Lillian exhaled slowly, staring at the vibrant festival unfolding around her.

  It was ridiculous.

  Banners hung from every post, nterns glowed warmly in the dimming evening, and vilgers bustled about with food and ughter—all in honor of Kazuki. Their so-called "Holy One."

  She snorted. If only they knew how utterly unholy he was.

  Her gaze flicked toward the center of the commotion, where the six-headed menace was causing yet another scene.

  "KAZUKI, CONTROL YOUR BEAST!"

  "I'M TRYING!"

  Lillian watched, utterly unimpressed, as Kazuki frantically wrestled with the hydra's heads—one was chewing on a festival banner, another had stolen an entire roasted pig, and a third had managed to tangle itself in a string of nterns.

  The vilgers, of course, were awed.

  "Such divine pyfulness!" one whispered.

  "A true test of the Holy One's strength," another murmured reverently.

  Lillian pinched the bridge of her nose. These people are hopeless.

  She hadn't been in this vilge for long, but it was already obvious—life here was simple. Too simple.

  Before Kazuki showed up, nothing exciting ever happened. The most thrilling event she had witnessed was a merchant getting into an argument over the price of potatoes.

  And now?

  Now, she had this.

  A Hydra Festival. A chaotic, dramatic mess of a boy who made everything feel like a whirlwind.

  She hated it.

  …Or at least, she should have.

  Her heart gave an odd thump as she watched him trip over himself, dodging a hydra tail that nearly took out a food stall.

  Lillian pursed her lips. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

  Kazuki was a pain. A headache. An absolute disaster.

  But somehow, life was… brighter with him around.

  The thought was dangerous, so she shoved it aside.

  Instead, she smirked as Kazuki finally managed to pry the banner out of the hydra's mouth—only for another head to grab him by the back of his colr and hoist him into the air.

  "LILLIAN! HELP!"

  She casually sipped her tea. "You look like you're doing great."

  "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DRINKING TEA RIGHT NOW?!"

  Lillian fought to keep a straight face. He looked so pathetic.

  Eventually, after what felt like a small eternity of struggle, Kazuki somehow managed to escape and stumbled toward her, colpsing onto the bench beside her with a dramatic sigh.

  "I'm gonna die," he muttered.

  "You say that every second," she said, not looking at him.

  "Because it's true every second."

  Lillian rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, Kazuki let out a long, exhausted groan and slumped forward, nearly falling off the bench.

  With a sigh, she grabbed his arm and pulled him upright. "Come on, you idiot. At least enjoy the festival properly."

  Kazuki blinked blearily at her. "I am enjoying it. By suffering through it."

  She ignored him and dragged him along.

  Despite Kazuki's whining, Lillian took him through the festival. They passed colorful stalls, some selling roasted meats, others dispying handwoven trinkets. Children ran past, giggling, while vilgers continued to look at Kazuki with reverence.

  The Hydra Tamer, their Holy One.

  Kazuki looked like he wanted to scream.

  At one stall, an old woman grinned and handed him a stick of sweet, caramelized fruit.

  "For the Holy One, a blessed treat!"

  Kazuki gave her a weak smile before turning to Lillian with dead eyes. "I am being bribed with sugar."

  Lillian snatched one of the fruits off his stick and popped it into her mouth. "And?"

  He narrowed his eyes at her. "…I hate you."

  "No, you don't."

  They wandered through the festival, occasionally stopping for food or games. At one point, Kazuki got roped into an arm-wrestling contest with a burly bcksmith.

  He lost instantly.

  The hydra, meanwhile, had somehow been roped into a ring toss game—one of its heads curiously tilting as vilgers tried (and failed) to nd rings around its horns.

  Lillian smirked. Kazuki groaned.

  "Why is this my life?"

  "Because the gods have a terrible sense of humor."

  As the night stretched on, the festival only grew livelier. Musicians pyed, ughter filled the air, and despite his compints, Kazuki seemed… rexed.

  For once, he wasn't running for his life.

  For once, he wasn't fighting some ridiculous beast or struggling to survive.

  And for a moment, Lillian saw him as he was.

  Not a Hydra Tamer. Not the "Holy One."

  Just Kazuki.

  And somehow, that was far more dangerous than anything else.

  Eventually, they found themselves back at the bench, sitting in comfortable silence.

  The festival’s warmth surrounded them—nterns swayed overhead, casting a golden glow, while the distant hum of music and ughter wrapped around them like a lingering melody.

  Kazuki leaned back, exhaling slowly. His body sagged against the bench, the exhaustion from the day's chaos finally catching up to him.

  "Y'know…" His voice was softer this time, almost thoughtful. "As much as I hate everything about this, the festival's kinda nice."

  Lillian hummed, cradling a warm cup of tea between her hands. She wouldn’t admit it, but she liked it too.

  The moment stretched between them, the noise of the festival fading ever so slightly.

  A cool breeze drifted by, carrying the scent of roasted meat, sweet pastries, and something softer—something unfamiliar.

  Kazuki shifted beside her.

  Not much, just enough that their shoulders nearly touched.

  Lillian felt it—an odd, fleeting warmth.

  She didn't move away.

  Kazuki turned his head slightly, his gaze settling on her.

  Lillian met his eyes.

  Her breath caught.

  It was just a second. A flicker. But in that second, something passed between them—something unspoken, delicate, and dangerous all at once.

  Kazuki swallowed, his throat bobbing.

  Lillian tilted her head, her fingers curling slightly around her cup.

  The air between them grew heavy, a tension weaving itself into the quiet.

  For a brief moment, Lillian thought—

  And then—

  "I… uh, need to use the washroom."

  The spell shattered.

  Lillian blinked as Kazuki abruptly pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his neck. His movements were awkward, hurried, as if he were running from something invisible.

  The warmth vanished.

  "Be right back," he mumbled, already turning.

  Lillian stared after him, fingers tightening slightly around her cup.

  And just like that, he was gone.

  Lillian exhaled sharply, leaning back against the bench. "Idiot."

  She watched as Kazuki disappeared into the crowd, his figure swallowed by the festival lights and moving bodies, tapping her fingers against the wooden bench, staring at the spot where he had just been.

  The sudden stillness beside her was unsettling.

  Ridiculous.

  She shook her head, trying to push away the strange restlessness creeping into her chest.

  The festival still buzzed with life—vilgers ughed, music pyed, the hydra was still somehow causing problems in the background—but Kazuki's absence made it feel… different.

  Lillian clicked her tongue, crossing her arms. He'll be back soon. It's just the washroom.

  And yet…

  Minutes passed.

  She shifted in her seat. It wasn't that she was worried, of course. Kazuki was more trouble than he was worth, but he wasn't helpless. If anything, trouble was the only constant in his life.

  Still, something itched at the back of her mind.

  Something off.

  Lillian exhaled slowly, watching the nterns flicker against the night sky.

  Another minute.

  Another beat of silence.

  The feeling in her chest grew heavier.

  And then—

  A sound.

  Distant, muffled.

  A scuffle.

  A sharp, dull thud.

  Her eyes snapped open.

  The festival noise drowned it out almost instantly, but she had heard it.

  Lillian's fingers twitched against her sleeve.

  She stood.

  The logical part of her said wait.

  Kazuki was fine. He always managed to survive, somehow.

  But then her instincts had never been wrong before.

  Her gaze flicked toward the alleyway behind the festival, where the sound had come from.

  The festival blurred around her as she moved.

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