⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
The final night of the Amaterasu Festival had arrived.
And with it came a cloudless sky, illuminated by thousands of floating magical lanterns—each glowing in a different hue: deep blue, vivid orange, gentle green. The entire kingdom looked as if it had been swallowed by a living painting.
I walked slowly down the main streets, with Merlin floating beside me. Burst followed behind with his usual heavy steps. And Jane… she was close, though she kept two or three meters away. We didn't exchange words — and maybe that was the best we could do for now.
The plaza was packed. Elves in garments embroidered with silver petals danced with dwarves carrying drums, spinning to the rhythm of magical instruments. There were human children, and others with unusually bright eyes — probably descendants of some spiritual lineage. Lesser spirits of all kinds floated among the stalls, glowing softly like fireflies.
"[It feels like a dream…]" Merlin wrote, twirling in the air.
And it really did.
There were no shouts. No arguments. Even the guards, usually so stiff, were laughing and eating roasted meat on wooden sticks. Everything breathed tranquility.
"This is my first time at a festival."
"[You've never been to one?]" she asked, her message bubble showing a thinking emoji.
"Honestly… I'm not sure. I still don't remember much from before I came here."
"[Then let's make the most of it!]"
The music changed. A deep, dragging note echoed through the streets. All heads turned in the same direction.
It was starting.
The crowd parted, and from the curve of the main street, it appeared — the Amaterasu Parade Castle.
It was immense, yet not solid. A palace made of floating structures, mirrors, plates of enchanted glass, and rows of glowing lanterns. Parts of it detached and reassembled midair, as if the castle itself were dancing.
At the front, a group of musicians — dwarves, elves, and humans — played enchanted instruments that made the ground hum. The castle windows glowed with scenes from past festivals, as though they projected living memories. Spirits floated around the structure, shaping small creatures of light that scampered over the roofs.
And at the top, standing on a rotating pedestal covered with drifting petals, was Amaterasu.
She wore a long-sleeved golden gown, flowing like water. A silver cape stretched behind her like wings, changing shape as she moved. The fan in her hands seemed to hold the light of the moon itself.
"[Wow!]"
"Yeah…" I murmured. "She really knows how to make an entrance."
I remembered the time she scared my soul a few days ago.
"[Look! She has a cape!]"
Jane crossed her arms. Burst said nothing, though I noticed he kept his eyes on Amaterasu — not that he'd admit it.
She didn't need to speak to command the crowd. When she opened her arms, a shower of fiery golden petals fell over everyone and vanished. And in that instant, the castle stopped moving, anchoring itself to the ground as if with invisible roots.
Then she spoke.
Her voice came through magical amplifiers, clear and soft — like a whisper meant for every soul present.
"Good evening…" she said, smiling. "Tonight, the light isn't mine. It's yours. I'm merely reflecting back all the warmth I've seen during this festival."
It wasn't a long speech.
And it didn't have to be.
Amaterasu raised her fan toward the sky — and it opened on its own. A ring of energy spun above us, scattering sparks of magic that turned into fleeting shapes: dancers made of mist, trees swaying to their own rhythm, children of fire and ice running among false clouds.
It was… impossible to describe.
The performance wasn't just visual — it was emotional. The crowd's feelings seemed to feed the magic, shaping every subtle detail.
A woman beside me wept. A boy laughed so hard that his laughter became a ripple of colorful notes in the air.
The world felt suspended.
And at the center of it all, Amaterasu kept spinning with her fan in hand — unhurried, unbothered. Like someone who had seen everything and could still find joy in the simple beauty of a well-made night.
And then… she noticed us.
After the final spin of her fan, the castle began to dissolve into light. It didn't collapse — it faded gracefully, as if it had never been real. Golden petals floated upward, becoming stars that joined the lanterns above.
The festival was still lively, though the crowd's center had begun to disperse. That's when a faint light shimmered beside me — and through the magical mist, a familiar figure emerged.
"Did you enjoy it?" Amaterasu asked, smiling like an artist admiring her finished painting — not someone who had just stirred half the kingdom's hearts.
"It was incredible," I said honestly.
Merlin spun excitedly in the air, releasing tiny bursts of color like miniature fireworks.
"[Are you, like, a mage?!]" she asked, her message bubble showing a smile and a star.
Amaterasu chuckled softly.
"Let's just say I play with the things that move me."
She bent slightly to meet Merlin's gaze. Her eyes softened — as if she saw something others couldn't.
"You… you have a precious soul, you know that?" she said gently. "A kind and innocent soul — the kind that shines even when it doesn't mean to. Souls like that are rare. Very rare."
Merlin glowed so brightly she looked like a blushing lantern.
"[T-thank you…]" she replied shyly, hiding behind a flower emoji.
I stayed quiet. It was the first time I'd ever seen Merlin truly flustered.
"Take good care of her, Victor."
"I will," I murmured.
Amaterasu glanced over her shoulder. Jane was approaching calmly, Burst trailing beside her, almost pulled along by the moment.
"Well, well… look who decided to come closer," Amaterasu teased.
"I'm still processing the show, don't judge me," Burst grumbled, folding his arms.
"He almost cried…" Jane whispered, glancing sideways.
"I… did not cry, okay?"
"Sure. But you sniffled."
"I sniffled because the wind was strong."
Amaterasu laughed — a full, genuine laugh — then paused, studying the two of them. Her smile softened again.
"It's been so long since I've seen you two together… even if you're standing two meters apart."
Jane pressed her lips together but said nothing. Burst let out a quiet "tch" and looked away.
