Archive of Our Own

Fors was nervous facing the silver mirror in front of her. She made the preparations in advance, closing the curtains and lighting a couple of candles. The room was dark, lit only by the flickering light of the melting wax.

Fors had even called Xio to her room to help. Mr. World had informed her that for the ritual she would need a bystander. There was only one choice she had in mind: Xio. 

Xio was her closest friend and the person she had spent the most time with. When Mr. World had mentioned that this mysterious existence would surely cause ‘social death” she wanted to scoff. 

Xio was an extension of herself. There was almost nothing in this world she didn’t share with her. Her aspirations, her food, her money, even her room. 

Although there was one thing…Fors could only pray that the mirror wouldn’t question her about that . 

Fors brought her hand up to her chest, lightly clutching the fabric to calm herself. 

Surely not… She thought to herself nervously. 

Xio cocked her head in confusion. “Are you okay?” She asked gently. 

“Yeah, it's fine. This is just such a pain” Fors responded with a heavy sigh.

“Come on Fors! It's just a couple of questions. What's the worst that could happen?”

You don’t know the half of it… Fors silently sighed. 

“I wish I could go eat some good food instead…I have to work after this too. My life is too hard, why can’t I just relax” 

“But think about the alternative…You don’t want to incur the wrath of Gehrman Sparrow do you?” 

They both shivered in fear of that cold and crazy pirate. Every week he somehow killed another slew of Sequence 5 Beyonders, Fors could only imagine what he would do to her if she refused. 

“You’re right, that man scares me,” Fors said before she paused and glanced at Xio. 

Fors was immediately surprised by the look on her best friend’s. Her face was pale as she quickly brought her finger up to her lips. 

“Shhhhhh, he might be able to hear you. Oh god, we’re going to die. ” 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, once we finish the ritual he’ll forgive us,” Fors responded quickly. Fors was utterly terrified of Gehrman Sparrow. 

“Hmmmmm…” Xio hummed to herself and tapped the end of her silver rapier rhythmically. 

“You never did tell me what this ritual is? Is it to Mr. Fool?”

“Mr. World didn’t tell me. He just gave me this symbol and told me to ask about a certain potion ingredient”

“For his next sequence?”

“I think so”

“Did he mention anything else?” Xio asked casually.

Fors paused for a second and thought. 

Should I tell her about the ‘social death’ mentioned by Gehrman Sparrow? Surely it won’t be important…

Fors calmed herself again by taking a deep breath in and out. The mirror could ask her any questions, other than anything regarding… that . 

Fors looked down at her feet and frowned. She bit her lip nervously. It was a bad habit of hers. Xio would always tell her to stop and that she would ruin her good image as a joke. 

Warm hands suddenly placed themselves on either side of her head and redirected her gaze upwards. Xio was looking up at her with a worried look. 

Her eyelashes were light and long and fluttered on her face when she blinked. Her eyes were wide and green like two gems. Her lips looked so soft– 

Her hair was golden like the sun and was cut in a messy pixie cut. There was a perpetual cowlick sticking out from her head (Fors and Xio had tried again and again to brush it down, but to no avail). 

Fors knew how that hair felt in her hands, soft and comforting on her worn hands. She knew all of Xio’s little habits, like how she would stand with one hand on her hip. The way she would compulsively tap on the silver hilt of her rapier while deep in thought. 

Fors wanted to look away, but the thing was: 

Xio was pretty. Really pretty. 

Xio was short, she was hot-tempered, and she wasn’t lady-like. But Fors couldn’t help the way she reacted around her. 

Fors breath froze in her chest and her heart began to beat uncontrollably in her chest. She could feel her face heating up by the second. 

“You need to stop biting your lip! Fors! We’ve talked about this, you can’t ruin your beautiful face. You’re a novelist!” 

God…she needs to watch her words...beautiful huh? Fors nervously thought as her face got impossibly redder. 

“But I don’t even show my face.” Fors mumbled in response.

“That’s no excuse!” Xio scolded before pausing to intensely look at Fors’s face. 

“Are you okay? Your face is red.” She commented, her tone suddenly filled with worry. Xio moved her hands back to her sides. Fors only had a moment to lament the absence of heat before Xio lifted her hands once again and placed the back of it on Fors’s forehead. 

