The next morning, Elena woke up first.

  She didn’t move at first—just laid there, feeling the soft rhythm of Ember’s breathing against her back. They had fallen asleep facing away from each other, but at some point, Ember had shifted closer, her forehead nearly pressed to Elena’s shoulder. It was warm.

  And it was nice.

  Elena smiled to herself. Then, very carefully, she shifted to face her.

  Ember was still asleep, red hair tousled and messy, her lips slightly parted. Even now, she looked serious, like she was dreaming of something frustrating. Elena snickered at that. Of course she does.

  She reached out and gently poked Ember’s cheek.

  No reaction.

  Another poke.

  Still nothing.

  Elena grinned before whispering, “Hey, Ember, wake up.”

  A deep, tired groan. Ember shifted, face scrunching up as she buried herself deeper into the blanket. “No.”

  Elena rolled onto her back, stretching. “Come on. Don’t you have a hundred things to do?”

  Another groan. “Don’t care.”

  Elena laughed before turning back to her. “You’re always up before me. What happened?”

  Ember muttered something under her breath, something about sleeping too well, and Elena felt her heart skip a little.

  She grinned. “You like sleeping next to me, don’t you?”

  That got Ember’s attention. She cracked one eye open, glaring. “I will throw you out of this bed.”

  Elena gasped dramatically. “So violent. And here I thought you were in love with me.”

  Ember finally opened her eyes fully, her cheeks just barely tinged pink. “You’re insufferable.”

  Elena hummed. “And you like me anyway.”

  Ember clicked her tongue and sat up, rubbing her face. “I swear—”

  She cut herself off when something soft landed on her lap.

  Snacks.

  The little creature let out a chirping yawn, stretching its tiny limbs before curling up against Ember’s stomach, purring.

  Ember blinked down at it. Then sighed, hand automatically going to scratch its head.

  Elena grinned. “Guess you’re stuck now.”

  Ember shot her a look. “So are you.”

  Elena raised an eyebrow. “What, with you?”

  Ember smirked. “Yeah.”

  Elena felt warmth bloom in her chest at that.

  She reached out, brushing a stray strand of red hair from Ember’s face. “Then I guess I don’t mind.”

  Ember’s eyes softened just a little before she looked away, muttering, “You’re such a sap.”

  Morning sunlight filtered through the thick swamp canopy, casting dappled light over the village. The air smelled of damp earth, fresh leaves, and the faint lingering scent of last night’s fire.

  It was their last day here. Tomorrow, they would pack up and leave on Woofy, returning to their journey.

  Elena didn’t seem too concerned about it. She walked beside Ember, her fingers laced easily through hers, swinging their hands as they strolled through the village.

  Ember, on the other hand, felt far more aware of it.

  Of Elena’s warmth pressed into her side, of the way her hand felt against her own—smaller, but firm. Of how she kept looking up at her with that mischievous glint in her eye, as if daring her to be the one to let go first.

  She wouldn’t.

  She couldn’t.

  And apparently, neither could Elena.

  The Aelyr had noticed.

  It started subtly at first. Just a few passing glances, a couple of raised brows. But soon, whispers spread.

  They weren’t bickering like usual.

  They still teased, still poked fun, but something was different.

  There was a shift, a subtle change in the air around them. Something warm. Something real.

  And Elena…

  Elena was being clingy.

  More than usual.

  She held onto Ember’s arm when they walked. Leaned against her a little too much at breakfast. Smiled up at her, eyes full of something teasing yet softer than before.

  And Ember?

  Ember kept stealing glances at her.

  She didn’t mean to. It just happened.

  The way Elena ate so naturally, stuffing her face like she always did, made Ember smirk to herself. Even with everything that had changed, that remained the same.

  She barely had time to process the warm feeling curling in her chest before—

  “Ohhhh, would you look at that?”

  Two lively voices rang out from behind them.

  Ember’s stomach dropped.

  She really didn’t want to deal with this.

  Freya and Maia.

  The couple sauntered over, both grinning like they had just uncovered the world’s greatest secret.

  Elena, as if knowing exactly what was coming, casually turned in her seat, resting her chin in her palm.

  Freya plopped down beside Ember, smirking. “So. What happened to your eyes, Ember?”

  Ember stiffened. “What?”

  Maia grinned, sitting next to Freya. “They’re all red. Did something happen last night?”

  Elena didn’t even hesitate. “Don’t talk to my Ember like that.”

  The moment the word my left her lips, Ember froze.

