Seren wrote the letter while Kyi walked around the library shelves. Looking at all the books and occasionally flipped through one before putting it back on the shelf.

“Okay, I think I’ve got something I’m happy with.” Seren said, putting down their pencil. Kyi strode over and looked over their shoulder, reading the letter quickly before nodding.

“Wait, the sprites make a water that can change people into fae?” Kyi asked. Pointing to a part of the letter.

“Yeah, they’re like wasps. Paper/fabric like nests, a queen, they make water that can do magical stuff.” Seren said. “Healing, turning kids into gold, I’m not sure if it’s needed for turning kids into fae. I think that’s different but I don’t know .”

“All of this was in the library books?” Kyi asked.

“Well. Not the nest part. That I found when I went out into the forest. Not the sprites themselves. Just an empty, torn apart nest.” Seren quickly came up with a plausible excuse. “It was so magical it had to belong to a sprite.”

"Did you snag a piece of it?” Kyi asked excitedly. Seren stared at him. They felt the tug to tell the truth, to share the secret. But knowing virtually nothing about him, except who he worked for, stopped them from being as honest as they wanted to.

“No, I got surprised by the guards looking for me.” Seren said, quickly looking away.”But the letter looks good?”

“Yeah, let’s seal it up and get it sent.” Kyi agreed. “Once this kidnapping stuff is solved then you’ll come back and we have a playful competitive rivalry where we totally hate but respect each other and do lots of roasts and snide commentary.”

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” Seren said. “But we should work on sending this out.” Kyi frowned. Following Seren out of the library and downstairs.

“Why not? The kidnapping stops and you come out of retirement.” Kyi said. “It’s why you stopped isn’t it? Why he stopped you?”

“I don’t think so.” Seren said. “I think.” Seren stopped, holding onto the railing. They had a theory, but they were struggling to put it into words.

“You think…?” Kyi nudged them.

“I think I’m growing up. Reluctantly. And he kinda had to see it and think about the whole, no childhood thing and it rattled him a bit.” Seren said. Trying to surmise what they had been pondering. “At least, that’s my approximation.”

“Sounds logical. But stupid.” Kyi said, passing Seren on the staircase. “I’ve never known time to go backwards.”

“Agreed, I don’t think that’s a thing.” Seren said. Jumping down the rest of the stairs and leading Kyi into the kitchen. “I think we have envelopes and stuff in here. I mean, we have them for sure in the study but I’m not allowed in there anymore.” Seren resisted the urge to roll their eyes at the nonsense it was to ban them from the study. They went through the old hutch where the good porcelain and lace were kept and found a few old envelopes and stamps.

“Perfect.” Seren folded the letter and sealed it in the envelope. Placing on the stamp and writing out the rest of the letter and address. “To the mailbox!”

“Race ya!” Kyi said. Not even done speaking before he took off. Seren bolted after, but the tight halls of the house didn’t allot for racing. Kyi stopped to put on his shoes but Seren didn’t, Leaping over him and running out the door.

“Hey!” Kyi yelled before also running after. Seren slapped the mailbox.

“I win!” They yelled breathlessly.

“You cheated!” Kyi huffed. “You were supposed to put on your shoes!”

“Why? It’s not wet or snowing.” Seren said, putting the letter into the box. “Plus it was a race, which means fastest wins.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Not if the fastest cheats by skipping an obstacle.” Kyi yelled. Seren put their hands on their hips.

“We didn’t define any rules about obstacles.” Seren yelled back. “You’re just a sore loser!”

“Damn right I am!” Kyi yelled. Seren paused, taken aback by how easily he admitted it. The intensity lasted only a second before the two devolved into laughter.

“What are you two doing?” Eric yelled out the wide open door. “Get inside!” Kyi and Seren looked at each other before running back up the steps and in the door.

“We were just mailing a letter.” Seren said. “Since when am I not allowed to go to the mailbox?”

“Since you didn’t tell me and no one was watching you.” Eric said equally as stubborn as they were.

