Vale stepped through the grand doors of the gala hall and immediately found himself swallowed by light, music, and conversation. Crystal chandeliers hung high overhead like captured constellations, their golden glow reflecting from polished marble floors and gilded pillars. Noblemen, merchants, military officers, and scholars drifted through the crowd in expensive attire, their voices blending into a constant murmur beneath the distant melody of the orchestra.
For a moment, Vale simply stood there, taking it all in.
The black suit Ivor had forced upon him fit perfectly. Every seam sat exactly where it should, every fold tailored to his frame. The fabric itself was surprisingly comfortable, far more flexible than he had expected. Yet despite that, he still felt wrong wearing it.
His hand rose automatically toward his collar.
"These things never feel right," he muttered beneath his breath, adjusting the tie around his neck for what felt like the hundredth time.
The suit was comfortable.
Too comfortable.
Without armor covering his body, without belts, weapons, and layers of steel and leather weighing on his shoulders, he felt exposed, vulnerable. As though he had forgotten something important before leaving home.
Of course, the feeling was mostly irrational.
Shade rested around his wrist in the form of a simple black bracelet, hidden beneath the sleeve of his suit. The shadow had become remarkably adept at concealing itself. Should anything happen, it could emerge instantly.
And in all of Irea, there were perhaps seven people capable of defeating Shade.
That number did not include the three great powers.
Vale exhaled slowly and finally lowered his hand from his tie.
A familiar voice spoke from behind him.
"You're here as well. Glad you could make it."
A grin spread across Vale's face.
He turned, his hands lazily tucked into his pockets.
"Good to see you too, Korin."
The giant approached through the crowd with his usual easygoing confidence.
Even dressed in formal attire, Korin looked completely out of place.
At nearly two and a half meters tall, he towered over everyone present. The black suit he wore had clearly been custom-made, stretched across broad shoulders and an enormous frame that made most knights look small by comparison.
The two met halfway, their hands colliding in a firm slap that echoed loudly through the hall. Several nearby nobles immediately turned toward the sound, their expressions twisting with irritation and disapproval at the interruption. Neither of them cared in the slightest.
"Enjoying yourself?" Korin asked.
"No."
"That bad?"
"Worse."
Korin laughed, and Vale looked around the lavish ballroom once more before letting out a long sigh.
"So is there actually anything to do here?"
Korin crossed his massive arms. "Not really. We're mostly here as witnesses. Politics. Announcements. Speeches."
"Wonderful." Vale's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Exactly what I wanted to spend my evening doing."
Korin chuckled. "I somehow doubt that."
Vale waved the thought away. "You're right. I'd rather be training."
His eyes suddenly widened before he snapped his fingers.
"Oh."
Korin immediately raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"I should probably find Nym."
The giant's expression grew increasingly amused.
"Did she finally ask you out?"
Vale nearly choked.
"What?"
Korin's grin turned confused.
"What?"
Vale stared at him for a moment before narrowing his eyes.
"...Was it really that obvious?"
Korin sighed dramatically.
"If you've known her long enough, yes."
Vale rubbed the back of his neck.
"Great."
"Not really." Korin shrugged. "It just means everyone except you figured it out."
Vale groaned.
"Fantastic."
The larger boy laughed before his expression gradually softened.
"You like her too."
It wasn't phrased as a question.
Vale remained silent for a while as music, conversation, and laughter drifted through the ballroom around them. Eventually, he sighed.
"I guess."
Korin nodded knowingly.
"But?"
Vale's gaze wandered across the crowded hall.
'But I don't think it's a good idea. As long as we're stuck here... as long as everything is happening the way it is.'
The upcoming jailbreak. Wolf. The disappearances. The strange fragments of memory were slowly returning to him. None of it left much room for romance.
Korin understood, and his own expression became more serious.
"Yeah."
A brief silence settled between them before he finally sighed again.
"Well, if you're going to ignore your feelings anyway, at least go talk to her."
Vale looked up.
Korin pointed toward one of the balconies overlooking the city.
"She's over there."
A smug grin returned to his face.
"You should ask her to dance."
Before Vale could respond, Korin had already disappeared into the crowd.
"Have fun."
