The bustle around us fell away, leaving only the dreadful sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears. My fingers went cold. The fork slipped from my fingers, its clatter of metal against porcelain pierced the silence.

  Kaelen continued eating, but the look in his eyes told he his senses were already primed from a fight.

  Oh no... What are we going to do?

  "Corr?" said the older Angelhunter, eyes blinking in disbelief, "Kaelen Corr, is that you?"

  Kaelen stared at him for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then, suddenly, his expression changed completely. His eyes widened, and a genuine smile—not the small ones he gave me, but a real, surprised smile—spread across his face.

  "Alastor?"

  "Corr! By the gods! You're alive!" The older Angelhunter's face broke into a wide grin. He turned to the younger Angelhunter beside him, a man with sharp features and sandy hair. "Julian! This is my old friend I've been telling you about!"

  Kaelen stood up, and the two men clasped forearms in a warrior's greeting, gripping each other's shoulders.

  "It's been forty years, Alastor. I barely recognized you," Kaelen said.

  "And you haven't aged a day, you lucky bastard." Alastor laughed, a deep, booming sound. He had a thick beard streaked with grey, and creases around his eyes. "Still got that longevity working for you."

  Kaelen gestured to the empty seats at our table. "Sit, please. Join us."

  My heart was still pounding, but I tried to keep my face neutral as the two Angelhunters pulled up chairs. The younger one—Julian—gave me a brief glance, his eyes curious but not hostile.

  Alastor dropped into his seat with a heavy sigh. "Ah, my back's not what it used to be. Getting old, Corr."

  "You're barely sixty," Kaelen said with a slight smile.

  "Sixty-three! And it feels like eighty some days." Alastor waved at the auntie. "Two kopi peng! And whatever these gentlemen are eating, bring two more!"

  The auntie yelled again and this time she hollered something to the char Kueh teow man.

  "So, what brings the a veteran like you to a backwater place like this?" Kaelen asked.

  "We received reports of a Wingly Ruach being detected in the area," Alastor said as Julian nodded faintly, "it was very brief, but it was very powerful. Even the locals felt it."

  Alastor smiled and tilted his head, creases forming around his eyes, "Wouldn't that be you?"

  "Maybe? Maybe not," Kaelen was just as dodgy, "when was that?"

  "About a week ago," Julian supplied.

  I looked between the grown-ups. A week ago was the Giant Wolf attack. My seal cracked and blasted the wolf away with magic.

  They were looking for me.

  Kaelen gazed into the distance, "That was me, Alastor, A corrupted wolf attacked me." He was lying, but he did it to protect me.

  "Huh? Didn't think you needed Ruach to take down a wolf, Corr." Alastor said.

  The two Angelhunter's doesn't seem convinced, but they said no more. They looked at me briefly, but nothing in their eyes told me I was anything... They were looking for. Their attention remained fixed on Kaelen.

  Alastor faced Kaelen, his expression growing more serious. The air suddenly became heavier, I swallowed whatever was in my mouth and braced for what's coming.

  "So, Corr... Is it true?" Alastor said, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper, "that King Mica'El and Queen Esther—"

  My stomach twisted at the mention of Mama and Papa's name and I suppressed their bloodied faces from resurfacing.

  Kaelen let out a low rumble, a pained crumple etched in his face, "Yes... They're dead. Helel's coup was swift... Too swift. Even Her Majesty didn't see it coming..."

  "Lumina had become a ghost after the King and Queen passed..." Alastor voice lowered into a growl, "With Helel on the throne again, a third Cataclysm would be just a matter of time..."

  "It won't be anytime soon," Kaelen muttered, still eating despite the tension, "the Radiant War left the Tzavots very few in number."

  Alastor glanced up as he slurped his noodles, "You sound confident, Corr."

  Kaelen merely closed his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

  Alastor inhaled sharply. He let it out wearily, shaking his head, "Mica'El, you shouldn't—"

  Kaelen cut him off with a raised hand. But I heard it. Papa's name.

  His gaze flicked to me and he hesitated briefly, then he let out a held breath.

  I tugged at Kaelen's sleeve, keeping my voice low, "Kaelen, what about... Papa?"