“You don’t have a fever…strange…” 

Gods above…help me… 

“I’m okay Xio.” Fors choked out.

“Really? You don’t sound good either…Do you want me to make you some tea?” Xio asked innocently.

Fors waved her hands frantically in front of her. “No, it’s okay, but, really, thanks for worrying about me. I promise I’m trying to stop biting my lip! It’s harder than it looks!” 

“Sure, sure,” Xio said in clear judgment while raising one eyebrow. 

“Oh put that eyebrow down” Fors replied.

Xio said nothing and wiggled her eyebrow in defiance.

Fors felt that familiar warmth in her chest, but she suppressed it yet again. She couldn’t….

But still…beautiful…beautiful…she thinks I’m beautiful Fors replayed Xio’s words over and again in the confines of her mind. 

Fors turned away from Xio. She covered her face with one hand as she smiled softly to herself. 

There was a hint of sadness in that smile of hers. While Fors could never tell her best friend about… everything …she could at least silently enjoy these little moments. 

That was enough. It had to be. 

“Okay okay, we need to start the ritual else Gehrm- Mr. World may strike us down.” 

Xio nodded in silent agreement, putting her hand on her hip in waiting. 

Fors walked up to the mirror she had prepared and inscribed the symbol Mr. World had given her. 

Suddenly a cold wind rushed into their room, chilling Fors down to the bone. She glanced around searching for the source, but couldn’t find any open windows. 

That meant the only option was the mirror. Fors trembled in the cold air, as did Xio beside her. 

Abruptly the surface of the mirror rippled as if the surface had suddenly become liquid. Dark red Feysac text appeared on the reflective metal. 

“You have summoned the great Arrodes. You have to abide by the corresponding rules:

“You have to answer a question for every question asked. If you lie or refuse to answer, you will be punished.”

“Alright,” Fors, who had been warned, calmly replied.

Following that, she asked curiously, “Where can one obtain the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker potion?”

On the surface of the mirror, dark red words appeared one after another as other lines vanished. They answered the question in detail:

Fors didn’t understand all of it and hoped that Gehrman Sparrow would be able to glean something useful from all of the information. 

Fors fidgeted with her scarf as she nervously announced “It’s your turn to ask” 

She heard Xio shuffle next to her. She was probably confused, Fors forgot to tell her about the peculiar question-and-answer game posed by the mirror. 

The dark red letters disappeared and new ones replaced it. 

“Have you had an erotic dream in the past year?”

Fors heaved a sigh of relief. 

“Yes,” she replied unabashedly. 

This was human nature. She didn’t feel that there was anything to be ashamed of. 

Now for the second question.

Fors steadied herself and posed another question. 

“Do you have any suggestions on the matter regarding obtaining the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker?”

Arrodes dispersed the dark red text and used silver colors to form new words:

“The Abraham family still holds the Apprentice pathway’s Sequence 2 Planeswalker potion formula, as well as the corresponding powerful Sealed Artifacts. A total of two of them.

“The Aurora Order also has one.”

The Abraham family? Hmmm…that’s interesting…I wonder what Mr. World will do. Sequence 2…That’s above my power level. 

Fors sighed quietly to herself …maybe one day

“Is that so…” Fors frowned slightly and said, “It’s your turn to ask a question.”

The silver color on the surface of the mirror faded away as dark red colors formed a sentence:

“Other than you, who else was the star of your erotic dream?”

Fors gaped as her face flushed red.

Suddenly it was as if the world had come to a standstill. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and her body stiffened. 

She couldn’t answer this question. No, no, no. Not here. Not in front of her . 

Fors didn’t dare turn her head and see Xio’s face. How would she react? Would she be ashamed and embarrassed? Would she be angry? Would she feel betrayed? Numerous outcomes overloaded Fors’s brain. 

Her vision was swimming, rippling right in front of her like the surface of that mirror. She couldn’t wait any longer to respond. Xio would become suspicious, no– Xio would be worried. 

Fors closed her eyes and remembered Mr. World’s words. This didn’t have to end in a destroyed friendship, just pain and a pile of ruined hair and clothes. 

It was worth it a thousand times over. 

And with a sigh Fors’ responded, her voice miraculously steady. “I choose to accept the punishment.”