  Freya’s grin widened.

  Maia’s eyebrows shot up.

  And Elena?

  Elena just sat there, completely unbothered.

  “Oh?” Freya smirked. “Your Ember?”

  Ember groaned, slapping a hand over her face. “Elena.”

  Elena blinked innocently. “What? It’s true.”

  Freya and Maia exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

  “Oh, this is good,” Maia chuckled, leaning into Freya. “I told you it would happen before we left!”

  Freya sighed dramatically. “Damn. I really thought Ember would never say anything.”

  Ember scowled. “What are you talking about?”

  Maia smirked. “Oh, just that we had a bet going.”

  Elena perked up. “A bet?”

  Freya nodded. “On which one of you would finally confess first.”

  Elena grinned. “Oh! That was me, obviously.”

  Freya and Maia looked at each other, blinking in surprise. “Wait, you?”

  Elena nodded proudly, completely ignoring the way Ember was staring at her in sheer disbelief. “Yep. Ember is way too shy. If I didn’t do anything, we’d be old before she finally admitted she liked me.”

  She lied.

  Boldly.

  And Ember had never wanted to throw her into a river more than she did right now.

  Freya and Maia, however, looked delighted.

  “Oh, this is priceless,” Freya laughed, clapping her hands together. “All this time, we thought Ember would be the stubborn one, but it turns out Elena took the lead.”

  Freya and Maia were still laughing, basking in the victory of their little bet—until Maia suddenly paused, tapping her chin.

  “Wait,” she said, eyes narrowing. “If Elena confessed first, then technically…”

  Freya blinked, gears turning in her head.

  Then, as realization struck them both, they turned to each other at the exact same time.

  “We both lost!”

  Freya groaned. “Ugh, that’s so unfair!”

  Maia sighed dramatically. “We should’ve put ‘Elena makes a move first’ as an option!”

  Elena smirked, looking far too pleased with herself. “Should’ve had more faith in me.”

  Ember, who had been trying very hard to ignore them, muttered, “I should’ve had more faith in my instincts and run the second you two showed up.”

  Freya grinned. “Oh, come on, Ember. We’re just happy for you.”

  Maia leaned in, eyes glinting mischievously. “Sooo… now that you two are together, have you… you know?”

  Ember frowned. “Have we what?”

  Maia smirked.

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  Freya wiggled her eyebrows.

  Elena tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, just the usual couple things,” Freya said, waving her hand nonchalantly. “Holding hands, sneaking out for midnight walks, stealing kisses in the moonlight—”

  Ember choked.

  Elena blinked. “Stealing kisses?”

  Maia smirked. “Yeah, you know. Have you kissed yet?”

  A beat of silence.

  Then—

  “Nope, that’s enough.”

  Before Elena could even process the question, Ember clamped a hand over her ear, effectively blocking out whatever Maia was about to say next.

  Elena squeaked, immediately grabbing Ember’s wrist. “Hey!”

  “Nope,” Ember repeated, keeping her grip firm.

  “Oh, come on!” Freya whined. “We’re just curious!”

  Maia snickered. “Yeah, we just want to know if Ember—”

  Ember tightened her hold. “Shut up, Maia.”

  Elena, meanwhile, was not having it.

  She squirmed under Ember’s grip, brows furrowed. “Why are you covering my ear? I want to hear this!”

  Ember ignored her.

  Elena huffed.

  And then, in one swift movement, she yanked Ember’s hand off her ear.

  Ember barely had time to react before Elena turned back to Freya and Maia, eyes gleaming.

  “Okay,” she said. “What were you saying?”

  Freya cackled. “Oh, I like her.”

  Maia grinned. “We were just wondering if Ember—”

  “Maia.”

  Maia ignored her, grinning wider. “—has been too shy to kiss you yet.”

  Elena paused.

  Then, ever so slowly, she turned back to Ember.

  Ember, who was now looking anywhere but at her.

  A smug smile curled on Elena’s lips.

  “Ember,” she said sweetly. “Are you shy?”

  Ember’s jaw clenched. “I hate you.”

  Freya and Maia burst out laughing again.

  Elena, beaming, laced their fingers together again and squeezed Ember’s hand. “It’s okay,” she teased. “You don’t have to be shy.”

  Ember seriously considered jumping into the swamp.

  The humid air of the swamp clung to their skin as Ember led Elena toward the tallest tree in the area, its ancient branches stretching toward the sky like fingers grasping at the stars. The thick canopy filtered the sunlight, casting dappled shadows over them. It was their last day here, and something about the moment felt… heavier. Like an unspoken promise lingered in the air between them.

