Vivia watched him walking toward her with slow and unhurried steps. The light from the hundreds of lanterns sailing above him shone upon him every step of the way as if…
We thought we would wait for the angel together.
The jolt of her own thoughts stirred her back to the present.
Zerath wasn't an angel. This wasn't the past anymore. Vivia wasn't the child trapped in the dim and dark place that smelled nauseous of suppression once upon a time.
Yet…
She couldn't take her eyes off him as he stood inches away from her. Amidst the clinking melodies of the bells and the warmth from the lanterns that washed across the street like a gentle wave of the sea, she felt as if the angel she prayed for in the distant past had finally graced his presence before her. The angel who would gently take her hand in his and free her from that miserable place and guide into one which would shine brightly with warmth as opposed to the cold darkness she had gotten used to.
I remember now.
The dream that had faded away from her memories over time formed back to shape as if it had never left her.
In that dream, the angel held little Vivia's hand, walking with her in a bustling street. The air hummed with pleasant music and sounds - not of the Matron's screaming, her whips lashing on her back or of the older kids jeering at her. The road, the shops, the street twinkled with a merry light as if she had stepped into an otherworldly place. The wind carried a delicious aroma of savory food to her nostrils that grumbled her stomach with hunger. She touched her arms that didn't feel cold and prickly like the nights she had slept on hard beds without a blanket.
That dream, that yearning all came back to her the moment Zerath stood before her.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?" He held out his open palm before her.
She simply stared at his hand, unable to respond for a long, long time. His soft gaze, his compassionate smile coincided with the image of the angel she had dreamt of countless times.
"The…the…"
She tried to grab the words to form a sensible response, but the words drifted away from her like the lanterns in the sky.
"The demoness said that it's not a festival today…" her voice turned hoarse.
Zerath smiled. "In Bellor, everyday feels like a festival. The bells kind of suck you in after a while, don't they?"
"Th-there is no tradition of releasing sky lanterns."
"There isn't."
Then did you do this for me?
The question was on the tip of her tongue. But she already knew the answer.
He said that no matter where anyone turned today, it should be bright and filled with hope!
Vivia softly balled her fingers into a fist, her eyes turning blurry and misty all by themselves.
"You're supposed to-to be a demon..."
Zerath blinked. "Am I not?"
She responded by shaking her head in disagreement.
He bent over just a little, holding her misty gaze. "Then who am I?"
Vivia felt she could listen to his pleasant voice forever. It was soft but deep, just right enough to make her feel light like a lantern floating in the sky herself. Her cheeks radiated with a feverish heat she had never felt before. It wasn't solely the bells but the sound of her rhythmic heartbeats that had joined in the encore.
"Who am I?"
She only bit the corner of her lip in silence. "No-nobody…"
Calling him an angel was too embarrassing to say and she would rather kill herself than admit it.
"It's not nice to hide the truth," Zerath's brows furrowed.
The flow fell apart when Zerath's open palm, which was still waiting for Vivia's, got greeted by another hand instead. They looked down and saw Eurus, who had placed his hand in his, staring at them pointedly.
Apparently, he was waiting this entire time for her to take Zerath's hand so that they could move on. He wanted to eagerly chase after the lanterns. They looked like the balloon which he was holding in his other little palm. All in all, he was being a very patient child until he felt that nothing was really moving between them.
Sensing that she wasted a child's time brought a gush of embarrassment within her and her face reddened.
"I-I…am sorry…Let's go," she cleared her throat.
Zerath wasn't exactly disappointed that he was holding Eurus's hand. Equally, it wasn't a pleasant feeling of not being able to hold Vivia's hand.
He looked at her. "People are lighting up lanterns in the city square. Do you want to light one too?"
Her eyes shone. "Yes..! Can I really light one?"
"Of course," his gaze held like a steady anchor. "You can light as many lanterns as you want."
Her eyes lowered automatically, unsure of why she couldn't quite look him in the eye.
They took the route towards the city square, walking in close proximity. The little trip felt just like what she had dreamt as a child. The warm light, the cheerful chatter, the savory aroma and…
Taking a turn to the right, their shoulders bumped slightly, and she stiffened for a moment. She wasn't sure if it was generally hot outside or that Zerath's presence was making her feel warmer than usual. She peeked a glance at Zerath, who was watching her with a light smile, just like the angel would have.
Stop thinking about that dream already!
They reached the city square which seemed to be the main avenue for the lanterns event. The view at the wide and spacious square with lanterns filling every corner of the sky looked a hundred fold breathtaking than the earlier street.
Zerath guided her to one of the stalls and handed her one sky lantern. He watched her and Eurus's eyes lit up at once and he chuckled. Then he gave her a small wax-coated cloth and led her to the square's center. Eurus helped in inflating the lantern while Vivia tied the wax cloth over the support frame that stretched it.
She held her breath as she slowly raised the flame near the cloth. The fire took root immediately, glowing the lantern from within. It expanded slowly - gently becoming airborne. Her eyes slowly went wide as it took flight, joining the hundreds of its brethren in the night sky.
"Do you want to make a wish?"