Vale watched him leave before shaking his head with a helpless smile.
"You really are something else."
Making his way toward the balcony, he slipped easily between clusters of nobles gathered around tables, merchants discussing trade routes, and military officers exchanging stories from past campaigns. Eventually, he reached the balcony doors and stepped outside, where cool evening air immediately brushed against his face. The sounds of the gala faded behind him as the sprawling city stretched beneath the night sky, countless lights glittering across Irea like stars scattered upon the earth.
He looked around.
Nym wasn't there.
His brow furrowed.
Korin had pointed directly here.
Vale walked farther onto the balcony, but there was still no sign of her. Suspicion slowly crept into his thoughts as he approached the railing and leaned against it, pretending to admire the city below.
Then something shifted behind him.
His instinct took over.
His body twisted sharply as Shade erupted from his wrist in a swirl of darkness, forming a black dagger in less than a heartbeat. The blade shot toward the unseen figure at the same moment another dagger flashed toward his throat.
Both attacks stopped perfectly.
Vale's dagger rested against a slender neck while a silver blade hovered beneath his chin.
Silence lingered between them before he blinked.
"Nym."
She stood only inches away, her emerald eyes gleaming with amusement as a mischievous smile spread across her face. Neither of them lowered their weapon.
Finally, Vale sighed.
"You've gotten sneakier."
Nym laughed softly.
"And you've gotten slower."
"I didn't even hear you."
"What can I say?" She twirled her dagger once before sliding it back into the sheath hidden beneath her emerald dress. "You have to find advantages where you can."
Vale dismissed Shade, allowing the living shadow to flow back around his wrist until it reformed into its bracelet once more. Leaning against the railing again, he watched the city while Nym quietly joined him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Eventually, Nym broke the silence.
"So..." She glanced sideways at him. "What made you come looking for me?"
Vale immediately froze.
His thoughts returned to Korin's suggestion.
'Ask her to dance.'
He opened his mouth, closed it again, reconsidered several different approaches, then abandoned all of them without saying a word. Nym watched the entire internal struggle unfold with growing disbelief before finally letting out an exaggerated sigh.
"You are such a coward."
Vale blinked.
"What?"
"You can't even ask a girl to dance." She folded her arms. "You seriously need more courage."
Vale folded his own arms in return.
"Fine."
He leaned farther against the railing.
"Then I won't ask."
Several long seconds passed before she groaned dramatically.
"Oh, for the love of-"
She grabbed his hand.
Vale barely had time to react before she started dragging him back inside.
"I have to do everything myself."
"I didn't say no."
"You didn't say anything."
"Fair."
"Exactly."
Together they crossed the ballroom as people instinctively stepped aside. Some stared openly while others whispered behind raised glasses, but neither of them paid the attention any mind.
Vale found himself watching Nym instead.
The emerald dress suited her far more than he wanted to admit. The fabric flowed elegantly with every step, while her dark hair rested neatly across her shoulders. The usual rough edges of her appearance had been softened just enough for the occasion, yet she still looked unmistakably like herself.
That familiar confidence.
That stubborn streak.
That troublemaking grin.
The feeling in his chest returned.
They reached the dance floor, where Nym finally stopped and turned toward him, resting both hands on her hips.
"Well?"
Vale blinked.
"Well, what?"
"Are you going to say anything?"
He immediately looked away.
Nym's grin widened.
Vale sighed before finally giving up.
"You look good."
The compliment came out considerably more awkwardly than he had intended.
Nym tilted her head, her smile becoming almost predatory.
"See?"
She stepped closer.
"That wasn't so difficult."
Before Vale could think of another response, she took both of his hands and gently pulled herself closer, far closer than he had expected. Close enough for him to feel the warmth radiating through the layers of fabric between them.
Every intelligent thing he had planned to say vanished instantly.
Nym noticed.
Of course, she noticed.
Her smile turned openly victorious as she guided his hands into position while the orchestra shifted into a slower melody. Around them, couples began moving gracefully across the dance floor, and she looked up into his eyes with unmistakable amusement dancing within her emerald gaze.
"Now then," she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, "enough talking."
Her grin widened.
"Let's dance, dear."