  Elena, with all the curiosity in the world, looked up at the massive tree and huffed. "Are you sure it can hold us?" she asked, placing a hand on the rough bark.

  Ember smirked, arms crossed. "If it can hold a nest of those giant swamp birds, it can hold you, Lena."

  Elena rolled her eyes. "That's not reassuring at all." Still, she grinned and took the first step up, gripping the sturdy vines that wrapped around the trunk. Ember followed close behind, watching her climb, making sure she didn’t slip.

  By the time they reached the highest branch sturdy enough to sit on, the view was breathtaking. The endless swamp stretched out below them, shimmering pools reflecting the fading sunlight. The distant croaking of unseen creatures blended with the rustling of leaves in the warm breeze.

  Elena carefully tested the branch with her foot. "Seems strong enough…" she mumbled, shifting her weight—

  But in an instant, the bark beneath her boot gave a threatening crack, and she felt herself slipping.

  Time seemed to slow.

  Before she could even let out a gasp, Ember’s arm shot out, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back with surprising strength. The force of the pull sent Elena stumbling forward—straight into Ember’s arms.

  And suddenly, they were close.

  Too close.

  Elena’s hands rested against Ember’s chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her breath. Ember’s grip on Elena’s waist tightened instinctively, steadying her. Their faces were mere inches apart. Green eyes met red, searching, holding, pulling each other in.

  Neither of them spoke.

  The world seemed to still.

  Elena could feel her heartbeat hammering against her ribs, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the near fall… or from the way Ember was looking at her.

  Ember swallowed, her breath hitching. She had saved Elena so many times before, had touched her, had fought beside her. But this—this was different. It felt different.

  The golden light of the sinking sun framed Elena’s face in soft hues, and Ember thought, she's beautiful.

  Elena parted her lips slightly as if to say something—

  And then—

  CRASH!

  A loud, unexpected noise ripped through the quiet moment, making both of them flinch.

  They turned to the side, only to see Snacks—the small creature who had been faithfully following Ember around—had just knocked over a pile of dried branches on the tree. The little troublemaker’s tail wagged innocently as he tilted his head at them, completely unaware that he had just ruined something… important.

  Elena jerked back, her face instantly turning red. "W-We should—uh—sit down before I fall again!" she blurted out, quickly turning away to hide the heat on her face.

  Ember exhaled sharply and rubbed the back of her neck, her own cheeks suspiciously warm. "Yeah. Good idea."

  As they settled on the branch, avoiding eye contact for a moment, Snacks let out a small, victorious squeak, completely pleased with himself.

  And so, they sat side by side in silence, both secretly hoping the other didn’t hear just how fast their hearts were still racing.

  The tension from their almost-moment still lingered in the air, a quiet hum neither of them acknowledged. The warmth of the setting sun bathed the swamp in gold, turning the waters below into shimmering mirrors of light. As they sat side by side on the thick, sturdy branch, the occasional croak of a distant frog or the rustling of leaves filled the silence.

  Elena, still flustered but unwilling to let the silence stretch too long, nudged Ember with her elbow. "Do you remember when you used to put bugs in my seat back in Iorph?" she asked, her voice light with amusement.

  Ember snorted, a rare grin tugging at her lips. "Oh, I remember. Your reaction was always worth it."

  Elena scoffed, sitting up straighter. "I was traumatized, Ember! Do you have any idea how many times I nearly screamed loud enough to send the birds flying from the trees?"

  Ember chuckled, shaking her head. "You were too easy to mess with. And besides, it wasn’t that bad. They were just tiny beetles."

  Elena gave her a dramatic glare. "Just tiny beetles? They were huge, and one of them even crawled on my hand once! I almost cried!"

  Ember hummed, the edges of her lips curling into a teasing smile. "You were such a crybaby back then."

  Elena gasped, eyes wide with mock offense. "Excuse me?! I was not a crybaby! I just had a very reasonable fear of creepy crawly things!"

  Ember tilted her head, pretending to think. "Mm, sure. You also once tripped over a pebble and cried for an hour."

  Elena groaned, covering her face. "I thought I broke my ankle, okay?! It was a very serious moment for me!"

  Ember chuckled, and for a moment, the air between them felt light again, like it always used to be.

