⸻
Scene 14: The Third Step into Twilight
⸻
Amidst the breathtaking shimmer of the rainbow rippling across the sky, Ailin, Keela, Mirelle, Yue, and a young boy brought plates of food to both tables. Osiris, having finished taking orders, soon joined them.
Kalan gestured warmly.
"Come join us, Ailin. Aelius too."
Ailin looked a little hesitant, glancing around the now-settled restaurant. Thanks to Osiris, Yue, Mirelle, and Keela, the tasks they had taken on were carried out splendidly, leaving the place calm and orderly once more.
She smiled.
"Alright then."
She took the empty seat next to Mirelle, while little Aelius ran over to sit beside Draco, who had just returned.
They began eating. The atmosphere turned light and casual. Yue sampled every dish without hesitation.
"Hmm… These taste just like Aunt Kalisa's cooking.
Though, some of them taste more like Keela's. These two here."
Keela blinked in surprise.
"How did you know? I actually made those two myself!"
Yue puffed out her chest.
"Heh, who do you think I am? I'm Yue the Gourmet! Hehe."
Akira teased with a grin.
"Aren't food critics supposed to have some criticism? You praise everything. That's not how it works."
Yue raised her chin.
"Well, it is delicious! If something's good, I'll say so.
And yes, I admit it—I'm obsessed with sweets. Teehee."
Ailin chuckled softly.
"I'm glad you liked it, Miss Yue. Do come visit again sometime."
Yue beamed.
"Sure! I'll come play with Aelius too, hehe."
Keela smiled gently, then glanced over at Kalan. There was a special look in his eyes—one she herself often gave to Akira. Nudging him softly in the ribs, she leaned closer and whispered:
"Big bro… I don't think you're just in love with the food, are you?
But Ailin's a single mom, you know?"
Kalan glanced around at the others chatting away, knowing they wouldn't hear him. He cast a subtle soundproofing spell between them.
"It doesn't matter who she is.
As long as she's Ailin, that's all I need."
Keela's eyes widened in surprise. It was a confession in every sense. And in her heart, she understood it—because she, too, had begun to feel that kind of emotion. She glanced at Akira and smiled secretly before turning back to Kalan.
"Alright then, big bro. I'm rooting for you."
They exchanged quiet smiles, before joining in the chatter at the table. Yue, as always, brought color and liveliness to the scene.
⸻
Back when Yue was still enthusiastically sampling dishes, Osiris had begun tasting them too. Though her face was expressionless, a torrent of thoughts stirred beneath her calm surface.
"Hmm… to me, every dish tastes amazing.
I can't even tell what's better or worse…"
She glanced over at Yue with curiosity and thought:
"How did you do it, Yue? How could you tell who made what?
That's not easy at all. Are you… a culinary prodigy?"
"I should log that for reference… sigh.
I wish I could upgrade myself. More memory, better sensors…
But Draft's tech is already at the peak. I'm a high-tier model—
I guess this is my limit."
She turned to look at Aelius, happily chatting away.
"I envy them—these humans who can keep growing,
whose minds and bodies can evolve… unlike me, stuck with specs."
Then her gaze drifted toward the glowing rainbow in the sky.
"Maybe someday… I'll find happiness with him too."
⸻
Amid Osiris's quiet storm of thoughts, little Aelius, son of Ailin, was bursting with excitement.
"Are you guys really heroes?
Wow, that's so cool!"
Gwenna grinned and leaned over.
"Not just heroes—some of them are Guardians too!
Elina's a Major, you know."
"Whoa! You're a Major? That's awesome!
How big is that rank, though?"
He tilted his head, puzzled.
Everyone chuckled at his innocence. The tension from earlier faded away. Elina answered with a bright smile:
"Well, I guess… a Major commands maybe a thousand people?"
"A thousand?! How many is that even!?"
The boy was clearly struggling to visualize it.
Elina looked around. Each table seated about eight people, and there were twelve tables. She turned back to Aelius.
"Imagine every chair in this restaurant filled,
and then ten more restaurants just like it,
all full at the same time."
Aelius's eyes grew so wide he dropped his spoon into his dish.
"Whoa! That many? You're amazing, big sis!
Someday, I'll be just like you!"
Draco ruffled the boy's hair.
"That's an awesome dream, kid.
And honestly? You're already amazing.
You help your mom without complaining,
even though you're still so young."
"I'm six!" the boy announced proudly.
Draco smiled with admiration.
"Six, and already thinking like this?
That's impressive. I hereby name you
'Official Smartest Kid in the Restaurant.'"
He tousled Aelius's hair again, making the boy giggle with joy.
Gwenna and Elina both watched Draco, seeing the warmth and sincerity in his eyes—realizing, perhaps, how much of his charm lay not in strength, but in his kindness.
