They stayed on the cliff longer than anyone realized.
The sun slipped lower, bleeding oranges and soft pinks across the sky, the lake below catching the colors like polished glass. The forest breathed beneath them—alive, patient, waiting.
Jax didn't rush the moment.
He never did when something mattered.
Bunny leaned forward first, hands braced on the stone edge. "So," she said, ears twitching thoughtfully, "are we talking… house? Fortress? Secret lair?"
Nyxian smirked. "If there isn't at least one hidden passage and a dramatic balcony, I'm disappointed already."
Zee smiled faintly, resting against Jax's side, still tired but content. "It feels peaceful," she said softly. "Like it's already ours."
Llandra hadn't spoken.
She stood slightly apart, eyes tracing the land with a sharper focus—measuring slopes, tree lines, distances. When she finally turned to Jax, there was something deliberate in her gaze.
"You didn't bring us here on impulse," she said. "You've already planned this."
Jax exhaled slowly. "Yeah."
He stepped closer to the edge and gestured outward. "The cliff gives natural defense. The forest provides cover and resources. The lake below—clean water, fishing, trade access if we expand routes."
The Vixens stared.
"You've really thought about this," Bunny murmured.
"I think about it every day," Jax admitted. "Not just surviving. Not just winning fights or making gold."
He looked back at them.
"Building something that lasts."
Nyxian crossed her arms, expression softer than usual. "You're not planning a base," she said. "You're planning a home."
Jax met her eyes. "Exactly."
Silence settled—not awkward, not heavy. Full.
Zee reached for his hand, squeezing gently. "Back in my cult," she said quietly, "they always talked about destiny. About places chosen by the gods."
She looked out again, glow faint but steady. "This feels like something we choose."
Llandra nodded once. "Choice matters," she said. "Especially when it's shared."
They stood together until the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the last light stretching across the land like a promise.
—
The walk back into Solmere felt different.
The festival had grown louder, brighter. Lanterns lined the streets in thick rows now, laughter spilling from every corner. Performers juggled fire, musicians played until their fingers bled, children ran through crowds with sugared treats and wide eyes.
But Jax noticed something new.
People noticed them.
Not with awe.
With familiarity.
A butcher waved. A merchant bowed his head respectfully. A pair of adventurers raised mugs in greeting.
"He belongs here," Bunny whispered, almost to herself.
Nyxian grinned. "We all do."
They returned to the Neon Moon briefly—just long enough for Jax to check in, exchange a few words with Stevano, and confirm that the night was running smoothly.
"It's chaos," Stevano said happily. "Perfect chaos."
"Good," Jax replied. "That means it's working."
They didn't linger.
The festival could wait.
Tonight was quieter.
Back at the hotel, they gathered in the common room—boots off, armor loosened, drinks poured but barely touched.
Zee curled up on the couch almost immediately, exhaustion catching up to her again. Bunny sat on the floor beside her, absentmindedly playing with her hair. Nyxian leaned against the window, watching lantern light drift past.
Llandra remained standing.
She approached Jax slowly, deliberately.
"You said this land would be our future," she said. "What does that mean to you?"
Jax considered her question carefully.
"It means a place where no one has to ask if they belong," he said. "Where no one's measured by race, power, or usefulness."
Nyxian snorted lightly. "Bold goals."
"Necessary ones," Jax replied.
He met Llandra's gaze. "It also means risk. Visibility. Attention from people who won't like what we represent."
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Then they will have to deal with us."
Zee lifted her head just enough to murmur, "Poor them."
They laughed softly.
The sound felt… right.
Later, as the night deepened and the festival roared on outside, Jax stood at the window alone for a moment.
Solmere glowed beneath him.
A town that had once been nothing more than a stopping point was becoming something real. Something alive.
Something worth defending.
Behind him, the Vixens settled into sleep one by one—safe, content, trusting.
Jax rested his forehead against the glass.
Good and bad everywhere, he thought again.
But here?
Here, he would build something better.
And he would make sure it lasted.