A Shymphony of Destiny

Kael's eyes slowly fluttered open.

The soft rustling of leaves, the faint murmur of running water… It was familiar.

He tried to sit up, but pain lanced through his body. Everything felt sore—tightly wrapped in bandages. His limbs trembled from exhaustion.

Still, he managed to push himself up and looked around.

This was... the riverside where they'd rested before.

A sudden thump startled him.

He turned toward the noise—just in time to see a bundle of fruits spill across the ground. Alira stood frozen, eyes wide.

"Kael!" she gasped, and in the next second, she was sprinting toward him.

Before he could react, she leapt and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his stomach.

"Finally... I thought you'd never wake up," she sobbed, clinging tightly. Her voice was muffled, shaky.

"H-Hey—let go—ow, not so tight—my ribs—"

He tried pushing her off. Surprisingly, the pain wasn't unbearable, but the sheer pressure of her hug made him wheeze.

At last, Alira released him and sat back, sniffing loudly. Kael grimaced.

"That sound is disgusting."

Ignoring him, she wiped her tears.

"You've been out for three days."

Kael's expression sharpened instantly.

"…Where's Lumino?"

Alira hesitated. "Well, yeah... you've been unconscious, so of course you don't know anything yet." She glanced at him, a little hesitant, a little too cheerful.

Kael stared, jaw tightening. "Just tell me."

"Alright, alright—look, your whole body was a mess. Severe burns. Skin was... rotting, honestly."

Kael looked like he might puke.

"Lumino tried using something—Divine Light Energy? To reconstruct your body. But your fever wouldn't break. Then, once my mana recovered to half, I helped too. I used a spell that lowers fever but causes extreme fatigue later. Oh, and—"

Kael cut her off, eyes narrowing.

"Stop. I'm not asking about myself. What about Lumino? He was injured too, right? And what about the Orb? We're supposed to stay within two meters. I don't see him."

Alira let out an exasperated sigh.

"Would you please let me finish a sentence for once?"

She crossed her arms, then continued.

"After we patched you up, Lumino carried you. We left the ruins of Mideway Library and came here. He set up shelter, tended to you, watched you for days without sleeping properly—basically, babysat your sorry ass."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

Alira huffed and flipped her hair.

"Meanwhile, I went back to salvage whatever was left. Guess what I found? A chunk of Drakeflamish's horn. I combined it with ashes from Lumino's divine power and debris from the library using my genius alchemy."

She beamed proudly. "And I created a potion—one that temporarily breaks the Orb's tether! You can now be separated for up to two hours, and the safe distance is five meters now. I don't know why. Maybe it's because of Lumino's awakening... or because you were, well, half-dead."

Kael went silent, processing every detail.

His eyes sharpened again.

"…You still haven't answered my question."

Alira flinched.

Kael stared at her, deadly calm. "Where is Lumino?"

She swallowed hard. "He… went west. To the waterfall. Didn't say why. Probably needed air. Or to scream into the void. I don't know."

Kael didn't wait for more. He stood, wincing slightly, and grabbed the nearest shirt—barely managing to button it up over his bandages.

"Hey! You're not fully healed!" Alira protested.

Kael didn't even glance back. He just raised a hand—middle finger extended—and walked off toward the forest path.

"Jackass," Alira muttered, scooping up her fruit before grumbling and rushing after him.

**********************************************

Beneath the crashing waterfall, Lumino sat with his eyes closed. The water pounded against his shoulders and head, soaking his white hair, cascading down his bare torso. He sat cross-legged in the shallow pool, completely still, like a statue carved from moonlight.

His breathing was slow and deep.

He listened—not just to the roar of the water, but beyond it. To the sky. To the trees. To the world around him.

His senses sharpened, trying to feel any shift in mana, in presence, in the very heartbeat of nature.

Yet, his own heart felt heavy.

It's been three days…

And Kael still hasn't woken up.

Even with Alira's help, Lumino had felt powerless. Useless. As if he had only ever been a burden.

He remembered earlier—after Alira had finished brewing her potion.

"Wow, you're right. This really does act like Library Mideway seal," Lumino had said, surprised.

Alira had smirked, proud. "Told you. My alchemy's top-tier. You can stay apart for about three hours now."

Lumino lowered his gaze. "Actually, I tested it. The tolerance has stretched to five meters."

Alira's eyes widened. "Wait, really? You mean you don't have to be stuck together all day now? No more synchronized bathroom breaks?"

Lumino gave her a flat look. "We never had synchronized bathroom breaks."

She tapped her temple. "Huh. I assumed you two were that close."

Lumino chuckled faintly, "We're strangers, honestly. We barely even look at each other when bathing."

Alira gave him a look of concern. "Well then. Maybe you should relax a bit. I'll watch over Kael. There's a waterfall nearby. Go clean yourself up—while the potion's still active."

He'd hesitated. But she was right.

So, he came here.

And now, as he opened his eyes beneath the water, he rose to his feet and washed his face—eyes narrowing at the sudden shift in energy.

A presence. Drawing closer.

Without thinking, Lumino extended his arm. The air warped, splitting open with dimensional force as a golden spear shot forth from nothing—aimed toward the tall reeds nearby.

