Fay pressed her lips into a thin line, then peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. "D-Do you mind… waiting outside for a moment?"
She looked breathless and nervous, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment—yet somehow, she still looked stunning.
"Y-Yeah. That's, uh… probably a good idea," he stammered, quickly averting his gaze.
Zephyr was already nudging his shin with head-butts, growling low in his throat. "Grrr."
Look at this treacherous ball of fluff, Daisuke thought frivolously, even as he turned to leave. It's obvious he's been keeping secrets from me.
Outside, he clutched his chest, heart pounding like it was trying to break free from his ribs. "So much for the Goddess of Harmony… and that damn Composure stat," he muttered, coming to a stop and turning with a flustered sigh.
Inside the tent, he caught sight of the girl quietly sinking to the ground, drawing her knees to her chest in a tight embrace. Zephyr clambered onto her shoulder, draping himself over it before gently licking her cheek with a worrisome whine.
Fay curled into herself even more, her arms tightening around her legs as Daisuke's passionate gaze replayed in her mind. Her lips parted slightly as she recalled the shine of his silver hair, the smoldering warmth in his butterscotch eyes, and the curious twist of his mouth.
He'd grown significantly stronger and more confident since the last time she saw him. And, like the Dravenharts, he looked at her without scorn or prejudice.
In fact, his gaze held something that no one else's did—and just the thought of that had Fay squirming in embarrassment. But it wasn't long before disturbing images of the Mithrilcrest Deer, the fawn, and Lefahne and Zurrel flickered through her mind like a violent gale.
Their suffering.
Their untimely death.
Just because of her existence.
Before her thoughts could spiral any further, Zephyr caught her sleeve between his teeth and started tugging. The pup stopped only so that it could bark at her in disapproval.
Fay lifted her head and glanced at the ball of fluff with a harmless frown. "Just whose side are you on, exactly?"
The canine barked again, clearly declaring neutrality.
Fay sighed, shifting her gaze to the tent door. She knew she was only delaying the inevitable. Haxks wasn't just going to allow her to leave, not without first confirming that she wasn't a threat to Silvestia or anyone else. Though, he seemed more curious about her identity than anything else.
Her heart heaved a dark and alarming throb, and she instinctively cupped her chest.
But getting closer to him was…
Just as she was about to bury her face against her knees again, a gentle weight settled atop her head. Startled, she blinked upward, only to find herself staring into a pair of large, olive-green eyes framed by pointed ears and sleek black fur.
"I-It's you—"
The moment the utterance escaped her lips, Fay found herself being swallowed by a rippling pool of black ink roughly twice her size. She didn't even have time to gasp. In the blink of an eye, the shadows spat her out several feet behind Daisuke.
Disoriented, she stumbled upright and lurched forward. Daisuke turned just in time to catch her as she fell into him. His arms wrapped around her instinctively, steadying her.
And in that instant… time stood still.
Daisuke swallowed past the hot lump in his throat.
Fay's eyes quivered, her cheeks flushed scarlet.
They could feel the static electricity humming between them like a raging fire. It felt so wrong, and yet so right at the same time. Startled, Fay quickly tore herself away from him and spun around, her heart threatening to rip from her chest.
"A-Are you okay?" Daisuke asked.
There was a pause, then—
"F-Fay," the girl stammered meekly. "My name. It's Fay."
"…Fay," Daisuke repeated with a small smile. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Haxks. Haxks Starfrost."
Fay pursed her lips nervously, her back still turned. She could feel butterflies taking flight in her tummy at the sound of her name on his tongue. She couldn't help but wonder what would it feel like to hear him pronounce her real name.
Before she could chase the thought further, the butterflies scattered, replaced by a loud, unmistakable growl from her stomach.
Daisuke chuckled behind her. "Hungry?"
Fay felt like melting into a puddle and seeping straight into the earth. Her lips parted in a silent attempt at a response, but nothing came out. Even her cowlick betrayed her, twitching wildly in distress.