  Elena sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. Then, without hesitation, she scooted closer to Ember, closing the small gap between them. Before Ember could react, Elena rested her head gently on Ember’s shoulder.

  Ember immediately stiffened.

  Her entire body locked up, and she felt like she had forgotten how to breathe.

  Elena, noticing the tension, huffed. "Relax, Ember."

  Ember didn’t move.

  Elena tilted her head slightly, her voice softer now. "You can get comfy with me, you know? Just like you do when you sleep."

  Ember’s ears burned at that, her mind instantly recalling the countless times she had woken up to find herself unconsciously holding Elena in her sleep, curled around her as if she was something precious.

  She swallowed. "I—this is different," she muttered.

  Elena smirked against her shoulder. "Is it? Or are you just embarrassed because you’re awake this time?"

  Ember cleared her throat, looking away toward the horizon. "I’m just sitting like this for the view."

  Elena grinned. "Uh-huh, sure. The view."

  Ember scowled, her face still warm. "It is a good view."

  Elena hummed, closing her eyes as she relaxed against her. "Mhm. It really is."

  But she wasn’t talking about the swamp.

  As the warmth of the afternoon faded into dusk, the sky stretched above them in soft hues of purple and gold. Fireflies had begun to flicker in the distance, their glow reflecting in the waters below, casting a dreamlike atmosphere over the swamp. Ember lay on her back, one arm behind her head, staring up at the shifting clouds. Elena lay beside her, her hands folded over her stomach, content just to be near her.

  For a while, there was only the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of unseen creatures. Then, out of nowhere, Elena turned her head toward Ember, narrowing her eyes. "Wait a minute."

  Ember lazily glanced at her. "What?"

  "You turned twenty."

  Ember blinked. "Yeah…?"

  Elena frowned, brows furrowing in deep thought before she gasped dramatically. "And I turned nineteen!"

  Ember raised an eyebrow. "Well done. You know how numbers work."

  Elena ignored the sarcasm, propping herself up on one elbow. "Why didn’t we celebrate? Twenty is a big age! It’s—it's practically a milestone!"

  Ember snorted. "Oh, sure. Because nothing says 'milestone' like spending it in a swamp full of toads and bugs."

  "That’s not the point," Elena huffed, poking Ember’s shoulder. "We should’ve done something! We could've—I don't know—found a way to make a cake out of swamp fruits or something."

  Ember rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the tiny, almost-smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. "If you want a celebration, fine. Next time we find a decent place, we’ll celebrate. Happy?"

  Elena grinned, but then her smile faltered slightly. Her gaze softened as she turned fully toward Ember, propping herself up on her elbow again. "I just… I want to be happy for you, you know? I don’t even know when I was born, but I know when you were. And that matters to me."

  Ember felt something in her chest tighten. She turned her head away, suddenly uncomfortable with how warm she felt under Elena’s gaze. "It’s not that big a deal."

  "It is to me," Elena murmured, her voice quiet but firm.

  Silence stretched between them, and then, out of nowhere, Elena sighed, flopping onto her back again. Her tone was casual, but something about it sounded hesitant, almost uncertain. "Do you even like me?"

  Ember stiffened. "What?"

  Elena kept staring at the sky, her voice softer now. "Sometimes I feel like you don’t. Like you’re just with me because I’m the last of Iorph."

  Ember shot up so fast she nearly lost her balance on the branch. "What? No—Elena—why would you even think that?"

  Elena didn’t move, just kept her gaze on the sky, her voice quieter than before. "Because I feel like I like you more than you like me."

  Ember felt her heart lurch in a way she hadn’t expected. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, her mind scrambling for words.

  "That’s not true," she finally said, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

  Elena turned her head, looking at her now, expression unreadable. "Then prove it."

  Ember hesitated for only a moment before she spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "I like you, Elena. A lot. More than I should. More than I know how to handle."

  Elena didn’t reply immediately, just kept watching her. Then, in an equally quiet voice, she asked, "Do you really?"

  Ember swallowed, suddenly feeling far too exposed. "Yes."

  Elena studied her face as if searching for a lie, then, after a long moment, she smiled—a small, teasing smile. "Good. Because I like you too. A lot."

  Ember’s ears burned. "You don’t have to say it like that."

  "Like what?" Elena tilted her head, her grin widening. "Like I’m totally in love with you?"

  Ember groaned, flopping onto her back again, covering her face with her hands. "I hate you."

  Elena giggled, rolling over so she could rest her head against Ember’s shoulder. "No, you don’t."

