The morning passed peacefully.
For the first time in what felt like forever...
No alarms rang throughout the Nocturne Estate.
No reports of monsters.
No emergency council meetings.
No soldiers rushing through the halls.
Only birdsong.
The gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming moon lilies through the gardens.
Riven sat alone atop one of the estate's stone walls.
One leg dangled over the edge while the other rested against the warm stone.
Below him...
Warriors trained.
Children chased one another across the courtyard.
Servants laughed as they hung freshly washed banners from the balconies.
Life.
Simple.
Peaceful.
Normal.
He had almost forgotten what normal felt like.
A quiet voice interrupted his thoughts.
"...Found you."
Riven turned.
Nyss stood a few steps away.
She wore a simple white dress instead of her usual combat attire.
Her silver hair swayed gently in the wind.
She wasn't carrying a weapon.
For once...
She looked like an ordinary young woman.
Riven smiled.
"Looking for me?"
She nodded.
"...Maybe."
He chuckled.
"Maybe?"
"I knew you'd be somewhere high."
"So..."
"I guessed."
Riven laughed softly.
"You know me too well."
Silence settled between them.
Not awkward.
Comfortable.
Nyss slowly walked over before sitting beside him on the wall.
Their shoulders nearly touched.
Neither spoke.
They simply watched the city below.
After several minutes...
Nyss finally broke the silence.
"...Would you spend today with me?"
Riven blinked.
"Just us."
She quickly looked away.
"I mean..."
"If you're not busy."
"If you already promised someone else then"
"I'm free."
She looked back at him.
"You are?"
He smiled.
"I'd like that."
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"...Good."
The two left the estate shortly afterward.
Without guards.
Without attendants.
Without titles.
Not Lady Nyss.
Not the Fracture.
Just...
Nyss and Riven.
The city bustled with activity.
Merchants shouted from colorful stalls.
Fresh bread filled the streets with its warm aroma.
Children darted between crowds while chasing wooden hoops.
Everything felt alive.
As they walked...
People gradually began recognizing Riven.
"Look!"
"It's him!"
"The hero!"
A little boy ran toward him before stopping awkwardly.
"Mister..."
Riven crouched to meet him.
"Yeah?"
The boy held out a tiny wooden carving.
It was...
A wolf.
"I made it."
"For you."
Riven accepted it carefully.
"...Thank you."
The boy beamed.
Then sprinted back toward his mother.
Nyss smiled.
"You've become popular."
Riven scratched his cheek.
"It's... weird."
"You deserve it."
"I don't know about that."
"You saved them."
"I couldn't save everyone."
Nyss gently nudged his shoulder.
"But you saved those you could."
Riven looked down at the carving.
Perhaps...
She was right.
They wandered through the market for hours.
Nyss convinced him to try roasted honey chestnuts.
He insisted they tasted exactly like normal chestnuts.
She argued they didn't.
A ridiculous debate followed.
Eventually...
She bought two anyway.
Then she laughed as Riven stole one from her paper bag.
"You thief."
"You weren't eating fast enough."
"I was literally about to."
"Too late."
She lightly punched his arm.
Riven grinned.
"I won."
"You cheated."
"I adapted."
"That's still cheating."
They continued walking while laughing.
Several merchants watched them pass.
One elderly woman smiled knowingly.
"They're cute."
Her husband nodded.
"They don't know it yet."
As afternoon approached...
The city grew quieter.
Nyss led him away from the busy streets.
Toward the western district.
Eventually...
They reached a hill overlooking the entire capital.
Below them stretched the rebuilt city.
Beyond it...
The enormous wall protecting the united kingdom.
Farther still...
The forests where the Second Order's borders had once stood.
Everything had changed.
Nyss sat beneath a great moon tree.
Riven joined her.
The wind rustled the silver leaves overhead.
"They've rebuilt a lot."
Riven murmured.
"They have."
"They're trying."
"They are."
Another comfortable silence.
Then...
Nyss spoke quietly.
