The wind, which had died down a few hours ago, began to stir again, sending its cold gusts through the night and making the air even crisper.

At the same time, something strange was happening with the moons. Each of them began to tremble, as if awakening from a deep slumber.

The first moon slowly shifted clockwise, rotating 90 degrees and taking the place of the fourth. Following suit, the second moon replaced the first, while the others gracefully assumed their new positions. The entire process was synchronized, precise to the second, leaving no chance for collision.

The kingdom’s inhabitants had grown accustomed to this phenomenon, yet it still inspired awe. Habit might dull the wonder, but it could never extinguish it entirely. Even now, after years of observation, the true cause of this celestial dance remained a mystery.

When the moons settled into their new positions, one of them bathed the night sky in a gentle green glow. Its light reflected off the snow, making the ground sparkle like tiny, scattered gemstones.

The sight was enchanting, a reminder that even in the coldest, darkest corners of the world, a touch of magic could always be found.

— This is the first New Moon Festival and birthday—I’ve ever celebrated like this. What about you all? Rena asked with a wistful sigh, glancing around.

— Definitely unforgettable! Utsin chimed in enthusiastically. “This day will stay with me forever.”

— I’d have to agree, Kazen added with a grin, bumping fists with Utsin.

— Shizu-chan, shouldn’t we tell Lady Tina about that incident? Rena teased, a sly smile playing on her lips.

— Don’t you dare! Shizu blushed furiously at the thought of what might happen if the story got out.L

— Listen up, everyone! I’ve got a story to share —

— Rena, stop it, please! Shizu, her cheeks bright red, quickly moved to cover Rena’s mouth.

Their antics sent the group into peals of laughter.

The parents, too, couldn’t help but chuckle at the lively scene.

As the old year slipped away and the new one began, we all bid farewell to the past with smiles, heading inside to escape the biting cold. It was too late to return home, and not entirely safe, so my mother offered our friends a place to stay for the night. They eagerly accepted, sending word to their families via the patrolling guards to ease any worries.

The game hall, which had three rooms, became our temporary retreat. Utsin, Kazen, and Risell claimed one room, saying they had much to discuss. Mother initially planned to place the girls together, but she unexpectedly took Shizu with her.

— What do you think, Rena? Where are they taking her? Elin asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

— I wish I knew, Rena muttered, clearly intrigued.

Meanwhile, Shizu couldn’t hide her confusion.

— Where are we going, Lady Tina? she asked, glancing suspiciously at the woman leading her.

— You’ll see soon enough, Tina replied with a sly smile, continuing up the stairs.

When they reached Ao’s room, Tina opened the door without knocking, catching him off guard.

— Do you need something from me? — he asked cautiously.

Yes, — Tina replied nonchalantly. Shizu wants to sleep here with you. You don’t mind, do you?

Ao gave her a look of mixed weariness and mild protest.

— Alright, he agreed reluctantly. But there’s only one bed here.

— It’s wide enough for the two of you, Tina said matter of factly before leaving. I’ll bring her something to change into.

Shizu stood awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.

Brother Ao, are you upset? This wasn’t my idea…

It's no big deal. I don’t mind, — he reassured her. I’m guessing this was Mother’s doing.

Despite his calm words, Shizu still seemed uneasy. To lighten the mood, Ao patted the space beside him.

— Come on, lie down.

Tina soon returned with a set of clothes, turned off the candles, and bid them goodnight with a parting comment:

— Oh, by the way, that’s your change of clothes.

Both Ao and Shizu exchanged puzzled looks.

Brother Ao, I…

— Don’t worry about it, he said gently, cutting her off.

For a while, they lay in silence, neither able to sleep.

— I can’t fall asleep, — Shizu admitted softly.

— Neither can I, Ao replied.

Their eyes met in the dim light, and Shizu quickly looked away. Without thinking, Ao reached out and hugged her.

— Hyah?! You startled me! — she gasped.

— Sorry, I didn’t mean to, — he said, softly stroking her hair.

— Can I ask what you wished for when you released your lantern?

— I wished… for us to always be together, — she whispered, her cheeks turning crimson.

Ao smiled warmly.

— Did you miss me? — he asked.

Shizu hesitated before answering shyly, — A little… And you?

— That’s a secret, — he teased.

A faint, pleasant scent caught Ao’s attention.

— Hmm, Shizu, do you smell like… fruit?

— What? But I didn’t eat anything like that before bed.”

— Maybe everyone has their own natural scent, he mused, suggesting she test his.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

— You smell like a fresh spring morning, — she murmured.

