“Blergh…” Noarin’s muffled gag breaks the silence as we finally touch down on solid ground. The irony isn’t lost on me – she’s perfectly fine floating on Kai’s gravity-defying power, but a simple plane ride has her green around the gills.

Rishia, ever the mother hen, is quick to comfort her. “Alright there, easy now. We’re already on the ground, take a deep breath.” Her hand moves in soothing circles on Noarin’s back as our airsick friend tries to regain her composure.

As we step out of the airport, the vibrant energy of the tourist island hits us like a wave. The air is thick with a cacophony of languages, a testament to the diverse crowd drawn to this paradise.

I can’t resist the urge to tease Noarin a little. “So, how’s your first flight experience?” The withering look she shoots me could curdle milk.

“Do you really have to ask?” she grumbles, taking another sip of water. I bite back a chuckle, deciding it’s probably best to let her recover in peace.

We give Norain some time to settle her stomach before hailing a taxi to the beach. As we arrive, I’m struck by how empty it is – it's almost as if we've stumbled upon a private stretch of paradise.

Stretching out on the soft, warm sand, I turn to Kai. “Where are we staying tonight?”

He gestures casually towards a massive structure just off the beach. “In the villa behind us, of course.”

My jaw drops as I take in the luxurious building. Suddenly, the lack of crowd makes sense – this isn’t just any beach, it’s an exclusive slice of heaven that most people couldn’t dream of affording.

“Sometimes I forget you’re filthy rich,” I mutter, still in awe of our accommodations.

Kai shrugs, as if booking a beachfront mansion is no big deal. “It’s our celebration for you, finally getting out of that cramped apartment and into the sun. Besides, it’s not that expensive.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I wonder what ‘expensive’ means to you.”

Before Kai can retort, Rishia’s cheerful voice cuts through the air. “Hey guys, sorry for the wait!”

I turn to see the girls approaching, freshly changed into their swimsuits. My breath catches in my throat as I catch sight of Noarin. She looks absolutely adorable, her usual composed demeanor replaced by a shy, almost vulnerable air as she trails behind Rishia.

image [https://i.imgur.com/wXNH1VP.jpeg]

“Welcome back, you look great!” Kai’s enthusiasm is evident as he gives Rishia a thumbs up. She beams in response, clearly pleased with the compliment. Noarin and I watch their easy interaction, a hint of envy coloring our observations.

Suddenly, Noarin makes a small noise, drawing my attention. “Uh-uh…” She’s looking at me timidly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Does she want some praise as well?

“Ahh… Y-yeah, you look c-cute,” I stammer out, cursing my lack of smoothness. Why can’t I be as effortlessly charming as Kai?

“Ooooh!” Kai and Rishia’s synchronized clapping and gleeful expressions only serve to deepen our embarrassment. Noarin and I turn away, desperately trying to hide our flaming faces.

Kai, never one to miss an opportunity for teasing, pipes up. “Finally, after all these years, I can see Aruta’s bash – Ouch!” His commentary is cut short as I lob an empty water bottle at him. Rishia’s giggles provide a musical backdrop to our antics.

As we settle into our beach day, I’m struck by how much fun I’m having. It’s a far cry from my high school days, when excursions like this were exercises in isolation and discomfort. Now, surrounded by friends, I’m discovering the simple joy of shared experiences.

“Ahhh, that was fun,” Rishia sighs contentedly, sprawling out on her beach mat.

Kai, ever thinking with his stomach, chimes in. “Now that we’ve had our fun, I’m pretty hungry.”

I nod in agreement, fishing my wallet out of my bag. “I’ll go find something to eat then; I’m hungry too.”

To my surprise, Noarin rises to join me. “I’ll come with you,” she says, slipping a light jacket over her shoulders.

As we start to walk away, Kai calls after us. “If you can find something other than seafood, that would be great!”

I can’t help but chuckle at his request. “That’s hard to find on a beach, you know,” I toss back over my shoulder as we leave Kai and Rishia to relax on the sand.

As we make our way down the beach, scanning the various food stalls, Noarin suddenly points to a fried noodle stand. “That looks delicious,” she says, her eyes lighting up.

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. “I thought you were against noodles.”

“The instant ones,” she clarifies, already moving towards the stand. “Regular noodles are good.”

As we peruse the menu, Noarin spots something promising. “Look, they also have non-seafood fried rice,” she says, gesturing to one of the boards.

“Perfect, that’s what Kai would prefer,” I nod, placing the order for our picky friend.

Noarin turns her attention back to me. “What about you?”

I scan the menu again, indecisive. “Hmmm, I don’t know. What about you?”

“I ordered Seafood Yakisoba,” she replies.

“I think I’ll have that too,” I decide, placing my order.

Noarin looks at me curiously. “You don’t have a preference?”

