Dawn Of Twilight

Chapter 19 : The Friends We Made

The market square hummed with life. Vendors called out their prices over the din of footsteps, children darted past in games of chase, their laughter rising and falling like birdsong. The crisp ring of a bicycle bell cut through it all — the ice cream cart rattling its way over the cobblestones, its little brass chime announcing a brief pocket of joy.

Nearby, under the sweep of a broad old tree, four figures had carved out a quiet corner amid the chaos. The shade dappled their faces as a breeze shook loose the leaves above. Dawn leaned comfortably against the trunk, her cone catching the light as it threatened to melt faster than she could eat it. Beside her, Erevin's orange eyes flicked between her and the swirl of townsfolk, his own half-melted scoop forgotten for the moment.

Rui sat cross-legged in the grass, somehow managing to eat her ice cream with an air of delicate poise, while Ruoxi had already demolished half of hers in eager bites, drops of vanilla streaking down her hand.

For a heartbeat, it was nothing more than four friends sharing a treat beneath a tree. But the weight of unspoken plans lingered in the quiet space between bites.

Ruoxi licked the last streak of vanilla from her fingers and let out a satisfied sigh, tilting her head back against the trunk. "That was so good. Thanks, Erevin!"

Rui's head snapped toward her younger sister, eyes narrowing. "Ruoxi. Show some respect. You should not address him so plainly. Call him 'Lord'—"

Erevin groaned softly, already shaking his head before she could finish. "Rui, please. That's not necessary. I don't want anyone calling me 'lord.' Just... call me by my name."

For a moment, Rui held his gaze, her posture straight as if weighing the weight of tradition against his words. Finally, her lips curved into the faintest smile, shoulders relaxing. She dipped her head ever so slightly.

"As you wish... my lord."

Her emphasis on the last two words carried both respect and the tiniest trace of teasing, like she wanted him to know she wasn't surrendering the title so easily.

Dawn glanced between them with a smirk, nudging Erevin's shoulder with her own. "Looks like you'll never really escape the title. Might as well get used to it."

Erevin crumpled the wrapper of his cone neatly between his fingers, dusting the last flakes of sugar from his hands. His expression shifted, posture straightening as though the shade beneath the tree had suddenly transformed into a council chamber. His amber eyes sharpened.

"We must decide," he began, voice low and deliberate, "how best to act regarding the shrines. If they fall, Riverview's history will be lost — and perhaps more than just history. Dawn, Rui, Ruoxi—"

Dawn nearly choked on the last bite of her ice cream. She set the cone aside, laughter bubbling up as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Erevin," she said between chuckles, "you sound like you're about to declare war. Look at you—holding court with an ice cream moustache."

He blinked, startled, and wiped quickly at the corner of his mouth. The serious mask cracked just enough for the faintest embarrassment to show.

Dawn reached for his hand under the table-like roots of the tree, her smile softening. "Let's not make it heavier than it has to be. We'll figure it out, together. So... tell me what you found in your books first, hmm?"

Erevin's fingers drummed lightly against his knee, the playful warmth from moments ago fading back into purpose. He turned his gaze to Dawn, but his words carried across to the sisters as well.

"Discussing the history won't be necessary, Dawn," he said, voice steady, almost commanding. "I believe Rui and Ruoxi already know it better than us." He leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees, as though every sound of the bustling marketplace had dimmed away. "Let's get to the point. We have to save the shrine from being demolished."