Epilogue: A Warm World

A cool breeze drafted over the cottage's porch, carrying with it the scent of spring as the winter frost finally melted away. A young woman sat at its edge on the bench, her long violet braid swayed gently in the breeze as she gazed at the world beyond.

Her golden eyes were locked on the city in the far-off distance, watching as the sun rose slowly over the horizon.

Over a year and half had passed since she'd first met Cael, and five seasons had gone by since the activation of the Leyline Restoration Device.

She briefly reminisced over their escape, how they'd somehow managed to avoid being buried under tons of rock, and how the world had seemingly gone quiet once the device had been activated. Nothing else had happened in the end, much to her disappointment.

Aside from there being no new cases of Suppression in the cottage and the strange fading away of the no-magic zones, everything had remained relatively the same as it had been before.

Not a single person had appeared.

Yet, that was okay.

After all, Cael had kissed her after, and she found that she didn't mind too much. Even if she would've liked it had the world been restored to its original state, she had found her happiness and meaning with him—yes, even with the mortification of how she'd once again been carried in his arms like a maiden, feet dangling helplessly.

Her eyes lingered over the clouds that lazily drifted by in the morning sky as her mind focused again on the present. Today was a special day. She had planned to surprise Cael by making a surprise breakfast—a task that had required her to wake up earlier than usual.

And right now, she was just waiting for him to stir. It would be the first time she had attempted the dish for herself, and she was eager to see his reaction. A warm feeling spread in her chest as she imagined the look of surprise on his face, and maybe even a compliment on her amazing cooking skills.

Or perhaps it could just be another kiss. She was just fine if his feelings were conveyed in that way.

…Or in a hug.

Or a cuddle session. Or an embrace. Or hand holding. Really, any sort of physical affection would do, so long as he didn't get flustered too badly and run away to his 'sanctuary' in the bathroom.

Her body heated up as her imagination ran wild. Oh, how she hoped he was in an amorous mood. Maybe he'd even be up for finally engaging in that special, certain activity she'd become fairly more knowledgeable of from the newest novels they'd scavenged…

"Morning," a tired voice sounded out behind her.

Val's eyes lit up, and she quickly turned her head.

"Cael!!" She squealed, jumping up from the bench and throwing her arms around him. "You're awake! I missed you so much!"

He let out a small yelp, his face turning a deep shade of red. "M-missed me?! Val, we literally sleep together. How could you possibly miss me?"

"I-I just did!" she said, nuzzling her head against his chest. "I'm just happy to see you."

Cael sighed and wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting atop her head as he hugged her tightly.

"Well… I am too. But uh, I wanted to ask. There's this familiar scent coming from the kitchen—"

She pulled away, grinning widely. "I made a special breakfast for us. C-come on, let's eat."

He blinked. "Wait, hold up. You made a 'special' breakfast? It's not those star mushrooms again is it? I-I think my heart is still recovering from the last time…"

"Ah! No, no, don't worry! I-it's not the mushrooms," Val reassured him quickly, grabbing onto his arm, trying to keep that rather awkward and very heated cuddle session locked away in her mental archives.

"Alright," he said slowly, his voice still cautious. "Then what did you make?"

She smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"You'll just have to wait and see!" She grabbed his hand and tugged. "Come!"

"V-Val! W-wait!"

She didn't pay the request much mind. She knew from the tone that was just Cael language for 'I need my romantic partner's encouragement to continue!'

As they stumbled their way into the dining area, and she unveiled the cover from the still warm plates. Cael's eyes widened.

"Val… did you make this?" he asked in disbelief, looking at the food laid out in front of him.

She grinned as big as her face would allow. "Yes, of course! Who else?"

They both sat down at the table as the fries faintly radiated their heat, and the heavenly sauce known as mayo dripped over their edges. She'd been very careful to emulate the dish that she'd often bugged Cael to create for her, and she was proud of the result.

"I'm… impressed. They look almost perfect. Have you eaten enough of these to somehow absorb the knowledge of how to cook them?" Cael asked, picking up one of them and examining it closely.

Val giggled. "No, I just really, really wanted to do something special for you. After all, I've been wanting to repay you back somehow after the first time you cooked this meal for me."

Cael's lip curved up in a smirk before quickly leaning in for a quick kiss on her cheek. She blushed furiously as he took a bite out of one of the fries. He chewed slowly, his face scrunched up in concentration with each crunch until he swallowed.

"…How is it?" she asked nervously.

He didn't answer, only suddenly going in for another kiss—this time much deeper—right on the lips. Val's eyes fluttered shut as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

She could taste some of the mayo on his lips, and her heart pounded as he deepened the kiss.

It was… indescribable.

Eventually, they pulled away, panting heavily. Val was now letting off even more steam than the meal.

"V-very good," Cael breathed out, his eyes half lidded. "Really, really good. You're amazing, Val."

"R-really…? Do I get another one?"

He cleared his throat with a cough. "Erm, maybe later. I don't know if it's okay to get this heated. We might end up burning the cottage down if we're not careful."

She pouted in confusion. "What are you talking about? I'm not so unrestrained as to suddenly use fire spells—Oh, this is one of your figurative expressions, isn't it?"

Cael chuckled as his fork reached for another fry, and Val could feel her heart skip a beat as his face lit up. She couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment by how eagerly he ate her dish. And the feeling of his lips against hers had been…

She was starting to crave it again.