In the blink of an eye, a silvery-white bolt of lightning appeared and snaked its way down towards Fors. But as soon as it appeared, it was gone, as if it were a hallucination. 

Fors braced herself for the lightning bolt, but to her surprise after a couple of seconds of waiting, nothing happened.

Huh, wasn’t there supposed to be a punishment?

The dark red words on the surface of the mirror were dyed silver as they were quickly replaced with new content:

“The question and answer game will end here today. Goodbye!”

Her eyes were still tightly closed in a vain attempt to avoid the aftermath. 

Behind her closed eyes, she could see the light from the mirror rapidly dissipate until the entire room was plunged into darkness, only interrupted by the quiet light of the candles. Fors didn’t pay much mind to the mirror and was still reeling from the question she was asked. 

She gently opened her eyes, keeping them trained on the now-dark mirror. Fors was still confused about the state of the punishment. Perhaps the punishment wasn’t immediate! Maybe a curse had just been placed upon her!

Xio broke the silence by explaining “There was lightning that smote at you, but it disappeared halfway. Also, the magic mirror had already left.” She pointed to the top of Fors's head while speaking.

“…The magic mirror was only joking? That’s not right. The warning I received was that the questions would be rather embarrassing, and the punishments would be rather heavy… Could it be that Mr. Fool protected me?” Fors rubbed her right cheek as she made a guess.

“Perhaps.” Xio nodded in agreement with her friend.

Just as Fors heaved a sigh of relief and rejoiced, she suddenly realized that Xio was looking at her earnestly. 

Her body immediately stiffened. She had foolishly believed that the danger was over. 

Oh how wrong she was.

“W-what's the matter?” Fors’s heart skipped a beat. 

Xio asked thoughtfully, “In that erotic dream of yours, who was the main lead?”

Fors’s mind began to run at a thousand miles an hour, desperately going through excuse after excuse. Xio was her best friend, her other half, there was practically nothing she didn’t tell her. Surely Xio would know if she lied.

Who could she even say? Gehrman? Fors’s shivered at the thought. Absolutely not, he’s too scary. The Fool? He was the most important man in her heart sure, but not in the romantic sense. She was simply thankful to him for saving her life. 

Xio would know either way. She would have spoken to her earlier if there was truly a man she liked. 

The real problem was the person she liked wasn’t a man . 

The woman she was in love with was right next to her, staring up at her with curious green eyes. 

Fors paused for a couple of seconds before she spat out a half-assed excuse. 

“…Haha, who would remember such a dream from so long ago? Besides, aren’t dreams blurry and unclear?” Fors forced a smile.

Xio tersely acknowledged.

“If that’s the case, why didn’t you answer with that just now?” She again raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t push any further. Fors noticed that Xio was acting differently than usual. Her words were a little less spirited.  

“…I was nervous. I was too nervous.” Fors averted her eyes away from Xio in anxiousness. She was afraid if she looked at her too long her face would turn an even brighter shade of red. 

Xio had to see right through her . I was too nervous’ What a lie. Fors knew it and surely Xio did too. They had spent far too much time together to be fooled by such a foolhardy lie

Sometimes Fors wanted courage. She was lazy and casual most of the time and she loved her current life. Sure there were obstacles here and there, but in the end what did it matter? She was happy.

But still, she wished that maybe someday in the far future, she would confess. It wasn’t realistic, Fors knew that, but she still dared to dream. 

Fors glanced at the luggage that she had finished packing and hastily said, “It’s time for us to move. I miss having a fireplace!” 

It was a clear ploy to change the subject. Even someone unfamiliar with their situation could have noticed. Fors’s eyes flickered around the room as if searching for something. 

In truth, she just was afraid. If anything about that came out…she didn’t know if she could look at Xio again. 

“Fors…?” Xio questioned quietly.

It was at that moment Fors realized that if Xio was a boy, then this atmosphere, with dark and flickering candles, would be romantic. 

If Xio was a boy she could lean in right now, run her hands through Xio’s soft hair, and kiss her. She would kiss her ever so gently under the orange glow of the melting candles. Fors wanted that more than she had wanted anything in her life. But instead, she tightened her hands into fists, hiding them with the long sleeves of her dress and scarf. 

“Please don’t ask…” Fors responded genuinely, looking deep into Xio’s worried eyes. 

Xio looked up at her with raised eyebrows and a frown, but simply nodded in silent agreement. 

