Scene 2.3: Light Beneath Unspoken Hearts
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That afternoon, everyone began to loosen up. We headed into a magic supply shop while Mirelle browsed mana-replenishing products. Akira stood beside her, trying to keep up—until he noticed how many items she was piling into the basket.
"Uh, Mirelle… isn't this a bit expensive? I'm not even sure I can afford all this."
Mirelle turned and smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry. I'll cover it for now. I've got some money saved up." She winked. "But if you really want to pay me back, I might give you a discount. Or…"
She suddenly shoved him into a hidden corner behind a bookshelf and whispered in a voice so soft, it melted the air.
"If you really can't pay… I might just have to accept something else instead."
With a mischievous smirk, she playfully blew an air kiss his way and pranced off triumphantly, leaving Akira stunned and wide-eyed behind the shelves, his heart pounding.
He clutched his chest.
Why am I flustered? I'm supposed to be steady—focused. This makes me feel like one of those sleazy guys who falls for every flirtatious look…
He glanced toward Mirelle with a conflicted smile.
Mirelle… If I didn't have even a shred of resolve left in me… I think I'd be completely at your mercy by now, you little teasing sorceress. Tch.
And then, finally—his lips curled into a genuine smile. The first in what felt like the whole day.
Strangely enough, the hallucinations seemed to fade a bit after that, though he didn't notice.
Later that afternoon, we headed to the café Seraphina had recommended—and this time, it truly wowed us. From the moment we stepped in, we understood exactly why the Fairsteel business empire had grown so powerful. They didn't just focus on volume—they cared about quality. They understood their customers. They solved real problems. Even if their prices were steeper, their excellence was worth every coin.
After our hearts and stomachs were satisfied, we moved on to our final stop—clothes shopping.
This, too, was inside a Fairsteel marketplace. And every piece on display was stunning. Stylish, unique, and impossible to resist. The girls went wild with excitement, laughing and squealing until their cheeks cramped from smiling too much.
From a distance, Draco watched quietly beside Akira.
"Girls really love clothes, huh?"
Akira clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"It's only natural. Pretty things, cute things—it brings them joy. But what we should be worried about, Draco… is storage space. I have a feeling this haul's going to be massive."
Draco gave a sheepish grin.
"Good thing I brought my dimensional pouch. But even so… yeah, I don't think it's gonna be enough."
The two of them looked on as the girls happily picked through racks, their energy contagious.
The star of the show, though, was Yue—who became everyone's favorite doll to dress up.
Elina, in particular, seemed to discover a hidden side of herself as she styled Yue with the glee of a fashionista unleashed.
Just as expected, the girls bought a lot. Fortunately, they all had dimensional rings too—especially Keela, whose royal-tier ring had absurd capacity. Shopping in bulk wasn't a problem for her at all.
In fact, this one spree alone probably gave the Fairsteel family a nice little spike in revenue.
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As they made their way back, the group stopped at a scenic overlook. Though the area was bustling with people, most passersby instinctively kept their distance upon realizing that they were walking alongside none other than the princess of the kingdom herself. Still, some couldn't help but secretly snap photos—after all, who would've thought they'd see a royal casually out and about with her friends like a normal girl?
What they didn't know was this: anyone foolish enough to pose a threat would find themselves facing a party strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with a Gatekeeper—one of the Twelve Mightiest of all Arcadia.
Together, they gazed silently at the evening sky. Sunlight poured gently through the clouds—one of the few places in Skyperion where real sunlight could pierce through the turtle-shaped sky dome. No one said a word, but each of them was lost in their own thoughts.
Akira was still battling the blurred visions that flashed across his mind. At first, he found them irritating. But after a while… he began to get used to them.
Standing at that overlook, a strange sense of déjà vu crept over him again. It wasn't just a feeling—he knew he'd stood in this exact spot countless times before.
"What are these images? This déjà vu is too much—it's not normal. And they're all different too. Ugh… But none of this information helps me. It's all just noise, just illusions. No point in thinking about it."
He sighed quietly.
