Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Village Festival

The western village was unusually lively that morning.

Colorful ribbons hung between the wooden houses, and the village square was already filled with laughter.

Children ran from one stall to another while merchants arranged baskets of fresh fruit, bread, handmade crafts, and herbal remedies.

Lyra stopped in the middle of the street.

She looked around in surprise.

"...What's happening?"

Kyle smiled.

"You picked a good day to wake up early."

"The Harvest Festival is today."

Lumi appeared beside them carrying a small basket.

"It only happens once every year!"

"Everyone in the village comes."

Lyra watched as neighbors greeted one another with warm smiles.

"They all look... happy."

Kyle nodded.

"It's our way of thanking the land for another peaceful season."

"We work hard all year."

"So today..."

"We simply enjoy each other's company."

Lumi gently grabbed Lyra's hand.

"Come on!"

"I'll show you everything!"

Before Lyra could answer, Kyle cleared his throat.

"After we finish our morning work at the clinic."

Lumi sighed dramatically.

"I knew you were going to say that."

Kyle laughed.

"Patients come before festivals."

"And besides..."

"We'll still have the whole afternoon."

Lumi crossed her arms.

"...Fine."

"But no staying late at the clinic."

"I'll come and drag you both out myself."

Kyle raised his hands in surrender.

"I promise."

The morning passed peacefully.

Only a handful of villagers visited the clinic, most wanting to collect medicine before joining the celebration.

By noon...

Kyle finally closed the clinic door.

"I think that's the last patient."

Lumi immediately appeared from behind the building.

"I was waiting!"

"I knew you'd forget the time."

Kyle smiled helplessly.

"I didn't forget."

"You absolutely did."

Lyra couldn't help laughing.

Lumi looked at her proudly.

"See?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on him."

Kyle picked up his light cloak.

"Very well."

"The festival wins."

Together, the three walked toward the village square.

Music drifted through the air.

Fresh bread filled the streets with its warm aroma.

For the first time since arriving in the human world...

Lyra wasn't thinking about missing jewels.

She wasn't thinking about the Emerald Realm.

Nor the mysterious fox she continued searching for.

She simply watched the smiling faces around her...

And quietly wondered...

Perhaps happiness could exist even in a place that was never meant to be her home.

The village square was filled with cheerful voices.

Wooden stalls lined both sides of the road, each decorated with colorful ribbons and wildflowers gathered from the nearby hills.

Lumi walked ahead excitedly.

"You have to see everything!"

She stopped at the first stall.

Fresh honey was displayed in small glass jars beside homemade fruit jam.

The elderly beekeeper smiled as the three approached.

"Kyle!"

"You finally left your clinic."

Kyle laughed.

"I was beginning to think everyone in the village was saying the same thing."

"They are," the old man replied with a grin.

"And who's your young assistant?"

Before Kyle could answer, Lyra bowed politely.

"My name is Lyra."

The beekeeper nodded warmly.

"So you're the girl everyone's been talking about."

Lyra blinked.

"...Everyone?"

"They say you've been helping our healer."

He handed her a small wooden spoon.

"Here."

"Taste this."

"It's this year's first honey."

Lyra hesitated before taking a small taste.

Her eyes widened.

"...It's delicious."

The old man laughed proudly.

"I knew you'd like it."

As they continued through the festival, children ran past them carrying colorful paper windmills.

One little girl suddenly stopped in front of Lyra.

She held out a tiny white flower.

"This is for you."

Lyra looked surprised.

"For me?"

The little girl nodded shyly.

"Mother said you stayed with Grandpa when he was sick."

"Thank you for helping him."

For a moment...

Lyra couldn't find the words.

She gently accepted the flower.

"...Thank you."

The little girl smiled before running back to her family.

Kyle glanced at Lyra.

"You've made quite an impression."

Lyra looked down at the flower in her hand.

"I didn't expect them to remember."

"Kindness is difficult to forget."

His quiet words stayed with her.

A little farther ahead, the sound of music filled the square.

Several village musicians were playing cheerful melodies while children danced in a wide circle.

Lumi's eyes sparkled.

"Come on!"

She grabbed Lyra's wrist.

"You have to try!"

Lyra laughed nervously.

"I don't know the steps."

"You'll learn!"

Without waiting for an answer, Lumi pulled her into the circle.

The villagers clapped along with the music, encouraging her.

At first, Lyra's movements were hesitant.

But after watching the others...

She slowly began to follow the rhythm.

Kyle stood nearby, smiling as he watched.

For the first time since she had arrived in the village...

Lyra wasn't acting like a traveler searching for a way home.

She looked...

As though she truly belonged.

The cheerful music echoed across the village square.

Villagers clapped in rhythm as children laughed and danced beneath strings of colorful ribbons.

Lumi finally let go of Lyra's hand, breathing heavily.

"I told you it wasn't difficult!"

