Spring came slowly that year, like the world itself needed time to heal.
The tower was long behind them now, left to crumble into the mountainside. The three of them had found a quiet village tucked between green hills and silver streams, a place far removed from the sound of clashing steel or the hiss of magic.
The people here didn't know them as fugitives or warriors. Just… neighbors.
Life Without Running
Kyle leaned against the wooden railing of the small cottage porch, watching Felix argue with the local baker over the price of bread.
Felix was gesturing wildly, insisting that one loaf "looked like it had been cursed in the oven."
Gia stepped out beside Kyle, brushing her hair back as the breeze caught it. "How long before he gets banned from the bakery again?"
Kyle smirked. "Three minutes. Two if he mentions the 'incident' with the flour barrel."
Gia laughed, the sound carrying over the rolling fields.
It had been weeks since the final battle, and still, Kyle found it strange to wake up without the weight of being hunted pressing on his chest.
No more trackers.
No more endless nights wondering if the next fight would be the last.
Just… this.
The Garden
They had started a small garden in the back—more Gia's project than Kyle's. She claimed growing things helped her feel like she was building instead of breaking.
Kyle had helped anyway, though most of his attempts ended with Felix teasing him about "murdering the carrots."
"You're supposed to water them, not threaten them," Felix had joked.
Now, watching the green shoots poke through the soil, Kyle understood.
It wasn't just about vegetables. It was proof that something could grow after destruction.
Felix's New Role
Felix had… mellowed.
A little.
He still made sarcastic quips and tried to gamble with the local farmers, but he'd also started helping at the smithy in town, learning to forge without magic.
Kyle caught him one evening hammering away in silence, and for once, Felix didn't look like the guy who had to keep up a grin to hide the hurt.
The Porch at Dusk
That night, the three of them sat outside, a small lantern between them.
Felix leaned back in his chair. "You realize we're basically retired heroes now? That's weird."
Kyle glanced at Gia, who smiled. "Retired, maybe. But I wouldn't mind a boring life for a while."
Felix grinned. "Boring's not really your style."
Gia shrugged. "Maybe not. But I think we've earned the chance to find out."
Something Like Peace
When Felix headed inside for more tea, Kyle stayed on the porch with Gia, the cool air wrapping around them.
He took her hand—still a little surprised that he could do it without fear of someone tearing it away. "You think it'll last?" he asked quietly.
Gia squeezed his fingers. "I think we'll make it last."
And for the first time since he could remember, Kyle believed her.
The lantern flickered, the stars came out one by one, and the night passed without a single shadow chasing them.
The storm had ended.
And whatever came next, they would face it together.
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