"Where are we going?" Helio asked, looking down at her packing a small bag of clothes and essentials. A sense of anticipatiom took over his mind as he leaned against the door with a smirk.
"Do you have anything to pack?"
"No? Why?"
"We are leaving."
"Where? And why?!"
"We are going back to the empire because I have a few work there. And weren't you saying you had too?" She asked, tilting an eyebrow at him. "So I thought, that if we bought need to go back at the same time, then we can just travel at once. Besides... I was planning on seeing Felix for a while."
He stared on disbelief. "So you are just trying to be 'on schedule'?" He made a frowning face. "I was thinking something else..."
"What were you actually thinking?" She asked, slamming the zipper shut, then looking up at him. "Look. I was hoping that you would surprise me on my birthday... And you haven't yet."
"Well the sunrise?! That was supposed to be a surprise!"
"Seriously? That is all you got?"
"No."
"Then where is the rest?" Aefia folded her arms in front of her.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets in response. "Well... I did have another surprise though."
"Where is it then?"
"You are packing already." He smiled, leaning down at bit.
She looked between the luggage and his face. Then let out a sigh. "So you want me to unpack and stay?"
"What—no!"
"Then?"
"...The other surprise is back at the empire." He smirked, his head tilting in a mischievous way. "Before you misunderstood me, I was genuinely happy that you were packing... We will be gone for a while."
"How long?" She finally smiled, standing up.
"A week or so." He answered, opening his arms as she walked right into them. He leaned down to kiss the crown of her head.
"A week?" Aefia murmured against his shoulder, her fingers lightly catching the fabric of his shirt as his arms closed around her. "You do know the first Aethalgard is going to have a stroke when he realizes we both slipped out of the Realm at the same time, right? I mean... Given the prophecy you made of him."
"And based on the same prophecy, I say, let him," Helio chuckled, his fingers sliding into the hair at the nape of her neck. He pressed another soft kiss near her temple. "Besides, your dad said he would handle the paperwork and clear everything with the first Aethalgard himself. We don't have to worry about a single thing."
Before Aefia could answer, a calm, rhythmic set of footsteps echoed down the grand corridor. A small knock came.
"Sofia? Can I come in?"
"Yes!" Aefia called out from over Helio's shoulders.
The heavy wooden door of her room swung open slightly, and Chronos stepped into the doorway.
He had set aside his usual massive stack of temporal documents, looking at the two of them with a quiet, softened expression. His sharp eyes lingered on Helio's arms wrapped around his daughter, but for once, he didn't raise a word of protest.
"Everything packed?" Chronos asked softly, crossing his arms over his high-collared coat.
Aefia pulled back slightly from Helio's hug, nodding as she adjusted the strap of her bag. "Yeah. Just the essentials though."
Chronos stepped closer, reaching out to gently adjust even the smallest detail in her hair. His thumb lingering near her cheek for a brief moment. "Good. You have worked far too hard these past few months, sweetie. Take all the time you need back in the empire. I will manage the council and keep the first Aethalgard off your back."
"Dad... Don't work yourself out. Besides... I have already gotten rid of work for the next three days at least."
"Well? Like father, like mother, like daughter. It is a family curse." He patted her head.
He then turned his gaze toward Helio, giving him a firm, lingering look.
"Keep her safe. And if a single hair from her body has been—"
"Dad..." She crossed her arms, looking up at him. "I think he fears me more then enough."
"Alright... Fine." He let out a sigh. "Make sure she is happy and safe."
"Always, sir," Helio answered smoothly, giving a respectful bow of his head.
Chronos looked back at Aefia, a small, genuine smile touching his lips. "Have a safe trip, my sweetie."
"Thanks, Dad," Aefia said softly, a subtle warmth blooming in her chest.
With a final nod, Chronos turned and walked back down the hall, leaving the door open to the peaceful afternoon air.
