Location: Lurenhart Capital – Evening, Day 21 in Atheria
As the sun dipped behind the stone towers of Lurenhart, the city transformed.
Lanterns floated into the sky like glowing petals. Strings of star-shaped charms dangled across rooftops. Musicians tuned flutes and lutes, their melodies weaving through the cobbled streets like threads of wind.
Children wore masks of wolves and deer. Bakers carried trays of mooncakes filled with honeyed fruit and flower jam. Couples strolled beneath silver banners, hands shyly linked.
The Spring Moon Festival had begun.
---
An Invitation
Back at the guild hall, Jiwoo's party was approached by the guild receptionist, Alia, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"You… all did well with the anomaly mission," she said, offering a folded note.
Jiwoo accepted it and opened it slowly.
> By Order of the Lurenhart Adventurer Guild
You are cordially invited to the official festival banquet in Guild Plaza.
Dress with spirit. Eat well. Dance if you dare.
Baek squinted. "Did she just say… dance?"
Eunsol laughed. "Guess you're out of excuses now."
Jiwoo smiled quietly. "We'll go. All of us."
---
Preparing for the Festival
They each prepared in their own way.
Mirae wore a long midnight-blue gown with tiny glowing stars stitched across the hem. When she moved, it looked like a constellation in motion.
Sena and Jihae both chose sleek, simple outfits—white and red sashes, light leather overrobes for motion.
Yoori wore a delicate silver dress with a crescent-moon brooch glowing at her collar.
Baek stuck to a sharp black tunic with gold trim and too many rings.
Noeun kept her look understated: grey cloak, silver-threaded hood, and glowing hairpins.
Eunsol dressed in flowing forest green, with vines wrapped around her staff like garlands.
Jiwoo?
He wore a soft, navy coat over a pure white shirt, sleeves rolled up just enough. His only ornament: a silver chain across one wrist with nine tiny charms, one for each of them.
---
Festival Begins
The moment they entered the plaza, they were met with cheers, music, and the scent of roasted citrus meat, spiced rice, and fruit cider. Lanterns bobbed overhead in synchronized waves of light.
"Is this… normal?" Yoori asked.
"For once, yes," Jiwoo said.
They visited stalls:
Baek entered a spiced tea contest and accidentally won.
Mirae sang a few lines with local bards, earning stunned silence—and applause.
Noeun challenged a rune-engraving master to a speed-etching duel and left him speechless.
Eunsol helped a little girl grow a miniature flower crown that floated.
Jiwoo simply walked… letting the moment soak into his soul.
---
A Simple Moment
At one point, the group sat around a glowing tree near the plaza's heart. The trunk pulsed with soft blue light, releasing harmless spark motes into the air.
Children ran by with ribbons.
A bard played nearby.
For once, no one looked at Jiwoo like he was a god.
No one feared them. No one followed them.
They were just part of the world.
Jiwoo leaned back against the tree.
"This," he said softly, "is peace."
---
The Lantern Lake
As night deepened, a procession led the festivalgoers toward Lantern Lake, where floating lights were set adrift to carry hopes into the sky.
Each person received a lantern.
Each wrote a wish.
Sena grinned. "I bet yours says 'infinite steak supply'."
"No," Baek replied proudly. "It says 'no paperwork ever again'."
They laughed.
Mirae's fingers hesitated over her lantern.
"What do you wish for?" Jiwoo asked her.
She smiled. "For this to last."
Then she passed him a lantern. "Your turn."
He looked down at the blank surface.
For a long moment, he didn't write.
Then he drew a symbol.
☉
The same one he had carved in the sand. The same one he had seen on ancient scrolls.
Not a wish.
A reminder.
Then he released the lantern.
It drifted into the sky, rising slowly…
Until it joined thousands of others.
---
The Moon Dances
When the moon reached its peak, a silence fell.
All lights dimmed.
Then, above the lake, the water rippled and lifted.
Moonlight bent, creating the illusion of a glowing dancer twirling on the air—made of light and memory.
It danced over the crowd.
And for a moment, Jiwoo swore it looked directly at him.
Then it dissolved into stardust.
---
Final Scene – A New Kind of Memory
Later that night, in the quiet of the inn, Jiwoo stood on the balcony, watching the last of the lanterns fade into the horizon.
Mirae joined him.
"Did you enjoy today?" she asked.
He nodded slowly.
"I forgot what it felt like… to live without pressure. Without being watched."
"You weren't just alive," Mirae said. "You were with us."
They stood in silence a while longer.
Then she whispered, "Let's make more nights like this."
Jiwoo looked at the stars.
> "We will."