Half an hour later...
Lunara finally fell asleep.
Aestrea stayed still, listening, until he was certain she had slipped fully into sleep.
Carefully, he slipped his arm from beneath her head.
"Mhmm..."
She shifted only slightly, a tiny sound leaving her lips before settling again.
He smiled, pulling the blanket higher around her shoulders, tucking her in with a tenderness usually reserved for something fragile and precious.
Then, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well," he whispered, though she couldn't hear it anymore.
For a short while, he stayed there, simply looking at her face, memorizing the peaceful and not mechanical expression she only ever wore when she was asleep.
Fwoo...
Then the air shimmered, light bending around him, and Aestrea vanished from the dormitory as silently as he had arrived.
