It was still night. The snow continued to fall softly, insulating the park in silence.
Damon finally sat up, but stayed close, his shoulder pressing against Natsuki's with his head on her shoulder too. Her hand immediately rested on his hair, stroking it gently, a simple, calming touch.
Luma chimed in quietly from Natsuki's pocket. "Prince Damon's internal stability is returning to 99%. Analysis shows that his Fire Eterna threshold is now within approximately 12% of King Thalor's historical limits."
Natsuki looked at Damon, her expression serious. "What does she mean?"
"She means I'm stronger," Damon simplified, looking into her eyes. "I'm fine now."
He shifted closer, cupping her cheek. She leaned her face into his palm, closing her eyes as if claiming the contact. Damon let his fire infuse his hand, heating his skin. The gentle warmth spread across her face, melting the lingering chill of the night. Natsuki made a small, satisfying hum.
"Natsuki, I'm sorry," Damon whispered, the raw fear from his fall still tightening his throat. "You could have died today because I put you in danger. I was in pain, but it hurt more seeing you fall, and I was useless. I—"
She cut him off gently. "Damon, why are you apologizing for what you can't control? Does this mean you'll never carry me in your arms again?"
Silence settled.
"Damon," she said, her voice dropping into a quiet, unwavering demand. "I want all of you, both the good and the bad." She brushed a flake of snow from his cheek. "And I already told you I'm never leaving you. It's okay. Please stop apologizing."
Damon stopped looking at her eyes and stared instead at the worn lines of the bench beneath them, his sadness palpable. Natsuki noticed the shift instantly. She gently guided him back, moving so his back rested on the bench while she settled, resting her cheek directly on his chest.
"Damon, this is the last night I get to be a child," she murmured, her voice warm against his coat. "I'm happy I spent it with you."
His hand brushed her hair softly. "You can be as childish as you want with me, Natsuki. I love all parts of you."
His words made her blush faintly beneath the moonlight. They listened to birds chirp in the distance and watched the snow fall, quiet and contained.
"You did always want to go skydiving," Damon suddenly recalled.
Natsuki laughed, the vibration soothing against his chest. "Well, I did, but without a parachute."
Damon laughed lightly. "What was it Daiki used to say again?"
Natsuki adjusted herself, wrapping an arm around him. "What's life without a little bit of danger?"
Damon sighed softly, repeating the phrase like a quiet acceptance of his new reality. "What's life without a little bit of danger?"
He lit his body in warm, internal fire, not visible, but radiating outward. It enveloped Natsuki, and she sank deeper into his warmth with a satisfying sigh.
After a quiet moment, Natsuki lifted her head from his chest and looked into his eyes. "Damon, what triggers the Purge?"
"Well, the more I train. The stronger I get, but I get too strong too fast," he explained. "So, training is the trigger."
She held his gaze, her intent clear. "I'm not going to ask you to stop, because that's selfish. But before you leave, come to the court tomorrow. If you're going to train, do it with me."
Damon wondered what plans does she have, but he didn't ask. "Okay. I'll come tomorrow," he promised. "But for now, let me take you home."
Natsuki kissed him, a deep, slow kiss that was both reassuring and demanding, sending chills—soothing chills—down his body.
"Let's go."
After Damon took Natsuki home, he quickly greeted her parents and remaining relatives with a polite goodbye, his exhaustion pressing down on him. Outside the house, he picked up Daichi and slung his arm over Nyra's shoulder.
They started the short walk back to his place, Daichi resting comfortably in his arms.
Daichi immediately barked, his voice loud but comforting. "You're not holding it anymore."
Nyra frowned. "Holding what? What's he talking about?"
Damon sighed, rubbing the soft fur against his cheek. "Well, that's because it already happened, and I almost put Natsuki in danger."
Nyra studied his expression, then shifted her gaze to the path ahead. "She didn't look like she was hurt at all. She seemed... happy."
"That's just Natsuki for you, Nyra," Damon replied with a soft, tired smile.
Daichi gently rubbed his head against Damon's neck, a silent, deep comforting motion. Damon tightened his arm around Nyra's shoulder, taking comfort in the simple presence of his family as they walked.
When they entered the house, the scene inside was warm and unexpected. Mira and Richard were seated at the large kitchen table, surrounded by papers and schematics, deep in discussion making some plans.
Richard looked up, surprised and pleased. "Nyra! When did you get back?"
Nyra, caught off guard, stumbled slightly, her eyes fixated on the unfamiliar, bright, and slightly intense face of Mira. "I got here... yesterday," she managed, recovering quickly. "Boarding school was getting really stressful."
Mira's eyes— one crimson, one silver—widened as she stared at Nyra. She smiled warmly. "You look just like Damon, but somehow even cuter."
Damon gave a weary chuckle, sensing the conversation might escalate. "I'm heading straight to bed for the night. It's been a pretty long day."
Mira immediately turned her attention to him, her expression concerned. "Are you okay, Damon? You look wiped."
Damon met her gaze. He gave a final, soft look that showed his renewed stability. "Yeah. I'm fine now." He said.
Afternoon came, and the intense sun warmed the air over the public park court. The wind was blowing hard, whipping the surrounding trees.
Damon was doing handstand pushups on a free throw line. His sweat-damp shirt was falling loosely toward his face, a minor annoyance compared to the weight he was balancing.
Natsuki stood directly on his feet, holding a basketball. She was centred over his core, her legs forming two perfectly stable pillars as he balanced on his hands. They were a full court away from the opposite net.
