"Alright, let's see. So this is the street… which means the crystal fountain should be nearby, along this path…"
Cainz muttered to himself, studying the map in his hands. He'd been out for a good hour already, stumbling across all sorts of charming spots. To cap off this nighttime outing, he'd decided to visit the famous crystal fountain, one of the city's cultural landmarks.
He strolled along a cobblestone sidewalk. Though it was getting late, the streets still buzzed with life. Lanterns dotted the pathways, casting light for the nocturnal passersby.
After a few steps, he stopped at a public square. The area was paved, and at its center stood a pentagon-shaped structure with a basin, water gushing from it.
The entire thing was made of clear glass, like crystal. The water sparkled as if studded with precious pearls.
A few people, like Cainz, seemed to be there to take in the sight, snapping photos from different angles—some alone, others with friends or family. Police officers patrolled the edges of the square.
Cainz pulled out his camera, a secondhand find from a flea market he'd passed earlier, eager to capture the scene himself.
"Cainz?"
A woman's voice called out to him. Intrigued, he turned toward it.
From the crowd near the fountain emerged a young woman with long, flowing black hair and tanned skin. She wore a white fringed bodysuit with two arcing chains as accents, paired with a flowing black skirt—patterned, with slits on the sides held by a double-buckled black belt with gold tips. The skirt started opaque, then turned sheer halfway down, faintly revealing her thighs through the slits. Cork-heeled shoes completed the look.
If Cainz wasn't mistaken, she was the one who'd just called his name.
Their eyes met, and she raised her right hand in a wave. "Hey, Cainz!"
He was stunned. Not only had he never been to this city before, but her face didn't ring any bells.
Noticing his hesitation, she stepped closer.
"What do you want, miss?" Cainz asked.
She laughed lightly. "You don't recognize me?"
"No, sorry."
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "How hurtful, realizing my dear brother's forgotten his one and only sweet sister."
"Page? Is that you?"
"Took you long enough," she replied with a grin.
"I can't believe it. Y-you're…"
"Different?" Page finished for him. "So you thought I'd stay that little girl forever?"
"Of course not—it's just been so long," Cainz said, trying to explain.
"Fair enough. What, two years?"
"Five."
"Oh! That long?" Page patted his left shoulder. "So, how's my dear brother doing?"
"Fit as ever. And you… what's become of you?" he asked, his tone slightly uncertain.
"Oh, me? I'm chasing my dream," Page said cheerfully. "What was yours again? Oh, right! To become the symbol of… what was it?"
"You know full well, Page. Cut it out."
"Still no sense of humor, huh?"
"Let's just say I'm serious about my dream."
"To become the Emblem of Peace. How could I forget such a childish dream?"
"Says the one who wants to sit on the roof of the world."
"I suppose if you're in this city, it can only mean one thing, right?" Page said, steering the conversation back.
"Exactly. It's time I start walking toward my dream," Cainz replied, his face set with determination.
"I see. So, how're you planning to do it? Join the police? Some shadowy guild? Or go solo?"
"I'm still torn between the last two," Cainz said, gazing up at the stars. "I'll go with the flow and see where it takes me." He lowered his eyes back to Page. "And you? How's your plan to sit on the world's roof coming along?" he asked sarcastically.
"You might not know this, but reaching the top is way trickier and more tedious than your little kid dream. I've planted seeds in a few places—just waiting for them to grow."
"In other words, nothing solid yet, huh?"
Page pinched his left ear.
"Ow! What's that for? You've been calling my dream childish!" Cainz complained, rubbing his ear.
"Have you eaten yet?" Page asked abruptly.
"Uh, no," Cainz said, caught off guard by the sudden shift.
"Great. How about dinner? I know a charming spot nearby. Up for it?"
"Sure, sounds good."
Page glanced at the camera in his hands. "Were you taking pictures?"
Cainz got a bad feeling.
Hours later…
"Ugh, looks like there's no more space," Page grumbled, fiddling with the camera. "Cainz, this thing must be low-end."
Cainz swayed like a soulless husk, his face pale, eyes hollow. He shot her a glare tinged with resentment.
*She might look different, but she's still the same pest she was back then.*
They'd just spent two hours snapping photos of the place. Two whole hours!
At one point, police officers even approached them, curious. They had to show their IDs to be left alone.
"Can we eat now?" Cainz asked, his tone more a plea than a question.
He'd been hungry before—now he was starving.