I shrug, answering without thinking. “Nah, after eating your cooking, everything else just seems ordinary.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I realize what I’ve said. Noarin goes silent, her hand flying up to cover her face. Oh man, I’ve done it again, haven’t I?

“Is my cooking really that good?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of her question. “Ah… um… yes, very good,” I manage to stammer out.

“Glad to hear that,” she murmurs, her voice even softer than before. My heart feels like it’s doing somersaults in my chest.

We retrieve our food and make our way back to our spot on the beach, the warm breeze and gentle crash of waves providing a soothing backdrop. Just as we’re about to dig in, a familiar voice interrupts our peaceful moment.

“Hi guys, having fun?” Saria materializes, her tiny form shimmering into view.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Yeah, what’s up?” I ask, trying to balance my lunch and my attention.

Saria’s expression turns serious. “Sorry to break the mood, but I just detected some magical traces all over the island.”

Kai looks up from his juice, suddenly alert. “So, there’s a Holder here on this island?”

“Not just any Holder,” Saria clarifies, her tiny form settling down with us. “The traces I found are from spatial magic.”

We all freeze, the implications of her words sinking in.

“Wait, there’s a space attribute Holder here!?” I exclaim, my food momentarily forgotten.

Saria nods gravely. “That’s good if that’s the case. But there’s a chance that this is the mastermind’s work,” she adds, her voice low.

A chill runs down my spine as I remember – if the Mastermind can create breaches between worlds, they must be a Holder who can manipulate space.

“In any case, we must remain vigilant,” Saria continues. “I’ll report as soon as a spatial disorientation occurs.”

I nod, my mind racing. “Understood. If we find the Holder, we’ll approach them in a friendly manner. But if there’s even the slightest hostile movement, be ready to engage.” The others nod in agreement, the gravity of the situation not lost on any of us.

Saria stands, her tiny form somehow commanding our full attention. “Since there is a lot of spatial activity on this island, depending on who is doing it, an ornament could be scattered around this island. I suggest you explore the island – you can do it while having fun.”

With that parting advice, Saria disappears, leaving us to process this new information.

“Oh yeah, we’ll certainly enjoy our vacation after this huge amount of information,” I mutter sarcastically.

Noarin, ever practical, shrugs and returns to her meal. “I mean, we can enjoy our vacation normally. We just have to be on our guard when Saria tells us something.”

“Alright,” I concede, settling back down to finish my lunch.

After we eat, we make our way to the villa to check in. As we step inside, I’m struck anew by the sheer opulence of our accommodations. The place is massive, almost comically large for just the four of us.

“This place is huge…” Noarin breathes, her eyes wide as she takes in our surroundings.

From upstairs, we hear Rishia’s excited shout. “The view from up here is greaaaat!”

Kai, seemingly unfazed by the luxury, flops down on the couch and reaches for the remote. “You guys go ahead and pick a room,” he says casually, as if we’re in any old beach house and not a millionaire’s playground.

As we explore, I realize the villa is even more impressive than I first thought. There are exactly four bedrooms upstairs, two with balconies overlooking the sea, and two facing the city. Downstairs, we have a sprawling living room, a cozy family room, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a bathroom that’s bigger than my entire apartment back home.

----------------------------------------

The sun had barely dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in a palette of soft oranges and purples. Inside the villa, a comfortable silence had settled over us. Kai, exhausted from our earlier adventures, had succumbed to sleep on the plush couch, his features relaxed and peaceful. Rishia sat beside him, her fingers absentmindedly running through his hair as she gazed at him with a mixture of affection and amusement.

I glanced around the room, noticing Noarin's absence. A restless energy coursed through me, prompting me to seek out the cool evening air. "I'm going for a walk," I announced softly to Rishia, who acknowledged me with a slight nod.

The sand shifted beneath my feet as I made my way down to the beach. The salty breeze tousled my hair, carrying with it the rhythmic sound of waves lapping at the shore. It didn't take long to spot Noarin's silhouette against the darkening sky. She sat alone on the sand, her knees drawn up to her chest, eyes fixed on the vast expanse above.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice gentle as I settled down beside her. The sand was still warm from the day's sun, a stark contrast to the cooling air.

Noarin turned to me, her eyes reflecting the emerging stars. "Just looking at the sky," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "What about you?"

I shrugged, offering a small smile. "Had nothing else to do, so I figured I'd go for a walk. Sometimes it's nice to escape the walls, you know?"

"I see," she nodded, a hint of understanding in her tone.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence, both of us gazing up at the celestial display unfolding above. The stars seemed to twinkle more brightly here, away from the city's persistent glow.

image [https://i.imgur.com/31YHTqR.jpeg]

After a few minutes, Noarin's soft voice broke through the quiet. "I never imagined I'd get to experience something like this," she mused, a note of wonder in her words.

"Hmm?" I turned to her, curiosity piqued.

