Gray woke up to the sound of chirping.
Not the chirp of Luna's chicks, but something smaller—softer. He opened his eyes to find the room filled with wisps, their blue-green light still pulsing gently in the dimness. They'd stayed. Some were hovering near the window, watching the stream flow by. Others were curled up on the blanket beside him, their light warm against his skin. One had even nestled in his silver hair, making it glow like a constellation.
He smiled, reaching up to touch the wisp in his hair. It tickled, and he had to fight the urge to sneeze. "You guys didn't leave," he said, his voice rough with sleep. "Good. I was starting to get used to the light."
He sat up, stretching his arms above his head. The sun was high in the sky—he must have slept for days. Again. But that was okay. In the Valley of Starlight, time didn't matter. There was no one to wake him, no deadlines to meet, no magic to fix. Just sleep, and peace, and wisps that glowed like tiny stars.
He got out of bed and walked outside. The silver grass was still warm under his feet, and the stream was still gurgling peacefully. Luna was perched on her rock near the stream, preening her white feathers, and her three chicks were flying in small circles above the cliff, their tiny golden claws outstretched as they practiced catching insects.
"Morning," Gray said to Luna. She looked up, let out a soft chirp, and went back to preening. He took that as a greeting.
He walked down to the stream and knelt down to wash his face. The water was still cold as ice, and it woke him up a little—though not enough to keep him from yawning. As he stood up, he noticed something new: small flowers had started to grow around the base of the house, their petals glowing with the same blue-green light as the wisps. They must have been drawn by his magic too.
"Nice touch," he said to the wisps, who had followed him outside and were dancing around the flowers. "You guys really know how to make a place feel like home."
He spent the next few days just… existing. He slept in the sun, walked through the grass, sat by the stream and watched the wisps dance. He didn't use any more magic—he didn't need to. The house was perfect, the valley was perfect, everything was perfect. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel the need to conserve his energy. He could just be lazy, and it was okay.
Then, on the thirtieth day, he heard it: the sound of footsteps on the path down from the cliff.
He sat up from where he was napping in the grass, frowning. No one had ever found the valley before. Not even Aldric had stumbled onto it by accident. He stood up, his mana stirring in his chest—just in case. But then he saw the silver armor, the lion-headed sword, and the familiar face, and he relaxed.
Aldric.
He was walking down the path, a large pack on his back and a smile on his face. Behind him, he was pulling a small cart filled with supplies—bags of bread and cheese, jars of honey, blankets, and, sure enough, a pile of soft silk pillows.
"Hey, Lazy Mage!" Aldric called out, waving. "Did you miss me?"
Gray grinned, walking up to meet him. "I missed the food. The pillows are a bonus. How was the trip back?"
Aldric set down the cart and stretched his arms. "Long. The king asked me a million questions about my 'hunting trip'—he wanted to know what I caught, where I went, why I didn't bring back any game. I told him I was tracking a rare mountain stag that got away. He bought it, but I think he knows I'm hiding something."
He gestured to the cart. "I brought you supplies—enough to last you a few months, if you don't eat everything in one sitting. And the pillows. Six of them, just like you wanted."
Gray's eyes lit up. "Six? You're the best, Aldric."
"I know," Aldric said, grinning. "Now, show me what you've been up to. I hope you didn't burn down the house while I was gone."
Gray led him back to the house, and Aldric's eyes widened when he saw the flowers and the wisps dancing around the walls. "Whoa. The wisps are still here? And those flowers—did you grow those with magic?"
"Nope," Gray said, opening the door and letting him inside. "They just… grew. The wisps must have something to do with it."
Aldric walked inside, looking around the room. The wisps floated around his head, their light making his armor glow. "This place is even better than when I left. You really did a great job with the house."
"Told you it was simple," Gray said, sitting down on the bed and patting the silk pillows. They were even softer than he'd imagined. "So, what's new in the world? Any new legends about the Lazy Mage?"
