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In truth, eternal life could be rather tedious.
There were moments of great excitement, of course. Calamities, plagues, particularly abhorrent fashion trends… but for the most part, merely observing the world she had helped create grew dreary after a few millennia. She had her siblings to pass the time, of course, but conversation with the same handful of individuals only did so much to alleviate her boredom.
A few of her brothers and sisters enjoyed breaking up the monotony by spending a few decades floating about as stardust, but that path had never appealed to Sealticge. She’d never been particularly eager to spend time alone with her thoughts. On the opposite end of the spectrum was Dohter, who could be found more often than not in a human form, working alongside her mortal apothecaries in Solistia’s most overlooked places. But eternally walking the land didn’t call to her either.
No, as the eons passed, Sealticge realized that what she enjoyed most was to meddle into the affairs of particularly interesting mortals.
A dancer or a farmer, a king or an apprentice, a budding love or a tale of revenge, the particulars didn’t matter nearly as much to her as a good story. She liked to believe that she just nudged matters along rather than dramatically impacting the outcomes, but if she was truly honest with herself… she did what she needed to do to ensure a satisfying ending.
This was a controversial topic amongst her siblings, who had different tolerances for interfering with the affairs of mortals. In particular, Sealticge often found herself defending her actions to one brother in particular, a brother who was equal parts her favorite and her greatest frustration.
Brand never meddled.
He paid attention to the goings-on of the mortals. Deep, close attention. And Sealticge knew their wars affected him greatly, particularly when they would wield his power in order to wage them. Yet he never used his might to end a conflict or sway it in one direction.
A part of her admired this greatly. But it also drove her mad.
And yet even Brand would be forced to take an active hand in this next course of events. Their youngest and most troublesome sibling had managed to influence a group of mortals to do his bidding, which left the eight other Solistian gods with a conundrum. Step in personally, let events play out as they were, or choose their own mortals as their champions?
After long and heated debates, the latter option was eventually agreed upon, and each of her siblings chose a champion amongst the people of Solistia.
Vide was a nuisance, and he always had been. But Sealticge couldn’t help but be a little excited. Mortals carrying their patron Gods’ banner into battle against eternal darkness? Well… that was the type of story they wrote songs about.
She put a great deal of thought into her champion and was pleased to find her siblings did as well. But there were some predictable and some rather unexpected choices amongst the group. Aeber’s and Dohter’s selections may as well have been themselves born again, while Bifelgin’s champion clearly had enough charisma to sell sand in the desert.
Initially Sealticge had raised an eyebrow at the boisterous nature of Draefendi’s champion, so very different than her reserved and stoic sister, but she soon grew to admire the young Beastling’s courage and knew her pure heart would be a great asset in the fight against Vide. Aelfric’s cleric was another odd choice at face value, as he seemed openly derisive of the Gods’ choices, but Aelfric always did enjoy a little joke.
They’d all attempted to convince Alephan to select a different champion, as orchestrating the series of events to extricate his gruff scholar from prison was a distraction they did not need. Yet the Scholarking was adamant. Eventually, he admitted that he was personally fascinated by Osvald’s research.
As for her champion…
“An unusual choice.” Sealticge gave her brother a serene smile as he nodded to the vision of Agnea stumbling on one of the bridges in her hometown.
Brand wasn’t wrong; Sealticge was the Lady of Grace, after all. To select a champion who tripped over even ground was… unexpected. But Agnea’s positive traits were not so easy to come by, and they more than made up for a few twisted ankles. She’d soon be traveling with an apothecary, after all.
“She’s generous, and joyful,” she explained with a fond smile as Agnea jumped back to her feet. “And she dances to make others happy. Who better to fight against darkness itself?”
“Perhaps,” Brand allowed, his square jaw still set tight. “But are you certain she can handle the inevitable fighting to come?”
With a laugh, Sealtigce patted his arm. “Of course, my dear brother.” He still looked dubious, so she explained. “She’s tough, and she has a talent for wind magic that is just waiting to be honed. It will only take practice.”
“Very well. I trust you, sister.”
Her lips twitched as she waved her hand, the image before them changing to a young man in red robes making his way along a wooded path. Soon, their two champions would meet. “And you, Brand? A prince with the blood of D’arquest? I’ll admit I was expecting you to choose that lovely Sanctum Knight.”
