As he watched, one of the burning branches gave way, crashing down with a shower of sparks and without another second's hesitation, Luca darted forward, his instincts taking over.
He spotted a small woven basket nearby and a shallow pond just a few steps away. He grabbed it, scooped as much water as it could carry, and sprinted straight for the burning trunk, the flames painting his face orange in the night.
His only thought was stop the fire before it spreads and he was already planning to create a portal afterward and drag through an actual fire hydrant from Earth if he had to.
But just as he reached the elves and was just about to fling the water at the burning bark—
"Wait! Luca, stop! Stop!"
Two familiar voices shouted in panic.
He barely had time to turn his head before Luna and Lulu came charging through the crowd.
"Don't splash it!" Luna yelled desperately. "Don't do it!"
"What—?" Luca started, utterly confused, but before he could even stop, both girls jumped onto him with full force.
They collided, tumbling together onto the soft grass, the basket overturning and splashing its entire contents—straight onto Luca.
"...What in the world!?"
He sputtered, water dripping down his face, both sisters now sprawled over him, pinning him to the ground.
"What are you doing?! I was just trying to help!"
He gestured toward the burning tree. "That thing's going to turn this entire forest into an inferno if no one puts it out! You should be thanking me, not tackling me!"
But Luna shook her head quickly, her eyes wide glistening.
"No, no, it's not what you think! No one set the fire by accident—it's supposed to be burning!"
"What?" He asked, blinking in disbelief. "Supposed to—what do you mean 'supposed to'?"
Lulu nodded vigorously beside her sister.
"It's part of the ceremony, dummy! Our mother lit it herself. It's not an accident at all!"
Luca froze for a moment, completely thrown off.
"Wait...what? Ceremony? What kind of ceremony involves setting an entire tree on fire?"
Still sitting on his chest, Luna took a deep breath and quickly explained.
"This is the 'Rite of Returning Roots,' a sending-off ceremony for the elves who have passed on to the heavens."
"When an elf is born, a Bright Wood Cedar of Life tree is planted on the same day. As the elf grows, the tree grows too—its roots, its branches, its life are tied to the elf's. It's said to be their other half and even believed their souls are connected."
Her voice softened, the flickering firelight reflecting in her eyes.
"When that elf passes on, we burn the tree to send their spirit to the heavens. The flames guide them home."
"And then...when it's done, we use the remaining wood to build our homes, so that even though their life has ended, they still live among us, within the walls of the village."
Lulu nodded in agreement, her earlier panic fading into a quiet, almost proud smile.
"All the houses you see here? They're made from the trees of our ancestors. Every one of them. So even after they're gone, they're still here—protecting us."
Luca carefully listened and slowly, understanding dawned on his face.
"So...that's what this is about." He murmured. "I almost ruined your whole ceremony."
Luna gave a small smile and shook her head.
"You didn't mean to. You were just trying to help."
He sighed and gave a awkward gaze,
"Still, it's good to know. For a second there, I thought someone was committing forest arson."
But then, after a brief moment of silence, he frowned again.
"Wait, but...burning it down completely? Wouldn't that just turn the whole thing into ashes? You can't exactly build houses out of charcoal."
"That's true for any other tree, but not this one. Cedar of Life trees are different." Lulu giggled.
"When alive, they're soft and brittle, easily broken. But once the flame consumes them, their wood hardens instead of crumbling. It becomes durable, stronger than before. Perfect for building."
Luca blinked, impressed despite himself. "So it's literally purified by fire."
Luna nodded. "Exactly. It's our way of saying that even in death, there's strength and life continues."
"Also—"
But just as she was feeling emotional from explaining her traditions, she stopped mid-sentence, her words caught in her throat.
It suddenly hit her that she was still sitting right on top of Luca, her chest pressed against his, her hands on his shoulders, and their faces barely a few inches apart.
For a heartbeat, their eyes met, and realization painted her face bright red.
"Ah—!" She squeaked, springing up so fast that her hair brushed against his nose. "S-Sorry! I—I didn't mean to—!"
She quickly turned away, brushing imaginary dust from her clothes as if that would erase the embarrassment.
Lulu blinked, looking between the two of them, and only then realized that she too was halfway sprawled across Luca's arm.
"Ah—right, right!" She yelped, and awkwardly scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over herself as Luna quickly pulled her upright.
Luca, however, didn't even seem to notice their embarrassment.
His gaze was fixed on the ceremony before them.
The burning cedar tree stood tall and proud, its flames now steady and golden and all around it, the elves had gathered in a great circle.
And funnily, what he thought had been elves running around in a panic earlier wasn't that at all.
They were actually dancing.
Their motions were slow and beautiful, their long hair and robes swaying like leaves in the wind.
Around them, other elves played instruments that looked ancient and ethereal. Harps made from hollowed roots, flutes carved from polished crystal, and drums that gave off a deep, reverberating hum that Luca could feel in his chest.
The melody was hauntingly beautiful, so otherworldly that it sent goosebumps up his arms.
He even watched as several elves carefully poured a clear, shimmering liquid onto the burning tree.
Earlier, he thought it might be water to cool the flames. But the moment it touched the bark, the fire roared higher, brighter, golden sparks bursting up into the air like stars.
Whatever it was, it wasn't water. It was fuel.
He exhaled softly, as the flickering light illuminated his face.
"What a beautiful way of sending someone off." He murmured under his breath.