  Kaelen gave my hair a gentle rumple, "Not now, boy. I will tell you when you're older."

  Alastor and Julian looked at me. I tried to hold their gaze, though heavy it was. The auntie yelled another order from the outside as the shop bustled around us. The tightness in my chest had loosened. I thought they were going to kill is, but it seemed they were friends with Kaelen and Papa. But when Alastor's eyes fell on me, they tightened again.

  "Corr," Alastor began again, his eyes fixed on me, "is that...?"

  "Yes." Kaelen continued eating, his guard had relaxed.

  The look in Alastor's eyes changed. When they came up to us, he didn't even look at me twice. Now, there was something, recognition, hope. He kept his voice low, stroking his beard, "Well, Her Majesty's magic had always been remarkable. We thought you adopted a son."

  Julian's face lit up, "So that's—"

  Alastor held up a hand. But Julian's gaze turned from assessing to something close to... Respect, if I wasn't lying to myself. But it wasn't the kind of respect the royal staff showed when they see me. This one's... Sadder.

  "Then there's still hope..." Julian whispered.

  Alastor's hand found Kaelen's shoulder. "Corr, you're shouldering a very heavy burden,"

  "For the future, Alastor." Kaelen said with a faint smile, "But now, he's just a boy trying to finish his lunch."

  Kaelen's hand rested on my shoulders, "Eat, boy, destiny can wait."

  The flavor began to return. So this is the destiny Kaelen had been talking about. That's why he's been making me train so hard. There were people waiting for me. A world where there would be no killing. But... Right now, I don't want to think about that. I just want to be happy. And Kaelen knew that. After so long, he understood that I just wanted to live.

  And right now, I just want to get back to Natalie.

  Natalie...

  ———

  The celebration began as the sunray hit the stump over of the Elder's house, the sign of evening. The skies through the gaps were beginning to turn orange. The large platform outside the Elder's house was decorated with garlands of flowers—Bunga Telang, Hibiscus, and wild orchids in every color. Lanterns hung from the branches overhead and colored mats covered the floorboards like a rainbow you can touch.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Everyone was here. Sylvester and Moy, their parents, Juno with her gnarled staff, all the families and friends I'd grown up with. Children scampered about winding boughs of the Great Tree while others sailed overhead from the vines, while some of the older friends of Sylvester played the drums, lutes and ocarinas.

  It should have been perfect.

  But the most important person that should be here... Isn't.

  I stood at the edge of the platform looking out into the darkening jungle, my nails biting into the railing. Mommy and Moy stood beside me, their smell of old, musty parchment pricking my nose. I knew They were worried about me, about Herald not coming back. But there was nothing we could do.

  "Natalie, dear, you should eat something," Mummy's hand settled gently on my back and gave me a gentle rub. "You haven't eaten since... Since you came back."

  "Alright..." It was more of a sigh than an answer.

  We padded back to the birthday seat, the pillow-strewn place everyone sat the birthday child on, where a pile of colorful pillows and clay plates piled with food sat waiting. I dropped onto the pillow pile and looked down at the food. Mummy's special birthday curry--the one she only made once a year--and the Elder's fire-grilled meat, and my favorite netty egg rolls.

  I took a bite, but it tasted like nothing.

  Normally, everything would smell like sweet honey now. But not this time.

  Sylvester's mouth pressed into a thin line as the downed a coconut, its water spilling down his jaw onto his furry chest. He smelled like burning coals. Yeah, he would. Sylvester had always been very protective of me, especially after Nathan returned to the jungle. No doubt he was blaming Herald for everything.

  "She's worried about Herald," Daddy said quietly to Mummy, though his voice still carried to my sensitive ears.

  "I know." Mummy's hand came to rest on my head, stroking my hair. "But Juno said—"

  "Before sunset," I mumbled, staring at my plate. "She said before sunset."

  I looked up at the sky, now fading into a deep purple. Stars were beginning to appear.

  He wasn't coming.

  "Natalie!" One of the younger cubs bounded up to me, her tail swishing excitedly. "Come play with us! We're going to swing on the vines!"

  I forced a smile. "Maybe later, Kina."