"WHO'S THERE!" he shouted, eyes blazing, muscles taut. His arm veins pulsed visibly as his breath steadied into combat rhythm.

From between the grass, two figures emerged.

"Chill out, it's me, Lumino," Kael grunted, stepping forward—wrapped in bandages and clearly irritated. Behind him, Alira peeked out nervously.

The air shimmered as the rift sealed and the golden spear vanished. Lumino's eyes softened instantly, the deadly gleam in them fading into stunned relief.

"Kael…" his voice trembled. He stepped forward slowly, water dripping from his body.

Kael raised his arms awkwardly—half-ready for a hug, half-regretting it.

But Lumino just stopped in front of him, eyes searching. "Are you alright now?"

Kael scratched his cheek. "Yeah… more or less." He lowered his arms, looking slightly embarrassed. Why did I think he'd actually hug me?

"I'm glad," Lumino said with a warm, small smile.

"LUMINO!! You scared the hell out of me!" Alira burst forward, smacking Lumino's arm. "You nearly impaled me, you overreactive golden idiot!"

"S-sorry…" Lumino laughed sheepishly.

Water still cascaded down his chest, over his collarbones, sliding down to the defined lines of his torso. Alira stared for a beat too long, then grinned in admiration.

"Damn, didn't expect you to be that built."

Kael narrowed his eyes and glanced away, visibly annoyed.

Alira raised a brow at Kael and smirked wider. "You jealous?"

"Your tuxedo's ruined, by the way," she turned back to Lumino.

"Yeah. I'm not even sure what happened to it…" Lumino replied.

"Well then put something on," Kael muttered, glancing to the side.

"You're one to talk," Lumino retorted, "you're half-naked too. That shirt's just hanging off your shoulders."

"I'm different."

"How?"

Kael opened his mouth but couldn't find an answer.

Before the argument could escalate, Alira clapped her hands. "Okay! Let's fix this wardrobe disaster."

She pulled a small alchemy scroll from her belt. "I have a spell that can restore clothing to its original design."

"I want my purple shirt and black trench coat," Kael requested immediately.

Alira raised a brow. "Of course you do. Classic dark edgy."

Then she turned to Lumino. "And you?"

Lumino blinked. "I… I don't really know fashion."

"I got this," Alira said smugly. She muttered an incantation—runes glowing around her hand.

With a flash, a set of Kael's clothes materialized and floated toward him.

She then turned to Lumino and casually shoved his shoulder. "Come on, let's step aside so he can change."

"Huh? Why do we have to move?"

"Better than making Kael grumble about it again. Right, Kael?" she winked.

Kael scowled but said nothing.

As she dragged Lumino by the arm, she couldn't help but smile to herself.

Watching the two of them act like awkward idiots was strangely… heartwarming.

Kael, now left alone, sighed and shook his head. Shitty woman…

**************************************************

Alira rummaged through her alchemical scrolls and conjured a radiant set of clothing for Lumino. With a swirl of golden light, the outfit took shape—lightweight chiffon in shimmering white and gold hues.

The long, billowing sleeves fluttered like wings. The high-necked design was elegant, adorned with a gold choker and fine accessories. The bodice was cinched with a floral-patterned corset in gold, vines and petals curling into intricate designs across his frame, creating a clean, sculpted silhouette. The lower half flowed like a gown to the floor, but split down the front to reveal fitted leggings beneath—thin but durable.

Lumino blinked, examining the outfit. "Are you sure this is… combat-appropriate? The fabric seems too delicate. Isn't it going to tear the moment I move?"

Alira beamed with pride. "Of course not. I've reinforced it with mana. Strong enough to survive your divine temper tantrums."

She gave him a thumbs-up, obviously pleased with herself.

Still unsure, Lumino sighed and allowed her to finish the final touches. Once ready, they walked together toward the clearing where Kael was waiting.

Alira struggled to contain her laughter the entire way. This is going to be glorious, she thought, grinning wildly.

Kael, standing with his arms crossed, tapped his foot impatiently. "What took you both so lo—?"

His words cut off.

His eyes locked onto Lumino.

Everything else—birds, trees, the damn wind—ceased to exist.

Lumino stepped from the trees, his attire glowing slightly under the sunlight, giving off an almost divine aura.

Kael's eyes widened.

His throat went dry.

Sweat beaded across his brow.

A deep heat rushed from his chest straight up to his face.

"Sorry, Kael," Lumino said innocently, brushing a strand of wet hair behind his ear. "Alira took a while choosing."

Kael didn't respond. His nose twitched. A second later—

SPURT.

Blood gushed from his nostrils.

His knees buckled. His body fell sideways with a heavy thud.

"KAEL?!" Lumino rushed forward. "Hey! What happened? Are you still sick—?!"

Behind them, Alira burst into silent, breathless laughter, clutching her stomach and wiping a tear from her eye.

Perfect. Just as I hoped, she thought, absolutely delighted.

"This is bad! Alira, help me get him back to the tent!" Lumino scooped Kael up in his arms like a bride, panic written all over his face.

"Coming, coming," Alira wheezed, trying to compose herself as she jogged behind them. "Wait up, Lumino! Bwahaha—ahhh… what a show."