For the first time in weeks…
Jax wasn't planning.
He wasn't negotiating.
He wasn't preparing for war.
He wasn't training with the Vixens.
He was walking.
The streets of Solmere stretched before him, alive in a way they hadn't been just a year ago.
Stone roads replaced mud.
New buildings stood where broken shacks once leaned.
Parks and fountains now occupied spaces that had once been nothing more than waste and neglect.
He walked slowly… deliberately.
Not as a ruler.
Not as a commander.
Just… as a man taking it all in.
Humans and Beastkin moved side by side.
Talking. Laughing.
Living.
Neighborhood gatherings spilled into the streets—tables of food, shared drinks, children running freely between groups that, not long ago, would have never stood within arm's reach of each other.
Lanterns flickered to life as the sun dipped low, casting the city in a warm golden glow.
Music carried through the air—sometimes from merchants drawing in customers… sometimes from entire neighborhoods celebrating for no reason at all.
Prosperity wasn't just visible.
It was felt.
The smell of fresh bread… roasted meats… and sweet pastries lingered just long enough to slow even the busiest passerby.
Jax slowed.
Then stopped.
For a moment…
He simply stood there.
Watching.
In one month's time, Solmere would host its annual summer festival—the same one that had once been tied to the slave guild.
Now?
It meant something entirely different.
It had been one year.
One year since he arrived in this world.
And everything…
Had changed.
A child ran past him, wooden hammer in hand.
"Bunny SMASH!" the boy yelled, swinging wildly at an imaginary enemy.
Another followed close behind.
"No, no—you have to jump from above!"
The second child scrambled up a barrel, leapt off it, and shouted—
"Take this, Empire scum!"
Jax blinked.
Then… laughed.
Quietly.
"…We've become a story," he murmured.
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Llandra's voice came from beside him.
He hadn't heard her approach.
Of course.
She stood there, arms crossed lightly, her gaze on the children.
She was dressed differently than earlier—no armor, no combat gear.
A fitted dress, simple but elegant, with subtle silver accents that caught the lantern light. Her long blonde hair flowed naturally over her shoulders.
Three hours ago…
She had been sparring with him at Brannic's training compound.
Now?
She looked like she belonged in a noble court.
"They're not afraid anymore," she said softly.
Jax nodded.
"That was the goal."
Llandra glanced at him.
"For most leaders… fear is easier."
Jax smirked slightly, eyes still on the children.
"Yeah. But fear doesn't build this."
Llandra followed his gaze.
The laughter. The life. The peace.
"…No," she admitted quietly. "It doesn't."
Jax finally turned to her.
"You were looking for me?"
Her expression softened.
"The girls and I wanted to take you to dinner."
Jax blinked.
"…Dinner?"
"To celebrate."
That caught him off guard.
"…Did I forget something?" he asked, a hint of concern creeping in. "An anniversary? A birthday? I—"
Llandra smiled.
"No. Nothing you forgot."
A small pause.
"…Not exactly."
That didn't help.
But before he could press further, she gently took his hand.
"Come on."
The Neon Moon
The Neon Moon was packed.
A line stretched out the door—guests waiting patiently, names being checked, invitations verified.
A sign hung near the entrance:
Closed for a Private Banquet
Yet as Jax and Llandra approached…
They were let straight through.
Jax frowned slightly.
"…Okay. Now I'm suspicious."
Llandra said nothing.
Just smiled.
They were led to the back—toward a reserved section that had quietly become theirs over time.
A large corner booth.
Familiar.
Comfortable.
But tonight…
It wasn't just them.
As Jax stepped in, he noticed it immediately.
People.
Dozens of them.
And then—
"Surprise."
Bunny's voice.
Bright. Excited.
Jax turned.
All of them were there.
Bunny, practically glowing with excitement.
Nyxian, smirking like she'd been waiting for this moment all day.
Zee, standing quietly but smiling warmly.
Even Pixelle and Lexi hovered nearby, both dressed up in tiny, impossibly detailed outfits.
Before he could even speak—
A large glass of Fairy Cider was placed in front of him.
Moments later, his favorite meal followed.
Sous vide boar filet.
Garlic butter.
Perfectly prepared vegetables.
Jax looked down at the table.
Then back up at them.
"…Okay," he said slowly. "What's going on?"
Bunny leaned forward, grinning.
"We've celebrated all of our birthdays since we met."
Nyxian crossed her legs, smiling.
"But no one knows yours."
Zee added softly—
"Not even you."
Nyxian tilted her head.
"So we fixed that."
Bunny beamed.
"We picked the day we met you."
Zee nodded.
"That was exactly one year ago today."
A small pause.
"Happy Birthday, Jax."
Silence.
Jax sat there for a moment…
Processing.
One year.
It had only been one year.
And yet…
It felt like an entire lifetime.
He remembered the mud roads.
The struggle.
The uncertainty.
And now?
He looked around.
The Vixens.
Dressed beautifully.
Relaxed.
Happy.
His city.
Thriving.
Alive.
"…I don't know what I did to deserve this," he said quietly.
"But… thank you."
The Celebration
And then—
He noticed.
This wasn't just a dinner.
Brannic stood near the bar, already halfway through a drink.
Merriweather fluttered nearby, talking excitedly to a group of merchants.
Grathok laughed loudly with a cluster of traders.
Barb waved the moment she spotted Jax.
Even Bunny's brother was there.
And from the Elven Kingdom…
A familiar presence.
Llandra's father had sent his trusted Spymaster, Vaelith, in his place.
More people filled the room.
Leaders.
Merchants.
Citizens.
Hundreds.
All here…
For him.
Jax stood slowly.
Taking it in.
"…You did all this?" he asked quietly.
Llandra stepped beside him.
"There were thousands who wanted to come."
She glanced around the room.
"…We had to limit it."
Jax exhaled slowly.
This wasn't just a celebration.
It was proof.
That what he built…
Mattered.
The Speeches
One by one…
They stood.
Stories were shared.
A merchant who had gone from barely surviving… to running a thriving trade network.
A Beastkin family who spoke of safety… of belonging.
A former laborer who now owned his own business.
Some laughed.
Some cried.
Every story…
Pointed back to one thing.
Jax.
He wasn't just a leader.
He had changed their lives.
Jax Speaks
Eventually…
They turned to him.
Jax stood.
The room fell silent.
He wasn't one to chase attention.
But he didn't shy from it either.
His voice carried.
Strong.
Clear.
"I didn't build this alone."
He gestured around the room.
"Every one of you… chose to believe in something better."
A pause.
"I just refused to accept that things couldn't change."
He looked toward the Vixens.
"They're the reason I keep moving forward."
Then back to the crowd.
"My goal hasn't changed."
"A world where it doesn't matter who you are… or what you are."
"Only what you choose to become."
Silence.
Then—
Applause.
Some were crying.
Others simply stood there…
Moved.
Closing
The night carried on.
Laughter.
Stories.
Music.
Love filled the air in a way that couldn't be faked.
And at the center of it all—
Jax stood surrounded by it.
For once…
Not as a strategist.
Not as a leader.
But as someone…
Truly appreciated.
And though none of them knew it yet…
This night—
Would be remembered.