The atmosphere inside the restaurant was warm and vibrant. Though not overly crowded, the air buzzed with excitement, voices mingling with the clinking of cutlery and the distant hum of preparations from outside. The anticipation of the coming festival had painted Saint-Aure with a sense of joy, and it lingered even within these walls.
Kael sat across from Riven, quietly eating her meal. Around them, other patrons talked animatedly, some already dressed in their festival best. Kael kept her gaze low, appearing focused on her food, but her mind was elsewhere.
The door of the restaurant opened with a soft chime, and the group of adventurers Kael had seen at the exchange entered. They took a table not far from where she and Riven sat. Kael's eyes instinctively drifted toward them—particularly to the same girl she'd noticed earlier.
Golden-haired and confident, the girl's brown eyes were already fixed on Riven with unsettling intensity. There was something meticulous in her gaze, something too focused. And Kael felt it again—that strange, irritating squeeze in her stomach she couldn't quite explain. It was unwelcome, unfamiliar, and deeply uncomfortable.
Riven, oblivious, continued his usual chatter. He talked about how soup always tasted better when you were starving, how cities were all the same and yet completely different, and something about a blacksmith with no fingers who forged the sharpest knives.
Kael didn't respond much. Her attention was split.
Then, just as they were nearly finished with their meal, the golden-haired girl stood and made her way toward their table. Kael stiffened. Her instincts screamed caution, even as the girl stopped in front of them with a confident smile.
"Hey," she said, her voice smooth and clear.
Riven looked up, eyebrows raised. "Hey."
"I saw you at the exchange earlier," she continued. "Didn't get a chance to say hi then cause ur really my type."
Kael's eyes narrowed, fixed on Riven now, a gaze so sharp it could have sliced through metal. The girl noticed it too and gave a half-smile, then glanced between the two.
"Are you two… together by any chance?" she asked.
Kael didn't look away, but the air between them shifted. Riven chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. "No, no…, anyway."
He leaned closer to the girl and whispered something that Kael couldn't hear—but her frown deepened regardless.
"I'm Cerys," the girl said, straightening. "That's Thaleen, my healer—she's a Fae. Over there is Korril, our tracker—he's half-giant. And the last one is Myssa, our arcane specialist—she's a sylph."
She gave a polite nod. "If you ever need backup while traveling, let us know. We enjoy helping people."
Then she turned and returned to her group. Riven smirked to himself.
"I like that kind of adventurer," he said aloud. "It's people like them that make this life fun."
Kael clicked her tongue with an annoyed "tsk." Riven snorted in amusement.
They finished their meal in silence, the mood awkwardly charged. After paying, Kael stood. "I'm going to the library."
"Don't be late for the festival," Riven called after her.
She didn't answer.
At the library, Kael found a quiet corner, nestled among worn tomes and the smell of parchment. There were few people—most of the city was preparing for the evening's celebration.
She read undisturbed for some time until the librarian gently approached. "We're closing early today," the older woman said with a smile. "Festival preparations."
Kael nodded, paid for the time she'd used, and exited into the dimming streets. The eclipse had already begun, and the city was growing darker. She rubbed her stomach. She hadn't eaten much, and her hunger gnawed at her.
She tried to find something to eat—perhaps a vendor stall or a tavern still open—but everything was shuttered. The entire city had turned its eyes to the coming festivities. She sighed, resigned to the fact that her next meal might have to wait until morning.
She made her way toward the central square. As she walked, she marveled at the transformation. Saint-Aure glowed with floating lanterns, enchanted stones, and colored ribbons fluttering like butterflies. Music had begun to echo from every street corner.
She found Riven easily—he was helping locals arrange decorations and haul benches. She didn't interrupt, simply stood nearby, arms crossed, waiting.
Eventually, he saw her and waved her over. "So… how was your thrilling time in the library?"
"I read."
He chuckled. "What a shock."
Before she could respond, her stomach growled. Loudly.
Riven's eyebrows lifted, and he burst into laughter. "Let me guess—you were so immersed in your reading that by the time they kicked you out, everything was closed?"
Kael glared. "Yes, genius."
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in cloth. "One of the grandmas I helped earlier gave me cookies. Here."
Kael took them without hesitation. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
They stood in silence for a moment, sharing cookies and watching the city come alive in color and light.
As the eclipse reached its peak, the world outside plunged into deep, unnatural darkness. The only light came from the thousands of lanterns and magical lamps lit throughout the city. The scene was breathtaking—like stars had descended from the sky to bathe the streets in gold and violet.
Music exploded from all sides, drums and flutes and laughter blending into something magical. Dancers moved in circles, hand in hand, twirling beneath the glowing canopy.
Riven, of course, was immediately dragged into the dance. He spun and laughed with locals, hands raised to the sky. Then he turned and grabbed Kael's hand.
"What are you doing?" she asked, startled.
"Making memories."
He pulled her in, and soon they were part of the dancing crowd. Kael let herself go, if only for a moment. She spun, laughed, and forgot—for a brief, shining moment—the weight she carried.
She saw Cerys again, dancing with Riven. That same strange emotion stirred again, but it was quieter this time. Duller. Kael couldn't deny the joy on Riven's face, and somehow, it soothed her.
As the festival reached its peak, the massive cauldron of soup was ladled out into bowls. Riven handed Kael hers with a grin.
"Well, at least you won't have to starve until morning."
Kael laughed, truly laughed, and it felt like a weight had lifted from her chest.
The celebration would last until sunrise, but for Kael and Riven, the night had come to a gentle end. They walked back to the inn under a sky still cloaked in eclipse.
Lilith, ever watchful, fluttered after them, invisible to all but her chosen and Riven.