For a moment, Brand merely watched as Hikari crossed the bridge into Cropdale before spotting a small leather pouch on the ground. When he spoke, his voice was as measured and neutral as always, but Sealticge could detect a note of pride in his tone. “He has already fought greater battles in his mind than most who wield the sword face in a lifetime. I have faith he will stand strong against Vide, when the time comes.”
Although she intended to reply, the first meeting between Agnea and Hikari caught her attention. Her little dancer beamed as she bounded over to the warrior prince, thrilled that he’d found what turned out to be her coin purse. As she gripped his hands tightly, profusely thanking him for returning it to her, Sealticge saw it. A light blush had spread from Hikari’s ears to dust his cheeks as he tentatively smiled at Agnea in turn.
“Oh, Brand! Look, he’s blushing!” She gripped her brother’s arm excitedly, gesturing to the scene in front of them. “Wouldn’t they just be adorable together?”
Her brother heaved a heavy sigh, as though he had suffered for centuries. “Sealticge, please… this is not the time to manufacture a romance between…”
“Who said anything about manufacturing?” she laughed, nudging Brand in the side as Hikari introduced himself shyly. They were still holding hands. “It doesn’t seem as though they will need much assistance.”
They did, in fact, need assistance.
Both Agnea and Hikari were clearly smitten with one another; that was not the issue. In the weeks since the pair had left Cropdale, slowly accumulating the other members of their traveling party, Sealticge had watched with impatience as Hikari had complimented nearly every attribute Agnea possessed and Agnea laughed merrily at his truly terrible jokes.
By the time they reached New Delsta, where Hikari spent hours on end drooling while Agnea danced in that charming little backstreet tavern, Sealticge thought that, surely, one of them would give voice to their smitten affections.
And in a way, one of them did… she supposed.
“Your dances are hot.” Sealticge first repeated the words blankly, then incredulously. “Your dances are hot?” Turning to her brother, she demanded, “What is wrong with him?”
Brand shrugged uselessly. “I did not choose him for his charisma, dear sister.”
“Your dances are hot…” she mumbled again under her breath as the group of chosen travelers made their merry way down the road towards Clockbank. Agnea and Hikari were lagging behind the rest of the group, talking about their mothers like the precious little darlings they were, while Sealticge searched for an appropriate stick.
Not to beat them upside the head with, although it was a sorely tempting idea.
“To be fair, Agnea did not seem opposed to…” Brand trailed off as he watched Sealticge use her wind magic to nudge a medium-sized branch into the travelers’ path. “What are you doing?”
“Making Agnea trip,” she said vaguely, not bothering to look at him as she concentrated on her task. It was difficult to use such a small fraction of her power for a delicate task like this, after all.
Her brother did not seem to understand the precision involved in her matchmaking schemes. “Making… why would you wish to harm your champion?”
Rolling her eyes as she finally got the branch into position, she watched in satisfaction as Partitio easily stepped over it. Agnea was so busy staring at Hikari’s jawline that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking.
Perfect.
“I sincerely doubt she will be harmed,” she explained breezily. “Just watch.”
And watch they did as Agnea’s toe caught on the branch, sending her careening to towards the ground. And Hikari, his reflexes honed through years of swordplay, caught her around the waist as she fell.
Almost as if they were dancing and he’d just lowered her into a dip, Hikari pulled Agnea back upright, leaving them with very little space between them, his arms still securely around her back.
“Ummm…” Agnea gulped, her hands moving to Hikari’s shoulders as she steadied herself. Sealticge let out a little squeak, earning herself an eyeroll from Brand. “Wow.”
“I…” Hikari’s face was nearly as red as his robes, but he made no move to release Agnea from his arms. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she replied breathlessly, and Sealticge grabbed an annoyed Brand’s arm in excitement. “I’m fine. Thanks to you catchin’ me…”
Agnea smiled, and Hikari smiled back. His left arm tightened around her, his fingers curling around her waist, when…
“You two lovebirds comin’ or not?” Partitio called from several yards in front of the pair.
Agnea yelped as if she’d been burned, jumping out of Hikari’s embrace and nearly falling again. Disappointment was evident on the prince’s face at her reaction, but he recovered quickly, giving her a polite nod. “I shall walk ahead and look out for other obstacles.”
“Oh… umm…” Agnea’s face fell at his words, but he’d already turned back towards the path. “Okay… thanks again, Hikari.”
