By the time they reached the mansion, both were soaked straight to the bone. The rain felt colder now, almost metallic, like it wanted to cling to their skin forever.
Inside, the warmth hit immediately.
Mellody shut the door behind them with her hip. Ezra peeled off his drenched jacket. Both stood in the entryway breathing like they'd outrun the night itself.
Their clothes clung to them, heavy, dripping on the polished floor.
"Strip. Before you get pneumonia," Mellody muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Together?" Ezra teased.
She elbowed him. "Don't flirt when I'm freezing."
They laughed — real laughter, human, fragile.
They changed into soft cotton pajamas and wrapped towels around their hair. Ezra turned on the luxurious electric heater — a silent machine that filled the room with warm waves, almost too soothing.
Mellody moved to the kitchen counter, the hum of the coffee maker breaking the quiet.
Moments later she handed him a steaming mug."Here. Doctor Mellody's cure for existential cold."
He smiled, though something inside him still trembled.
They curled onto the couch, heater warming their legs, storm humming against distant windows. A rare stillness settled between them.
Mellody broke it first."So… honeymoon. Where do we go, my freezing husband?"
Ezra leaned back, thinking harder than he meant to. His mind kept glitching—fog, loops, the tree, the chant—but he forced his thoughts somewhere human. Somewhere normal.
"Northern-Blinks?" he offered. "Snow. Lights."
"Too cold. We'll die."
"Southern-Nands?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Too crowded. Everyone goes there to pretend they're rich."
He smirked. "We are rich."
"Exactly. So we don't need to pretend."
He sipped his coffee."Western side… Morning City?"
Mellody considered it, swirling her drink."Hm. Tempting. The neon, the skyline, the music… but not for a honeymoon. Too loud. I want you all to myself."
A warmth touched his chest."That leaves the East."
"East…" she repeated softly. "The Triplet Islands."
Ezra heard himself say it without thinking: "Triplet Islands."
Her eyes lit instantly."That's a great choice," she whispered, leaning into him.
Warm. Fresh air. Sea everywhere. Green cliffs. Long beaches.And the famous resort at Mijgor City—
"We can see whale pods," Mellody said, excitement growing."And manta flights, and the underwater glass tunnels… and scuba diving."She dropped her voice, teasing,"Not to mention our honeymoon under moonlight… just you and me."
Ezra's heart tightened.
Not the bad way.
The human way.
She hugged him, arms warm, head resting against his chest. He felt her breath. Her heartbeat. Her absolute presence.
And for a moment—just a moment—the world inside Ezra went still.
The confusion receded. The glitches faded. The forest, the tree, the cocoon, the chanting, the impossible shadows—
All of it sank somewhere deep and quiet.
Mellody's fingers intertwined with his.
"We're safe now," she murmured, unaware of the weight those words carried for him.
He wrapped his arm around her, staring into the dimly lit room, heater humming steady.
His mind whispered:
This feels real. This should be real. So why does it feel borrowed? Why does it feel like someone else's peace?
But Mellody's warmth anchored him.
They lay down together on the couch, soft blankets over them, heater buzzing low. Mellody drifted off quickly, curled into him like she belonged to the shape of his ribs.
Ezra watched the storm outside, mind flickering at the edges—
but the peace held.
For now.For this hour.For this fragile night.
A moment of borrowed quietin a reality that was beginning to crack.
And slowly—he slept.