“I don’t need to be watched! I’ve been taking care of myself since I was born, I don’t need anyone to start trying to care for me now!” Seren shouted.

“I’m not trying to. I AM.” Eric said. “It’s time for your friend to go home.”

“No.” Seren felt braver with Kyi behind them. Even though Kyi seemed pretty frozen by fear.

“I’m not asking.”

“Neither am I.”

The stand off had time stopped. Seren narrowed their eyes but felt something was wrong. They looked hard and found Eric barely moving. Time hadn’t stopped but it had slowed. Seren’s breath left their chest. They turned to Kyi who was mid-blink. Seren got right next to his face, their breath didn’t even make him flinch. Seren could feel their heart pounding. Little glimmers of fae magic had always been a part of their daily life but something this big.

Shadows moved at the window. They moved at normal speed. Which was possibly more alarming. Seren looked out the still open door. The whole world looked frozen but whatever had moved was gone. Leaving only pairs of prints in the mud at the window.

“Serenity Ba- Wh. Where’d you-” Everything suddenly returned to normal. “How did you move over there so fast? Where are you going?!”

“Nowhere.” Seren said. Backing away from the door. “Kyi, maybe you should go. We should call someone to take you.”

“You're not arguing anymore.” Eric said. “Why?”

“I don’t need an escort.” Kyi said with all the bravado he had.

“I think you might.” Seren said, still watching the door from a reasonable distance.

“What did you do?” Eric asked.

“I stopped time.” Seren said. “And not everything stopped.”

“Kyi. Wait here. I’ll get someone to walk you home.” Eric said. “Stay inside.” He left and Seren held themself.

“You stopped time?!” Kyi whispered in awe.

“Yeah. Never done that before.” Seren said. “I don’t even know how I did it. IF I did it.”

“You mean you might not have?” Kyi asked.

“I might just be immune to a lot of fae magic because I’m fae touched.” Seren said. “Are you sure you haven’t noticed anyone following you?”

“No.” Kyi said.

“Then keep an eye out. They.” Seren paused, feeling a pit of guilt in their stomach. “They might be now.”

“Right.” Kyi nodded. He went pale. Finishing lacing up his boots, then grabbing hsi coat.

“Hey,” Seren said, Kyi looked at them. “You wanted an adventure right?”

“Yeah.” Kyi agreed but it seemed hollow.

“Okay, I have you mother coming to walk you home.” Eric called as he came back down the stairs. “She said she’d be here soon.”

“Thanks.” Kyi said.

“Sorry, for all this.” Seren shrugged apologetically. Feeling small.

“That’s okay. I kinda asked for it.” Kyi smiled weakly.

“Still friends?” Seren asked. “I understand if you don’t-”

“Nah, still friends.” Kyi playfully hit them on the shoulder. “But we skip the adventure next time. Okay?”

“Deal.” Seren said. They changed the topic to more lighthearted things, until Kyi’s mother came and picked him up and took him home. Seren shut the door and sighed. They turned and saw Eric waiting in the sitting room.

“Being grown up is exhausting.” They said.

“Don’t I know it.” Eric agreed. “Now come here, we need to talk about this attitude and what you saw and how in the world you managed to stop time.”

“I don’t know how I did it. I saw things moving at the window and prints in the dirt.” Seren said, walking over to the chair across from the sofa. “And I don’t want to talk about my attitude. It’s fine and perfectly proportional to the way you’re trying to baby me.”

“I’m not babying you.” Eric said.

“You are. You used to trust me.” Seren said. They felt overly tired. Too tired to even cry. “Now it’s like I can’t even be trusted to leave my room. It’s suffocating. I’m tired. I’m going back to my room.” Seren stood up and went back upstairs, they found it more surprising that Eric didn’t have anything to say, didn’t try to stop them. They went to the bathroom instead. Digging around in the unused ‘woman’ products Mrs. Houper had left. They found the trusty blade they’d hidden. It had been coming in handy more and more often lately.