Later that night, the city of Vrasnia hummed with a subdued rhythm, its crystalline spires twinkling like stars brought to earth under the watchful gaze of the purple moon. The festival's fervor had ebbed into a gentle lull, leaving the streets bathed in soft, ethereal light. Neve's voice cut through the quiet, a playful lilt that carried on the cool breeze. "Mirmir!"
Kazimir paused, his indigo-blue coat fluttering slightly as he turned, his galactic eyes—swirling with stars and a crescent moon pupil—meeting hers with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Is that your new name for me?"
She giggled, the sound like silver chimes in the night, her white hair catching the moonlight as she stepped closer. "Maybe. But why are you free? No duties calling?"
He shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I am. Nothing pressing right now."
Neve's cheeks flushed a delicate pink, her ice-blue eyes shimmering with a spark of mischief. "Perfect! Then come with me—there's something I want to talk about."
Kazimir's gaze softened, intrigued by the earnestness in her voice. "Sure, I don't mind. If it sounds important, I'll come. Since it's you."
Her smile widened, a warmth blooming in her chest. "Great! Come on, let's exit the city—shall we go to the bottom of Twilight Cliff? There's a beach there. I've never walked it before. Do you mind?"
He glanced at her, the moonlight painting her features in silver and shadow, her eyes reflecting the stars like a winter sky. "Yeah, where you want to talk, I don't mind."
They looked further down the path, where Riah stood in quiet conversation with her mother and villagers, their figures silhouetted against the glowing horizon. "Oh, look—Riah's there," Neve pointed softly. "She looks like she's talking to her mom and her people. I assume they're still hesitant about you."
Kazimir nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "Yeah, she is—which I can understand. She's able to see Nebula; I don't know what power that is, but when she looks at me and Vanessa, it's probably terrifying for her. Then there's her past with Riah's father, who was a Vrasnian. Being here is hard enough for her already, but judging by the fact she's here, I believe she's trying to make that change. So, for now, I won't approach them."
Neve took a deep breath, the night air cool against her skin. "That's probably for the best. Eventually, that will change, and what everyone thinks of you will disappear. The world will wake up one day, Mirmir, and see that you're the hero this world needed." Her words hung in the air like a promise, her gaze lingering on him with unspoken affection. "Come on, let's go. Follow me, my finest knight."
She took the lead, her steps light and purposeful, and Kazimir followed, the two of them leaping into the sky with effortless grace, their forms cutting through the night like shooting stars. The wind whispered secrets as they descended to the bottom of Twilight Cliff, where a secluded beach awaited, its sands silver under the moon's caress, the ocean lapping gently at the shore with a rhythmic lullaby.
Neve touched down first, her bare feet sinking into the cool sand, the breeze dancing through her white hair like a lover's touch. Kazimir landed softly behind her, his presence a steady warmth at her back. She gazed out at the horizon, where the waves met the star-strewn sky in an endless embrace. "It's beautiful," she breathed, the word carrying the weight of a dream. "This world—it's so unreal, so gentle. It's almost like a dream."
Kazimir, standing just behind her, admired not the view, but the way the moonlight painted her silhouette, her words weaving a spell around his heart. "Mirmir," she continued, her voice soft as the waves, "I thank you so much. Thanks to you, I was able to have a final evolution when I thought I was at my peak. I didn't think it was possible for elves to obtain the otherworldly power of Vrasnians."
He raised his head, his voice gentle, laced with a quiet pride. "Not all Vrasnians can do it, but your body is capable of it—which is a good thing. I'm not surprised; you're very strong. Vrasnians have to train a lot to use otherworldly projection energy, which is different from regular projection energy, but I'm no expert on races."
Neve giggled, the sound light and teasing, turning to face him with eyes that shimmered like frost-kissed stars. "Come on, sit down with me. I'll tell you the traits of other species around us." She lowered herself to the sand, patting the spot beside her, and he joined her, their shoulders brushing in the intimate quiet of the night.
She took a gentle breath, the ocean's murmur accompanying her words. "First, it's humans—which I think you can already guess, but they're at the bottom of the barrel. They have their ways of figuring out how to survive, though."
He nodded, a soft chuckle escaping. "Yeah, I knew that for sure."
"Hahaha, alright—next one is vampires, which we've figured out how to kill them. You can destroy every cell in their body, or pierce their soul." Kazimir's gaze met hers, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes like a shared secret. "Yeah, I don't really understand how vampires function. They seem like more of a threat than the world makes Vrasnians out to be."
She giggled again, her hand brushing his arm lightly. "That's because Vrasnians are otherworldly. But you said 'some' of them, because you have to be very strong. That's what makes you guys terrifying—no one knows what Vrasnians are truly capable of. Karah's strength was already mysterious, and they were curious about Jessie, but then you came… people began to think Vrasnians are superior to every race. Especially after the world learned you're a disciple of Nebula, and when you almost destroyed it fighting Barak. But vampires have almost infinite stamina—they can recover and use blood as strength. That's about it for them."
Kazimir looked at her, the night air between them charged with unspoken warmth. "Tell me about elves—that's more curious, because both you and Lihanna have a resonance with the moon, having the lunar flow like I do."
"Haha, Mirmir, I already told you—it's because of you. You helped me." She said with a teasing lilt, her eyes sparkling. "Dummy, you forgot? Elves can resonate with lunar energy, but it's rare. You unlocked that in me."
Kazimir's cheeks warmed slightly, a rare flush under the moonlight. "Oh, I think so…"
She sighed playfully, rising to her feet with a graceful stretch. "Watch me." He looked up from the sand, his gaze fixed on her as she clasped her hands together. Her energy flowed like radiant frost, the lunar essence pulsing in the air, drawing the moon's light closer. The purple orb above shone brighter, responding to her call, and Kazimir's eyes widened in quiet wonder. "Wow… you're resonating with it."
Neve opened her eyes, her breath steadying as the energy settled. "Yeah, and this gave me a massive boost to my overall strength. What do you say, wanna have a duel with me my finest knight?" Her voice was a velvet invitation, laced with the thrill of challenge and something deeper, her hand extended toward him.
Kazimir rose, taking her hand in his, the touch sending a subtle spark through them both. "Good. Let's dance together on this beautiful night while the moon is full." Her smile was radiant, a promise in the starlight, as they stepped apart on the silver sands, the ocean's whisper urging them onward into their moonlit waltz.