The night had long deepened, stretching into the fortieth hour. A serene hush rested over the household, broken only by the faint whistle of the evening breeze slipping through the cracks of the wooden frames. The moonlight bled across the walls in soft silver streaks, its glow filtering through swaying curtains. Inside, Yamori lay within the quiet refuge of his room, chest rising and falling with a steady rhythm, his dreams undisturbed. Not far from him, Kagami rested just as peacefully, her breaths delicate, as though she were part of the night itself.
On the balcony, however, sleep had no claim. Sinbad and Aurora sat together beneath a tapestry of stars, the wide heavens stretched out above them like a painted ceiling. Between them, the mellow fragrance of aged wine drifted from the crystal glasses in their hands, the liquid glimmering faintly as though it, too, carried fragments of starlight.
"Mmm," Aurora murmured, her voice soft, the kind of tone meant for nights like these, "the Stella Continent truly holds the finest wines in all the lands."
Sinbad chuckled warmly, reclining back in his chair. The sound of his laughter, low and steady, cut through the silence with familiarity rather than disturbance. He tilted his head, his gaze settling on her with amusement.
"Will you chase wine across the world now?" he teased. "Since you've managed to pry answers from me about my journeys with our son, perhaps it's only fair that you share a tale of your own adventures. What do you say?"
Aurora paused. Her glass tilted slightly in her hand, catching the silver glow of the moon. A sigh slipped from her lips as she rose, the faint swish of her robes brushing against the balcony floor. She moved toward the iron bars and rested her palms there, the night wind tugging gently at her hair. Sinbad's eyes followed her every step, searching her expression, though the moonlight painted it in unreadable shades.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried both weight and weariness.
"The duke asked for my counsel today. He wanted to revisit a matter left unsettled long ago."
Sinbad leaned forward, brows raised with curiosity. "Don't leave me in suspense. Do tell."
Aurora's gaze lingered on the stars. Her features softened, then hardened, shifting with thoughts she did not voice immediately. She rolled her eyes faintly, though the gesture could not mask the gravity in her tone. The breeze stirred stronger, brushing strands of hair against her face.
"The surge that struck seven years past," she said at last, "it did more than scar the lands. It altered the very breath of the world. The air feels different now. The flow of mana has shifted across certain ecosystems, subtle but real. Few have noticed it, and fewer still understand. Even the Zodiacs have grown... obstinate. They refuse to grant their blessings as they once did. The duke suspects there is a deeper root to this, though he cannot yet uncover it."
Before she could continue, Sinbad moved behind her, the warmth of his presence dispelling the chill of the wind. His arms slid gently around her waist, drawing her back against him. He pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, his words a calm murmur in her ear.
"You burden yourself too much, my love. We have long set aside the world's quarrels to guard what matters most—our home, our family. After all that we endured, must we not allow ourselves a measure of peace?"
Aurora leaned into his embrace, torn between frustration and the relief his steadiness always brought. A sigh escaped her, mingled with both resignation and tenderness. "Why must you be so infuriatingly good to me? So impossibly annoying?"
Sinbad's chuckle rumbled low in his chest. "Because," he said, tightening his hold just slightly, "we were only children when we first fell in love, fighting through shadows and odds that should have broken us. Yet here we are. I knew then we would endure even nights such as these. So hold my hand, darling, and let your heart remind you—you are all I have ever owned. And this life we share? It is perfect. As perfect as Yamori's smoked fish."
Aurora laughed, the sound soft but genuine, the tension in her chest loosening. She entwined her fingers with his, lifting his hand to her lips and pressing a tender kiss upon it.
"Oh? You would make our son a cook before he becomes anything else? Whatever happened to your so-called adventures, hmm? Such a terrible man you are."
Sinbad only grinned, leaning his forehead against hers as the night wrapped them in silence once more—two souls weathered by trials, yet bound unshakably by love, finding in each other a peace the world beyond could never offer.