Waving a hand to wipe away the disappointing scene in front of them, Sealticge sighed.
“They’re hopeless.”
And they were hopeless, but Sealticge continued to try anyway.
She thought perhaps jealousy would force their hand, covertly encouraging random mortals in taverns to approach one of the pair. But Agnea just convinced her various suitors to hand over their possessions, and Hikari was so obtuse he did not realize they were flirting with him.
One night, as Agnea slept, Sealticge used her connection with the dancer to suggest… ideas for how her relationship with Hikari could progress. But all this did was cause Agnea to look at Hikari with wide eyes and a red face over breakfast the next morning.
In Clockbank, she’d even attempted to separate them from the rest of the travelers… by “accidentally” locking them in a coat closet at the inn. But they were both so concerned about helping their friends they did not take the chance to explore their feelings for one another. Instead, they spent the better part of an hour trying to learn how to pick locks on the fly while ignoring how their hearts pounded at the close proximity.
Despite her failures thus far, her work continued. Sealticge had never been one to give up without a fight.
And judging by the events so far in Montwise, Hikari did not either.
It was her first true glimpse into the power the Shadow had over the young warrior, and her heart broke for him. The blood curse that ran through Clan Ku was one of the more vicious she’d seen in her time, and his strength of spirit was truly the only thing keeping him from being entirely consumed.
If anything, watching him fight a dual battle with both his opponents and himself in that underground arena had strengthened Sealticge’s resolve. Her investment in this relationship was no longer a little side quest to keep her amused as they waited for their champions to be ready for their final confrontation.
No, if Hikari were to rule, he needed to keep his darkness in check. And Agnea would be so very good for him.
On the morning of Hikari’s battle with Bandelam, Sealticge didn’t have to meddle at all; Agnea sought him out on her own as he ate azuki porridge and contemplated the coming fight.
And as they shared a meal, and the story behind it, Sealticge herself realized that this may not be just a sweet little crush between two young, kind souls, but a foundation of friendship upon which they could build something strong and lasting.
But that didn’t stop her from getting a little giddy when it seemed like they might actually, finally make some progress.
Agnea’s words were barely above a whisper but loaded with emotion as she reached up to run her thumb across his cheek. “Come back safe, Hikari.”
With a soft smile, Hikari shifted slightly closer to Agnea, brushing his fingertips against her arm. “I will. I promise.”
And then they proceed to stare into each other’s eyes like a stereotypical pair of lovesick fools.
Equal parts frustrated and amused, Sealtigce brought her hands together in a sweeping motion and exclaimed, “Now kiss!”
In her excitement, she’d failed to realize she’d channeled her magic.
Agnea and Hikari were both quite alarmed when their temples knocked together rather forcefully. Searching for the source of their near-concussions effectively ruined the moment.
Brand just shook his head.
“You mentioned that your father is a tailor of a few words. How is it that he won your mother’s heart?”
Sealticge glanced at Brand incredulously as Agnea giggled and relayed her parents’ love story to a blushing Hikari. “Is he… asking for instructions?”
This time, even her brother looked flummoxed with his champion. “I am not certain what exactly he’s hoping to accomplish, sister.”
Matters in Stormhail went downhill very quickly.
The frozen town was vital to their champions’ journeys, but it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Ochette was able to convince Glacias to help, but not without quite a fuss. And the Sacred Guard’s plot was finally revealed, but not fully, and not without sacrifice.
And now… well… Hikari’s negotiations with his former friend were not going as planned.
In truth, she’d only been partially paying attention to Hikari’s meeting on the bridge, as she was trying to help Aelfric, whose champion was having a crisis of faith following that sweet Sanctum Knight’s death. Brand was watching his champion, and she assumed that would be sufficient.
Until she heard Agnea scream.
It wasn’t just a scream. It was something primal, fearful, and spoke of unbearable loss.
Her champion was an incredibly brave girl. And Sealticge knew immediately that only something truly awful would cause her to scream like that.
Then she saw Hikari falling.
And Brand did nothing.
With a horrified gasp, Sealticge summoned her wind magic just in time, catching Hikari and slowing his descent just before he hit the frozen ground.
The silence that followed rang in her ears. Her jaw tightened.
“Sealtigce,” Brand sighed, a warning in his voice. “We mustn’t interfere so often.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “He was thrown from a bridge, Brand! What would you have me do, let him die?”
