The echoes of laughter lingered in the air, mingling warmly with the faint hum of the overhead lights, now dimmed to a gentle amber glow. The Blade compound's canteen was nearly empty now, save for a handful gathered around the large wooden table that sat like a well-worn heart in the center of the room. The party had dwindled hours ago, leaving behind traces of its merriment: crumpled napkins, half-empty glasses, scattered plates bearing crumbs, and the fond glow of friendship still sparkling in the eyes of the lingering group.
Vorden, leaned comfortably back in his chair, had one arm casually slung around Jade's shoulders. Her head rested lightly against him, her long braid loosened by the festivities, silken strands escaping to frame her flushed, smiling face. She watched fondly as Sil, bright-eyed and animated, regaled the small audience with a tale from one of his interstellar adventures, his hands tracing arcs through the air, painting scenes of dazzling nebulas and celestial storms with deft, evocative gestures.
"...and that's how you trick a hive mind into giving you directions," Sil finished, his eyes alight with mischief as the table erupted in appreciative laughter.
Across from him, Cassidy raised her glass, a twinkle of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Only you, Sil, could turn 'lost and stranded' into an opportunity to charm a cosmic entity."
"I was bored," Sil replied with a theatrical shrug, a sly smirk creasing the corner of his mouth. "Plus, you've no idea how insufferably smug a sentient collective can be. Had to knock them down a few pegs."
A ripple of laughter traveled around the table. Shiro, his arm draped around the shoulders of the breathtaking beauty Ismalena. It was a rare treat that they could spend time together doing things like this. Both of them were rather busy— Shiro with running the Blade complex, and Isma having accepted the role as headmistress of the Black Rock Orphanage's School For Exceptional Youths, their schedules rarely allowed for free time together. This suited them both just fine. After living for over a thousand years, and having already lived a full and fulfilling life in his original body, Shiro was not in any rush to make things too serious. Isma too, while only a woman in her mid 40s, had also lived a fulfilling life to this point, a widower with no children, and an exceptional educator and ability user, she had focused on her career instead of children. She often said that she already had a whole class of children to worry about, so it made no sense to bring more into this world to only have to divide her time between the two. The duo had been taking it slow, cherishing the time that they did find to be together, but not trying to put too much stress on the relationship.
Shiro raised his glass, the corner of his mouth quirking upward warmly. "Speaking of knocking down a peg—" he shot a pointed but fond glance toward Jade and then shifted to Raten, who was lounging in his seat, arm draped casually over the backrest of Cassie's chair with characteristic indolence, "—I have been meaning to ask, did you two ever settle the score, after your epic duel?"
The grin on Cassidy's face widened, her eyes twinkling wickedly as she started to giggle. Jade met her gaze and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, did your pride ever recover from being wiped across the floor?" She blinked innocently in Raten's direction.
Raten scoffed, leaning back lazily in his chair, a crooked smirk growing on his face. "You know, I had been going easy on Jade there—didn't wanna bruise her princess ego."
Jade chuckled, raising an eyebrow at Raten with playful skepticism. "Is that your ego talking, or just the phantom concussion from when my foot introduced itself to your head?"
Raten waved a dismissive hand, feigning wounded dignity. "Temporary setback. You caught me after hours of drinking, I'm sure I'd fare better sober."
Another bout of laughter, warm and enveloping, filled the canteen. Sil chuckled, catching Jade's eyes across the table, a knowing grin passing silently between them. "I suppose we should just be glad the hall survived at all. You two very well have turned it to splinters, had you both been sober."
Shiro chimed in, eyes twinkling. "Don't remind me. You have no idea how close I was to having a heart attack during that."
Vorden reached across the table, gently taking Jade's hand in his. His eyes danced affectionately over the table, lingering briefly on each face. The gentle warmth in his voice quieted the friendly chatter around him.
"In all seriousness, guys," he started, sincere and thoughtful, "thanks for tonight. It's been a hell of a farewell. I'm gonna miss this—the laughter, the teasing, all of you."
A heartfelt silence descended upon them for a moment, thick with a mutual, bittersweet sentimentality. Then Raten, ever irreverent, broke the quiet with a mischievous twinkle.
"Alright, enough with the sappy stuff," Raten drawled playfully, gesturing dramatically towards Jade. "Shouldn't we have one last toast to our princess and her shockingly dangerous ballet moves?"