It was quiet in the room for a while. Neither Fors nor Xio moved, they simply basked in each other’s company, listening to the sound of each other’s breathing. 

Suddenly, Fors heard the shuffling of cloth. 

Xio. 

Then she saw a shadow approach the candles and with a puff of air, blow them out, plunging the room into complete darkness, except for the crimson light of the moon.

 Then she felt a warm hand gently grasp hers. 

“Xio?” She asked quietly in the darkness. 

“C’mere” Was all she said. It was simple and in ordinary circumstances, it wouldn’t make her feel comforted. But that voice, that inflection, was so purely and utterly Xio . It couldn’t be anyone else grasping her hand like an anchor holding her down to earth. It filled her chest with a bundle of emotions she didn’t know how to discern. 

Xio guided her to the couch, where she leaned lightly on Fors’s shoulder. Fors instinctively put her arm around Xio. 

Fors was immediately made aware of how well she knew Xio. They were best friends, but the thing was she knew Xio by the way she breathed . By the simple outline of her figure. By the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair. 

Surely this had to transcend the bounds of friendship, or maybe that was just wishful thinking. 

Fors suddenly broke the silence, spurred on by some unknown force. 

“Xio, you know I’ve been thinking… Wouldn’t it be nice to run away together?” Fors swore that Xio could hear the beating of her heart. God, it was so loud . 

“We could live in a little cottage in the country and raise a couple of chickens” Fors’s voice seemed to echo in the small room. It felt like she had somehow opened herself up to the world, showing all of her insecurities and vulnerabilities. Strangely, it felt like a confession. Perhaps it was the closest Fors would ever get to one.

“Mmmhmm, that would be nice, I want one of those fuzzy cows. Ooh and maybe a guard dog.” Xio said, her voice raspy from the prolapsed silence. She chuckled quietly to herself “We could name it Gehrman, now that would scare people.”

Fors laughed lightly at that. “I don’t think Mr. World would take very kindly to having a dog named after him. Also a guard dog?”

“Shhh…guard dogs are the best dogs. They look so cool when the M19 leaders use them.”

“So you only want one because they look cool?” Fors said holding in a laugh.

“Well…no I also love dogs” 

“Then we’ll get a dog” 

“Can we get a cat too?” Xio asked.

“If you want a cat, let’s get a cat.” 

Fors paused before continuing, “Anything you want we’ll get.” 

Xio sighed sadly next to Fors. Fors could feel the vibrations of her body on her side.

“But…” Xio paused, struggling to say her next words. Her voice was low when she did speak a few moments later 

“What if you get a boyfriend?” The mood in her voice was no longer happy and teasing, instead, it was serious and had an underlying sadness. 

Fors tried not to let her surprise show. Her face was burning as she willed it to calm down. Xio was simply asking out of curiosity…

“Why would I get a boyfriend?” Fors asked, genuinely confused as to why that was Xio’s biggest concern. Fors had never shown interest in anyone, much less a man. 

“Well…you…umm..” Xio paused, struggling with what words to say. 

“I what? You can ask, I won’t judge.”

When Xio spoke her voice was noticeably quieter and laced with… embarrassment? 

“You know…the mirror…I’m sure at some point you’ll want to, you know…”

Fors’s face immediately began to flush and her body stiffened. 

Ah…I see…

“See that’s why I didn’t ask. I mean, It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me…” Xio sighed again, a deep sigh that seemed to rattle her very bones. 

Fors was at a loss for what to say. No words could make this situation better. 

“I…I’m sorry I’m being selfish, aren’t I? I know I’m overstepping my bounds, but…I don’t want you to get married to someone and leave me.” 

Her voice was so vulnerable. It made Fors want to put her arms around her, but she refrained. That wasn’t their relationship.…but slowly but surely something inside of Fors was slowly beginning to snap. 

“No, you’re not selfish” Fors responded succinctly. 

“You don’t need to comfort me.” A deep breath then a pause, “It was Gehrman Sparrow wasn’t it?” 

Despite the atmosphere in the room Fors immediately responded loudly, “No, absolutely not, no!” 

“What?” Xio said, suddenly lifting her head from off of Fors’s shoulder. Fors didn’t say anything as she lamented the loss of the weight on her side. 