"See? Total approval," Helio whispered, leaning down with a triumphant smirk. "Now come on. Let's go."
Aefia had initially taken a leave of absence on her own authority, officially handing off her remaining duties to her father before they slipped through the shimmering portal at the edge of the realm.
On the otherside, the Smod empire was already facing dawn. The streetlights blooming to life as they walked right out of the park.
In this world, fountains connected to secret portals allowed them to travel back and forth between the two realms.
Helio pulled them towards the edge of an elevated stone terrace overlooking the capital city. Below them, thousands of warm, golden lanterns flickered to life along the winding cobblestone streets as dusk settled over the horizon. The sky above was a stunning gradient of violet and deep amber.
"It's quiet," Aefia whispered, her garnet eyes taking in the glowing cityscape.
"Told you," Helio said softly, stepping up right beside her. He didn't look at the city, though; his eyes were fixed entirely on her face, watching the golden lantern light catch in her eyes and highlight the subtle silver threading at the tips of her hair.
"Let's just say... This is the starting of your free days away."
"Oh?..." Aefia turned to him, putting her free hand on her hip with a playful smirk. "Well, where is this mysterious surprise you were bragging about?"
"Hmm? First part of the surprise?" Helio held out his hand properly, making a sweeping, theatrical bow. "You are off-duty. No heavy thinking allowed for the next three hours. And second... you are letting me feed you, because I know for a fact you skipped lunch while re-organizing Seraphina's notes."
"I did not—" But she only gets dizzy when she is hungry. Her fingers gripped the railing tightly.
Helio's smirk widened instantly. "Your body disagrees, Sovereign."
"Shut up," she grumbled, her cheeks warming up, though she didn't hesitate to take his hand as he led her down the stone steps toward the bustling night market.
Unlike the formal atmosphere of the Guardian Realm, the lower terrace market was alive with color and noise. Stalls lined the street, selling roasted meats, honey-glazed pastries, and glowing glass trinkets.
Helio moved through the crowd with natural ease, keeping his body positioned subtly between Aefia and the passing townspeople to protect her healing shoulder from getting bumped.
She laughed as she got pulled around. A thing she had wished for since her childhood, which she hadn't gotten to even think about until now.
He stopped at a small stall adorned with hanging paper stars, returning a moment later with two wooden skewers of caramel-glazed apples sprinkled with crushed toasted nuts—a local autumn delicacy.
"Here," he said, handing one to her.
Aefia took a small bite, the warm, sweet crunch instantly dissolving into her tongue. Her eyes widened slightly. "Okay... this is actually really good."
"Of course it is. I have exquisite taste," Helio boasted, taking a bite of his own before nudging her arm gently with his elbow. "Now, follow me. The real view is up ahead."
He led her away from the main thoroughfare, taking a quiet, winding path that curved up toward an old, abandoned watchtower on the cliffside overlooking the river. The wooden stairs creaked beneath their boots, but when they reached the top platform, Aefia caught her breath.
The entire valley spread out below them like a sea of stars, reflecting in the dark, glassy surface of the river. But what caught her off guard wasn't just the view—it was the setup on the wooden bench at the center of the tower.
A soft, thick wool blanket was laid out over the bench, accompanied by a small brass lantern casting a cozy, flickering glow. Next to it sat a small, carefully wrapped parcel tied with a simple silver ribbon.
Aefia stood frozen at the top of the stairs, looking from the cozy bench to Helio, who was leaning against the wooden railing, trying—and failing—to look nonchalant.
"You... set this up before we even left?" she asked softly.
"I had a runner send a message ahead to get it ready," Helio admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, a faint hint of color touching his ears. "You might know that guy. And before he arrives, I want to tell you something."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Before she left, Nada told me about a few things. Like telling me to take care of you and giving you a life which is worth living. But I have been feeling like I genuinely always wanted to do that, even without being asked. I did go through it with your brother, and he told me about what you liked and what you did not... And it was mostly because of him that I had managed to come up with this surprise.
