Chaos Reigns: Book One in the World of Nōmth Fantasy Romance Series

Sparks

Author's Note: it's all fluff baby

*****

The night was clear, and the stars stretched endlessly across the sky, twinkling with the subtle pulse of magic. Hollany and Serala lay side by side on a thick blanket spread over the soft grass. The hilltop gave them an unbroken view of the cosmos, the faint auroras weaving through the night sky like ribbons of light. Hollany rested her head on Sera's shoulder, her antlers casting soft shadows on the ground as she tinkered with a small device designed to measure celestial energy.

"Look," Sera murmured, pointing to a cluster of stars overhead. "That's the constellation of the Eternal Huntress. It's said she never rests, always searching for the truth hidden in the stars."

Hollany's fingers paused on her gadget as she looked up. "She sounds like someone I'd want to meet," she said with a soft laugh, her eyes reflecting the starry sky. "Maybe she'd help me figure out why this detector keeps buzzing at the wrong times."

Sera chuckled, the faint celestial glow around her brightening slightly. "You're already more stubborn than any Huntress I've ever heard of."

Hollany grinned. "I take that as a compliment."

"It is," Sera said, her voice warm. She traced the constellation with her fingertip, and for a moment, the stars themselves shifted into the shape of a bow, the Huntress drawing an arrow. "I think the stars have a way of admiring persistence. They've been around long enough to see everything."

"Even us?" Hollany asked, leaning into Sera's side.

Sera looked down at her, her smile soft. "Especially us."

The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was filled with the quiet hum of the stars, the shared warmth between them, and the unspoken knowledge that some things, like love, were as constant as the heavens. Hollany set down her detector and tucked herself closer against Sera's side. Sera gave her a soft kiss to the top of her head and Hollany sighed happily.

Later, back in the castle, the warmth of a crackling fire enveloped them in the grand library. The fireplace's soft glow danced across the walls, which were lined with scrolls and ancient tomes, and the gentle hum of enchanted lanterns filled the air. Sera sat with a book in hand, reading aloud from a passage about the ancient celestial realms, her voice melodic and soothing. Hollany, curled up beside her, fiddled with another delicate invention, her fingers moving expertly across the small device as she tested its magical sensitivity.

"'In the days of old, the stars were not just watchers, but guides,'" Sera read, her voice dipping into a low, almost musical cadence. "'The Celestials believed each star carried a secret, and only the most patient could unlock its wisdom.'"

"Sounds like they'd get along with you," Hollany teased, her eyes not leaving her gadget, though a smile tugged at her lips.

"Maybe," Sera replied, setting the book down and turning to face Hollany. "But I think you have your own way of unlocking secrets. You just use gears and artificing instead of patience."

Hollany laughed softly, finally looking up from her work. "They get me there faster."

"Sometimes faster isn't better," Sera said, her tone playful but wise. "You should take a break and let me enchant that for you. Or do you want to keep pretending I don't see you struggling with it?"

Hollany sighed dramatically, handing over the gadget. "Fine. But don't make it too perfect. I still need to feel useful."

Sera chuckled, taking the device and letting her magic weave through its tiny gears. "You're always useful, darling. You just need to let someone else share the load every now and then."