The routine was brutal: Damon's upside-down body moved up and down, creating an inherently unstable platform. Natsuki would seize the peak of his stability to launch a full-court shot.
Fwoo-sh. Thump.
The wind around the court made a sound like a muted horn, catching the ball mid-air and guiding it back to Natsuki's waiting hand, saving her a nine-second sprint.
"One hand," Natsuki called out, breathless, immediately launching a shot.
Damon groaned through gritted teeth, switching from two hands to the left hand to continue his pushups. His entire body shivered from the sudden shift in load.
"One hand," Damon called out, and Natsuki switched to catching and throwing the ball with her left hand, adjusting her form mid-air. The ball clattered off the backboard—a miss. Damon's wind caught the leather and sent it flying back, landing perfectly in Natsuki's grasp.
"You see, Damon," she said, panting lightly, launching another shot. "You told me your wind was your weakest. So you're using wind while under pressure doing the pushups. Good training, right?"
"Yeah," he grunted, the effort tearing the word from his chest. "It's actually been hard for me to control wind, so yeah, this is good training."
He finished the phrase. His focus slipped for a fraction of a second. This time, the wind did not cooperate. Instead of directing the ball back to Natsuki, it spun wide, landing on the pavement a dozen feet away.
Natsuki raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Switch to the other hand, then."
Damon bit back a cry of effort as he executed the switch, moving from his left hand to his right. As he did, he forced his Eterna to snap back into control, directing the stray ball straight into Natsuki's hand as she waited for the new rhythm.
"What's the score, Luma?" Natsuki asked, already launching her next shot from the unstable platform.
Luma's voice was crisp and clinical, unaffected by the chaos. "Natsuki has attempted 180 full-court shots in the past hour. Nineteen points have been scored."
Damon finished one rep "Luma, what about me? How many pushups have I done?"
"Prince Damon has executed 1,200 non-stop, hands and fingers randomized, one-handed handstand pushups, and counting."
Damon asked Natsuki, his voice raspy. "This is barely affecting my muscles. Why does it feel so hard?"
"Luma, explain," Natsuki commanded, keeping her gaze focused on the hoop.
Luma's geometric form shifted, projecting a small, simple schematic showing Damon's Eterna core with several chaotic nodes.
"The effectiveness is due to control, Prince Damon. While this form of strength training is almost non-significant for you, the precise control of wind requires precision. Right now, you are under pressure from the constant, randomized change in the configuration of your hands and fingers, which kinda demands perfection."
"One finger and thumb on your other hand now," Natsuki called out, launching a shot.
Damon obeyed, the sudden shift causing his body to shudder violently as he tried to stabilize the weight distribution.
Luma continued, "Aaand your subconscious fear of Natsuki falling from your legs acts as external stress, which forces your mind to concentrate on stability and eterna on precise wind control."
Clang.
The ball went straight through the net. But Damon missed moving the ball to Natsuki's hand after it landed. He instantly used his wind to bring the ball back with a forceful gust.
"How am I struggling to do this when I was able to do more with wind using Twilight?" he grumbled, breathing heavily.
Luma explained, "Well, the Twilight sword significantly amplifies your base power and, provides stability that aids control. Without it, you're bound to rely solely on raw, intuition when it comes to wind."
A couple of people passing by paused, pulling out a phone to take a picture of the fascinating sight. Luma quickly turned invisible. The couple laughed, praising Natsuki and Damon for the incredible workout they were attempting.
Natsuki caught the ball, her eyes burning with fierce determination. "We're not stopping until I score 100 shots and you can give me the ball 50 times in a row accurately with your wind. No misses."
Damon, exhausted but utterly focused on her, let a genuine, tired smile spread across his face. "I love you soo much."
Natsuki, already shooting, met his smile. "I love you too."
They continued the brutal session until evening.
When the sun finally dipped below the treeline, Damon lay down flat on his back on a wooden bench, muscles singing with satisfying fatigue. Natsuki, after gulping down water, stretched out on the same bench. They were lying on opposite sides, the tops of their heads touching, a silent line of connection.
Natsuki let out a long, shuddering breath. "Damon," she asked quietly. "Do you really have to leave today?"
He sat up slowly, carefully positioning her head onto his lap, running his fingers through her sweaty hair.
"We still haven't figured out why that demon attacked Earth yet, and we don't know how Velmira got those suits for her men."
He paused, his expression turning serious. "And this time, there's something very important I have to confirm."
"What is it?" she asked, looking up at his face.
He started by saying, "When I first got to Woewyn, Mom told me... Remember the lady who tried to kiss your hand, Seraphine? Yeah she..." He leaned down, explaining some complex truths.
Natsuki listened, her eyes growing wide. When he finished, she asked, her voice barely a whisper, if he was absolutely sure.
"That's why I have to go back," Damon insisted, gripping her hand tightly. "I have to find out."
"What do you think your mother will do if it's true?" Natsuki asked, fear creeping into her tone.
Damon looked out into the deepening twilight. "I don't know, Natsuki. But it's nothing good."
The words struck Natsuki, injecting a slight chill of fear despite his warmth. Damon's hands—one holding hers, the other brushing her hair—calmed her quickly.
"I miss you when you're gone, you know?" she confessed.
"I know, Natsuki. I miss you too," he said, leaning down to meet her eyes. "I'm already missing you, and I haven't even left yet."
They both laughed softly at the bittersweet truth. She sat up, cupping his face just as he had done for her last night, and they kissed. Their lips pulled apart slowly, foreheads touching.
"Don't take too long, okay?" she whispered.
"Okay, Natsuki. Thank you for waiting for me."
"Always, Damon. Always."