  "But it's your birthday! You have to play!"

  "Kina, give Natalie some space," her mother called, gently pulling the cub away.

  The celebration continued around me. Adults talked and laughed. Children played. Someone was beating out a rhythm on the drums while girls danced and others clapped along.

  But I felt cold inside.

  Sylvester leaned forward, his voice low. "Nat, let me go look—"

  "He's not coming," I said flatly. "He's gone."

  "You don't know that," Moy said quickly. "They did went to Juno. And Juno is sure that he'd come back. She even gave you—"

  "The sun's almost down, Moy." I looked at her, and I could feel the wetness starting in my eyes. "He's not coming. I... I pushed him away, and now he's gone, just like Nathan—"

  My voice broke.

  Mummy pulled me into her arms. "Oh, sweetie..."

  "I lost him," I whispered into her shoulder. "I lost him too."

  Daddy's large hand settled on my back. "Just keep waiting, Nat. Don't jump to conclusions."

  But I did know. Deep in my chest, where that knot had been pulling tighter all day, I knew. Herald had left. Just like Nathan left. And this time it was my fault because I'd been too scared to face him, too scared to tell him the truth properly, too scared of everything.

  The drumming stopped. The laughter quieted. I could feel everyone's eyes on us—the birthday girl crying at her own celebration.

  Auntie Rentaka approached, her face kind but sad. "Perhaps we should bring out desserts? Sometimes sweet things help."

  I shook my head, unable to speak anymore.

  Juno sat nearby, her staff resting against her shoulder. Throughout the entire celebration, she'd remained calm, almost serene. Like she knew something we didn't. But even wise women could be wrong, couldn't they?

  Darkness settled over the jungle, held back only by our lanterns.

  "I want to go home," I managed to say.

  "Natalie..." Mummy's smell had turn bitter, acrid.

  "Please, Mummy. I just want to go home."

  Daddy and Mummy exchanged a long look. Finally, Daddy nodded. "Alright, sweetie. Let's—"

  THUD! Fwoo~...

  That blunt sound quieted everyone. A gentle breeze blew over the platform from Juno, her wind magic. Everyone turned to see her standing, staff planted firmly on the wooden platform. Her ears were turned toward the jungle, toward the darkening trees beyond our village.

  "Juno?" the Elder asked, moving closer to her.

  Juno's eyes closed. Her nose lifted slightly, testing the air. Then—

  A smile spread across her weathered face.

  "He comes."

  My head snapped up. "What?"

  "The Boy returns."

  I scrambled to my feet, nearly knocking over my untouched plate. My ears swiveled, straining to hear what Juno had heard.

  Nothing. Just the usual jungle sounds. Crickets. Distant calls of nightbirds. The rustle of leaves in the evening breeze.

  Then—

  There.

  A sound. Rhythmic. Getting closer. The soft thump of feet hitting wood, of someone moving fast through the branches.

  "There!" Sylvester pointed, his eyes sharper than mine in the growing dark.

  Two figures emerged from the jungle canopy. One large, moving with the practiced ease of a warrior. One smaller, clinging to the larger one's back.

  Kaelen.

  And Herald.

  My heart lurched so hard it was as though my body lifted from the floor.

  They landed on a lower platform and Kaelen continued moving, leaping from branch to branch with Herald holding on tight. Even from here, I could see Herald's brown hair, messy and windswept. His round ears. His face turned toward our celebration.

  They reached the platform's edge. Herald slid off Kaelen's back, stumbling slightly. He was breathing hard, his face flushed. In his hands, he clutched something carefully—wrapped in cloth.

  Our eyes met across the crowded platform.

  He looked scared. Uncertain. Like he wasn't sure if he should be here. But his smell... It was the sweetness of honey mixed with the strange musk of dust. He was glad somehow.

  I couldn't move. Couldn't speak. My tail had gone completely still.

  Behind me, Elder Rentaka put a hand on Sylvester's shoulders, stopping him from doing something stupid.

  Then Herald took a step forward. Then another. People parted to let him through, their whispers following him.

  He stopped in front of me.