"A vacation with friends," she clarified, her voice tinged with a mix of joy and disbelief. "It's... nice."

I couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "Ah, I see. For loners like us, hanging out with friends is almost like a myth, isn't it?"

Noarin tilted her head, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Us?" she questioned, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Don't tell me you're not a loner," I shot back playfully, nudging her shoulder gently.

"Hehe, fair point," she giggled softly, the sound mixing with the gentle crash of waves. She turned her gaze back to the sky, a comfortable silence settling between us once more.

After a moment, Noarin's voice, laced with curiosity, broke through the quiet. "I wonder how you guys met?"

"Kai and Rishia?" I sought to clarify, to which she nodded in response.

I leaned back on my hands, sifting through memories. "Well, Kai was the one who approached me first. He wanted to form a group for a school project, and we ended up getting to know each other better through that. Over time, we became good friends." A smile tugged at my lips as I recalled a particular memory. "There was also that day he asked for my help to confess to Rishia. They were always competing in school rankings; maybe that's how their romance blossomed. After they started dating, I got to know Rishia better through Kai."

Noarin grinned teasingly. "So, you're the clueless one who somehow managed to befriend the brainiacs?"

I clutched my chest in mock offense. "That's mean, but yeah, you're right," I admitted with a giggle.

Our conversation took a more serious turn as I asked, "Say, did you really never touch another living being after you moved to the city?"

Noarin shook her head, her expression becoming more solemn. "I was afraid of my power when I first got it because I didn't understand anything about it. But after I met Saria, I learned about my power and how to control it." Her voice softened with gratitude as she continued, "For three years, Saria has always been there for me, teaching me new things, listening to my rants and stories, and cheering me up when I'm down. She became my only friend for those three years."

Her gaze suddenly turned intense, her eyes searching mine. "Anyway, I forgot to ask this for a long time. Why didn't you leave me in the alley back then?"

I paused, gathering my thoughts. "To be honest, I have no idea," I began, my voice low and sincere. "But my heart kept telling me that I couldn't leave you alone. I felt deep down that if I did, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. Seeing you there, weak and barely holding on, it just made me want to save you. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone dying when I had the power to do something about it."

Noarin nodded slowly, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "I understand," she said softly, her eyes reflecting gratitude and understanding. The warmth in her expression made my heart skip a beat.

"And I'm glad I did save you," I continued, trying to lighten the mood. "I've experienced so much since then."

"Like my homemade cooking?" Noarin teased lightly, a playful glint in her eye.

"Especially that," I grinned, enjoying our banter. A light blush colored Noarin's cheeks as she hugged her knees closer to her chest.

"When you said... you want to eat my cooking every day until you die... did you mean it?" Noarin's voice was barely above a whisper, filled with vulnerability and hope.

I felt my heart race, realizing the weight of her question. "Eh?" I stammered, caught off guard by the depth of her words. She buried her face in her knees, her shy demeanor both endearing and heart-wrenching.

I knew I had to say something, to express what I felt. I wanted to tell her how much I appreciated her cooking, her smile that lit up even the darkest moments, and the way her quiet strength complemented her gentle nature. Our eyes met, both of us blushing furiously, words hanging unspoken between us.

"Noarin, I..." I started, my heart pounding with the desire to convey my feelings, to bridge the unspoken gap between us.

"Aruta! Noarin!" Saria's sudden appearance shattered the moment, her urgent tone snapping us back to reality. She stood at the edge of the beach, her gaze fixed on the sea, tension evident in her posture.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you, but we have a problem here. There's spatial activity right in front of us!" Saria's voice rang out, urgent and concerned. We jumped to our feet, adrenaline replacing the warmth of our previous conversation.

"Hey! What's going on?" Kai and Rishia came running towards us, concern etched on their faces, sand kicking up behind them.

Suddenly, a spatial rift materialized not far ahead, a shimmering portal forming before our eyes. Within moments, figures emerged from the rift — familiar faces that sent a chill down our spines.

"Hey kids, how are you?" The figure with the scythe, Iron Tempest, greeted us casually, his presence ominous yet familiar from our previous encounters. His voice carried a hint of amusement, as if he was enjoying our shocked expressions.

"Sorry to bother you in your most beautiful moment," another voice spoke, its tone dripping with sarcasm. The figure with purple hair, wearing a white robe and an eye patch, stepped out alongside Iron Tempest. There was something unsettling about the way his single eye seemed to take in everything at once.

"No... way..." Saria's voice faltered, shock evident on her face as she recognized the figure. Her usual composure cracked, revealing a vulnerability we'd never seen before.

"Saria? What's wrong?" Noarin's voice trembled with worry, her eyes darting between the newcomers and Saria. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

Saria's next words fell like a bombshell, shattering the last remnants of our peaceful evening:

"Brother...?"