The night had settled over the countryside in a blanket of stars and the soft hum of wind brushing against the tall grass. The moon was bright, casting a silver glow across the wide yard of the old estate. Lif and Mary strolled together quietly, the crunch of the earth beneath their shoes the only sound for a moment. Jenna had gone to bed hours ago, worn out from the excitement of the day. Now it was just the two of them, alone under the sky.
"You like the night?" Mary asked, tilting her head back to look up at the constellations.
"Yeah," Lif nodded, his eyes following hers. "Feels peaceful. Like everything's... waiting."
She smiled gently. "That's a nice way to put it."
They walked a little further before Mary broke the silence again.
"How old are you again?"
"Thirteen," Lif replied. "You?"
"Fifteen. So I've got seniority," she smirked.
Lif chuckled. "Guess I better show some respect then,"
"You better," Mary replied playfully.
They stopped near the edge of the yard, where the trees began. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting speckled patterns across their faces.
"So," Mary said, glancing at him, "do you know your constellation?"
"Yeah, I awakened it recently. It's Ic-"
"Wait, what?" she interrupted. "Recently?"
Lif blinked. "Yeah. I was born Hollowborn. Got chosen last year."
Mary's expression shifted. Her gaze dropped to the ground, her voice quieter now. "How... did you cope? Being powerless like that?"
Lif was quiet for a moment, then shrugged gently. "I didn't really cope, I guess. At first, it sucked. Everyone around me could do things I couldn't. Kids wanted to duel or spar, and I couldn't even spark a flame. And my family... well, they're kind of a big deal."
Mary looked up at him, curious.
"My mom was a great fire mage in the capital—Kathelyn. My dad was a general, before an injury forced him to retire. People had high expectations. Like, ridiculous ones. Thought I'd be the next prodigy just 'cause of my blood."
He paused, giving a dry laugh. "I suppose you don't know who the Blaz are, right?"
Mary shook her head.
"Didn't think so. They're a huge family back in my village. Fire affinity. All of 'em. Chosen by Ignara. Their flames are naturally stronger than most. The head of the Blaz back then was tight with my dad. When I was born, half the village came to watch. The blaz hoped their mana or whatever would convince Ignara to choose me. It didn't."
Mary listened intently, her arms crossed but her expression soft.
"The new head of the Blaz—she was twenty-six at the time—apparently threw a tantrum over a baby not being chosen by her god. Imagine that. A grown woman mad about someone else's kid."
He laughed again, shaking his head.
"So yeah. I was weak. Couldn't do anything flashy. I was tiny, slower than the other kids at first. My dad taught me how to fight, though. Hand-to-hand. Later weapons, I got into a lot of fights, lost most of 'em at the start, but I learned. Got faster. By the time I was nine, I was outrunning most adults back home. Still weak as hell, though."
Mary smiled a little at that.
"Sorry," Lif said sheepishly. "Didn't mean to dump my life story on you. Just got carried away."
"No," Mary said quickly. "I asked. And... I get it."
She paused, then looked away again. "I asked because... Jenna's Hollowborn too. And unlike you, she never learned how to fight. Our parents are both mages. They couldn't teach us anything about defending ourselves without magic. Jenna got picked on. A lot. Especially back in Herene."
Lif's face softened as he listened.
"Every day she cried herself to sleep. She hated herself. Thought she was worthless. All because of something she had no control over. And it kills me, you know? Watching her suffer like that. Seeing her believe she's less than everyone else."
Mary's voice cracked slightly as tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away, wiping at her face.
Lif took a breath. "I'll teach her."
Mary blinked, looking back at him. "What?"
"I'll teach her how to fight," Lif repeated. "I know what it's like. To feel powerless. To think you're less than everyone else. If I can help another Hollowborn stand tall, that's something I want to do. No... something I need to do."
Before he could say another word, Mary stepped forward and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
She was crying openly now, clutching him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."
Lif stood there for a second, surprised, then smiled and gently wrapped his arms around her too.
The night sky bore witness to the two of them standing there, a quiet promise hanging between them like stardust. Something had changed. A new path had begun.