Aldric sat down in the chair, pulling a jar of honey from the cart. "Actually, yeah. There's a new one going around—people are saying you didn't die, you just went to sleep in a secret valley where the stars never set. They're calling you the 'Star-Sleeping Mage' now. More poetic than 'Lazy Mage,' if you ask me."
Gray groaned. "Great. Now they're making up even more stories about me. Next thing you know, they'll be saying I turn into a star at night."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Aldric said, laughing. "So, how's life in the valley? Boring yet?"
"Boring is the best part," Gray said, lying back on the pillows. "No adventures, no trouble, no nothing. Just sleep and peace. It's perfect."
Aldric nodded, but Gray could see a hint of worry in his eyes. "That's good. I'm glad you're happy. But… I need to tell you something. Something happened while I was gone."
Gray sat up, frowning. "What is it? Did someone find out about me?"
"No, no," Aldric said, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. But… there's a new group of mages in the realm. They call themselves the 'Weavers of Chaos.' They're looking for lost magic—old runes, ancient artifacts, anything that can give them power. They've already raided three old dungeons, and they're getting closer to the Black Spire."
Gray's eyes narrowed. "The Black Spire? My old dungeon?"
"The same," Aldric said. "They think there's a powerful artifact hidden there—something that can 'rewrite the fabric of reality.' They don't know about the vault door, or the space between worlds. But if they keep digging, they might find it. And if they open it… well, you know what's on the other side."
Gray sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "Great. Just when I finally find a place to sleep, someone has to go and mess it up."
"I'm sorry," Aldric said. "I didn't want to worry you. But I thought you should know. If they open the vault door, they could break the seal you made. The space between worlds could collapse, and it could take the entire realm with it."
Gray stood up, walking to the window and looking out at the valley. The wisps were still dancing, the stream was still gurgling, the stars were still twinkling. He'd worked so hard to find this peace. He didn't want to give it up. But he also knew that if he didn't do something, the world he'd left behind would be destroyed—and the valley wouldn't be safe for long either.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice soft. "Go back and stop them? I don't want to leave the valley."
"I know," Aldric said, standing up and walking beside him. "I don't want you to leave either. But you're the only one who can stop them. You're the only one who knows how to seal the vault door, who knows what's on the other side. No one else has the power to stop the Weavers of Chaos."
Gray was quiet for a long time, watching the chicks fly above the cliff. He thought about the valley, about the wisps, about the soft silk pillows. He thought about all the sleep he'd get to have if he stayed. But he also thought about Aldric, about the people in the realm, about the peace he'd worked so hard to create.
"Okay," he said, finally. "I'll go. But only to seal the vault door for good. And then I'm coming right back here. No more adventures. No more saving the world. Just sleep."
Aldric smiled, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Deal. And I'll come with you. To help. You shouldn't have to do it alone."
Gray nodded, looking back at the house. The wisps seemed to sense his worry—they floated over to him, their light warm and comforting. "I'll be back," he said to them, to the valley, to the stars. "I promise."
He turned to Aldric, a determined look in his eyes. "But first, I'm going to take a nap. A long one. I need to save my energy for whatever those Weavers of Chaos have planned. And no carrying me this time—I'll walk on my own."
Aldric laughed, shaking his head. "Whatever you say, Star-Sleeping Mage. But we have to leave in three days. So make it a good nap."
Gray grinned, lying back on the silk pillows. "Oh, it will be. The best nap of my life. After all, a lazy mage needs to be well-rested before he saves the world."
The wisps floated down to curl up beside him, their light soft and warm. Outside, Luna let out a soft chirp—as if wishing him luck. The stream gurgled, the grass swayed, the mountains whispered, and the stars twinkled in the daytime sky.
Gray closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep. He knew that in three days, he'd have to leave the valley, face the Weavers of Chaos, and save the world one last time. But for now, he could sleep. And that was all that mattered.