ear. The boy was holding back a laugh, and he nodded slightly to whatever it was his sister said.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” the two apprentices replied in unison.

Felix looked to Mia for an explanation, but she looked just as confused as him.

Some time passed, Felix eventually finishing his food and taking measured sips of his mead while Mia told the siblings more stories. After he finally finished his glass, Mia asked if he wanted more.

For some insane reason he couldn’t understand, he said yes.

After Mia stepped away to get refills, Megan scarfed down the rest of the - now surely-cold - food on her plate, and said to her brother, “Let’s go get more, Justin.”

“Yeah, I’m still hungry,” Justin said in a weird voice, as if he was announcing it.

Felix wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol in his brain, but he felt there was something very strange about how those two got up and left.

Before long Mia returned with more mead. She looked around, confused, as she sat beside Felix. “Where are Megan and Justin?”

“They went to get more food,” Felix said. “I think.”

Mia shrugged, handing Felix his glass and taking a sip from hers.

More time passed, as Felix and Mia spoke, surrounded by the music and sounds of the celebration. They were halfway through their drinks before they decided that the apprentices were not coming back.

“Weird,” Felix muttered. “I wonder why they left like that.”

“Yeah,” Mia said. “It’s not like them.”

“I think,” Felix said, “that they might have been trying to give us privacy.”

“Huh,” Mia said in a very flat voice. “Yeah that’s weird.”

“They kept giggling at us.”

“I couldn’t imagine what gave them that idea.” Mia took a long drink of her mead to hide the blush on her cheeks.

A long awkward moment passed with neither of them speaking. Felix and Mia took drinks at the same time, emptying both of their glasses.

Mia broke the silence, moving to rise. “I’m going to get more. I don’t know if you want to, but-”

“Actually,” Felix said. “I was thinking we could try something else? Not that the mead isn’t good. But if we’re drinking, I guess I might as well try some more new things tonight.”

“Okay,” Mia said, perking up. She tapped a finger on her chin, thinking. “How about wine? I’d rather not have beer or ale, I’ve never liked the mouldy bread taste. And there’s a nice bottle of red the innkeeper has that I’ve had my eye on tonight.”

“A whole bottle?” Felix asked. If this was how he felt from two glasses, what would an entire bottle do?

“I’m game if you are,” Mia said, smirking mischievously. “Here, come with me, stretch your legs!” She took his hand, pulling him from the bench.

Unable to refuse the demand, Felix climbed to his feet, swaying a bit as he did. Mia giggled at the sight; it would seem the alcohol was starting to get to her too.

Felix found that the drinks had numbed his anxiety; as he followed Mia through the crowd of villagers back to the inn, he wasn’t bothered nearly as much by the noise or the crowd. Actually, now that he noticed, there were fewer people out; most of the kids and many of the adults had gone to bed at this point.

How long have we been out?

Mia led him into the inn, where the bearded innkeeper gave an amused grin at the sight of the two of them.

“Back again? You’re making the most of your time back I see.”

“No mead this time, Paul,” Mia said, grinning. She pointed at a red bottle on the shelf behind him, her hand swaying a bit in the process. “We’ll take that one there.”

“You got it,” the innkeeper said, moving to grab the bottle. As he handed it back to Mia, he said, “This one is on me. As thanks for all you and your family have done for us.”

“Oh, I can’t just take this!” Mia protested,

“Please,” the innkeeper insisted. “Go have fun!”

“Thank you so much!” She turned to Felix, beaming, and took his free hand. “Let’s go!”

They emerged from the inn, passing by the stage where the band was still playing. A more lively song had just started, one Felix thought he recognised from his short stay in Tolbi. Mia turned to him, overjoyed.

“Felix, let’s dance!”

“Mia,” he protested, “I don’t know how.”

“Who cares?” She placed the bottle of wine on the ground, half-burying it within snow. “I don’t either!”

She was giggling as she pulled him in, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he allowed her, mimicking her movements and she moved her arms and hips in time with the music. He knew he was a poor sight, and being drunk couldn’t have helped, but somehow in the moment he was having enough fun that he didn’t care.

Once she song ended, Mia met his gaze, breathing heavily from the exertion, her cheeks flushed.

“Never make me do that again,” Felix told her.

“You want to know a secret?” Mia asked. She looked around conspiratorially, and then leaned over and whispered, “No one here knows how to dance.”

She retrieved the bottle of wine and they returned to their spot at the bench. There were even fewer people around now, leaving them in relative privacy.

Mia looked at the mouth of the bottle, and then groaned. “Oh no. I forgot to ask Paul to take the cork out. Wait here, I’ll be back.”