But Yue, who had unusually sharp hearing, caught it. She didn't turn to face him—instead, she rested her chin on her arm, leaned against the railing, and spoke softly:
"You're overthinking again, aren't you, Akira? I wish there was something I could do to help. Right now, we're looking at the light… but I can tell you're somewhere far away. Still, I want to be that light. Even if you drift into the deepest, darkest place… I'll be there, shining beside you."
Draco, meanwhile, stood with his back to the railing, gazing at the palace in the distance.
"If you're this worried… then whatever's coming must be way too big for a thick-headed guy like me to imagine. But buddy… just say the word. Lava under the earth or ice at the poles, I'll go wherever you need me to. Not as a hero… just as your friend."
Mirelle's eyes, too, were fixed on the palace.
"The wind currents here… they're strange. These are global air streams—they should be purer. But around that palace… the flow feels off. Like it's being pulled. That shouldn't be possible unless…"
She narrowed her eyes.
"Unless someone's tampering with the flow. Some kind of covert mage operation…? Heh. Whoever you are—you've picked the wrong person to mess with. You clearly don't know me yet. Just you wait."
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แน่นอนเลยค่ะซิน (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
นี่คือฉบับแปลภาษาอังกฤษของช่วงบทสนทนาในใจของแต่ละคนที่จุดชมวิว พร้อมถักทอเนื้อหาลงในจังหวะเดียวกันกับที่ซินเขียนไว้ และคงอารมณ์ introspective, reflective และตัดสลับความรู้สึกของแต่ละคนได้ครบถ้วนค่ะ:
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Elina rested her cheek against her arm, mirroring Yue's pose as they leaned on the railing.
"The sun really is beautiful, huh? My name even means 'sun,' you know. I always thought I wanted to be a light to guide people… but now, look at us. Yue controls light. Akira can wield it. Mirelle and Draco have fire, Keela's lightning is born from it, even Osiris has her photon guns. And me? What do I have… light barriers?"
She closed her eyes briefly, then shook her head.
"No, it's not about the element. Being the sun isn't about what magic you use. It's about lifting people's hearts. Helping them see the world in a brighter way. That's how you become the sun in someone's sky."
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A few steps behind, Osiris was scanning the entire city from the overlook with her HUD.
"This full-spectrum data of the city might come in handy later… if anything happens, we can use it for strategy."
Her eyes flicked toward Akira for just a moment.
"Akira… You said I'm getting better at chess. But strategy on a board is nothing compared to real life. There are too many unpredictable variables… and yet, you always seem to find a way through it all. It's beyond impressive. But don't worry—I'll help think things through for you. I may not be the best in combat, but you already named me your tactician. So trust me. Let your strategist carry some of the weight."
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Keela, meanwhile, was brushing strands of hair out of her face, squinting as the wind whipped it into her eyes.
"Ow… not again. I was trying to enjoy the view…"
She glanced sideways at her friends, each lost in their own worlds of thought.
"Why do they all look so serious? They're supposed to be relaxing. I'm the one who should be worried—I'm in the middle of a political storm, and tomorrow… I have to face Evan again. Ugh."
She sighed, but no one heard. Everyone was too wrapped up in their own worries.
"Maybe I've been focusing too far ahead—so far that I let something close, like a stray strand of hair, strike my eye and blind me."
She looked down at her feet.
"I need to have a clear stance. A goal in the distance. But I also have to be mindful of each step I take… while guarding against anything—like the wind—that might obscure my vision."
Her eyes lifted again, scanning the faces of her friends. She smiled softly.
"But even if I do lose sight for a while, with friends like these… I'll be okay. They'll look after me. Just like we all looked after Akira this morning. Heh… that's what real friends do, right?"
She turned her gaze toward the castle in the distance.
"Brother… Father… Please, don't let Skyperion fall apart. I don't want to see our people tear each other apart again like in the history books. But if you truly expect me to take part… then I won't run. I'll fight. Because now… I've found my own stance too."
—
And so, from each firmly held belief…
From every goal forged in quiet resolve…
When we step forward with purpose—and with companions we trust—
…sometimes we find the strength to challenge even the unseen paths laid by others.
Even if those paths belong to someone…
named Fate.
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