“No, I’m terrified of him! How could I dream… those things …about him?” She was glad the darkness in the room hid her blush. 

“I don’t know! I just assumed that because…I don’t know! Apparently, people find him handsome!” 

Fors laughed at that, holding her hand up to cover her mouth. 

“Wait, is it the Fool then? Who else could it be? Ooh is it Mr. Moon or maybe Mr. Hanged Man?” 

“Wait what? The Fool I can see how you got that conclusion, but seriously he’s covered in fog all the time I don’t think it’s humanely possible to– you know what I’m not going to finish that sentence. Also Mr Moon? Mr. Hanged Man?”

“Hey! You said you wouldn’t judge.” Xio pouted in faux anger. 

“I think I’ve spoken to Mr. Moon a total of two times.” 

“Then…who else is left?” Xio said to herself.

I feel like I’m in elementary school…

“Man, you don’t know too many men do you?” Xio commented absentmindedly.

“Hey–”

“Wait I got it!”

Oh lord…

 It’s Mr. Star!”

Fors couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing. She kept hitting the edge of the couch while laughing so loudly that Fors swore the neighbors could probably hear.

“Mr. Star? Mr. Star !? How did you come to that conclusion” Fors said in between breathless laughs. 

“What? Have you met him before??” Xio asked, her voice sounding a little strained.

“No, you seriously can’t tell?” Fors said while wiping away tears.

“Tell what?”

“He’s gay.”

“Huh? Huh ?!” Xio exclaimed. 

“Wait how do you know? We can’t even see him, he’s got the fog covering him and everything.” Xio replied. 

“Xio, sometimes I wonder if you’ve been living under a rock. Just look at him! Come on…he is a poet for the Fool's sake! Also look at his hair, no straight man has hair like that.”

“I forgot that you're a fashion expert…” Xio sighed in defeat. “I had no idea” 

“Don’t sound so sad, but guess what?” Fors paused before lowering her face and whispering in Xio’s ear.

“I’m pretty sure Mr. Star has a crush on Mr. World~” Fors swore she could feel Xio shudder, but it must have been a figment of her imagination. 

“Whatt??” Xio exclaimed loudly, abruptly jumping away from Fors. Fors frowned slightly at that.

“I know, I know, but believe me I know the signs better than anyone else” Fors heard Xio shift a little, but she paid it no mind. 

“I mean they’re best friends…you know what they say about best friends~?” Fors teased.

Xio froze for a second, which confused Fors. Why was she suddenly acting strange? 

“Is that–? I mean…I didn’t know that…”

Fors just made a mhm? sound in response.

“Nevermind” Xio responded flatly and turned her head, baffling Fors in the process.

“What?” Fors asked, noticing Xio’s tone. 

“So…if the dream wasn’t about Mr. World or The Fool or the rest of them…” She breathed in shakily, “Who was the dream about?” 

“Ah…” Fors responded she was backed into a corner. In all of her teasing with Xio, she had foolishly forgotten the point of this conversation. 

She had to respond at this point, but what could she say? Surely not the truth.

Xio waited a moment longer before getting up. Fors could hear the shuffling of her clothes and the plush sound of the couch. 

“It’s okay. I understand” But despite her words, Xio sounded…sad. 

“Wait…I-I” Fors bit her lip again. 

“I told you to stop biting your lip,” Xio stated.

Fors was immediately confused. How could she tell in the darkness? 

“How–”

“I know you Fors, you’re my best friend. I don’t know why you are hiding what happened, but I’m just going to assume it's for safety.” Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

Xio was usually the more spirited of the two, picking Fors up when she felt down. To hear her so lifeless, broke Fors’s heart.

It must have been that tone that pushed Fors to the edge. Deep inside Fors, the thin, fraying rope holding her back snapped.

“What…what if I told you the dream” a deep breath “...was about you ?” Fors’s voice was weak, cracking in the middle of her sentence. 

Her words hung suspended in the air. Any moment they would come crashing down on her. 

Oh god…that was a mistake…that was a huge mistake. 

“I’m sor—” Fors interrupted, suddenly regretting her words. 

“What did you just say?” Xio asked in disbelief. 

Fors closed her eyes tightly regretting all of her life choices that had led her up to this moment. 

“Nothing important, just forget I said that” Fors responded, refusing to move and holding her breath in the process. 