Garret looked on at Aelius with approval, while Magnus squinted at Draco, Elina, and Gwenna thoughtfully.
"My daughter… it seems someone already owns that special part of your heart.
What a cruel twist—to feel love for the first time,
only to be met with such a formidable rival."
He looked out toward the fading rainbow,
sunlight dipping too low to keep it alive.
"My daughter…
Obstacles will make you stronger.
Pain will help you grow.
You must overcome this on your own.
Because one day, I too will vanish like the setting sun…
And your rainbow smile may fade with me."
He turned his gaze back to Gwenna,
who was still quietly watching Draco.
"But I believe in you.
After the long night of tears…
You'll rise again—
a new sun shining your light and warmth on the world."
"Gwenna, my daughter."
⸻
⸻
After an unexpectedly heartfelt dinner, we slowly made our way back to Kalan's hammerhead stingray airship. Ailin and Aelius stood waving at us with gentle smiles. As the ship lifted off, their figures grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared into the darkening sky. Night had fallen, making it nearly impossible to see anything clearly now.
It was amazing how Kalan's pilot could steer such a massive craft through narrow, winding air routes—like a trailer weaving its way through narrow alleys at night without headlights. Even Akira had to comment.
"Lord Kalan, your pilot's incredible.
This ship's huge, and he's flying it through tight gaps in total darkness!"
Kalan smiled and gestured toward Zaria.
"He came with Zaria. The kid's got skills. Even I'm impressed."
Zaria nodded with grace.
"Thank you for saying that.
He was an underprivileged boy I took in.
I just wanted him to help out with small chores—sweeping, cooking, cleaning.
But thanks to Lord Kalan giving him a chance,
we discovered his remarkable talent."
Kalan nodded.
"Everyone has their own strengths.
Sometimes it's the ones from barren lands with nothing at all
who hold talents the nobility could never dream of."
Zaria narrowed her eyes playfully.
"Was that a jab at Lord Evan?"
Kalan's smile slowly faded.
"Hm… I just wish he'd value others a bit more.
I know Evan's not a bad man,
but his methods…"
"…are too harsh," Zaria finished the thought for him.
Kalan said nothing, but his expression confirmed her words.
The tension lingered in one part of the ship—while in another, laughter echoed.
Yue, Mirelle, and Gwenna kept the energy light, marveling at the night views.
⸻
The manta-ray ship sailed from the arid southern regions,
gliding into the airspace above Zenith Azimuth and toward the royal palace.
From the sky, the island's homes glittered like tiny stars scattered across the land—
as if the ground itself were a galaxy.
From the outside, the ship looked like a stingray swimming through a sea of stars,
like a lone spacecraft soaring across the cosmos.
Eventually, we reached the landing platform.
Everyone disembarked and began to go their separate ways.
Only Kalan and his royal guard, Kaelum, stayed behind
to escort us toward Keela's castle for the night.
As we walked and talked casually,
we suddenly ran into someone we never expected to meet so abruptly—
one of the kingdom's rival power figures…
Evan Onrae.
He, too, was walking with his guards.
Upon seeing us, he raised his voice smoothly.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Crown Prince himself.
Seeing your sister and her friends off to the castle, are you?
Such a doting big brother."
Kalan stepped forward until the two stood face to face.
They locked eyes—Kalan's face composed and unreadable,
while Evan smiled with the ease of one who wielded power like second nature.
The air grew heavy.
Two of the highest-ranking heirs in Skyperion—
one of the Twelve Great Continents of Arcadia,
and home to the world's greatest aerial transport system—
now stood in quiet confrontation.
"You're her brother too, Evan," Kalan said coolly.
"Why don't you come see her off with me?"
Evan made a dramatic sigh,
glancing over at Keela.
"Ah, I'm sorry, sis. Mother's waiting for me.
But I'll visit the morning after tomorrow, alright?"
Then he turned toward us.
"You guys too—our brave heroes.
I plan to visit you soon,
so don't go running off on some wild adventure just yet."
He turned to Keela.
"Take care, Keela."
Keela, unsure how to respond, spoke softly.
"Please give my regards to Aunt Anemone."
Evan raised one hand in a casual wave.
"See you another time, Kalan."
And with that, he walked away—
leaving behind a heavy weight in Kalan's chest.
To outsiders, it might have looked like a normal conversation.
But the glint in Kalan's eyes said otherwise.
The kind-hearted prince we knew
now wore a steely expression.
His hands clenched into fists, jaw tight—
as though burdened by something far heavier than we could understand.
Whatever it was…
it might not only shape the fate of these two men…
but affect us,
and even… all of Arcadia.
The road ahead is yet unwritten.
And the direction of each step we take from here on
may be just as crucial as the first two steps we've taken before.
⸻