XXI — Daybreak

Daybreak.

The time of day when the sun shines up into the sky. But how far does it reach before it becomes something clearer? Some even wonder how early daybreak would start, and how long daybreak can last until it becomes high noon and after the high noon.

Even in the imperial capital, the never-ending, eternal, non-surrendering debate on what time they would consider daybreak versus dawn had been all the rage especially inside mage model magazines with editorial pics on it, if people weren’t gazing into the breasts of several different witches lined in the pinups.

In Hertina, when it still existed, so many people have engaged in small talk discussions regarding daybreak, as if it was a very profound thing. When it became the slums, daybreak just seemed like another word for dawn.

In Melusina, the people who had argued the differences between daybreak and dawn moved their discourse for the weary boats of the Melusina harbor, who ached in hearing it over and over and over again. Some have even tried threatening the debates with legal action, as if the harbor itself wasn’t a haven for pirates.

Nonetheless, in any case, the term daybreak can’t be agreed upon by what it is fully, but everyone banked on a universal truth, that daybreak spelled new beginnings, since it is the start of the day for most people after awakening from slumber, and it could be used as a metaphor for fresh starts no matter what it was.

Dawn had broken into a certain time. or was it daybreak?

Either way, in a certain town filled with refugee orphans and adults that swore never to forsake them, only to help them, daybreak or dawn, whatever they may be signaled the return of someone they had considered one of their own.

He’d returned with the two girls who went out searching for him, and he was more than grateful of their love towards him, the love of the town for him when he showed up once again, and the children’s admiration for him as their unofficial Big Brother that they never had.

It was daybreak for them in the dawn. He couldn’t forsake them, he had fallen guilty when he did.

But even as he nearly did, they welcomed him back with open arms. The young girl that helped find him back using her own mana, which actually drained her a little bit, set off to tell nearly everybody, including one of her friends: a hot-headed guy who didn’t doubt his return.

“Roger! Sam’s back!”

He crossed his arms. “So, the idiot’s returned, huh?”

“H-Hey…! He was a… uhm… a l-little misguided that’s all…!”

Roger patted her on the back, a wee bit too hard. The young girl felt herself moving forward due to the force, and the pain.

“…! Ow!”

“Oh sorry…”

“I-It’s okay, I knew you would be happy with Big Bro Sam back.”

Roger went back to crossing his arms, this time his face becoming beet red from blushing.

“S-So what…? He owes me ya know? He made Senpai worried sick after he had up n’ left! I might give ‘im a li’l one two just fer that!”

The young girl laughed. “I know, I know… you always show your love differently Big Bro Roger.”

“H-Hey! Dontcha freakin’ dare tell ‘em that, Kat!”

Kat laughed again. He hadn’t intended for her to laugh so gleefully, but at the bottom of his heart, he liked seeing her laugh.

—————————————

They walked together towards somewhere near the clearing so that they could meet Ellen and Sam. Roger’s hands were sealed tight onto his pockets, and Kat was strutting along gleefully humming a tune that is recognizable by some of the kids in the area.

Perhaps it was for a stage they wish they had seen, but only ever heard about; or more likely it was a song that she had picked up from the whistling tune of the carriage drivers on some days she would accompany Ellen to sell lanterns.

Apart from the usual small shenanigans these two usually talk about, Kat had been merrily teasing Roger with questions she thought were just honest and good fun, and to be completely fair to Kat, they were. Roger just had a hard time dealing with compliments, especially if it came genuine and with pure honesty like what he had just gotten multiple times from Kat.

Even as they came around to seeing a several kids and some adults waving at Sam, while he had been dragged around by Ellen, who seemed joyful like she had felt nearly all of her sorrows leave her body; they still wanted to approach him, ignoring the crowded nature which, Roger would quickly tell, would be the most averse thing to Kat. Kat, however, didn’t see it as a problem as they all came to meet the man who had saved them.

Sam had said something in nervousness and Ellen laughed in turn, finding him endearing and funny. Their lights shone through within them, and they all felt like they were at home, Sam himself feeling like he was finally at peace, his worries all lifted from his heavy shoulders.

It felt like the burden he once carried was just another lump of baggage he needed to drop, but for the longest time couldn’t drop, until he was rescued for the third time: and the third time’s always the charm as they said, himself finally getting the opportunity to drop the lump of baggage; he’d finally moved forward with his life.

His life with the townspeople, his life with the Lantern Children especially with Ellen, his life among the protectors like the men around the town and the watchers who protect the town, and most importantly his life carried by the lessons he had learned from his guardian spirit and his greatest teacher: his sister, Diana.

It just seemed like everything was set in place, as if the stars he had seen just a day ago had just aligned somewhere near them, and this alignment made him feel calmer.

Steady.

Breathe.

And for the first time in forever, or so he had thought, Sam felt his heart be a lot more serene.