Grinning, Sil raised a glass in mock solemnity. "To Jade, who proved definitively that grace and elegance can absolutely kick Raten's ass."
A chorus of amused agreements echoed around the table as Jade laughed good-naturedly, her eyes sparkling as she held up her glass, leaning lightly against Vorden's shoulder. "And to all of you," she returned with heartfelt affection, "the best friends—and best sparring partners—I could ask for."
Glasses clinked, laughter bubbled anew, and around the table, nestled within the camaraderie, lingered the bittersweet acknowledgement of goodbyes, tempered by the promise of many more reunions to come.
The festivities had faded into a distant murmur behind Sil as he moved quietly through the familiar darkness of the wooded path. Overhead, stars punctuated the velvet of the night sky, scattered like distant jewels against an endless tapestry. Crickets murmured softly from the underbrush, a nocturnal lullaby marking his passage through shadows and moonlight.
Reaching the edge of the forest, Sil paused, instinctively, his breath misting softly in the cool night air. He glanced around, eyes softly tracing the familiar outlines of the trees, their branches woven together like fingers intertwined, leaves whispering softly, as if recalling shared secrets.
A memory rippled through him, sudden and vivid—the last time he had stood here beneath these very trees. A couple of weeks had passed since that eye opening evening. Yet Sil simply couldn't get it out of his head. He didn't exactly have a way to contact Bliss, or send her a message. He wasn't about to contact Sam to get to her.
The fact that he was betraying such an old friend still left a sharp pain in chest when he thought about it too much. He just told himself that their relationship was their issue, he had no way of knowing what was going on with them. Sil just knew that when a sexy woman appeared in front of you half naked, and asked you to promise not to hold back— what man in his right mind could refuse?
The corners of his lips curled upwards involuntarily as his mind wandered back to Bliss's audacious arrival, her casual confidence, her playful attempts at seduction, transparent yet strangely irresistible. The softness of her skin lingered in his memory, the captivating depth of her eyes, like starlight captured in pools of sapphire, gazing up at him with that tantalizing mix of challenge and affection.
A shaky breath escaped him, warmth blooming beneath his chest at the remembrance of her touch. He shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts, steadying himself—when from the periphery of his vision, a familiar flicker of white light whispered gently through the shadows. Illuminated briefly, the trees cast fleeting silhouettes against the brief flash, an ethereal ripple through the night.
Sil didn't startle, nor did his pulse quicken in alarm; instead, his smile widened knowingly. "What," he murmured, voice lilting with amused accusation, "are you reading my thoughts now?"
A soft, rich laugh like honeyed silk resonated from behind him, footsteps quiet yet deliberate on the forest floor. Bliss emerged gracefully from the shadows, stepping softly to stand beside him. Moonlight caressed her form, catching briefly on her hair like spun silver. Her gaze lifted slowly, a playful smirk dancing across her lips, but her eyes were soft, deep with unspoken warmth.
Without hesitation, she reached down and gently laced her fingers with his, her skin warm and soft as silk, her touch igniting a flame that rippled quietly through him. For a heartbeat they stood together, wrapped in quiet intimacy beneath the whispering trees. "Is that your way of letting me know, that you've been thinking of me?"
Unable to resist, Sil turned slowly, pulled Bliss gently but insistently toward him, and claimed her lips with a kiss both tender and fierce. Warmth surged between them, electric and alive. Breaking softly, he murmured against her lips, his voice deep with mingled affection and quiet amusement, "You know, somehow… this really feels like it's getting complicated."
Her eyes sparkled in response, her lips curving slowly into a mischievous smile as she tilted her head, leaning closer. "When has anything for either of us ever been simple?"
Without giving him time to reply, she lifted herself slightly, meeting his lips again with renewed fervor, pressing herself against him. Arms enveloped one another tightly, a passionate embrace beneath the watching stars. With their bodies pressed close, the very air seemed to shiver around them, charged and alive.
Then, silently, they dissolved together into nothingness, swallowed by a whispering void as Sil teleported them away.
The forest sighed quietly in their absence, branches settling gently as though nothing had disturbed the night's peace—leaving only moonlight filtering softly down onto the empty clearing, quiet once more.