Fathir took a long breath. The cold mountain air filled his lungs, feeling sharp and clean. He walked a few steps, stopping right at the edge of the chasm. The wind blew stronger here, making the hem of his new tunic flutter. Below, a thick, endless layer of white clouds stretched out. And there, ten meters below his feet, clinging to the steep cliff face, the blue crystal flower glowed under the sunlight.
He stared at the flower for nearly a full minute, his eyes scanning every detail of the rock around it. Then, he turned to face Lairas. A thin, sly smile formed on his lips.
"Besides magic," Fathir began, his voice calm, "am I allowed to use anything I have?"
Lairas raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued by the question, then returned Fathir's smile. "Oh, of course, darling," she said. "You're free to do it any way you want, as long as you don't use magic."
Fathir sighed, stretching his muscles. Afterward, he looked down again, observing the distance to the flower and the direction of the wind between the mountains. Carefully, he began to climb down the cliff, looking for a proper foothold. Then, without hesitation, he jumped.
His body hung in the air for a moment, nearing the blue flower. His hand moved quickly, plucking the flower from its spot. However, he didn't stop on the narrow foothold. His body continued to slide down and went into a free fall.
Lairas's pupils constricted. She ran to the edge of the cliff, seeing the blue flower now in Fathir's hand, and Fathir in a free fall. "W-what is he thinking?!" Lairas said, her voice filled with worry.
She wanted to wait, to believe that Fathir had a plan. But her worry overcame her curiosity. Fathir's words about having no purpose in life echoed in her head again.
"No... no," she whispered. She frantically reached into the small pouch on her dress, her usually calm fingers now trembling as she searched for a strand of Fathir's purple hair. After finding it, she clutched it tightly and snapped her fingers quickly, activating the teleportation magic linked to the hair.
Snap!
But after snapping her fingers, Lairas didn't see Fathir anywhere. "Fathir?" She looked left and right. "Fathir?!" Her voice started to grow hoarse, and her heart began to beat fast. "What have I done!" Lairas was frustrated. She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed, her lips pressed tightly together.
A moment later, she felt a soft touch on her cheek. Slowly, Lairas opened her eyes. Fathir was standing in front of her, a sly smile on his face.
The blue flower was in his hand.
"I succeeded," Fathir said.
Lairas's mouth fell slightly open. Her eyes widened. She froze for a few seconds. Without thinking, she moved forward quickly and hugged Fathir tightly, burying his face in her chest.
After releasing the hug, she looked at Fathir. "Y-you knew I would save you... Is that why you jumped? Isn't that... isn't that-"
Oh, she's lost her composure... so you have this side to you too, milady, Fathir thought to himself. He chuckled. "You said I was free to use anything I have..."
Lairas nodded quickly. "Yes, I did say that." She paused for a moment. Her pupils suddenly dilated as she realized something. "Don't tell me…?!"
Fathir laughed softly. "Am I wrong for using what I have?" he said, his eyes gazing intently at Lairas.
Lairas's cheeks turned slightly red. She couldn't hold back the smile that started to form on her face.
"...what I have..." Lairas repeated the words in a low voice, her smile widening.
She hugged Fathir tightly again, pressing his face against her chest and gently stroking his purple hair. "You pass, darling... you pass~."
Did I say something wrong to this crazy woman... why is she smiling? Fathir muttered to himself.