We spent the rest of the time we had together eating small snacks that my father had brought up for us, sitting there and talking, laughing, and simply being a family. He had packed more than we needed, of course, small portions of things he knew we all liked, passed back and forth without ceremony. Nothing about it felt rushed. No one was watching the time. We let the moments stretch as long as they would, trading small stories, half-remembered jokes, and gentle observations about nothing in particular. Often, we listened more than we spoke, content to exist in the same space and let the quiet fill itself.

  We watched the sky fade into evening as the sun began to set over the Sea of Trees. The light softened and deepened, the warmth of the day slowly giving way to cooler tones, casting the forest into a twilight of magnificence that I had rarely seen even in my last life. The beauty of it was genuinely awe-inspiring, the kind that made you stop thinking altogether for a while. The canopy shimmered with refracted light as the mana given off by the dungeon fractured the fading sun into colors that did not have words to describe them. They shifted and overlapped in subtle ways that my mind could not properly frame, the light cascading into something I did not have the words to describe. Even to my non-mage sight, it was remarkably beautiful. Maybe more so because of it.

  On the other side of the wall, the city began to light itself. Lamps flickered on one by one, their glow spreading outward in soft pools. Candles appeared in windows, steady and warm. Mage lights flared gently along the streets and towers, illuminating walkways and balconies high above the ground. The city shifted from day into night without losing any of the warmth it carried, as though it were simply changing its rhythm rather than going to sleep. Farther in, deeper among the streets, large lanterns began to rise.

  They were not simple mage lights. These were mage lanterns, tethered to thin lengths of enchanted line that guided them upward rather than letting them drift away.

  They did not cast light in the usual sense. The lanterns responded instead to need. If you were awake, if something in you said you needed to see, then the light was there for you, steady and present, revealing the streets and paths beneath it. If you were tired, if your mind and body wanted rest, the lanterns did not vanish from the sky, but the light simply did not exist to you. Darkness settled naturally, personal and complete, even as others nearby might still see clearly.

  I understood the enchantment behind them. It was elegant, and far more impressive than any static mage light enchantment. The lanterns rose slowly, one after another, turning the city into something layered and alive, responsive rather than illuminated, lit only where it was needed and dark where it was not. A few buildings sent up steady streams of black smoke from their chimneys, the smoke curling lazily into the darkening sky. Even that felt intentional, part of the city’s living shape rather than a flaw. There was a clear, beauty to the city as a whole, one built for the people who lived there as much as for the aesthetic.

  That was when I noticed movement below, small shapes crossing through the lighted streets toward the wall.

  Figures were making their way back from the city side. Greta and the martial trainees were easy to pick out once I focused, their familiar shapes standing out even at a distance. They were not alone. It looked like she had gathered Randall’s class from the Adventurer’s Guild to bring them back to the wall as well. I did not know the details of how that had been arranged, but it was clear she was bringing everyone back together in one sweep, efficient and thorough as always.

  As they drew closer, individual figures became easier to recognize. I could make out Meka's form huddling close to Greta, staying as far away as possible from the rest of the magic trainees. Her posture was tight; her attention fixed on the ground ahead of her rather than the people around her. Winnie walked a few steps behind, casually resting her grip on her log, her posture relaxed but unmistakably alert. She did not need to threaten anyone outright. Her presence alone was enough to make it clear that no one should get any foolish ideas, and if they did, they would regret it.

  Watching them like this, from above and at a distance, made something in my chest loosen. It made me smile without thinking about it. Winnie was kind in a quiet, deliberate way, protective of those she chose to call friends and unyielding toward anything that might harm them. I was glad to see that my apprentice was someone she counted among them, and even more glad to know that, for now at least, Meka was not walking back alone.

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  I looked at my parents and let out a small breath that I had been holding longer than I realized. “I guess that’s time,” I said quietly.

  I hugged them both deeply, pressing myself into the familiar safety of them, committing the feeling to memory as best I could. My mother’s arms were warm and steady around me, and my father’s presence was solid in the way it always had been. When we finally pulled apart, we walked back down the stairs together toward the gate at the wall.

