Ark's POV
When we left the restaurant, the sun was still up, casting long golden rays that danced across the rooftops and cobbled streets. The air smelled faintly of grilled meat and sweet bread, and the festival sounds still echoed faintly in the distance.
I smiled quietly to myself as we walked.
'So many people… and yet, I'm not alone anymore,' I thought as I looked at Jack walking next to me, his calm expression accented by the light from the soon-to-be setting sun.
'I have him. And the others. I… I'm not just that scared boy anymore,' I thought as I held his hand and leaned against his body.
The thought made my chest warm, and my tail gave a soft flick behind me.
We kept walking, the city slowly quieting as the day wound down. Jack glanced back at me with a grin. "Come on, Ark."
I tilted my head, blinking. "Where are we going?"
Jack's grin widened, a playful light in his eyes. "To the wall. Thought we could watch the sunset together."
I hesitated, ears twitching slightly. "The… sunset?"
Jack just smiled and kept walking.
'Well… okay,' I thought, quickly catching up.
We were only a few streets away when Jack suddenly stopped in his tracks. His body stiffened, his shoulders tense.
I froze. "Jack? What's wrong?"
His eyes darted around, scanning the streets. "Agatha," he muttered under his breath. "She's in town."
I felt my fur bristle. "B-but she was just at the academy…"
Jack nodded slowly, lips pressed tight. "Yeah… that's what's worrying me. She was there a minute ago, but now she is here."
I looked at him and asked, "Can you sense her from here?"
'Even my grandfather's senses aren't that strong unless he tries,' I thought with worry.
He ran a hand through his hair. "If her emotions weren't so… intense, I wouldn't be able to. But her emotions are so strong, it can feel suffocating being near her, and unfortunately, I can't always ignore them."
I looked at him in concern, and my heart started to pound. "What… do we do?" I asked.
Jack grabbed my hand firmly and gave a calm smile. "She isn't nearby, but she is getting closer, so instead, we move to where she probably can't follow."
Before I could ask, he pulled me down an alleyway, weaving between crates and barrels. But that wasn't what my focus was on. Instead, I was listening to Jack mumble to himself, probably trying to figure out how she got here so fast.
"Teleportation? No… she is an alchemist, I doubt she can do that. A gate spell? Homunculus? Did she find a way to mask her presence? No… maybe—" Jack was mumbling rapidly to himself, stringing together words I only half understood.
I squeezed his hand tighter. "Jack…?"
He glanced back and gave me a quick smile. "Don't worry. I've got this."
We reached the end of the alley.
I looked around. "Jack… It's a dead end."
Jack's smile turned mischievous. "Nope, it's a way out."
He took a few steps back, then ran forward—tap tap tap!—his feet hit the wall, and like some kind of nimble cat, he ran sideways up the bricks. In one swift motion, he grabbed a windowsill and hoisted himself onto the roof.
I stared, mouth slightly open.
A second later, a rope came tumbling down, knots tied neatly along its length.
Jack peeked over the edge. "Your turn!"
I took a breath. My heart was hammering, but… Jack didn't sound rushed. Didn't sound scared.
'I trust him.'
I reached for the rope, gripping each knot carefully as I climbed. Slow, steady. Jack waited, one knee braced on the roof, a hand extended.
As I reached the top, I felt his hand grab mine and yank me up—right into his arms.
"Whoa!" I stumbled, face flushing. Jack's arms wrapped briefly around me, steadying me before pulling back.
"Thanks," I mumbled, embarrassed.
Jack grinned, ruffling my hair before retrieving the rope and tucking it into his storage ring.
I glanced around the rooftop. "Why… up here?"
He winked. "Better view of the sunset. Plus, Agatha's probably not thinking to look above street level."
I shook my head with a sigh. 'How does he balance being this cautious and this casual at the same time…?' I wondered, still not quite understanding how Jack's mind worked.
We kept walking, but soon we hit a problem.
There was a wide gap between the rooftops—too far to just step across.
I looked down, then back at Jack, ears flicking in silent question.
Jack chuckled, stepped back, then ran. *thud thud thud* and leapt, sailing cleanly over the gap.
He turned to the other side, smiling. "Coming?"
I swallowed hard, glancing down at the narrow street below, then back at Jack's waiting face.
He raised a hand. "I believe you can do it. And I'm here if you need me."
'Okay… I can do this,' I thought, hyping myself up.
I backed up, took a deep breath—whoosh—and ran.
The air rushed past me, and for the first time in a long while, I felt different. I felt free.
Most of my life, I had run away from my father and siblings, from monsters, from my father's anger after learning I was leaving for the academy. I can't remember a time I didn't run to get away from something.
But this time was different. I wasn't running away. I was running towards something—towards something I wanted.
The leap felt weightless as I felt an emotion I hadn't felt in a long time: joy. Joy at being able to run free, however, I liked it.
I landed on the other side, heart racing, tail wagging, without permission.
When I turned, Jack was a few paces back, his eyes wide with surprise.
'Wait… I… jumped farther?' I thought, surprised.
He started laughing as he walked over, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Felt good, didn't it?"
I grinned shyly, nodding.
He smiled and asked, "Are you ready to go together?"
I nodded as I stared into his deep brown eyes and smiled.