  "I'm sorry I'm late," he said breathlessly. "We... we had to go far. Really far. And Kaelen had to carry me most of the way back because I'm too slow and—" He shook his head, cutting himself off. "I'm sorry, Natalie. Sorry for making you worry."

  The tears that had been building all day finally spilled over. "You came back."

  "Of course I came back." Herald's brown eyes glistened, sincere. "It's your birthday."

  He held out the cloth-wrapped object. His hands trembled slightly.

  "I... I wanted to give you something special. Something from my world. So you could see it, even if you can't go there yet."

  I took the bundle carefully. It was heavier than I expected, and cool to the touch. Slowly, I unwrapped the cloth.

  And gasped.

  It was a sphere made of glass—clear and perfect. Inside the glass was water, and suspended in the water were tiny white flakes. At the bottom of the sphere, also inside the glass, was a tall white house with blue roofs, and two round-eared children, a boy and a girl dressed in thick, fully covering funny clothes, holding hands.

  *A boy and a girl... That's us.*

  "It's a snow globe," Herald explained, his words tumbling out nervously. "The white stuff inside is supposed to be snow, like I told you about. If you shake it, it falls like snow does in winter. And the building—that's supposed to be like the place where I lived. And... Uh..."

  His mouth opened again, like he wanted to say something more, but nothing came out. Instead, he just looked between me and the two children inside, and smiled as his face colored.

  *He really meant us...*

  "Well... I thought... I thought you could see what my world looked like. What snow looks like."

  I stared at the snow globe, turning it carefully in my hands. The lantern light danced across the glass surface, making the tiny white flakes shimmer.

  "Watch," Herald said softly.

  He reached over and gently tilted the globe, then righted it. The white flakes began to swirl and drift downward inside the water, settling slowly like... like tiny little cottons falling from the sky.

  It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

  "Herald..." My voice came out choked.

  "Happy birthday, Natalie." His smile was small, shy, but real. "I know things are... complicated. With Nathan and everything. But I wanted you to know that I..." He swallowed hard. "That I still choose you."

  The knot in my chest finally, finally loosened.

  I set the snow globe down carefully on the mat and threw my arms around him.

  And cried.

  Around us, the celebration erupted in cheers and applause. Moy was bouncing excitedly. Sylvester was trying not to smile. Mummy was crying happy tears while Daddy looked relieved. Juno simply nodded, as if this had all gone exactly as she'd foreseen.

  We pulled apart, both of us grinning despite the tears on our faces.

  "Are you hungry?" I asked. "The food's probably cold by now, but—"

  "I'm starving," Herald admitted. "Kaelen and I ran all day. We went to this place called Kuching? A port town? It was so different from here, Natalie. There were buildings made of stone and wood, and boats in the water, and so many people—"

  "Tell me everything," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to sit beside me on the mat.

  "Everything?"

  "Everything."

  Mummy quickly brought over a fresh plate of food for Herald—curry, rice, grilled fish. He ate like he hadn't eaten in days while I sat beside him, the snow globe cradled carefully in my lap.

  We didn't talk about Nathan. Not yet. That conversation would come tomorrow, at Nathan's secret place, where it needed to happen.

  But tonight, on my birthday, under the lantern light with the stars emerging overhead, we simply sat together. Herald told me about Kuching, about the merchant who sold him the snow globe, about how Kaelen had to barter for it and the whole thing sounded like a quarrel. I listened, watching the snow globe catch the light, watching the tiny white flakes settle at the bottom.

  Snow.

  Herald's world made real, held in my hands.

  A piece of him, given freely.

  I looked at Herald, really looked at him. His brown hair falling into his eyes. His round ears. His face that looked so much like Nathan's, but his expressions—those were all his own.

  "Thank you, Herald," I said quietly.

  He smiled at me, mouth full of curry. After he swallowed, he said, "You're welcome, Nat."

  The celebration resumed around us, all the singing, drumming and dancing. The children soared through the air squealing. Sylvester sat beside his dad, arms crossed, trying not to look pleased. And Moy was wiping her eyes with her dress.

  And for the first time all day, I felt the knot in my chest completely gone.

  Herald was back.

  And the necklace that Juno gave me.

  I understood now.

  Tomorrow will be the day.