“He would not have died,” he answered with a certainty Sealtigce found rather disturbing. “His curse would keep him alive, even if somewhat maimed…”
“Well, I think we can do better than somewhat maimed…”
“Temporarily maimed…”
“And you are certain of that? Are you Dohter now?”
“You know we cannot alert Vide that we are involved, lest he…”
“I was not going to let him die!”
Acting as if she were an obstinate child, Brand sighed again, which just infuriated her further. “I know you’ve grown to care for your champion, and you have this silly fixation on a potential romance, but…”
“It’s not about that!” Sealticge threw up her hands in outright anger. “Are you saying you don’t care for Hikari?”
For a moment, Brand’s stoic mask dropped. “It’s not that I…” He cleared his throat, his jaw hardening again. “Our role is to ensure our chosen champions are prepared to fight Vide. I will not interfere beyond that. This is too important.”
Even as she stormed away in disgust, a small voice inside of her wondered if her brother was right.
Perhaps she had gotten too involved.
After Stormhail, Sealticge stopped meddling.
She observed, of course. And she would have stepped in had something threatened Agnea’s ability to persevere in the coming fight against Vide. But in truth, she hadn’t needed to - her chosen champion had developed into a more than capable fighter, eviscerating opponents with her wind magic and demonstrating her prodigious skills with a blade on more than one occasion. Watching her stand on her own two feet truly helped reaffirm for Sealticge that she had chosen well.
Sealticge was… proud of her.
Much like her combat abilities, Agnea’s relationship with Hikari had continued to grow as well. There was an ease to their interactions that hadn’t been there before, alongside a comfort they only seemed to find in each other.
It did not take Sealticge long to realize the two champions were well and truly in love.
And although part of her still itched to help them along, another, prevailing part of her thought that perhaps they deserved the chance to figure this all out for themselves.
She had yet to share these new revelations with Brand. In fact, since Stormhail, she hadn’t shared much with him at all.
In truth, the situation made Sealticge quite sad. Brand was a constant in her eternal life, not only her brother but also her closest friend. Despite their differences, their souls seemed to fit together in a way that was natural and comforting. And she did not enjoy quarreling with him.
Perhaps he felt the same, for as she was preparing to enter the human realm to see the Grand Gala in person, he sought her out.
“Sister.” Brand’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he took in the dress she wore. Casting aside her typical, flowing robes, she opted for a green, sparkling dancer’s garment that was the latest in Solistia fashion. “You… are you certain drawing such… attention to yourself is wise, given the situation?”
“You could simply tell me I look nice, Brand,” she replied, her tone equal parts frustration and teasing. Satisfied when her brother looked abashed, she explained, “I am attending the Grand Gala. Dressing as though I am attending the Grand Gala will not draw attention. The opposite, in fact.”
Thankfully, he seemed to accept this answer. “Very well.” Looking down at his feet in a way rather unbecoming of the courageous Thunderblade, Brand said in a low voice, “I wish to apologize. My behavior following Stormhail was… abhorrent.” Her jaw dropped slightly, but he rushed to continue. “I did not intend to imply you were silly. I know you are not.” Finally meeting her eyes, he admitted, “I sometimes am too consumed by our overarching goals, and I lose sight of the importance of human life. I failed my champion.”
“Brand, you didn’t…”
“No, I did,” he interrupted earnestly, swallowing hard, “You helped me see that Hikari’s importance rests not solely in his role in the coming fight for the dawn, but also in how he will improve his kingdom after it is over. And I am beginning to believe Agnea may be an significant part of that.”
Sealticge’s lips twitched, but her heart was touched. Crossing the distance between them, she pulled her brother into a hug, which he accepted with minimal resistance. “Thank you, Brand.” Smiling as she pulled away, she added, “And I am sorry as well. I should not have made our champions the targets of one of my amusements, and you helped me realize they don’t truly need my help.” Brand nodded his acceptance of her apology, and her smile widened. “I missed you, brother.”
Although it seemed the stoic Brand was done verbalizing his emotions, the softening of his eyes told her what she needed to know.
“Would you like to come to the Gala with me?” she asked, half joking.
“No, I think not,” he replied, then narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Sister… you are not planning to interfere with the proceedings, correct?”
Her jaw dropped in mock horror. “How dare you! I would never interfere with something as important as a competition.” She giggled, and Brand let out a chuckle as well. “I merely wish to see her dance.”