“No, I won’t forget.” Xio loudly. 

“Come on, look at me.” 

Fors opened her eyes. The room was still dark, but the moon had reached its peak in the sky, illuminating their small room with crimson. Xio was sitting there on the couch facing her, the red light reflecting off her skin. 

Fors could barely see her outline. Her short hair was a mess from lying on the couch and she at some point had taken off her rapier. 

But that’s not what caught Fors’s attention, no. It was Xio’s face.

Xio was smiling. 

Hell, Xio was smiling ! 

Fors wanted to let out a heavy sigh of relief as that familiar warmth overtook her heart. This didn’t feel real, none of it did. Fors was smiling so hard it hurt .

“Fors…” Xio said, holding her hands out in a clear invitation. 

Fors could feel warm hands wrap themselves around her ever so tightly. In the past Fors would have maybe teased Xio and pushed her away but this time it was different. 

Fors moved her hands around Xio, squeezing her as if she would disappear. She gripped the light fabric on Xio’s back and pushed her head into the crook of Xio’s shoulder.

“I love you,” Fors said, muffled into Xio’s neck. Xio froze for a second before letting go of Fors. 

Did I do something wrong? Fors panicked. 

Xio put her hands on Fors's face, just like earlier that very day. She looked deep into Fors’s eyes as she smiled so brightly it blinded Fors. 

“I love you too” Xio responded. You could hear the smile in her voice. 

Fors smiled, mirroring Xio’s expression. She felt like she was flying high above the earth. Suddenly everything other than this moment became obsolete. 

Sure Fors wrote romance novels for a living, but she had never experienced it herself. In the end, it was all speculation and cheesy lines she had heard a million times from married couples. 

But now, she understood . 

Xio lifted her hands up to her own cheeks and squeezed her face. “I still can’t believe it, this… it's just too much” Xio’s smile practically reached all the way to the sides of her face. 

“This isn’t real, is it? It must be some kind of power. This is the punishment isn’t it?” Fors commented to herself. 

“This is cruel…” 

Xio smirked at her. “Oh it's real and don’t worry, I have a way to prove it.” 

That was the only warning Fors got before Xio leaned in and kissed her. 

Fors had imagined kissing those lips a thousand times, but it didn’t come close to the real deal. Xio's lips were just as soft as they looked. 

Xio immediately took charge, putting her hands behind Fors’s head and running her fingers through her long hair. Fors’s hat had fallen off in the shuffle, leaving her hair completely free. For not having any experience, Xio was strangely good at this. 

Fors had no idea what to do with her hands.  Eventually, she decided to awkwardly place her hands on Xio’s hips.

They kissed for a moment longer before separating. 

Fors could do nothing but open her mouth a couple of times like a fish out of water. 

“I guess that answers your question doesn’t it?” Xio said, a little too proud of herself.

“You’re a little too good at that” Fors replied, her face red. 

Xio lifted her head in pride and made a ‘hmph’ sound. 

“Get off your high horse. I’ll get better with practice” Fors teased with a wink. 

Both of them laughed. Xio rested her head on Fors’s lap, quickly making herself comfortable. She looked up at her with a smile plastered across her face.

“So~ about that dream” 

Fors face burned for about the tenth time that day. 

“Shut up” She tilted her face to the side. 

“Your ears are pink~” Xio teased. 

Fors put her hands over Xio’s mouth and raised an eyebrow. 

“Fine, fine, I’ll stop” Xio replied. 

Fors looked down at her and spoke with a serious tone. “You know Xio, I’ve liked you for so long, truthfully I was committed to just hiding my feelings until the day I died.” 

Xio’s smile faded as she became lost in thought. “Same for me.”

 The smile repearred on her face while she spoke “Man,I’m just so glad I found you. And if anyone says anything about you, I’ll beat them up.” She punched the air above in her in faux anger. 

Fors laughed seeing Xio’s action and ran her fingers through Xio’s hair. “Thank you Xio” 

The two fell into a comfortable silence, with Fors combing her hands through Xio’s hair and Xio watching her do it, a smile peeking out the sides of her mouth.  

“I can’t believe we’ve wasted so much time” Xio sighed. 

Fors laughed and gave Xio a gentle smile. 

“Well, good thing we’ve got the rest of our lives to make up for it”