Felix caught her by the shoulder before she could get up. “One second, let me try something.”

Despite being tipsy, Felix was able to focus his Psynergy on the stopper wedged into the mouth of the bottle. He reshaped it, narrowing it enough that he could pull it free.

Mia watched this, wide-eyed.

“That was nothing,” Felix told her. “It’s still made of wood, after all.”

“I think for that you deserve the first taste,” Mia said, over-dramatically handing the bottle to him.

Felix looked at the bottle, seeing an image of a strawberry on the label, along with the year it was bottled, and the name of the orchard near Kalay that it had come from. Bringing it up and taking a sip, he found it did indeed taste like strawberries, along with a number of other flavours he did not have the words to describe, not all pleasant.

Still, he was drunk enough by now that he did not gag. “Huh. That’s... different.”

Mia took the bottle from him and took a long drink. She swallowed, licked her lips, and smiled. “Very good.”

As she handed the bottle back to him, she said, “There’s a whole process to wine tasting that fancy rich people have. You’re supposed to let it breathe and take whiffs of the fumes or something. I don’t know, if always seemed so silly.”

“I bet Ivan could tell us all about it,” Felix said, pulling the bottle back and having more.

Either the wine was stronger than the mead, he was drinking it faster, or it was all hitting him by now, because the entire world felt like it was spinning around him. Felix passed the bottle to Mia, sat back in the bench, and watched the bonfire before him, still going in spite of the snow falling gently onto it.

The music in the air was nice, and the presence of people around him was that of others having fun. As Felix looked over at the girl beside him, he again was reminded of how beautiful she was when she brought the bottle down and licked her lips, giving him a warm smile.

This was nice.

The festival had wound down by the time Felix and Mia decided to go home. They walked through the streets of Imil, with what remained of their wine splashing around in the bottle as Mia carried it, passing now the leftovers of now-extinguished fires and candles, having been left to clean up tomorrow.

They stopped to have a brief snowball fight, laughing and giggling like children, before making their way up the hill to Mia’s house. Felix slipped halfway up, and when Mia tried to catch him she fell too, and they both ended up sliding down to the bottom.

“The wine?” Felix asked her.

She held up the bottle, inspecting the red contents. “All good!”

They made a second attempt, and this one was successful.

Mia opened the door for him, finishing her story, “...and when we got off, Garet said: ‘I’m never having seafood again’!”

Felix laughed, finding the story much funnier than he was sure he would have normally. He took one step onto the polished wooden floor, before his snow-covered boots made him lose balance once again.

He half-fell onto Mia, pushing her back against the wall of the narrow hallway.

Suddenly, there was no laughter.

Her face was mere inches from his, as he held himself upright with his hands braced against the wall. He looked from her eyes to her cheeks, which were flushed red (from the cold, surely), and then to her lips. He could feel her breath on his own lips, and on it smell the sweet strawberry and honey from the drinks they had shared.

Felix’s heart was pounding, his head spinning, his knees weak. A part of him was screaming to him: Do it now, this is the perfect moment! Mia was similarly frozen in place, eyes wide, blushing and waiting in anticipation.

Waiting for him to make his move.

Felix could almost allow himself to move on autopilot, lowering himself those few extra inches until their lips met.

He did not.

The moment passed, and Felix muttered a quiet, “Sorry,” under his breath as he steadied himself and stepped away.

Mia said nothing as she closed the door behind her, then shed her snow-covered clothes and hung them on the wall.

Felix waited until she was gone, and then did the same, before joining her in the living room.

He expected her to have started another fire, instead finding her sitting dejected on the couch.

“Mia...” he said softly.

“Felix,” she said, not looking up at him, “why did you offer to travel with me back here?”

He didn’t answer at first. The truth was that he wasn’t entirely sure himself. Looking back, it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Perhaps it had been pity; not wanting her to make the journey alone. Perhaps it had been a misplaced sense of continuing the adventure; trying to go on one last little trip before he parted ways with everyone and began his exile. Perhaps he had simply wanted to spend more time with this beautiful woman who had caught his attention so easily, and all those other reasons he had turned over in his mind were simply rationalisations.

“I just... I felt like it,” he said simply. “I don’t always understand why I do the things I do. It was just something I wanted to do.”

She looked up a bit, and Felix saw her eyes were holding back tears. “Do you like me, Felix?”

“What?” he asked. “What would make you think I don’t?”

Mia bit her lip, looking off to the side. “I don’t know. I have a hard time reading you. You aren’t like anyone else I’ve ever known. One minute I feel I know what you’re thinking, and the next you do the complete opposite of what I expected.”