Just as the panic threatened to tip into full-blown meltdown, Daisuke calmly stepped beside her and took her hand.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Bones reduced to the consistency of wet noodles, Fay could do little more than stumble along behind him, her face burning hotter with every step. She tugged her scarf up to hide her blush, her eyes locked on the way his fingers gently curled around hers.
***
It was well past midnight, but the shopping district was still aglow with life. Warm lanterns and paper lights in hues of coral, teal, and gold floated gently above the thoroughfare, casting a shimmer across the cobblestone path. The fragrance of monstron, seafood, and sweets wafted through the air.
Daisuke walked at a relaxed pace, hands tucked into his pockets, his eyes casually scanning the lively rows of food stalls. Instead of conjuring a meal from his inventory, he'd chosen to bring Fay out with him. She needed the fresh air. The soft bustle of the night. A moment away from grief's silent grasp.
Several steps behind him, Fay followed with quiet footsteps. Her small hands clutched a monstron and vegetable kebab and sweet mochi as her crimson eyes lingered shyly on the cobbles. But now and then, her gaze would drift up—drawn to him.
The colorful lights above bathed his silver hair in shifting hues, turning it into a cascade of rainbows. Against that glow, his black armor stood in sharp contrast. As she reflected on the moment he saved Silvestia, she couldn't help but liken him to a dark knight—one who moved unseen through the shadows, guarding the innocent without ever seeking recognition or reward.
Fay's lips curved into the gentlest smile. For a fleeting moment, the heaviness in her chest—the ache of what she had lost and the threat of succumbing to affection—felt blurred and distant.
She nibbled quietly at her kebab like a timid rabbit, stealing glances at him from beneath her lashes. Each look made her cheeks heat, but he never turned to meet her eyes.
Much like Lefahne and Zurrel on the night they rescued her, he was careful not to stare, not to fluster her, simply allowing her to be at ease in his presence.
They sat at a booth and quietly enjoyed a frozen desert. After a while, they wandered down to the waterfront where moonlight rippled across the surface of the lake like scattered silver leaves.
Fay settled at the edge, hugging her knees to her chest, the breeze tugging playfully at her hair. Daisuke eased down beside her, just close enough to feel her warmth. Almost immediately, Fay's cowlick flinched at his close proximity and she immediately scooched a little farther away.
Daisuke blinked, then let out a small, awkward smile. He didn't comment or tease. He simply let the silence settle between them like a gentle mist. But behind his now golden gaze, thoughts stirred like waves.
Fay. She was so small. And yet, something about her felt unshakably vast. From his peripheral vision, Daisuke noted the breathtaking glow of her rose-pink aura. Then, finally, he spoke.
"…Just who are you exactly?"
Fay stared out at the lake, pretending not to notice his gaze. But her heart beat a little faster all the same. "I'm… not really sure."
Daisuke frowned, surprised the Eye of Verity didn't mark the statement as a lie. Memory loss? Or maybe some kind of special ability to circumvent the eye's power?
Adrian had duped him in a similar fashion before, so he couldn't entirely rule that out as a possibility. Still, he pressed on with his next question.
"For some reason, Zephyr seems unusually fixated on you," he said, watching her carefully. "Why is that? And back at Percival's manor—when everyone was making their escape—where did you disappear to?"
"…Rai was placed in my care," Fay responded after a while, images of a large, lupine beast flickering in her mind.
Daisuke raised an eyebrow. Rai? As in Zephyr?
"At the manor," she continued, "Rai noted that a girl was still trapped inside during the fire, so he rushed in to help. I waited outside."
Daisuke's expression crumpled, shifting from curiosity to chagrin. There was someone still inside? Dammit! Was she locked in Reginald's room? I should've checked more thoroughly before leaving to rejoin the others.
Fay turned her head, finally holding his gaze. "After reuniting the girl with the others, Rai was the one who fought off that monster so that you could escape."
Daisuke's eyes quivered. Then that scuffle and whimper I heard that night—it was Zephyr fighting off the chimera?
"Afterwards," Fay said as she smoothed her fingers along the scarf. "I wanted to thank you, so I told Rai to stay by your side until you recovered."
Daisuke allowed a wan smile. "…In that case, he's more than fulfilled that promise."