Hugo and Fabio sat together at the dining table, and Lily sat on the opposite side.

The three of them were in a silence that no one seemed willing to break, waiting for Sophie to return with their food portions, as she had offered to cook for Lily.

Fabio nervously glanced at Lily, who was silently drinking the glass of water Sophie had offered, and then at Hugo, whose eyes seemed unfocused.

"Your name was Fabio, right?"

"Ah, yes."

Fabio, still glancing sideways at Hugo, hesitated at Lily's unexpected question.

"I see you're the only non-mage here. Don't you feel like talking a bit?"

"...What do you want to talk about?"

Lily stared into his eyes, as if she could see his very essence, and smiled. Her smile made Fabio feel even more uneasy than before.

"Don't you want to learn magic?"

"...Yes?"

The blonde mage leaned on the table and approached Fabio, then began to whisper.

"I know a way to use magic without the need for mana. Would you like to try it...?"

"..."

Fabio refrained from saying anything and alternated his gaze between Hugo, who remained absorbed, and Lily, who had returned to her seat but still smiled even after his tacit refusal.

Time passed in silence once again, with occasional attempts by Fabio to wake up Hugo, nudging him under the table, but with no reaction.

After his third failed attempt, Fabio broke out in a cold sweat, but then Sophie returned with dinner.

"Voilà! Here is my favorite dish, my legendary scorpion stew! It's my specialty by the way."

Sophie smiled at Lily as she handed her a plate with what seemed to be a huge elongated spider cut into eight pieces.

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For the first time all night, Fabio could see Lily putting aside her smile, although she soon recovered and returned to her usual expression.

Sophie, who had sat next to her, also noticed, so she showed Lily her own plate.

"Um, if you don't like it, you can have the leftovers of the snake that the others had for dinner today."

"Thanks, but it's okay. First I'll explain the situation to your friends, and then I'll eat what I have in my backpack."

"Sure! Whatever you prefer."

Lily turned to Hugo and Fabio and began to explain.

"Let's get straight to the point. Hugo, did you see my mana in Sophie's eyes?"

"...I didn't think you'd be so direct."

To the surprise of the terrified Fabio, Hugo seemed to have returned to normal.

"Do you know the man outside? He's Derick Montse, the famous lava hound."

"..."

"I set a trap knowing he would pass through this village, and I managed to neutralize him without much trouble... but then Sophie came running towards me with her wind magic. I had to use my magic to stop her, for safety, so there was a bit of residual mana left in her body."

"...And what does that imply?"

"Not much, it will be gone in no time."

"...And the reason you're such good friends?"

"You could say... we have a good affinity. We got along well on the way back."

After a brief interrogation, Hugo sighed and looked at his friend.

"Sophie... is what she said true?"

"Yes, exactly."

Sophie smiled at Hugo and assured him calmly. Then, Hugo nodded.

The three continued talking, while Fabio, who had long stopped listening to what they were saying, watched the scene from the sidelines.

His instinct had set off the alarms... and told him that in front of him were no longer his friends, but actors playing their roles, all under the spotlight that illuminated the stage that once was his home.

As the scene unfolded in front of him, he began to think of ways to get out of this mess, but soon he began to regret his decisions.

If he had gone outside with Sophie, would things have changed?

'Who knows...'

After Fabio snapped out of it, the scene had almost ended, and the curtain fell with the next question.

"So, is it okay for Lily to stay at home?"

"Ah... yes."

"All right then...!"

Sophie spoke with an animated voice, but when she saw Fabio, her smile faded.

"Fabio... are you okay?"

Tears rolled down his cheeks, forming one after another, but seeing that Sophie still cared for him, he wiped away the tears and forced a smile.

"Yes, it's nothing... Sorry, I need to go to my room for a moment."

Then he stood up and ran to the second floor, leaving behind a bewildered Sophie.

Meanwhile, Lily watched the stairs where Fabio had gone, with a smile even deeper and more innocent than before, as if she were a child who had just received her birthday present.