“Because of... that? In the hallway just now?”

“Not just that. There’s more. The thing is that... when you offered to go with me I thought it was... because you wanted to get to know me better. And then you just kept me at arm’s reach. Even now, I feel like you’re still doing it, even after everything that’s happened.”

“Mia...” He stood akwardly in the middle of the living room, feeling unsure of what he should do. “I just... don’t want you to be hurt.”

She finally met his eyes. “Hurt? Because you’re leaving?”

He sighed. “It’s better this way.”

Mia wiped her eyes, and she set her lips in a firm line. “Felix. I’m going to be honest and forthcoming with you. I don’t want you to go.”

He didn’t say anything.

“I like you,” she said. “I really do. And I would like to have the chance to know you better.”

He felt like his gut was twisting. Why?

“How do you feel about me?” Mia asked. “Please, be completely honest. Don’t worry about how I’ll feel.”

“How I feel about you? Honestly?” Felix’s heart was pounding again. “You’re amazing. You’re kind and gentle, patient, caring... You’ve intrigued me since the moment I first met you. You say I’m always surprising you, but I could have never imagined I’d see the side of you I saw tonight. And I...”

Damn it.

“I wanted to kiss you back there. I didn’t because I’m afraid. I don’t want to leave here full of regrets.”

Felix knew the alcohol fogging his brain was the only reason he had so readily admitted all that. In a sense, it was frightening, because he knew that now he could never unsay those things. But he also felt relieved that it was no longer churning inside him, bringing him pain.

Instead, something else was.

“And right now... what I really need is to use your bathroom.”

Mia’s thoughtful frown was suddenly replaced with a surprised blink. She sat up, and pointed down the hallway.

Felix ran off.

When he returned several minutes later, having emptied both his bladder and stomach, Mia was waiting with a glass of clear water.

“Here,” she said, handing it to him. “It will help with the headache tomorrow.”

She watched as he downed the entire glass, her lips curling into a small smile.

Then, they went back to the fireplace, where Mia had finally lit a fire.

Felix sat down, and sighed. Mia still had the rest of the bottle of wine. She offered it to him, he shook his head, and then she finished it and set it aside.

“For what it’s worth,” Mia said to him, “I had no ulterior motives tonight. The only thing I was trying to do was get you to come with me to have fun at the festival. Everything else just... happened on its own.”

“I know,” he said.

“So...” Mia searched. “Now what?”

“I don’t know,” said Felix, looking up to meet her stare. “I don’t know what I want to do now.”

Perhaps it was the catharsis of having finally said what he had wanted to say. Perhaps it was relief of having expelled the poison from his body. But Felix felt so much better, and as he stared into Mia’s eyes, he also felt something within himself that he had denied for too long.

“No,” he said to her. “That isn’t true. I know exactly what I want.”

Felix moved towards her, and her eyes widened in surprise as he pulled her in and kissed her. Her lips still had the strawberry taste of the last sip of wine on her soft lips, and Felix savoured it, closing his eyes and appreciating every small detail of the sensation.

Mia let out a soft, content moan, closing her eyes too and melting into the kiss.

She was breathless when he pulled away.

It was nice, Felix thought. He didn’t know what he was doing, but perhaps she understood that.

“Was that okay?” he asked her.

“Only if you keep going,” Mia said, separating the distance between the two of them.

They kissed again.

When morning arrived, Mia was awakened by the sound of someone knocking on her door.

She drew herself up from her bed, groaning at the dull throbbing ache in her skull. Tossing on a bathrobe, she made her way to the front door to see who it was.

Nobody was there when she opened the door, only the empty snowfield of the hill.

“Hello...?” she called out to no reply. “Weird.”

Mia went to close the door, as she was shivering in the cold, and it was then she saw the note taped to the door.

“Hope you two had a great time last night~!

-Justin and Megan.”

“I’m going to kill those brats,” Mia muttered, going back inside.

Felix had stirred awake when she returned to her bedroom. His long brown hair was pulled free and sitting loose around his bare shoulders, just visible over the edge of the blanket. The window beside her bed was a portal to a cold world of snow, but it was warm there.

“What was that?” Felix asked her sleepily.

“Nothing important,” Mia said, tossing the note on her dresser. She climbed back under the blanket, drawing close to him and giving him a kiss on the shoulder, before resting her head there. “Let’s stay here for a while. When we get up, I’ve got hot chocolate we can make.”

“Sounds good,” Felix said, smiling. Shivering under the blankets, he slid closer to her warm body.

There was no rush to get up, after all. He wasn’t going anywhere.