The night of the Lantern Festival seemed to have been made to be perfect. The sky was completely clear, and hundreds of golden lights slowly rose, like small floating suns. The air smelled of sweets, spices, and flower perfume. Vailor was rarely this alive, and Takumi walked through the center of it all with a faint smile, even without realizing it.
The group had momentarily split up. Vespera ran off after a prize game, Liriel stood dazzled by the colorful lanterns, and Elara complained about the absurd number of people, but followed along anyway. Takumi observed everything, breathing in the warm air of the celebration, until he felt someone approaching slowly.
It was Elara.
The mage was slightly flushed, perhaps from the heat of the lanterns or perhaps from something deeper. She gently pulled her cloak aside and said in a slightly hesitant voice, "Takumi, can I talk to you? Just for a minute."
He nodded. "Of course. What is it?"
She guided him to a quieter corner, between two stalls decorated with blue ribbons. The lanterns above created soft reflections in her eyes. Elara took a deep breath; it seemed she was finally about to say something important. "I… I wanted to thank you. For everything you've done. For always being there. I know I talk a lot about mana and about being tired, but… I really feel safe when you're around."
Takumi frowned slightly, surprised by her unusual sincerity.
Elara continued, "And I… I also wanted to say that… since we arrived in Vailor…"
But before she could finish, an overly enthusiastic vendor appeared out of nowhere, holding a bag of colorful sweets.
"Special festival promotion! Three for one! Want to try some?"
Elara froze like a statue. Takumi held back a laugh. The mood vanished instantly.
Elara sighed and turned her back. "I… forget it. I'll tell you later."
Takumi tried to call after her, but she was already walking away, completely red.
He barely had time to react when the second interruption happened.
Liriel practically slid across the ground with her light steps, eyes shining as if the lanterns were the most beautiful thing in the world. She stopped right in front of him, holding two small star-shaped lanterns.
"Takumi! I have something to tell you. Something very important."
He blinked. "What is it?"
The useless goddess held the hem of her dress with both hands and gathered her courage. "I… I've thought a lot. About everything that happened. About you taking care of me when I lost my strength. About you believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself. And I think that… I think you're very special."
She tilted her head, stepping closer. "And I wanted to… stay closer to you."
Takumi stood completely still. Her sincerity was delicate and unexpected. Liriel looked like she was about to finish the sentence when a group of children ran past, tripping over one of the lanterns she was holding. The lantern fell, hit the ground, and burst into golden sparks.
Liriel was so startled that she dropped to her knees in despair. "No! My light star! It was so pretty!"
Takumi helped her up, but the moment had evaporated like smoke. Liriel became so focused on gathering the pieces of the lantern that she completely forgot she had been about to confess something.
He sighed once more.
And then came the third.
Vespera appeared with hurried steps, holding something behind her back. Her face was red, but it didn't seem to be just because of the lantern light.
"Takumi, can I talk to you real quick? Like, really quick."
He laughed. "Another private moment?"
"It's serious!" She looked nervous. "I… I wanted to give you this."
She revealed what she was hiding: a simple leather bracelet with a small metal charm. It was a symbol of Vailor, worn by people who wanted to wish someone good luck on journeys and missions. Nothing flashy, nothing extravagant, but clearly handmade.
Vespera looked down at the ground. "I made this… for you. I mean, I tried to make it. And it almost went wrong. And maybe it's crooked. But I wanted to give it to you before… before…"
Before she could finish, an explosion of fireworks lit up the sky. The noise was so loud that she got startled and accidentally threw the bracelet into the air. Takumi caught it by pure reflex.
Vespera froze, then murmured, "That ruined everything, didn't it?"
Takumi smiled gently. "No. I liked it."
She stood still for two seconds… and then ran off, dying of embarrassment.
Takumi stood there, holding the bracelet, trying to understand what exactly was happening that night. He sighed, looking at the three girls talking further ahead, each one clearly frustrated for different reasons.
The festival shone brightly, music played, people danced, and the air was lighter than ever.
But Takumi's heart was beating faster than usual.
Three confessions.
Three interruptions.
Three feelings left hanging in the air.
As he walked back among the floating lanterns, he realized that, even without a concrete answer, that night would change something within the group.
In a quiet way.
Light.
But inevitable.
And as the last lanterns rose into the sky, Takumi sighed and murmured to himself, "This festival was more dangerous than any dungeon."
And maybe… he was right.