Sealticge had meant what she’d said about letting Hikari and Agnea figure things out on their own. But when she entered the Shrine of U’lsterra and saw a familiar figure in red robes sitting attentively in the front row, she couldn’t help but take the seat beside him.
“She’s quite lovely, don’t you think?” she asked a mesmerized Hikari as Agnea took the stage.
Without hesitation, without thought, without even looking in Sealticge’s direction, the warrior replied, “She is the most beautiful woman in the world.”
The Battle for Ku was chaos. More chaotic than anything Sealticge had seen in a very long time.
Even from her vantage point in the realm of the Gods, she could barely keep track of Agnea, let alone the other seven champions.
Sealticge worried for Agnea. Her champion was brave, and much stronger than she looked, but dancers rarely found themselves in an engagement like this. And with sand swirling and combatants on either side locked in hand-to-hand fighting, there was no way to ensure she would survive to see the next dawn, let alone the battle for the dawn.
Finally, she caught sight of Agnea’s wind magic, deep in the winding streets of the Castle Town. Her relief quickly evaporated, however, as she took in the scene around her champion.
Panic, an emotion Sealticge rarely felt, welled inside her now as she saw one of Mugen’s soldier’s barreling towards Agnea, his massive form tense and a furious look on his face. The dancer, distracted by another group of fighters, was completely unaware of the danger to her left. Sealtigce pulled on her magic, but before she could intervene, a vicious bolt of lightning struck the man down, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.
As Agnea jumped, surprised by the unexpected divine intervention, Sealtigce whirled around to find a stony-faced Brand staring at the scene in front of them.
“I thought we ‘mustn’t interfere?’” She repeated his own words back to him in an attempt to sound glib, but her voice shook.
Brand appeared unphased, but his words carried a heavy weight. “She will not die today.”
Later, when the battle was won and the pair of Gods watched Agnea and Hikari cling to one another in relief, Brand mumbled just loud enough for Sealtigce to hear, “I want them to be happy too, you know.”
“If you should stumble again, take my hand.”
Sealticge squealed, not needing to look at Brand to know he was rolling his eyes.
“Take his hand, Agnea!”
“Sister, we have a…”
“I know, we have a task to complete, they need to know where to locate the Sacred Flame, blah blah blah…” Gripping his arm in excitement, she continued to point, “But look!”
Agnea and Hikari held hands the rest of the way through the Tranquil Grotto.
They’d always known they were taking a chance by choosing humans as their surrogates in the fight.
When Aelfric originally proposed the plan, his words had been met by disbelief. Send mortals in to do what they had barely been able to accomplish? But the more he explained, the more it made sense.
Vide took advantage of the human capacity for despair. But he underestimated the human capacity for hope. They saw that hope in the grit of an apothecary concocting an impossible cure. In the love of a father relearning how to build a future he thought lost. In the words of a young scrivener who realized that perhaps the dawn was worth greeting after all.
Their champions were all well-suited for this dreadful task. But Sealticge couldn’t help but feel her sweet Agnea was the embodiment of hope.
Which made it all the more horrifying when their corrupt brother swallowed her and three of the other champions into the darkness.
For a moment, all was still in the realm of the gods. Sealticge watched as Agnea was torn away. Brand heard Hikari’s cry of anguish as he watched her disappear.
Then, Sealticge and Brand said in unison, “We need to get them out.”
With just those six words, it was decided, and Sealticge sprung into action. They would sit on the sidelines no longer.
“Dohter, Draefendi, Alephan, with me,” she directed to her siblings whose champions were also taken by Vide. “Yes, you too, Alephan, we have no time to debate this.” She took her sisters’ hands as the four of them hurriedly formed a circle. “The rest of you… help them in whatever way necessary.”
“Sealticge,” Brand’s voice shook. “Be careful.”
Nodding, she promised, “I will, brother.” Channeling her magic to reach out to the darkness, she cried, “All together now!”
The void took them, and then, they were nothing.
She’d only been in the void once before. It was an experience she’d never wished to repeat.
The void left you weightless and heavy at the same time. Cold yet burning with fever. And filled with nothing but despair.
The void was quiet, yet it whispered. It took your hopes and your dreams and twisted them into perversions of your darkest thoughts.
It made you feel alone.
Sealticge lost track of her siblings almost immediately, just as she’d expected she would. She could only hope they’d all return.