"Do you remember..."
"...what happened after the battle?"
Riven lowered his eyes.
"...Not much."
"I remember waking up."
"I remember everyone crying."
Nyss smiled sadly.
"I cried a lot."
Riven looked at her.
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You don't."
She folded her hands together.
"For six months..."
"I stayed beside your bed."
Riven froze.
"I kept thinking..."
"...if I left..."
"...that would be the moment you'd wake up."
"So I stayed."
"Every day."
"Morning."
"Night."
"I talked to you."
"I read books."
"I told you stories."
"I even argued with you."
A weak laugh escaped her.
"You never answered."
Riven couldn't speak.
His chest tightened painfully.
Nyss continued staring toward the horizon.
"I was afraid."
"So afraid."
"I thought..."
"...I'd lose you."
Very slowly...
Riven reached over.
He took her hand.
Their fingers intertwined naturally.
"I'm sorry."
Nyss looked at him.
Then smiled.
"I'm not."
He blinked.
"Because..."
"...you came back."
The breeze swept through the hill.
Neither moved.
Neither let go.
For several long moments...
Words weren't necessary.
As the sun slowly descended...
The golden sky gradually transformed into soft shades of crimson.
The first stars began appearing overhead.
Nyss leaned lightly against his shoulder.
Neither acknowledged it.
It simply...
Happened.
"...Riven?"
"Hm?"
"I'm glad."
"About what?"
"That you're alive."
He smiled.
"...Me too."
Far away...
Hidden beneath layers of silver moonlight and primal blue energy...
The crimson eyes within Riven's core remained closed.
Watching.
Waiting.
But strangely...
For the first time...
The darkness was quiet.
Perhaps even the Dark Shadow understood...
That some battles weren't won with claws.
Some victories...
Were found in moments of peace.
As the moon rose above the Third Order...
Two young wolves remained beneath its light.
Neither knew what tomorrow would bring.
Neither knew the trials, prophecies, and ancient horrors that awaited them.
Tonight...
None of that mattered.
For tonight...
They simply enjoyed being together.
The night had grown quiet.
Above them...
Thousands of stars glittered across the endless sky.
The Moon hung high above the Third Order.
Gentle.
Radiant.
Watching.
The silver leaves of the ancient moon tree swayed softly in the breeze.
Neither of them spoke.
They simply sat together.
Shoulder against shoulder.
Listening to the peaceful silence.
After everything they had endured...
Silence no longer felt empty.
It felt comforting.
Riven slowly turned his head.
His eyes settled on Nyss.
She was still gazing upward at the stars.
The moonlight danced across her silver hair.
Her sapphire eyes reflected the heavens themselves.
For a moment...
Riven simply admired her.
Nyss noticed his gaze.
She turned.
"...What?"
Riven smiled faintly.
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're staring."
"I know."
"...Why?"
Riven didn't answer immediately.
Instead...
He slowly lifted one hand.
His fingers gently brushed a loose strand of silver hair away from her face.
Then...
His hand rested softly against her cheek.
Nyss's breath caught.
Her heart began pounding so loudly she was certain he could hear it.
Neither of them looked away.
The world around them seemed to disappear.
No wars.
No prophecies.
No Orders.
Only the two of them.
Under the same moon that had watched them suffer...
And survive.
Riven leaned forward.
Slowly.
Giving her every chance to pull away.
She didn't.
Instead...
Nyss closed the remaining distance.
Their lips met.
Softly.
Tenderly.
Their kiss lasted a few seconds or more.
Yet...
To both of them...
It felt like time itself had stopped.
When they finally separated...
Their foreheads rested gently against one another.
Neither could stop smiling.
Nyss laughed shyly.
"I..."
"...I've been wanting to do that for a long time."
Riven chuckled.
"...Me too."
Without another word...
She slipped her hand into his.
Their fingers intertwined naturally.
Above them...
The Moon shone brighter than ever.
As though silently blessing the union of its chosen heir...
And the boy whose fate would one day shake the world.