  The warm glow of twilight bathed the swamp in soft, golden light as Ember leaned back against the thick, sturdy tree trunk. Elena lay beside her, head resting against Ember’s shoulder, her breathing slow and steady. For a brief moment, everything felt still—peaceful in a way neither of them had truly experienced in a long time.

  Ember turned her head slightly, glancing down at Elena. The way the fading light caught the soft waves of her hair made her look even more delicate, almost ethereal. Without thinking, Ember reached out and gently poked Elena’s cheek.

  "You’re such a pretty lady," Ember murmured.

  Elena’s eyes fluttered open at the unexpected touch, and her entire face turned pink almost instantly. She melted into the warmth of Ember’s fingers, a dreamy smile tugging at her lips.

  "Mmm… say that again," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Ember snorted, but she didn’t stop. Instead, she brushed a few stray strands of hair from Elena’s face, her fingertips lingering as she gently ran them through the soft locks. It was meant to be a simple gesture, but the moment she started petting Elena’s head, she felt something inside her chest tighten—an unfamiliar warmth that settled deep within her.

  Elena let out a content sigh, leaning further into Ember’s touch. "You should do this more often," she mumbled.

  "Yeah, well… don’t get used to it," Ember muttered, though she didn’t actually stop.

  Elena’s lips curved into a knowing smile. But just as Ember was beginning to enjoy the quiet moment, she made the mistake of glancing down.

  Elena’s expression was too smug—too satisfied.

  Narrowing her eyes, Ember immediately withdrew her hand and pinched Elena’s cheek instead.

  "Ow—ow!" Elena whined, swatting at her hand. "Why?! I was enjoying that!"

  Ember smirked. "Because you look way too happy. Can’t have that."

  Elena pouted, rubbing her cheek. "You’re mean."

  "And yet, you’re still here."

  Elena huffed and grabbed Ember’s hand, pulling it back to her head. "More."

  "No."

  "Please?"

  "No."

  Elena groaned dramatically and flopped onto her back. "You are so unfair, Ember. What happened to being affectionate?"

  "It lasted all of five minutes. You should feel honored."

  "I feel robbed!" Elena protested, grabbing Ember’s arm and shaking it. "Where is my love? I demand more love!"

  Before Ember could respond, a sudden weight dropped onto her lap, followed by an unmistakable huff of warm breath against her neck.

  "What the—!"

  A shimmering, small-scaled creature with a sleek, serpentine body and a pair of curved horns rested its head lazily against her. Its iridescent mane flickered in the dim light, shifting between deep blues and soft golds.

  Snacks.

  Ember barely had time to react before the little ki-rin let out an expectant snort and prodded her with its hoof.

  "Oh no," Ember muttered. "No, no, no—you just ate."

  Snacks blinked up at her, then nudged her again—this time harder.

  Elena, already biting her lip to suppress laughter, gave Ember a teasing look. "You’ve trained him well."

  "I didn’t train him to be entitled," Ember grumbled.

  Snacks huffed again, his small tail flicking against Ember’s arm, and then—without warning—he chomped down on her sleeve.

  "AUGH—!"

  Ember yelped, nearly flinging him off her lap. "SNACKS!"

  The tiny ki-rin released her immediately, looking utterly unbothered as he licked his lips, his eyes now locked onto the pouch at Ember’s waist.

  Elena finally burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. "He—he just bit you because you weren’t giving him attention! He’s jealous!"

  "He’s spoiled," Ember muttered, rubbing her arm.

  Snacks, still very much unconcerned, pawed at Ember’s waist, his shimmering scales catching the light as he let out a low, warbling sound—a demand.

  Ember groaned. "You absolute menace."

  Elena wiped at her eyes. "You should give him something before he takes your whole arm next."

  With a dramatic sigh, Ember reached into her pouch and tossed him a dried fruit. Snacks immediately caught it in his mouth and, with a triumphant flick of his tail, leapt onto a nearby branch to enjoy his prize.

  "I love him," Elena declared, watching Snacks with amusement. "He’s got the right priorities."

  "Of course you do," Ember muttered, glaring after the tiny creature.

  Elena giggled and scooted closer again, resting her head back against Ember’s shoulder. "See? You are affectionate. Even with your ki-rin."

  Ember scoffed. "Yeah, well, only one of you bites me."

  Elena smirked. "Not yet."

  Ember choked on air. "Elena!"

  Elena only laughed harder, curling up beside her as the swamp settled into silence once more.

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