Lanterns burned across the rooftops, swaying with the cool night breeze. The square that only yesterday had been a battlefield of shadows now shone with the brilliance of firelight and laughter. Smoke from the great firepit spiraled upward, carrying with it the rich scent of roasted meat, herbs, and freshly baked bread. The air was thick with warmth, joy, and a reverence that made Andy's chest feel heavier than any blade.
Villagers filled the square—elders seated with solemn pride, children chasing each other in circles, young men and women clapping to the beat of drums that pounded like a second heartbeat. Their voices rose in songs—old songs, preserved only for moments of triumph, now sung in honor of fire and silver who had stood together as one.
Andy sat near the heart of the celebration, a bowl of stew in hand, but his attention wandered more to the faces around him. Eyes brimmed with gratitude. Smiles broke even on the weary and the scarred. He lowered his gaze, uneasy.
Beside him, Nia reached out, resting her hand over his. Her fingers were cool, steady. "Stop frowning. They're not putting you on a pedestal. They're thanking you."
Andy let out a breath, chuckling softly. "Feels like worship. I'd rather fight another phantom than sit through this."
She laughed, the sound slipping into the rhythm of the night like a hidden chord. "You'll survive. You're stronger than you think."
Children crept closer, daring themselves to drape garlands of flowers over Andy's shoulders. He froze, unsure what to do, until Nia leaned in, whispering, "Smile." When he did, the children giggled and darted back, their laughter setting the crowd alight with more joy.
Then the eldest elder rose, his staff gleaming under the firelight. He carried a bundle wrapped in linen, stepping into the circle where silence followed him like a tide. Slowly, with hands that shook with age, he unwrapped the bundle to reveal a charm—threads of crimson and silver wound tightly around a rune-etched stone that pulsed faintly with mana.
"This is the Blessing Charm of Unity," he declared. His voice, though cracked with years, carried clear across the square. "It has slept for generations, awaiting those whose bond proves itself true. Tonight, it is yours."
Gasps filled the crowd. Andy accepted it with both hands, the charm warm as though alive. When Nia's fingers brushed his while guiding the charm into their shared pouch, the System's familiar chime resonated through both of them.
[Item Acquired: Blessing Charm of Unity]
[Effect: +8% Defensive Resistance | Minor Auto-Heal over Time]
[Bond Progression: 60% → 63% | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐]
Andy exhaled. Nia's eyes caught his, and for a heartbeat, it was as if they shared not just the System but their very breath. Her lips curved, soft and radiant.
The feast resumed with greater fervor. Drums pounded, flutes whistled, and voices rose higher. Villagers toasted their names, chanting in rhythm: "Fire and silver, fire and silver!"
But Andy and Nia drifted away from the center, sitting at the edge of the firelight where shadows softened the noise. Andy leaned back against a wooden post, staring at the stars. "Never thought saving lives meant eating enough food to kill me."
Nia giggled, brushing stray hair behind her ear. "You'll be grateful tomorrow. Strength doesn't come only from training."
He turned, watching the way her silver hair caught the firelight, how her eyes glowed softer than any rune. "Nia… I meant it today. If it weren't for you, I'd be nothing more than a sword waiting to break."
Her gaze didn't falter. "And without you, I'd still be a girl holding a staff, too afraid to raise it."
Silence stretched, not heavy but alive. Andy's hand shifted toward hers, almost unsure, until she closed the distance herself. Their fingers intertwined, warmth flowing between them that neither flame nor silver could replicate.
Villagers glanced their way—some smiled knowingly, others whispered prayers of blessing. For the people, it wasn't merely two warriors sharing a quiet moment. It was proof that the world still held something sacred, something unbroken.
Andy squeezed her hand gently. "I don't know what waits ahead. But if we keep walking like this—together—I think we can face anything."
Nia leaned her head lightly against his shoulder, her voice a whisper only he could hear. "Then let's keep walking. No matter where it takes us."
The System flickered silently at the edge of their vision, not with a chime this time, but with a glow that felt almost like approval.
Above, the stars wheeled slowly. Around them, the villagers' music and laughter carried deep into the night. Yet for Andy and Nia, the feast's true blessing wasn't the charm, or even the cheers—it was the bond they carried in their joined hands, fire and silver forged into something no shadow could ever break.
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