"So after this, what do you want to do today? I already took care of the morning chores, so perhaps we could—"

*knock knock*

"…"

They both slowly looked over to each other as if to silently say, "Did I just hear that?"

Val was the first to move, scrambling to the door and nearly tripping over herself several times on the smooth wooden floor.

How was this possible?! They were the only two people left in this world. There was no one else. So how did someone manage to come to the doorstep of the cottage?

Was it a monster? No, that wasn't even a possibility to consider. How would a monster knock? Plus, they were within the warding crystals range. It had to be something else.

A million thoughts raced through her head as her hand reached for the handle.

And then she opened it.

"…" A warm breeze billowed past her cape as her eyes adjusted.

And her heart stopped in her chest at the sight of who was standing before her.

"M-MOTHER?!"

***

Cael and Val just sat there, still completely in shock, as the atmosphere tried settling in the cottage. Their brains were barely able to process the fact that a third person was now currently sitting in the living space, drinking from the cups and eating the fries.

It'd been about half an hour since Val's mother, Isolde Evernight, had somehow shown up at their doorstep.

She was a beautiful woman, there was no denying that. Her long, violet hair was tied up in a bun, with strands falling on either side of her face, accentuating her delicate features. And while her eyes were a different color—a warm hazel instead of a striking gold—the same intelligence that Cael had always found in Val was present in her gaze.

"S-so, how do you like the fries, mother?" Val's words stumbled out of her mouth, almost inaudible. She was easily the most stunned between the two.

Her mother smiled softly. "They're delicious, dear," she replied, taking another bite before turning to Cael. "To think this young man taught you how to make them. It seems I have much to catch up on."

Cael nodded slowly. Yeah, there was a lot that everyone had to catch up on.

"So, uh, Mrs. Evernight," Cael started carefully, clearing his throat. "I'm still having a hard time understanding how… well, how you're here."

He paused for a moment, then added, "N-not that I don't welcome you, of course. I mean, this is your house after all!"

They'd done a quick rundown of what had happened, but Cael was really trying to take in the fact that Val had an actual living parent still.

Isolde had apparently been sent into a strange liminal space that the rest of the world had disappeared to during the Vanishing on her last trip into the city. It was a realm that stabilized the leylines through counterbalancing reality, or whatever that meant. But after the activation of Erika's Leyline Restoration Artifact, the world was able to gradually reabsorb that area. And that was why she had been returned.

That was what they'd understood anyway.

"Yes, well, it wasn't the most pleasant place to be stuck in. There were no seasons, the skies were gray, and everything felt muted. Almost as if I was in a dream." Isolde frowned, her brow furrowing.

There were so many more questions surging through his mind at the moment from that implication. Did that mean that they had somehow done it? Was the world fine now? Would others begin slowly coming back, like Mrs. Evernight had?

So many questions, yet little concrete answers. Only time would tell at this point.

Val's mother continued where she'd left off, "On the bright side though, I don't think I aged at all." She gave a smile as if trying to introduce some levity. "That being said, how long exactly was it since I was last here? I'd like to know how many years I've defied."

Cael and Val looked at each other, their expressions grim.

"It's… been a long time. Seven years." Val's voice was quiet, her eyes downcast as she gripped the fabric of her dress.

Isolde's face paled slightly. "S-seven years? But that would make you nineteen, Valeria. And… Oh to think I missed so much." Isolde's expression fell into sorrow. "I can only imagine how lonely you must have been."

Val nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I… yes. But it's okay, b-because I had Cael for the past one and a half of them," she choked out through her sniffles.

Isolde turned to look at Cael once more. She straightened herself as if recomposing for something important.

Cael gulped, the world still racing despite the calm ambience. "Y-yes? Is everything okay?" he asked hesitantly, not knowing what else to say.

"…Thank you for taking care of my daughter, and I hope that my arrival doesn't change the relationship that's been formed between the two of you. Although, I would like to ask… would it be possible to properly introduce ourselves properly? The tears, embracing, and all of that have prevented us from doing so. And I'm afraid I'm a bit of a traditionalist."

Cael's heart skipped a beat, and he could feel the heat rise up his cheeks. "Y-yes of course," he replied, standing up and bowing politely at the waist.

"W-wait! Let me introduce him!" Val suddenly interrupted, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She stood up beside Cael and gripped onto his arm, pulling him close to her.

Isolde's eyes twinkled in amusement as a small smile cracked across her face.

Cael looked to Val as she began to take deep breaths, in and out, all while probably searching for the exact right words.

Finally, she seemed to find them, and her eyes snapped open as she stared at her mother, her face easily the most determined that Cael had ever seen. Her violet braid flowed gently behind her as she stood proud, tall, and beautiful.

"This is Caelum Hoshino, an outworlder, a heroic adventurer, an amazing cook, my comforter, and the dearest romantic partner a person could ever have."

Silence pervaded the air around him as her words sunk in. The room seemed to grow warmer with every passing second.

Cael couldn't help but tear up at the unexpected introduction, and he could see that it was about the same for her mother, who was staring at her with wide, glistening eyes.

However, it didn't seem Val was done, even with the tears brimming over her own eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

Cael sniffled, wondering what else could possibly come next.

"…And he is the one whom I want to raise a family with."

"…"

"VAL?!" "VALERIA?!"