"And honestly? I think I understand why your father misses your mother a lot... Because if I ever came across a scenario where I had to lose you... I won't be happy either. If you left like your mother did, then it won't just leave an empty space that would be stuck in your mind for years to come... It would break a world and a mind along with it.
"So when I heard you took your life... I wasn't just scared. I was terrified of even hearing it. Because I had come this close to not being able to be with the only person I only cared for—or even dared to think all day all night about. And besides that... I think I have learnt significantly about myself too.
"You know that saying that when you are a pair, then only will you understand what you were missing. I understand what that means now. I was just missing the person who had ever made me pick up a blade to defend myself and my close ones then to just be kind and try to mend the situations later...
"So I have got to say... Sofia." He stepped closer. "I am genuinely happy you existed in the first place, and that I got dragged into this world to come across you."
He leaned his forehead against hers. Wrapping his arms around hers.
Aefia stared at him for a long moment. The cool evening wind blew a strand of black hair across her face, but before she could move, Helio reached out, his warm fingers gently tucking it behind her ear—just as her father had done earlier—but with a lingering tenderness that made her heart skip a beat.
She didn't say a word. Instead, she stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and wrapped her good arm tightly around his waist, burying her face into the crook of his neck.
Helio let out a soft breath, feeling fully content now.
"Thank you," she muttered into his collar, her voice thick with uncharacteristic softness. "For everything. But you still really are an idiot, you know that?"
Helio laughed. That made her laugh in return. He rested his chin on top of her head, squeezing her gently. "An idiot who successfully threw you a late birthday date. I am taking that as a massive victory honestly."
"Don't push your luck," she warned playfully, though she didn't pull away.
"But that isn't even the end..." He whispered.
"Huh?" She lifted her head off his shoulder, looking up at his face as if he just revealed a massive secret. "So that isn't complete?"
He shook his head. "I have something to give you..."
He reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box, flicking the lid open and holding out in the light for her to see.
"I have been seeing you accessorize yourself lately. So I decided to get you one of these. It has been popular as of lately."
Resting inside, was a pair of earrings. Sleek and simple, the way she liked it.
It was a bunch of red butterflies, almost similar to ones she had seen that belonged to her mother. The details were what caught her eyes the most, which led her to liking it a lot.
She reached her fingers towards it.
"Do you like it?" He asked, looking down at her wide smile as she took it off the box and caressed it.
"I do." She answered back.
He took the earring off her fingers, and hooked them into her ears for her. He pulled back enough to look down at her face.
"You look... Mesmerizing in them."
"I am always mesmerizing..." She chuckled, walking over to the bench.
She settled onto the thick wool blanket, running her fingertips over the smooth silver ribbon of the remaining parcel. The faint glow of the brass lantern caught the deep crimson of the red butterfly earrings, making them shimmer gently against her black hair like embers in the dusk.
"Always mesmerizing, huh?" Helio echoed, taking a seat beside her on the bench. He leaned back against the weathered wood, stretching one arm along the backrest behind her shoulder to pull her just a little closer against the rising river chill.
"I agree. That office made her look so gloomy and tired. She looks much healtier now." A familiar voice called out.
Aefia turned her head to see Felix standing beside the bench. A knowing smirk fell on her face.
"Are you the 'runner'?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
"You could say I am..." He pointed his thumb at himself. "Anyways! Open the package!"
She did. Inside, was a leather journal and a fountain pen.
The journal looked like the one her mother had kept her small memories in. And the fountain was a combination of leaves, a small fox representing Felix, a tiny ice crystal for Nada, a clock hand with flowers blooming to make her father and mother—which symbolized how her parents' memories were coming together in her time.
And then her own red, flame-winged butterfly.
She stared silently at the gifts, completely silent.
Even though they were two common things... They carried a lot of meaning to her.
And it contented her.