«So I’m not imagining things.»

Soon, sleep overcame them both, and they drifted off.

Tina, peeking into the room to adjust their blankets, noticed their auras intertwined. She knew that soul scents only manifested between those bound by fate.

Satisfied that all was well, she left with a smile, thinking:

— Fruit and springtime… how fitting.

Morning Came.

Alicia was busy cleaning the upper floors while other servants worked on the lower levels, assisting Alfred. At last, she reached her master's room.

— Young Master, may I come in and tidy up your room?

Through his drowsiness, Aenari barely recognized the voice beyond the door. Half-asleep, he replied:

— Come in.

Alicia opened the door and froze in shock. Before her lay a scene she hadn’t expected: Shizu was clinging tightly to Ao, her arms wrapped around him, and one of her legs draped casually across his stomach.

— What the…?! - Alicia blurted out, covering her mouth with her hand.

Aenari, now fully awake, quickly realized the situation but merely shrugged. He hadn’t anticipated waking up like this either.

Hearing Alicia’s voice, Shizu opened her eyes, blinking to clear her mind. The moment she registered her position, her face turned bright red.

— Uh… - she began but, finding no words, quickly dove under the blanket.

— Alicia? — Aenari questioned.

— Young Master, but… what if she had taken the blanket and you’d caught a chill?

«Is that the best excuse she could come up with after thinking for a full minute?» Aenari was baffled.

— You’re overthinking it. It was just one night. Carry on with your cleaning; we’ll be down shortly.

Blushing slightly, Alicia offered:

— Then allow me to help you dress and get ready.

But Shizu suddenly exclaimed:

— No, I’ll help him myself! Lady Alicia, please continue with your work.

Before Alicia could respond, Shizu grabbed Ao’s hand and dragged him to another room along with his clothes.

— Did she just outmaneuver me?! — Alicia muttered, staring after them in disbelief.

— Alright, Brother Ao, you can undress now, — Shizu said, avoiding his gaze.

— Already done, — he replied, slipping off his shirt and pajamas.

Although Ao could easily dress himself, he decided to let Shizu help. Watching her overcome her nervousness and take initiative brought him a quiet sense of amusement.

Once she finished helping him, Shizu began changing her own clothes. Beneath her top and light undergarments, her skin appeared soft and smooth. Ao couldn’t resist lightly brushing his fingers against her stomach.

— Aya?! Brother Ao! — Shizu squeaked, tensing up.

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, — he said with a playful smile, but he stopped there and helped her finish dressing.

After washing up, they headed downstairs, where the others had already gathered for breakfast.

Hey, lovebirds, how was your night? — Rena teased, and Kazen added:

— Yeah, Ao, share the details!

Ao smirked.

Sleeping in Shizu’s arms was pure bliss.

Not wanting to listen, Shizu covered her ears and stood behind Aenari.

— Oh, our Ao is all grown up, — his father teased, pretending to wipe away an invisible tear.

When breakfast was over, Akano stood and made an announcement:

At the beginning of summer, enrollment will open for the Remire Family’s Foundation School. Those of you aspiring to be mages may seize this opportunity. For those aiming to become warriors, come to me.

Excited by the news, the group erupted into animated discussion. Ao, however, remained deep in thought.

«I have two months. I need to prepare.»

While Aenari pondered, his friends even began to argue over their dreams and goals. Who wouldn’t be thrilled when given a chance to pursue them?

After breakfast, Alfred and I escorted everyone halfway home. When we reached Shizu’s house, I tore a sheet from my notebook, handed it to her with instructions, and explained quickly. Finally, it was time to part ways for three weeks as planned.

— Brother Ao, you must visit me after three weeks, or I’ll come to you and make you pay! Hmph! — Shizu declared, crossing her arms and pursing her lips.

As you wish, — Aenari replied with a smile. He leaned closer and gently kissed her forehead, to which she shyly responded with a quick peck on his cheek.

See you soon, Brother Ao! — she called out happily, running into her house.

— Alfred.

— Yes, Young Master? — the servant answered promptly.

— Not a word about what you’ve seen.

— Understood.

Aenari nodded and, turning on his heel, began walking back.

Meanwhile, in the Pagoda:

— Do you know why I summoned both of you? — came the stern voice of the family head.

— Honored Father, enlighten us! — Agro and Edan responded in unison, slightly bowing their heads.

—It is no secret that I am old. My time is coming to an end. I give you three years for one of you to prove yourself worthy of taking my place. There are a few tasks. Completing each will bring you closer to your goal, but failing even one will mean the end.

