Chapter 36: The Fireworks

They stayed on the bench for a while longer, sipping their warm cider as the festival crowd thinned out slightly around them, most people gathering closer toward the main square where the evening’s grand finale was supposed to take place.

Neo glanced sideways at Nora, who was still holding her small paper lantern carefully in her lap, watching the flickering light with quiet fascination.

"You having fun?" he asked, then remembered again and quickly pulled out the notepad instead.

[You having fun?]

Nora read the note and nodded firmly. "Yes. This is better than the mansion."

Neo huffed out a small laugh. "Well, obviously. There’s no boring meetings or parents busy paperwork here."

She tilted her head slightly, watching his lips move even though she couldn’t hear the words, before going back to her lantern.

They sat quietly for a bit, the warmth of the cider slowly spreading through their fingers despite the cold air. Every now and then, a group of children ran past, laughing loudly, chasing each other around the square with small sparklers held high above their heads.

"Hey," Neo said, nudging her lightly with his elbow before scribbling on the notepad again.

[Do you like festivals like this? Back home, I mean.]

Nora thought about it for a moment before answering. "We don’t have festivals like this. Mother says our territory is quiet. Not many people."

Neo frowned slightly at that, feeling a small twinge of sympathy. He couldn’t imagine growing up without ever experiencing something like this, the noise, the lights, the warmth of an entire city celebrating together.

[Well, now you’ve experienced one. So next time you have to tell me if you liked it or not.]

Nora read the note, then looked up at him, her expression as calm as ever, though something soft flickered briefly behind her eyes. "I liked it. Because you’re here."

Neo felt his ears heat up slightly at that, quickly looking away and clearing his throat, pretending to be very interested in his cup of cider all of a sudden.

Before he could think of anything to write back, a loud whistle cut through the air, followed by a sudden hush falling over the crowd. People began pointing excitedly toward the dark sky above the square.

"Oh, it’s starting," Neo said, forgetting himself again before quickly tapping Nora’s shoulder and pointing upward instead.

The first firework shot into the sky with a sharp whistle, exploding into a burst of brilliant gold sparks that lit up the entire square. A wave of gasps and cheers rose from the crowd below. More followed quickly after, streaks of red, blue, and silver blooming one after another against the dark winter sky, painting the falling snow in shifting colors.

Nora’s eyes went wide, completely fixated on the display above them, her lantern momentarily forgotten in her lap.

Neo watched the fireworks too, though every so often his gaze drifted sideways toward her instead, watching the colors reflect brightly in her lavender eyes, her usual blank expression melting into something closer to genuine wonder.

’Yeah. I think I like this more than the fireworks, honestly.’

The finale came a few minutes later, an enormous burst of white and gold that lit up the entire sky at once, followed by a deep, rolling boom that echoed across the rooftops. The crowd erupted into applause, and even Nora, unable to hear any of it, clapped along softly once she noticed everyone else doing the same.

As the noise slowly died down and people began drifting away from the square, Nora turned toward Neo, studying his face for a long moment.

Then, without any warning at all, she leaned forward and pressed a quick, soft kiss to his cheek.

Neo froze completely, his whole body going rigid, his cheeks burning bright red almost instantly.

"W-wait, what was that for?!" he blurted out, forgetting she couldn’t hear a single word.

Nora simply pulled back, looking completely unbothered, and reached for his notepad instead, since he clearly wasn’t going to understand her spoken words fast enough.

[Mother told me once, when I asked her why she kisses Father sometimes. She said you kiss someone when they make you feel happy.]

Neo stared at the note, then back at her, his face somehow turning even redder.

"That’s, uh." He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "That’s not exactly how that works, but, uh, okay. I guess."

Nora tilted her head, clearly not understanding his flustered reaction at all, before simply going back to sipping the last of her cider, looking rather pleased with herself despite his obvious embarrassment.

Neo sat there for a moment longer, one hand pressed lightly against his still-warm cheek, trying and failing to calm the strange, fluttering feeling in his chest.

’Okay. Definitely didn’t expect that tonight.’

After a while, once his face had finally cooled down enough to function properly again, he stood up and offered her his hand.

"Come on. We should probably start heading back before someone notices we’re gone."

Nora nodded, tucking her lantern carefully against her chest as she took his hand, and together they made their way out of the square, weaving quietly through the last remnants of the thinning crowd.

The streets grew quieter the further they walked, most of the festival crowd having drifted back toward the main square for the last of the celebrations. Neo led them down a narrower path, a shortcut he vaguely remembered from studying the city maps back home, hoping it would get them back to the estate a little faster before anyone noticed they were missing.

The alley was dim, lit only by a single flickering lantern hanging from a crooked post near its entrance. Their footsteps echoed softly against the walls as they walked deeper in, the sound of the festival growing fainter behind them.

Then, without warning, the air around them shifted.

Neo felt it instantly, a cold, prickling sensation crawling up the back of his neck, the same warning instinct he’d trained himself to recognize during his sparring sessions with Eiris.

He stopped walking, his grip tightening protectively around Nora’s hand.

Shadows peeled away from the walls around them, one after another, dark cloaked figures dropping silently from the rooftops and stepping out from behind the narrow corners of the alley, surrounding them from every direction. Neo counted quickly, his heart hammering hard against his ribs.

Two dozen. Maybe more.

Nora’s grip on his hand tightened as well, her eyes darting around at the sudden circle of hooded figures now blocking every possible way out.

Neo stepped forward without a second thought, placing himself firmly between Nora and the nearest cloaked figure, his small frame squared and steady despite the fear pounding loudly in his chest.