Luna and Lulu both smiled, a quiet pride glimmering in their eyes. Seeing him accept their customs so easily warmed them deeply.
For a human, especially one new to their world to look at their ancient rituals with awe instead of fear was rare indeed.
Then a familiar voice rang out across the clearing.
"Lulu! Luna! Come on, let's dance already!"
It was one of the elves from the inner circle, waving them over.
Lulu's ears perked up, and her entire face lit with excitement.
"Ah! They're starting the second circle! Come on, Luna, let's go!"
"Wait—what?"
"Let's dance!" Lulu said, grabbing her sister's hand eagerly. "You know we owe it to Grandmother! We have to dance our hearts out for her! I'm going to dance until I drop! No breaks!"
She tried pulling Luna forward, but Luna hesitated, glancing at Luca.
"But...what about him?" She asked, her tone soft but worried. "Some of the elves are still nervous around him. If I leave him alone and a misunderstanding happens…"
Before she could finish, a melodic voice cut through the conversation.
"I'll handle that, dear."
They all turned to see Nyx approaching from the crowd. Her elegant stride, serene smile, and the soft shimmer of silver accessories around her made her stand out even among the glowing lights.
"You two should go." Nyx said warmly. "This night belongs to your grandmother. Dance. Honor her properly. I'll stay with our guest and make sure nothing happens."
Luna hesitated, clearly torn. She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to stay despite the invitation.
But Luca gave her a reassuring smile.
"Go on." He said gently. "I want to see how elves dance anyway. I bet it's beautiful. Besides..." He added with a teasing smirk. "I'm sure you'll look even prettier while doing it. Don't deprive me of the view."
Her cheeks flushed a light pink at his words. She quickly looked away, mumbling.
"Fine. I'll even prove to you that elves dances are much better then what you've seen before."
"Hehe, that's the spirit, Luna!" Lulu grinned, tugging her along. "Let's show him what real elegance looks like!"
And with that, both sisters ran off toward the dancing circle, joining the others and started twirling gracefully around the burning tree.
Luca couldn't help but smile at the sight. The two sisters—one elegant, one wild—looked radiant in the glow of the flames, moving together with joy that only family could share.
Nyx stood beside him, watching in silence for a while before speaking softly.
"I didn't see you earlier. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come."
Luca glanced at her before saying,
"It's not like that. I was...having a meeting with the goddess. Like I mentioned before."
Her expression shifted to keen curiosity, and she turned her head toward him.
"Oh? And what was the outcome of that meeting? Did you find all the answers you were looking for?"
Luca paused. He remembered the conversation, the arguments, the shocking revelations, the absurd mission and exhaled through his nose.
"Yeah, I got my answers." He said slowly. "But I don't think I can tell you right now."
Nyx raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And why not?"
"Because." He said with a crooked smile. "If I tell you the truth right now, you might just toss me straight into that fire."
Nyx chuckled softly. "That bad, hmm?"
He nodded. "Let's just say it's complicated. But the goddess told me she'll explain it herself soon."
"She's going to appear in your dreams, actually and tell you why those strange dreams happened in the first place, and what their purpose was."
Nyx's curiosity only deepened.
"In our dreams again?" She asked with an uneasy look. "Well, I just hope it isn't her again. The Goddess of Fertility."
She sighed dramatically.
"I've lived through more decades than I care to count, but if I see her prancing around half-naked in my sleep one more time, I might start praying to the God of Silence instead."
Luca snorted out a laugh.
"Don't worry. It's not her this time. It'll be the Goddess of Space. She might lose her temper fast, but she's actually pretty chill when she calms down. I'm sure she'll explain everything properly."
"That's a relief." Nyx said, smiling faintly. "She sounds far more tolerable than the other one."
"Yeah." Luca said with a small grin. "She's got a temper, but she means well."
Nyx nodded, then turned her gaze back toward the fire. The music was swelling now, the dancers moving faster, the flames roaring higher.
"We shouldn't stay out here on the edges." She said. "Come join the ceremony properly. There's food and drink as well—you should try it."
He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Is Leona okay with that?"
"Leona is...preoccupied right now." Nyx's gave a knowing gaze. "She's trying to reconnect with our mother, since this is her final goodbye. She won't mind. She probably wouldn't even notice us right now."
Luca followed her gaze—and there, near the burning tree, stood Leona. Her silhouette was framed by the firelight, her posture brave but her expression distant.
She was the closest to the flames, her hand reaching toward the warmth as if trying to hold onto something that was slipping away.
It was her farewell.
Luca sighed quietly. "That's a relief. I was half expecting her to kick me out the moment I got close."
Nyx chuckled, giving him a playful side glance.
"That's not entirely off the table."
"Figures." He smirked, shaking his head.
Together, they started walking toward the heart of the ceremony.
"So..." Luca said casually, glancing at her. "You said there's drink. What do you elves even serve at something like this? Wine? Beer? Whiskey? Brandy?"
Nyx blinked, clearly puzzled. "Whiskey? Brandy? What are those strange words? I've never heard of such things."
He chuckled lightly. "Ah, right. Guess those are from my world. Don't worry, I'll let you try them sometime."
"Oh, I look forward to it." She said with a knowing smile.
And with that, they stepped fully into the heart of the elven celebration, the warmth of the flames and the life of the Grand Matriarch wrapping around them both like an ancient, loving embrace.