Rael wasn't quite sure how they ended up in the greenhouse at the back of the castle.
A moment ago, the Royal Cake Vault had been a whirlwind of magical applause, confetti made of crystallized mint, and a wildly enthusiastic cupcake mascot attempting to smother him in frosting. The next thing he knew, he and Mochi had stumbled through a side passage, down three secret stairways, and into the sun-drenched haven of the palace's abandoned botanical garden.
The chaos had faded. No wings. No judges. No croissant golems.
Only the hum of bees, the scent of sun-warmed strawberries, and... her.
Mochi sat cross-legged on the grass, cradling a teacup someone had carelessly left behind, as if she'd always been there. Her hair, sticky with raspberry glaze, her cheeks flushed with exhaustion, and her dress—what was left of it—looked like it had been in a barroom brawl with a meringue.
Rael sat down beside her.
They were silent for a moment. He could hear the greenhouse creaking, vines scraping the glass, and somewhere high above, a tiny weather sprite stretching its wings.
Mochi sighed.
"I smell like seventeen types of desserts," she grumbled.
Rael tilted his head. "Eighteen. There's a whiff of tiramisu behind your left ear."
She shot him a mock-glare, but the smile that followed was familiar—mischief first, mischief always.
"I didn't think it would work," she said softly, almost to herself.
Rael watched the sunlight spill across her, the way it caught on her hair. "I did."
She turned to him, eyebrow raised. "Really?"
He paused, then said quietly, "You've always returned. Not always as you immediately, but… always you."
Mochi froze for a moment, then cracked a grin. "Even when I was a swan with wing cramps?"
"Especially then. You were aerodynamically mad. In a flappy, panic-flavored manner."
She laughed, the sound ringing out like honey dripping from a comb, warm and sweet, echoing between the vines.
Rael leaned back, resting his elbows on the ground. He looked up through the glass ceiling at a cloud shaped like a three-tiered wedding cake. Probably magic, but he didn't ask. For now, the quiet felt right.
After a moment, Mochi shifted slightly, turning toward him.
"Hey, Rael?" she said.
"Hm?"
"If I reincarnate again... as something ridiculous, like pudding or something, you'll still stick around, right?"
Rael gave her a long, serious look.
"I've tracked you through assassin tunnels, royal mazes, a cursed book repository, and an actual dessert war. You're not getting rid of me, Mochi. Even if you come back as a half-melted popsicle."
She grinned. "Good. But let's skip the popsicle part if we can. I hate brain freeze."
And then, as if the words had exhausted her, she rested her head on his shoulder.
Rael, who had battled armies, smuggled a swan maiden past six royal dinners wearing a ridiculous hat, and spent days wondering if he'd ever see his best friend again—
—let himself be still.
For just this moment, the world fell silent.
And she was home.