The forest echoed with laughter far longer than Arin would have preferred.
Unfortunately for him, the others showed absolutely no intention of letting the moment die quietly.
Riven, especially, looked like this was the greatest event of his entire life.
"No no," he said between barely controlled laughter while pointing dramatically toward the riverbank, "don't let us interrupt. Continue whatever deeply emotional scene was happening here."
Arin stared at him flatly.
"…I'm going to throw you into the river."
"You say that like you weren't just sleeping like a married couple five seconds ago."
Liora immediately made the mistake of looking up after hearing that.
The moment she noticed every single person staring directly at them again, she froze completely before burying her face back against Arin's chest in defeat.
Selene actually laughed harder seeing that reaction.
"Oh she's never recovering from this."
"I'm witnessing spiritual damage in real time," Aira added helpfully.
Kael sighed while rubbing one hand against his forehead.
"This is what happens when emotionally repressed people finally touch grass."
"That sentence offended at least three people simultaneously," Darin muttered.
Meanwhile Arin remained very still beneath the absolute disaster unfolding around them.
Not because he didn't know how to respond.
Because part of him realized the others were enjoying this far too much already. Any reaction would only make things worse.
Unfortunately, Liora finally looked up again at the exact wrong moment.
Riven immediately pointed toward both of them dramatically.
"There! Look at that expression! She's embarrassed and he's pretending not to be embarrassed."
"I'm not embarrassed."
The answer came too quickly.
Everyone immediately stared at Arin afterward.
Silence.
Then Selene slowly raised one eyebrow.
"Arin."
He realized the mistake immediately afterward.
Riven grinned like a man witnessing victory itself.
"Oh that's even better."
Liora actually laughed quietly against Arin's chest despite herself.
The sound caught him off guard enough that he instinctively looked down toward her.
And suddenly the teasing around them faded briefly into the background.
Because she was smiling again.
Not the hesitant smiles from earlier.
Not the fragile expressions hiding confusion and returning memories.
A real smile.
Warm. Bright. Alive.
The sight alone made something soften quietly inside him again.
Liora noticed him staring and immediately became aware of how close they still were.
Very close.
She was still sitting in his lap.
His arm still rested around her shoulders naturally.
And judging from the warmth against her side, he apparently hadn't moved at all while sleeping either.
The realization hit her all over again.
Slowly. Painfully.
Her ears immediately turned red again.
Riven witnessed this with the excitement of someone discovering buried treasure.
"She's blushing again."
"Riven," Kael said calmly, "one day somebody will kill you and honestly I'll understand why."
Selene finally stepped closer afterward while crossing her arms.
"Alright, enough."
Riven looked deeply betrayed.
"You're ending the entertainment?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"…for now."
That last part immediately restarted everyone's laughter again while Liora silently questioned every life decision leading to this moment.
Eventually, after several more minutes of relentless teasing, she finally managed to stand up from Arin's lap with at least some remaining dignity intact.
Unfortunately Arin standing afterward only made things worse somehow.
Because now everyone could clearly see the marks from where Liora had been sleeping against his shoulder for most of the night.
Riven noticed immediately.
"Oh this is incredible."
Arin genuinely looked ready to commit violence now.
Kael slowly stepped between them preemptively.
"No murder before breakfast."
"Debatable."
Liora covered her face briefly while trying unsuccessfully not to laugh herself now.
And strangely enough—
that realization settled warmly inside her afterward.
She was laughing.
After everything.
After remembering fragments of death and loss and lives already gone…
she was still able to sit beside the people she cared about and laugh like this.
The thought grounded her quietly.
Maybe that was important.
Maybe remembering the past didn't mean they had to become consumed by it completely.
The morning gradually settled afterward while everyone prepared to continue traveling toward the kingdom revealed by Vijaya's light. Small conversations filled the clearing near the river while bags were packed and supplies reorganized. Sunlight filtered through the trees overhead now, warming the cold forest air slightly as the world slowly woke around them.
For a while things almost felt ordinary again.
Or at least as ordinary as possible for a group traveling with fragments of an ancient divine weapon while carrying memories across multiple lifetimes.
Riven eventually approached Arin again while the others prepared breakfast nearby.