You call yourself a God, silly girl?
“No,” she replied out loud to the darkness, conjuring a small flame in her hand. It flickered weakly but held. “Not today.”
She heard Agnea before she saw her.
She was singing her mother’s lullaby.
As she approached, Sealticge saw that her champion had conjured a torrent of wind around her, casting her in an eerie green light. Not only did it cut through the darkness, but it also helped carry the sound of her voice further.
“Clever girl,” Sealticge breathed in admiration.
Although she’d clearly been crying, Agnea looked up with hope as Sealticge approached, squinting into the darkness in front of her. “H-Hikari?”
Sealticge’s heart ached for her dancer. “No, sweet girl,” she said gently as she came into view. Agnea’s magic flickered but held. “He cannot follow you here, although I am certain that if he could have, he would.”
Her face a mixture of curiosity and disappointment in equal measure, Agnea tentatively inquired, “W-who are you?”
With a smile, Sealticge tilted her head. “Do you truly not know?”
Recognition lit up bright blue eyes. “Sealticge…” After she nodded her confirmation, Agnea continued, “I’m… I’m dreamin’.”
“In a way, yes.” Stepping closer as Vide’s voice grew louder in her ears, Sealticge continued, “We do not have much time, my dear, and you have a choice before you. You could close your eyes, and go to a place where you will never feel hopeless again, or…” She reached out to Agnea. “You can take my hand, and I will do my best to return you to the fight.”
Although she had to offer Agnea a choice, Sealticge always knew what the answer would be. “I’ve gotta go back!” Agnea cried, taking her hand without hesitation. “Take me back, I gotta help my friends, they’re… they’re…”
Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Sealticge smiled. “Deep breaths, my girl. They need you ready to fight.” Waiting just a moment for Agnea to collect herself, Sealticge summoned her magic. “Hold tight to my hand.”
“O-oh, okay!” Amazingly, Agnea managed a smile. “Thank you, Sealticge.”
She smiled back. “Oh, and Agnea?” The dancer gave her a curious look as the wind swirled around them. “Are you ever going to tell that boy you love him?”
Her chosen champion looked shocked for just a moment, but soon, an even larger smile spread across her face, accompanied by a flush on her cheeks. “Y’know what? I think I just might.”
Returning Agnea from the shadow realm drained Sealticge of all her magic. She only hoped that Aelfric could return it once the fight for the dawn was over.
Slumped on the floor of the Gods’ council room, she could do nothing more than watch their champions defeat Vide, sending him back to the shadows once more.
The first light of morning had just begun to transform the sky from an inky purple into a pale blue when Brand appeared at her side. She kept her eyes on their champions even as he took her arm and helped her to her feet.
“Sister.” His voice was filled with concern. “Let us get you to Aelfric. You need healing and rest…”
“Shhhhhh!” She slapped a hand over Brand’s mouth to quiet him, gesturing to where Agnea was marching towards Hikari with a determined look on her face. “It’s happening!”
The pair met on the edge of Vidania, overlooking the shimmering sea, wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
“Agnea, I must…”
“Hikari, I…”
They both quieted after their attempts to speak simultaneously, but then began to speak over one another again.
“I need to tell ya…”
“I have a confession to…”
As they both fell silent once more, Agnea giggled, and Hikari gave her a soft smile. “Please, you first.”
It seemed Agnea needed little further prompting.
“I love you!” she exclaimed. “I love you, and I have for a while now, and I don’t know if you feel the same but I jus’ can’t keep it a secret anymore and…” Her face started to fall as she nervously wrung her hands. “If… if you don’t, that’s okay, I jus’…”
Hikari took her hands in his, stilling her nervous movements. “Agnea… you are remarkable. Fierce, beautiful, and the kindest soul I’ve ever known,” he whispered earnestly, ignoring the six other travelers staring at the pair with unabashed glee. “I love you, deeply and with everything I am. And I wish to have all of my future dawns with you.”
“R-really?” Agnea’s smile was brighter than the light now shining on the waves.
“Truly.” Hikari’s smile was just as bright. “My heart is yours, always and forever more.”
Agnea leaned up. Hikari bent down. And their lips met in a kiss just as the sun burst forth from the horizon, bathing the sky in its golden light.
With the full intent to gloat, Sealtigce turned towards her brother, but her words soon died in her throat.
Brand was smiling.