Lyra laughed softly.

"I'll admit..."

"It was more enjoyable than I expected."

Lumi smiled proudly.

"See?"

"I never make bad suggestions."

Kyle chuckled.

"I wouldn't go that far."

Lumi puffed out her cheeks.

"I heard that."

The three continued walking through the festival.

Near the center of the square, an elderly musician sat beneath a large oak tree, holding an old stringed instrument.

Unlike the lively melodies played by the others...

His song was slow.

Gentle.

Almost melancholic.

The first few notes drifted across the square.

Kyle suddenly stopped walking.

"...Kyle?"

Lyra noticed the smile disappear from his face.

He stared silently toward the musician.

The melody...

It sounded strangely familiar.

Without warning...

A sharp pain shot through his head.

He closed his eyes.

For the briefest moment...

He saw flashes.

Towering emerald trees...

A palace surrounded by silver waterfalls...

White tails dancing in the wind...

Then...

A distant voice.

"...Your High..."

The words faded before they could be completed.

Kyle staggered.

Lyra immediately caught his arm.

"Kyle!"

He blinked several times before looking around.

The festival returned.

The music.

The villagers.

The laughter.

Everything was normal again.

Lumi looked at him with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Kyle placed a hand against his forehead.

"...Yes."

"I just felt dizzy."

Lyra studied his expression.

"Was it because of the music?"

Kyle hesitated.

"...Maybe."

"It felt..."

He searched for the right words.

"...Familiar."

"But I don't know why."

The old musician finished the song and smiled as the villagers applauded.

Whatever Kyle had seen...

Had already disappeared like a dream.

He forced a small smile.

"I must still be tired after yesterday's storm."

Lumi nodded.

"Then don't overwork yourself again."

Kyle laughed quietly.

"I'll try."

As they continued through the festival, Lyra glanced at him more than once.

Something about that melody had awakened a memory...

Only for a heartbeat.

But she had seen the confusion in his eyes.

And for reasons she couldn't explain...

Her heart told her that the forgotten past Kyle carried was beginning to stir.

As the afternoon faded into evening, dozens of small lanterns were lit around the village square.

Their warm glow reflected across smiling faces, giving the festival an almost magical atmosphere.

Lumi held two wooden cups filled with warm apple cider.

"Here!"

"One for each of you."

Kyle accepted his cup with a smile.

"Thank you."

Lyra took hers carefully.

The sweet aroma rose with the steam.

She took a small sip.

"It's delicious."

Lumi grinned.

"I knew you'd like it."

Nearby, villagers gathered around a large bonfire.

Children sat in a circle while one of the elders began telling old stories.

"...Long ago," the old man said, "people believed that the deepest forests were protected by spirits."

"They said those spirits watched over anyone who respected nature..."

"But hid themselves from those who came with greed in their hearts."

The children listened with wide eyes.

One little boy raised his hand.

"Were they real?"

The old man chuckled.

"Who knows?"

"Some stories are meant to teach us..."

"Others are waiting for someone to prove them true."

Lyra lowered her gaze.

She quietly tightened her fingers around the wooden cup.

If only they knew...

The stories they called legends were closer than anyone imagined.

Kyle noticed her thoughtful expression.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lyra looked toward the dancing flames.

"...That some legends deserve to remain secrets."

Kyle smiled gently.

"Perhaps."

"But secrets have a way of finding the people they're meant for."

Before Lyra could reply, fireworks made from colored herbs burst into the night sky with soft flashes of green, gold, and crimson.

The children cheered.

Lumi laughed with excitement.

"Look!"

"They're beautiful!"

Lyra raised her eyes to the sky.

For a brief moment...

The colors reminded her of the Emerald Realm.

A quiet ache settled in her heart.

She missed home.

Yet...

When she looked around...

She saw Kyle smiling at the villagers.

She saw Lumi laughing without a care.

She saw people who had welcomed her without asking who she truly was.

For the first time...

The word *home* no longer belonged to only one place.

Far beyond the western kingdom...

The hunter entered a bustling border city as night fell.

Merchants from distant lands crowded the streets, speaking in different languages.

He stepped into a small tavern and quietly took a seat near the window.

An elderly traveler at the next table lowered his voice.

"I heard an old tale from the eastern caravans..."

"They speak of a hidden land called the Emerald Realm."

Another man laughed.

"A fairy tale."

"So I thought," the traveler replied.

"But they also say strange jewels sometimes appear in the human world."

The hunter's hand froze around his cup.

Without drawing attention to himself, he listened carefully.

For the first time in weeks...

He had heard someone mention the Emerald Realm by name.

He slowly lowered his gaze.

"So..."

"It wasn't just a legend after all."

The fire crackled softly inside the tavern.

Outside...

The road leading west stretched into the darkness.

And with every passing day...

The distance between the hunter and Lyra grew shorter.