Max stood out on the balcony embracing Phaedra and smiling at the good fortune to have the company of his friends. With the epic display of light in the distance, none of the others noticed his closeness with this majestic woman.

  Max could swear for a moment though that there was a twinkle of knowing in the eyes of Enchoron as he shifted position and may have noticed them.

  The flashing finally stopped and a gust of wind, originating from their backs threatened to push them over the edge of the balcony. They all leaned against it and thudded into each other for a moment.

  The wind died down a bit, but it was there. It was not the stillness that they had grown used to.

  The distant light show was now replaced with the same sucking vortex that was on that horizon before this all began.

  At last, the events of recent days concluded. The world would stay as it was, along with all its moon fragments.

  Max let out a long breathing sigh of relief. He truly was not sure if the world being static was the best. With his knowledge, even that which he gained in the past few months, he did not feel as though he could make the right decisions for changing the whole of the cosmos. Maybe, in time, he would be ready and needed to make such a decision.

  As the vortex started to form a new and the edges of the Wild planar fragment began to dissipate into that distant spot, most of the group headed back inside.

  Max found himself alone on the balcony with just his thoughts and Phaedra.

  They were close for a moment more when Phaedra finally broken their embrace. She moved a few steps forward and leaned on the banister of the balcony staring far in the distance into the ever sucking presence of the vortex.

  The wind was the only sound on the air. The silence grew so long that it made Max awkward.

  Just before Max was about to speak simply to break the silence, Phaedra did it for him. “There are so many things that you don’t know about me. I would not...”

  Max spoke awkwardly, “We have so much time to learn. We are both young. I’m not going back to the hamlet, at least not to...”

  “Max. Look.” Phaedra turned and stared intensely at Max, so much so that the awkwardness combined to make him speechless. “I am so happy to see that you are okay. I am glad that we met. I also treasure the time we have spent together. There are demons in my past that will change the way you think of me. I would rather you remember the good things we have had.”

  Max looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet back and forth. He thought deeply on what sorts of skeletons could be in this woman’s closet and what that would mean to him. It was always hard to say how he would act without knowing what those skeletons might be. He was an open and accepting man. He opened his mouth slowly, flexing his jaw...

  Phaedra interrupted his train of thought, “Would you just remember me? Remember me for the times we have had.” She reached over with those long, slender arms of hers and grabbed Max. She pulled him into her and he responded in kind to pull her in.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Max and Phaedra’s lips met. Max could see their energies mixing like wild fires dancing off the surfaces of each other. It was deep, passionate and genuine.

  Then, with just the slightest hint of hesitation, Phaedra broke off the exchange.

  She immediately moved past Max and opened the door. Max, without fear or skipping a beat grabbed her free arm opposite of the door.

  She looked back at him. Both of their eyes told the whole story. There was a deep love there, shared between them. Max still was unsure of what kind of love.

  She snapped her hand away more violently than she probably intended. She went inside and disappeared around the corner.

  Max turned back out towards the vortex and leaned against the banister. She had earned his trust. Someday perhaps, he would earn Phaedra’s.

  Contained in these deep personal thoughts, Max leaned there for some time.

  Finally, he was interrupted by the door opening behind him. He saw his robed friend, Enchoron, approach quietly and lean against the balcony next to him.

  There was still one thing poking at the back of Max’s mind that he did not have an answer for. His current company and protégé was probably his best source for an honest answer.

  Max spoke after a few long moments of them both staring out at the vortex. “So this gift I have... Is this something I inherited from a distant bloodline or from my parents?”

  “I suppose that was part of the story you were told during that whole destiny spiel that Daefindel gave you?”

  “Yes.”

  Enchoron nodded with Max, “Well, that is just as bogus as the message that he was trying to push upon you. Your parents are your parents. Your parents have none of the capabilities you have.”

  “Okay.” Max breathed a sigh of relief, not needing things to be further complicated.

  “However, there is the chance that the gift is something unlocked from some very distant latent family trait. It could be dozens, if not hundreds of years removed. Not that I am giving you a guarantee.”

  That was enough closure for Max on the topic. The two leaned there a bit longer alone. The door opened again, Max was soon flanked by his friend Mathew.

  Max looked upon his friend, he almost looked like a completely different person. He was getting rather thin now. His clothes were more telling than that of a farm boy’s tunic.

  Enchoron regarded Mathew with a respectful nod, and then Mathew decided the time to speak was here. “What are we going to do now, Max?”

  Max looked over at his friend. Max was thinking about his own path, but it sounded like Mathew was volunteering himself for sidekick duty. “I wasn’t giving it too much thought. Still trying to figure out all the stuff that has been happening.”

  Max wondered if he should share his hope of leaving with Phaedra, just the two of them.

  Pelos was the only possible culprit for opening the door behind Max this time. “Did I miss any more interesting sights?”

  All three of the men leaning against the banister turned halfway and shook their heads.

  Max gave himself an internal nod to speak, “I was actually contemplating leaving with just Phaedra. No offense.”

  Pelos chuckled a bit and then his body language read as an apology, “Well that will be a bit difficult. She was already on her way out before I came out here. She’s probably traveled into the forest by now.”

  Max turned quickly and started to formulate a plan. What did he need for a journey out of this place? Where were all his belongings? Should he ask anyone to accompany him? Where could she be headed? Could he track her?

  His thoughts were brought back to the balcony by a hand on each of his arms. It was Mathew, regarding Max with concern. “You’ve got to let her go. It’s not the end of the world though. I bet we’ll see her again.”

  Max shed a tear and turned away in hopes of Mathew not seeing it. He shrugged his friend’s hands off of him and leaned back over the banister.

  “Well. In that case, I guess we’ll make the best of traveling companions. We’ll hit the hamlet one more time and then we will get a free shot at exploring the world just like we planned on doing before.”

  Max looked out to the horizon. His only remaining thought, “We will meet again. And we’ll face those demons together.”