"Too bad, I wanted to take a few more," Page said with a mock pout.
Cainz silently thanked the heavens he'd bought a basic model—higher-end ones had way more storage.
"Well, we got a decent bunch at least. Let's go," Page said, perking up. She handed the camera back and took the lead. Cainz trailed behind, watching her back.
"Why're you lagging? I'm hungry too, you know," Page called, turning to complain about his slow pace.
He almost shot back that they'd wasted so much time at the fountain because of her, but he held his tongue, sighed, and picked up his pace. Soon they were walking side by side.
***
"So? What do you think of the place?"
Page had brought Cainz to a popular city restaurant. Despite the late hour, it was still packed. They sat at a quiet corner table, enjoying their meal.
At Page's sudden question, Cainz quickly swallowed a bite of sausage. "It's fancy yet simple, and the food's delicious. I like it."
"Knew you'd love it. We've got the same taste, after all," Page said, beaming.
"Don't try to butter me up. It won't make up for maxing out my camera's storage," Cainz shot back.
"Oh, come on. Don't be a spoilsport. You could buy thousands of those if you wanted. I don't get why you're still whining about some cheap, low-end thing."
Page sighed in exasperation. This was the third time he'd brought it up.
"True, but it wouldn't be the same," Cainz insisted.
"Oh, right—I forgot you've got that annoying habit of treating your stuff like it's alive. Don't tell me you still do that?"
Cainz avoided her gaze and focused on his food. Page propped her left cheek on her hand, resting her elbow on the chair's armrest, and stared at him intently as he ate.
Tired of pretending not to notice, Cainz paused. "What's up? Not hungry anymore?" he asked, meeting her unwavering stare.
"What? Can't I just look at the brother I haven't seen in five years?"
He shook his head and resumed eating.
"That reminds me," Page said. "If I remember right, you never once beat me in a duel. Makes me wonder if you've even got a shot at…"
"What're you talking about?!" Cainz cut in, nearly choking. He grabbed a glass of water to soothe his throat.
"Am I wrong?" Page asked, feigning surprise, though a faint smile played on her lips.
"Of course you are. You're the one who couldn't last two seconds against me," Cainz said, recovering.
"Oh, right. As your loving sister, how could I crush my dear brother's spirit? I totally threw every fight," she teased.
"Oh? Need me to remind you of all those cries of pain and surrender you let out?"
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Really? Doesn't ring a bell," she said, clearing her throat.
"'Oh, my bones!' 'Why do I have to train too?!' 'Hey, Cainz, are you trying to kill me or what?!' 'God, I swear if you hit me again, I'll bite you!' 'No…'"
"Come see my dear brother gloating over beating up a poor, defenseless girl," Page interrupted, tired of his ramblings.
Cainz grinned.
Page pretended to fume, but a smile slipped through. She took a bite of her lettuce, then a sip of wine. "When're you taking the exam?"
"In a week," Cainz said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I came early to unwind a bit."
"Nervous?"
"You know that word's not in my vocabulary. What about you—do you live here?"
"Nope. Remember what I said about planting seeds and waiting for them to grow? I'm here to harvest one that's ripened. I've got four days left in the city."
"You and your metaphors."
"That aside, are you going to tell me what's going on, Cainz?"
Her tone turned serious, her piercing gaze locking onto him.
"What do you…"
"Stop it, Cainz. You've been uneasy since we ran into each other—I can tell, even if you're hiding it."
His body tensed slightly, and he looked away.
A sad expression crossed Page's face. "Cainz, if it's about that day, you don't have to—"
"I blame myself, Page," he interrupted, his throat tight, fists clenched. "I couldn't do anything that day. I go on about wanting to be a hero, but… you should hate me, Page…"
A snicker escaped her.
"Page?"
"Sorry, Cainz, couldn't help it," she said, stifling her laughter.
"What's so funny?" he asked gravely, finally meeting her eyes again.
"I really am sorry. I get that it's not funny to you, but seriously, Cainz—we were twelve. What could you have done?"
"I…"
"Like I always say, what's done is done. That day was awful, but it's ancient history now. The wounds have healed. I could never hate you, Cainz—you're my brother, and I'm thrilled fate brought us back together after all these years. Stop dwelling on the past, okay?"
"Page…"
"Can I have my cheerful, upbeat brother back now?"
Her voice carried a hint of melancholy, though her smile held steady.
Cainz covered his face for a moment, then looked up with a brighter expression.