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As the group recently finished their battle with demons and other things, they decided to take a break and went to the nearest town that they could find. Seeing these numerous decors and colorful lights displayed throughout the area made Melissa feel more nostalgic as years had passed since the last time she celebrated this special occasion. Melissa wandered throughout the area, suddenly remembered the times where her mother would make some holiday decorations using fabric scraps and display it into their shop, cook some food that came from their little yard and make new outfits for them to wear on this special day.
It's such a shame that those moments would fade in just a snap, as it was the last time Melissa celebrated New Year with her beloved mom. Seeing the holiday lights reminded her of that moment, and she can't help but cry her heart out, trying to relive those moments even if she doesn't want to.
Despite her deep-seated trust issues, she eventually grew to trust them as time went by. She discovered that she was considered a "heretic" in society—a label that confuses her to this day. Eventually, she became a member of the small group known as the "Forsaken Light," making a name for herself by fighting against merciless demons while bonding over shared life experiences. It took a great deal of effort for her to adjust to these new companions, but in the end, she knew her mother wouldn't want her to be alone, and she wanted to fulfill that wish.
Xavier, the person she found hardest to trust due to their conflicting viewpoints on life, noticed her uncharacteristic emotional state, which was a far cry from her usual persona.
"Hey, what made you so emotional lately? Ever since we got here, I can't help but feel worried. You became vulnerable and confused which is far from your usual mischievous and impulsive behavior. And it looks like you just came from crying too."
"Oh... it's nothing. I'm just happy that we can finally catch a break after those crazy events and endlessly running from those stupid people, nothing to be worried about."
Xavier knows that something else is going on, but decided not to bother any further, as a sign of respect to her privacy.
Julian, who's usually the quietest member, also noticed Melissa's change of behavior. He remembered that she would get bothered when he's not responding to her jokes or being annoyed on Yin and Melissa's bickering session. It made him feel relieved for once.
As they continued perambulating to their house, Yin suddenly noticed a shop selling small cakes and decided to buy some of it while Xavier bought some ingredients to cook delicious meals for them to consume.
***
After walking that felt like forever, they finally arrived on their house. Melissa can't help but to make some holiday decorations as she noticed that the house doesn't have any of it unlike the rest of the neighborhood, with Yin and Julian helping her later on.
"Here, I cooked some meals for us to eat. I know it's probably not enough but it's the best that we can afford for now. Let's eat first before we continue those decorations."
"What do you mean it's not enough? This is more than enough, Xavier! Come on Mel and Julian, let's eat together!!" Yin said, with a cheerful tone.
Julian stood up as soon as he heard his name but Melissa decided not to follow him. After a few minutes however, Xavier called her to eat but she still refused.
"Melissa? Why don't you eat first before you continue those decorations? We can only eat delicious foods like these once in a while, and I don't want you to miss out the experience."
"Umm... I'm not hungry yet. Could you left some of it for me? I'll eat later on. I just need to continue on these so it can finally be settled."
Even though Melissa had been waiting for Xavier to cook something more appetizing and new like fried chickens or vegetable soup—which he finally did today after saving up some money but alas, she lost the appetite for those as it reminds her of her late mother—again.
"The decorations are finished. Let's set this up already!! I don't want my hardwork to go unnoticed."
"Great job. Come and eat your meals. They're inside on those containers." Xavier said while sitting on a couch.
She wants to refuse and distract herself again but decided not to, as she doesn't want this day to be ruined with Xavier endlessly lecturing her about refusal and other things.
***
"And it's ready! These are such a work of art, Mel. I didn't knew you were THIS good with creative works. I commend your patience too." Yin said.
"You're right, this girl has immense talent for these. Our house doesn't look like a lifeless area anymore. I could never do such things like these."
Julian didn't say a word but it seems like he also agreed with their statements and his body language says it all.
As the clock strikes to 12:00 AM, they shouted "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" together and told themselves that they are thankful for each other despite of what the society thinks about them. They assure to each other that this year will be the start of new beginnings and new adventures, as they officially welcome another year, leaving everything behind from the past.
"Well, I'm very thankful that I met you guys!! You know, this is probably the first time that I actually felt happy and satisfied." Yin said.
"I'm thankful that I met people like you as well. Despite of unfortunate circumstances, we achieved so many things together without even realizing it. I don't even care about the society calling us heretics anymore—as long as we stick together." Xavier said with a formal tone.
"I... yeah... I'm glad that I met people like Yin.. Xavier... and Melissa. I couldn't ask for more than that." Julian said, though he is still nervous around them.
"I'm gonna be honest. As someone with trust issues, it took me a lot of time to tell everything, my thoughts and more—especially to Xavier. You remind me of my mom, a lot. So yeah, thank you for the memories and let's just hope for the best." Melissa said as they're about to have fun and celebrate this special moment.