The father raised his first finger:

— First task: resolve the conflict with the Terran family.

Then the next finger:

— Second: earn the respect of every family member.

And finally:

— Third: achieve noticeable progress in your magical or physical rank within the allotted time. I warn you, any use of the treasury's resources or attempts at deception will be punished by death. I trust you understand. Now leave me and do not disturb me further.

—Understood! — the brothers replied and left the hall.

— He issued an ultimatum, — Agro said irritably as he walked alongside Edan. If he were just a regular first-rank mage, I would have gotten rid of him long ago...

— Eliminate him? Do you even realize how many hidden tricks he has up his sleeve? You don’t even know a tenth of them, Edan smirked, adjusting his hair. You’re a fool if you think you can outplay him so easily. If you decide on one of the tasks, send a courier. And don’t make the wrong choice, — Edan warned before walking away.

— Arrogant bastard! Agro hissed, clenching his fists. We’ll see how long you can stay so smug.

Back at home, Aenari sat down in his room to finalize his plan for the coming month.

«So, it’s decided!»

If I want to become a mage, flexibility and agility will be essential. Even if it’s not critical, it’s something I shouldn’t neglect.

Soon, he noticed that some memories from his past life seemed to be blocked, causing headaches.

This must be a restriction of this world. Fine, I’ll adapt. He smiled and continued writing in his notebook.

Over the next two weeks, Aenari started rigorous training: morning runs, breathing exercises, stretching, and strength-building. By combining techniques and adapting them to his capabilities, he achieved noticeable progress in just two weeks.

The second week had passed since I started my breathing exercises.

A little about working with breath:

Proper breathing itself is the foundation of almost all exercises. The essence of this technique is to help breathe more efficiently with less energy expenditure, and as a bonus, it strengthens the diaphragm and core muscles.

Sitting in the lotus position, Aenari used diaphragmatic breathing while performing arm movements. As he inhaled, he slowly raised and lowered his arms while exhaling, not forgetting to return them to the starting position. Each exercise took Aenari up to ten minutes, allowing him to do it three to five times.

On the first day, Aenari would practice, but on the second day, he let his muscles rest and recover, as it was important to know the limit. This alternating of exercises and rest continued throughout the second week.

First day of the third week of spring.

The snow had almost completely melted. The birds had begun to sing in their springtime melodies, signaling that the time had come.

If Aenari had been very tired after his training during the first week, now it took half the effort, and thanks to proper breathing, energy was expended very sparingly. This body is really weak, considering these aren’t the most difficult exercises, he noted to himself.

Having gained experience, I learned to combine all three techniques in one session. The first thing to do was a warm-up at a slow pace. The second step was dynamic stretching along with diaphragmatic breathing, engaging muscles and joints, which served as the second phase of warming up for static stretching, which required warmed-up muscles for increased effectiveness. All of this took from thirty to forty minutes.

Of course, Aenari could do more, but more doesn’t always mean better.

Three weeks later.

Finally, the time had come to visit Shizu. Aenari approached her house, watching as she was performing her stretches.

— Ha! Just a little more... — Shizu spoke with concentration.

— Oh, seems I’m interrupting, — Aenari chuckled. His voice made the girl turn around.

— Ao-kun! You really came! — she exclaimed, rushing to him. Upon seeing the white scarf he was wearing, her smile brightened even more.

And it wasn’t just because of the scarf itself. It was tied exactly as it had been that bright night: wrapped twice around the neck, with the first end freely hanging down the right side of his chest, while the second, draped over his left forearm, either went back or slightly swayed to the side as the wind caught it, moving in rhythm with its breezes.

— Of course. I promised. So, how’s the training going?

— I’m already at the second stage! This is amazing, Ao-kun! Even dad was surprised when he saw it. Though he tried it and immediately gave up, saying it wasn’t for him.

— That’s true. — It’s definitely harder for adults to hone agility. But for now, we’re not restricted by that.

— Oh, by the way, you’re doing great. — Aenari said, patting her on the head.

Shizu lowered her gaze shyly, but her face shone with pride from the praise.

Shizu silently enjoyed his affection. She really had been trying hard and had even asked her father, Aren, to help her learn flips and other exercises.

— Shizu, would you like to go for a walk? — Aenari suddenly suggested.

— Uh-huh! — she responded cheerfully. — Where are we going?

— You’ll see. — Ao smiled mysteriously, slipping his hands into his pockets.