  Halfway there, Randall’s voice echoed out, loud and unrestrained, complaining to anyone who would listen that he had wasted his entire day doing paperwork. The sound carried easily through the stone corridors. When he finally emerged into view, one of his hands looked swollen and stiff, the fingers barely bending as he gestured while he ranted. I had to admit, privately, that it was a rather beautiful sight.

  At the base of the stairs, I kissed my mother’s cheek, then my father’s. He set me back on my feet, steadying me for a moment before letting go, his hands lingering just long enough to make sure I was balanced. My mother handed me the boxes to carry with me, both of them still warm from her hands, and adjusted the way I held them so they would not slip. We stepped aside together and waited as Greta and the others approached the gate.

  Randall wandered closer, and my stomach curdled at his presence. It had been such a good day, full of warmth and ease, and his sour demeanor dragged the air down around him the moment he arrived. He looked at me, then at my father, then back at me again. Something flickered across his face, a brief moment of realization or calculation. He muttered something under his breath and moved aside just as the gate began to open.

  Greta led the way in, the martial trainees following close behind her, moving with the easy coordination that came from shared drills. The magic trainees filed in after them, looser in formation but no less tired. Greta spotted me immediately and walked over, her expression softening slightly.

  “Ah, Azolo,” she said. “I see you were waiting for us.”

  I nodded. “I hope you all had a good day. I managed to get a lot of what I needed done in the city, and it looks like the rest of the class enjoyed themselves too.”

  Meka hurried over next, her face bright and animated in a way that made the long day look lighter than it probably was. “Yeah,” she said. “My dad was here. He took me to a café for lunch, and we had snacks. It was great.” She paused, then looked at my mother with open curiosity. “Who is the pretty lady behind you... if that’s something I’m allowed to ask?”

  “Oh,” I said, shifting the boxes slightly in my arms. “This is my mother. Mother, this is Meka. She’s my apprentice.”

  My mother gave a small curtsy, her smile gentle. “It’s very nice to meet you, Meka. I hope my son is taking good care of you.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Runt’s mom,” Meka said quickly, straightening a little. “It’s very nice to meet you. And yes, he’s taking very good care of me. Thank you.”

  Winnie approached next, planting her log upright with the handle in the air and the flat end on the ground beside her. The club still looked ridiculous, oversized and blunt, and I loved it for exactly that reason.

  “Hey, Runt,” she said. “I got something for you, but it can wait until we’re back. I think you’ll like it.” She paused, then grinned wider. “I also got something else to show you.”

  She reached into a pouch and pulled out a small bundle, holding it up proudly. “I got copper teeth caps.”

  I smiled at her, the excitement genuine. “That’s fantastic news. I’m really excited for you.”

  “As soon as I get my core,” Winnie said, practically vibrating with anticipation, “Greta said she’ll help me put them in. I think it’ll look awesome.”

  “I think so too,” I replied, honestly excited for her.

  Koo drifted over next, moving slowly and very carefully, clearly attempting to avoid drawing attention to himself. He failed completely, as usual. I said nothing about it as he leaned in close and whispered, “Did you manage to get that letter sent to my dad?”

  I nodded, just as quietly. “Yes. My father sent it off for you as soon as he could.”

  He patted me on the back, grinning like he had just been told he could eat as much of his favorite food as he wanted. “Good man,” he said, his relief obvious.

  I thought that was everyone who would want to great me directly, but then Raven stepped forward, hesitating just a little before speaking. “I wanted to say I got you something too,” she said.

  I looked at her, confused. “You did?”

  “It’s not big or especially personal,” she said quickly. “I got one for everyone. I didn’t want to leave you out. I even got one for Meka.”

  She handed me a small wrapped package, no bigger than my hand. “It’s something my people do for future companions. My mom says that even if we don’t all end up in the same guild hall, we’re training together, and that makes us companions.”