We ran together after that, darting across rooftops, climbing over ledges, leaping across alleys. I laughed, I stumbled, I caught my breath—and through it all, Jack was right beside me.
As we neared the city wall, Jack suddenly sped up.
I chased after him, calling, "Jack?!"
He glanced back, eyes gleaming. "Follow me!"
With one massive jump—and a feeling around his body I recognized as spirit magic—Jack soared clean over the wall.
I gawked, then heard him yell from the other side. "Come on! Right here! I'll catch you!"
I hesitated only a moment.
'Okay… okay, you can do this…' I thought.
I ran, pushed off, and leapt.
For a moment, I felt the world drop away—felt the air in my fur, the lightness in my chest.
Below me, Jack was standing in the center of a glowing magic circle. As I came down, his hand flicked—and the circle shifted, catching me perfectly as I slowed, floating the last few feet to the ground.
I stared, wide-eyed. "What… was that?"
Jack held up a crystal, light green and faintly glowing. "A magic circle powered by an Air affinity crystal," he explained with a grin. "With spirit magic, I can create magic circles and infuse them with elemental mana using these."
I tilted my head. "Is that… common?"
Jack laughed softly. "Creating magic circles with mana is normal, sure—but spirit magic lets me work around some of my weaker affinities by using cores. Has its drawbacks, though, so I don't do it often."
I looked down at the glowing symbol fading under my feet, then back up. "Do you think you could teach me… how to use spirit magic or spell circles...?"
Jack reached over, ruffling my hair again. "One thing at a time, Ark. Let's get you using basic magic with Zek, and fist fighting with Orin first."
I nodded, feeling my tail wag slightly again.
We walked away from the city, the glow of the setting sun casting long shadows over the fields. I glanced back once, watching the rooftops fade behind us, then looked up at Jack as we moved farther from the safety of the walls.
"Jack…?" I asked softly.
"Mm?"
"Are you sure this is safe? Stronger monsters come out at night…" My ears flicked back nervously as I wrapped my arms around myself.
Jack smiled calmly. I felt it before I saw it—the shift in the air, the subtle thrum of his presence.
His aura.
It pulsed outward, a quiet but powerful wave, wrapping around me like a protective blanket. I shivered—not from fear, but from the strange, almost gentle warmth of it.
"I've got it handled," Jack said lightly.
I blinked up at him, heart beating a little faster. "…Okay."
We kept walking, his presence making it easier for me to push away the lingering fear.
Eventually, we found a hill just outside the city. The grass was soft beneath our feet as we climbed, and when we reached the top, Jack settled down with a quiet sigh, pulling me down with him.
I curled against him, his arm sliding around my shoulders, pulling me close.
I closed my eyes, letting the calm sink in—the smell of grass and cool evening air mixing with the steady beat of his heart.
For a little while, we just stayed like that.
I could hear the faint sounds of the city behind us, the chirping of insects, and the whisper of wind across the fields.
Safe.
Warm.
Calm.
After a bit, Jack shifted slightly, shaking my shoulder with a soft laugh. "Ark… look."
I opened my eyes, blinking in the fading light.
The sun was just brushing the horizon now, its colours painting the sky in deep oranges, soft purples, and streaks of rose-gold. I felt myself relax completely, leaning against Jack as I watched.
I tilted my head, resting it lightly on his shoulder.
Jack's chin came to rest on top of my head a moment later.
I smiled.
He was warm.
He was always warm.
After a long stretch of quiet, Jack's voice reached my ears, soft and thoughtful.
"So… Ark," he murmured, "What's your plan for the coming full moon?"
My body tensed.
Slowly, I lifted my head, eyes wide, heart beginning to pound.
Jack didn't look surprised. His eyes were gentle, his voice calm. "It's in about five or six days. I just… want to make sure you're okay."
I looked away, hugging my knees, ears drooping slightly. "…Yeah. You were right the other day."
My voice was small, almost a whisper.
"When I transform… during the full moon… It's not really me in control."
For a second, I waited—waited for anger, disappointment, fear.
But all that came was Jack's arms tightening around me, pulling me close.
"I'm not mad, Ark," he murmured near my ear. "I'll help however I can."
A shaky breath left me, and before I could stop myself, I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his waist.
After a while, I found my voice again.
"The headmaster…" I started softly. "She said I could have a secure room. In case… something happens."
Jack nodded, resting his chin lightly on my hair. "That's good."
A moment passed, then he asked quietly, "Would it be alright if I stayed with you? When it happens."
I froze.
My ears flicked nervously as I looked up at him, eyes wide. "Jack… I—I can't control myself. I could… hurt you."
Jack's laugh was soft, but his eyes were steady and serious when they met mine.
"Do you really think I'd lose to you?" he asked calmly.
My mouth opened, then closed.
I thought about it.
After a moment, I shyly looked away, cheeks warming. "…I'm just worried I might hurt you."
Jack smiled, squeezing my shoulders. "I was only asking," he said lightly. "You can say no. I just want you to think about it, alright? Over the weekend, while I'm gone."
I nodded slowly, still feeling my heart pound in my chest.
Jack leaned back against the hill, pulling me into his side again.
I closed my eyes.
We didn't need any more words.
We just sat there, holding each other close, watching the last light fade from the sky as the stars coming out to shine down on us.
And for the first time in a long, long while…
I wasn't afraid of the night.