Amaterasu's laugh carried no mockery, only that kind of understanding that comes with time.
"King Ignaris worries about you both, you know? Not about the throne — about you." She looked up at the sky for a moment. "He's always had the heart of a father… but also the weight of a king. So go easy on him."
Jane and Burst exchanged uneasy glances.
"Yeah… okay," Burst muttered.
"Uh-huh…" Jane looked away.
"What kind of answer is that? You're making me feel like your grandmother," Amaterasu said, chuckling.
"You kinda sound like one," Burst replied, smiling faintly.
"You really do have that vibe," Jane agreed, not teasing — just sincere, almost surprised by her own tone.
Amaterasu smiled — calm, accepting, yet full of life.
"Then take this bit of old-lady advice," she said softly. "Some things take time to bloom. Sometimes one spring isn't enough. But that doesn't mean the flower died — it's just waiting for the right moment. So if you're going to fix things between you, know who you are first… and do it your way."
Jane stayed silent. Burst looked away again. But neither seemed bothered by her words.
Then she turned back to me and Merlin, giving a gentle nod.
"As for you two… enjoy yourselves. You're still too young to carry the whole world on your shoulders. Living is also a mission."
"That was poetic," I muttered.
"Was it?" she laughed. "I only said it because you looked like you needed to hear it. But as I always say… take it or leave it."
And before anyone could respond, Amaterasu twirled — and vanished into a swirl of golden petals, leaving only a faint trace in the air.
Merlin floated higher, still staring at where she'd been.
"[She really is kind of magical…]" she wrote.
"Or really old," Burst muttered.
"Or really wise…" Jane corrected softly.
And with that, the festival began to end.
The city lights started to dim — not fading, but making room for the true finale.
The apex.
A deep thud echoed through the ground, vibrating beneath our feet. Then another.
And then… the sky ignited.
Fireworks burst upward in waves, painting the horizon with fiery circles and crackling light. Spirals of color bloomed like flowers in the clouds, and golden serpents of light danced around the moon.
Each explosion painted a new shape — a stag made of crystal flame; a dragon of red mist; a tree whose leaves turned into living petals that fell upon us like rain made of light.
"[WAHHH!]" Merlin spun in circles, glowing with excitement.
"This is… way more than I expected," I murmured, drinking in every detail.
The crowd clapped, cheered, and shouted in awe — but there was something sacred about the moment. A beauty not just seen, but felt.
As if the sky itself were painted with everyone's hopes from the past few days.
Around us, Jane stared at the heavens quietly, her eyes soft.
Burst stood behind her, arms crossed — but he didn't look away, not once.
And then came the final one.
Silence fell. Everything stopped.
Then — like the collective breath of thousands released at once — a single star shot upward.
White. Silent.
At the top of the sky, it burst.
Not in sound.
In light.
A circular wave spread across the heavens, washing everything in warm gold.
No sparks fell, no smoke lingered. Just a soft, glowing radiance — like the night's final embrace.
It was the end of the Amaterasu Festival.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
We walked together through the still-bright streets.
The festival was over, but the silence that lingered was comfortable — like the city was catching its breath after dancing for hours.
Merlin floated beside me, calmer than usual, her body pulsing with soft flashes of light. Burst walked a little behind, hands in his pockets, unhurried. Jane led the group — steady steps, but slower now.
It was only when we turned down a quiet corner that she stopped.
"This is it," she said, turning to us.
The building was modest — made of polished stone and balconies of enchanted wood. A small garden hovered around the entrance, contained within magical spheres like floating bubbles — each filled with tiny flowers spinning gently in place. It was… beautiful. In a quiet way. Peaceful. Like a sanctuary.
Jane looked at me, then at Merlin, and gave a brief nod.
"Thanks for today."
"The pleasure's ours."
Merlin waved, her message bubble showing a smiling emoji.
But when Jane turned her gaze to Burst, the air shifted ever so slightly. She didn't smile right away. She just looked at him — serious, not cold, just… present.
"There are still a few weeks left, right?"
He nodded, barely audibly.
"Yeah…"
Jane crossed her arms. For a moment, she looked… nervous? Or maybe just trying to keep her expression steady.
"I'll send you a letter with the place, on the day. Meet me there — and we'll settle this once and for all."
Merlin and I stayed quiet.
That wasn't ours to interfere in.
Burst just nodded, eyes still low. A kind of understanding hung in the air — not reconciliation, but acceptance of what needed to happen.
"Good night, Victor. Merlin," Jane said, giving a faint, tired smile.
"Good night," I replied.
"[Good night!]" Merlin wrote, releasing a heart-shaped bubble that popped in the air with a gentle sparkle.
Jane climbed the steps slowly, opened the door without looking back, and disappeared into the dimness of the apartment. The door shut with a soft click. Nothing dramatic.
We stayed there for a while, in silence.
The night around us seemed to grow a little darker — not out of sadness, just… because it was over.
"So… you coming with us?" I asked.
"Yeah. I still don't have a place."
"Of course. Let's go."
Merlin floated between us, spinning gently in the air.
The city lights were fading now. The festival, at last, was over.
We walked down the empty streets together, the echo of the fireworks still faintly ringing in memory. None of us said much. Each lost in our own thoughts.
I didn't know what would come next. But honestly… I think I'm curious.
And that's something.
"[I think I liked the festival,]" Merlin wrote, her bubble showing a smiling emoji with closed eyes and a little star.
"Yeah. Me too," I said.
And just like that, we kept walking — heading home.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