"…so."
Arin immediately looked suspicious.
"…what."
Riven grinned.
"Nothing. I'm just trying to process the fact that the calm mysterious guy of the group is apparently capable of romance."
"I hate speaking to you."
"That's fair."
Riven sat beside him anyway.
For several seconds neither spoke while watching the others near the campfire.
Then eventually Riven's expression softened slightly beneath the usual humor.
"…she looked happy."
Arin glanced toward him quietly.
Riven shrugged afterward.
"Liora."
Another pause.
"She's looked lighter since last night."
Arin's gaze instinctively shifted toward her afterward.
Liora stood near the river speaking quietly with Selene and Aira while morning light reflected softly through her hair. And now that Riven mentioned it…
Yes.
Something about her expression had changed slightly.
Not entirely healed.
The returning memories still weighed heavily on her sometimes. He could see it in quieter moments when she drifted too deeply into thought.
But despite that—
she also looked calmer somehow.
More certain.
As though finally understanding why her soul kept pulling toward him had answered questions she carried unconsciously for years.
The realization warmed something quietly inside Arin's chest again.
Riven noticed immediately.
"Oh no."
Arin frowned slightly.
"…what now."
"You're doing the look."
"…what look."
"The deeply emotional staring thing."
Arin immediately looked away.
Riven nearly collapsed laughing again.
"This is the best week of my life."
Kael threw a piece of bread directly at his face from across the camp.
"Eat something and be quiet."
Eventually the group resumed traveling shortly afterward.
The forest path stretched deeper southward now while the distant crimson light pointing toward the kingdom remained faintly visible beyond the trees. The terrain gradually changed as they moved farther from the mountains. Dense forests gave way slowly to rolling hills and wider rivers while signs of civilization occasionally appeared along older roads cutting through the wilderness.
The world felt larger now somehow.
More alive.
And perhaps because of the previous night, the atmosphere within the group felt lighter too.
Not carefree.
But warmer.
Liora walked beside Arin naturally now while the others continued talking ahead of them along the forest trail.
For several minutes they simply walked quietly together beneath the morning sunlight filtering through the trees.
Then eventually Liora spoke softly without looking directly at him.
"…sorry about this morning."
Arin blinked slightly.
"For what."
"The teasing."
He looked mildly confused afterward.
"You didn't cause it."
"…still."
A faint embarrassed smile appeared on her face.
"They're never letting this go."
"That part is unfortunately true."
This time she laughed softly again.
The sound still affected him more than it probably should have.
They continued walking quietly afterward until Liora eventually glanced toward him again.
"…you really weren't uncomfortable?"
Arin looked toward her carefully.
"With what."
Her expression immediately became more embarrassed again.
"…last night."
Understanding hit him instantly afterward.
Oh.
Silence followed briefly.
Then honestly—
"No."
The answer came quietly. Naturally.
Liora looked surprised by how immediate the response was.
Arin glanced forward toward the path while speaking again.
"…it felt peaceful."
The sincerity behind the words hit her harder than expected.
Because somehow that answer felt more intimate than anything dramatic could have been.
Not passion.
Not overwhelming declarations.
Peace.
Liora lowered her gaze slightly afterward to hide the warmth spreading across her face again.
"…yeah."
Another small silence followed.
Then softer—
"…it did."
The moment lingered quietly between them while sunlight moved gently through the forest around them.
And somewhere behind them, Riven very visibly noticed the entire interaction from a distance.
He immediately leaned toward Kael while whispering dramatically,
"They're doing the quiet romance thing again."
Kael didn't even look at him this time.
"I need stronger alcohol."
The journey continued peacefully for most of the day afterward.
But as evening slowly approached again and the kingdom's crimson light grew brighter against the horizon—
Arin began noticing something else too.
The fragments of Vijaya were reacting differently now.
Stronger.
Every few minutes faint pulses of golden energy spread through the wrapped weapon resting beside him. Not violent.
Anticipatory.
Like the fragments themselves recognized they were getting closer to another missing piece.
And deep inside his mind—
something else stirred quietly alongside that growing resonance.
Not memory.
Recognition.
As though somewhere ahead of them…
someone was already waiting.