Location: Quezon City — Khalil's Apartment
Time: Year 4, Day 1 — Early Morning, 3:17 AM
Khalil's eyes opened to stillness.
The lights were off. The faint hum of mana shields in the windows buzzed gently. His coat hung neatly over a chair. His boots lay by the door, still dusted with city grime.
He was home.
He blinked slowly, adjusting to the dark.
That memory again—the first one.
The sky tearing. The voice. Zephyr's laughter.
The way the air had moved like it knew him.
"You're awake!" came the familiar voice near his ear.
A tiny ball of light zipped up from the pillow, stretching tiny arms as wings flared out. Zephyr, in his full miniature fairy form, floated above the bed like a sleepy firefly.
"You were twitching in your sleep," the spirit whispered. "Bad dream?"
Khalil sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Some memories from back then."
Zephyr did a midair twirl. "Oooh. Awakening Day again?"
Khalil nodded.
"You looked so scared back then," Zephyr giggled. "And sweaty. So sweaty."
"I was 20 and thought I was about to die."
"And then I appeared! Lucky you!" Zephyr beamed, wings flickering in soft green pulses. "Boom. Instant friendship. Magical explosion. Iconic duo."
Khalil stood and walked toward the small kitchen, barefoot on cold tile. "You really don't stop talking."
"That's because silence is spooky at 3 a.m. Especially when you live alone like some brooding anime character."
------
Khalil's apartment was small but clean. Sparse furniture. Light grey curtains. Books stacked on shelves beside old raid reports. A teapot steamed softly on the stove, heating as he poured himself water.
But even from here, he could feel the ripple of mana in the air — distant Gates flickering open and shut, like sparks across a global map.
Zephyr landed gently on the counter, swinging his legs.
"Do you miss it? The life before all this?"
Khalil looked down at him, thoughtful. "Sometimes."
"We were pretty amazing that first day though," Zephyr said proudly, puffing his tiny chest. "You chopped down four monsters with zero training. I yelled a lot. We made a great mess."
Khalil chuckled quietly. "You really did yell a lot."
Zephyr grinned, wide-eyed. "Because you had no idea what you were doing and I didn't want to die!"
-------
He took his tea to the small balcony. The wind brushed past him gently, not just weather — but something familiar. Something alive.
Zephyr floated beside him, wings silent.
They watched the sky.
"I thought it would stop eventually," Khalil murmured. "The Gates. The monsters. The uncertainty."
"I hoped it wouldn't," Zephyr admitted, softer now. "If it had... I might've vanished."
Khalil glanced at him. "You regret choosing me?"
Zephyr blinked, startled. Then gave a huge, exaggerated gasp. "Regret?! You're my favorite person in the whole world!"
"You've only ever had one person."
"Still counts."
-----
The wind shifted gently around them, brushing Khalil's hair back. Zephyr glowed faintly, wings leaving trails of starlight in the dark.
The city slept. The world held its breath.
But for now… it was quiet.
Khalil sipped his tea, eyes drifting closed once more.
Zephyr hovered closer and settled like a small sleeping cat on Khalil's shoulder. "Wake me when the sun rises," he yawned.
"I won't," Khalil said softly.
"Knew it."