Chương 130: I Know How Crazy This Sounds

Tori opened her mouth, but wasn't sure what to say. The old man laughed once more and waved his hand dismissively.

"It's nothing terrible, I assure you. All good things."

"Oh...." Tori lowered her eyes. She wanted to ask more about the grid, but the old man cocked his head to the side.

"Countess Guevera, I believe someone is calling your comcry." Tori looked down at her pocket. The material of her dress was dark and rather thick; she couldn't see the glow easily. Still, she stuck her hand into her pocket and took out the device. The sides were pulsing, indicating that someone was calling. Her brows rose once more, and she looked at the old man.

"Anyone can use a comcry, even those who cannot ground, but it is still a crystal," he said with a knowing smile. Tori nodded dumbly. She took a step back.

"Excuse me for a moment." She gave him an apologetic bow of her head before opening the comcry and sliding her finger across.

"Hi, Piers."

"Are you coming back?"

"Yes, I'll be back soon. I just wandered somewhere and saw some crystals...."

"Crystal fanatic," she heard Axton snort. Tori glared at the comcry.

"The energy was very strong, so I was curious... never mind, are you still waiting in the garden?"

"No, I'm inside and looking for you," Piers said.

"Do you know where you are?" Tori looked up at the thick stone walls of the old study.

"Somewhere in the old part of the imperial palace."

"Old part?"

"I think it could've been part of the original fortification or settlement. The walls are made of old stone brick and the hall is narrow. There aren't any carpets or much decoration," Tori said. She made a little circle in place, trying to figure out how else to describe it.

"Go out into the hall and I will find you," Piers said.

"You may be in the old keep."

"It doesn't look like a keep...."

"Don't go anywhere. I'll be there soon." Piers ended the call and Tori scrunched her lips to the side.

"It seems that your friends are looking for you," the old man said. Tori sighed, somewhat disappointed.

"I do have a banquet to attend. I'm sorry I came so unexpectedly. This is really interesting," she said as she waved her hand towards the table.

"I've never seen anything like it."

"It is the last of its kind," the old man said with a regretful look at the table.

"It's a relic of a bygone time."

"Thank you for humoring my curiosity." Tori smiled and gave him a small bow of her head.

"I never got your name, sir."

"I'm not important," he said with a chuckle and wave.

"I'm just an old imperial servant, occasionally coming here to dust this old thing off." Tori giggled and nodded.

"Well, you're doing a wonderful job. The energy is still very strong. It doesn't look to be waning at all."

"Thank you for your kind words," the old man said. He rounded the table and rummaged through a small box on a shelf. He picked out a crystal and held up against the light, as if to inspect it. He nodded to himself, satisfied with his choice.

"You should have this to commemorate our meeting. Crystal user to crystal user." Tori's smile widened, but she shook her head.

"No, I can't take it."

"You must take it," the man insisted with a warm laugh.

"It is known as blue zoisite, but it's a bit of a misnomer." He took Tori's hand and placed the thumbnail sized chunk of raw crystal into her palm. It radiated the warm, naturally absorbed energy of a virgin crystal. Tori furrowed her brows and held it up. It wasn't so much blue as it was purple or violet. It was a familiar shade.

"I do see the slight blue tint, though."

"It's rare," the old man said with some pride.

"And it was especially prized in ancient Soleil for sharing its color with the eyes of the imperial family."

"That's where I've seen it...." Tori said with a nod. She beamed and looked up at the old man.

"Then, I will accept. Thank you, sir." The old man's eyes crinkled up. He suddenly turned his head towards the door and squinted.

"I think your friends are coming." He looked back at her and smiled. Tori blinked and gave her head a little shake before smiling back.

"Yes," she said.

"I should go out to meet them." She took a step back and bowed, this time with a full curtsy. She brought the crystal closer to her and turned around, heading towards the door. It must've been a change of the light or the angle, but when she first met the old man, she noticed his blue eyes through his glasses. When he turned his head, she caught a glimpse behind them. His eyes were the same color as the crystal clutched in her palm. Tori bit her lip. She stopped two steps outside the door and turned around.

"Are you the...." She felt her blood freeze. The open doorway, which didn't have a door to begin with, was gone. Tori stepped forward and lifted her hand to touch the stone wall that now took the place of a door. The heavy stone blocks that made up the walls of the old fortification fit together well and there was no sign of a doorway ever being there. Her stomach fell and she felt all the warmth drain from her body. A cold chill swept over her as she pulled her trembling hand back. There was a door before.

She was sure there was a door and a room and a table.

"Tori." She whirled around at the sound of her name and saw the figure of Piers rounding a corner. She grabbed the sides of her dress and ran to him faster than she'd ever run to him before.

"Piers!" Her voice filled the hall.

"What is this place!?"

"I'm never going to the palace again." Tori buried her face in Alexander's fur as she curled up on her bed. Ilyana sat by her bedside.

"Are you sure there was a door there?"

"I'm absolutely certain! If there wasn't, where did I get that?" She rolled to her side and flung her arm towards her nightstand to point at a small purple-violet crystal. Ilyana crinkled her eyes.

"You always get crystals...."

"Ilyana, I'm sure about what I saw. I walked into a room and there was an old man with white hair." Ilyana still looked unconvinced.

"Are you sure it wasn't Prince Emil?"

"I know what Prince Emil looks like!" Tori groaned and curled back against her cat.

"No wonder the old man didn't want to tell me his name."

"But to think he was a ghost...."

"I know how crazy this sounds," Tori said. She had lived through the experience herself and even she thought she had hallucinated the whole thing after a while. It's just that there was no reason for her to. She was neither exhausted or sleepy, or had eaten anything questionable. Piers and Axton found her in an old hallway in the inner parts of the palace. She had been running so frantically that she almost rammed into Piers if Axton didn't intercept her.

She had grabbed on to him and pointed to the wall, insisting there was a door there and a room with a magical crystal table. Both men had looked at her, confused. They had grown up in the palace. Axton knew every corridor and room of the sprawling complex, and periodically did rounds to refresh his memory as part of being Piers' knight. He had looked her in the eye and told her the words that made her skin crawl." Tori, that's a dead end." She refused to stay there a second longer.

The terror and panic were immediately shut down by her primary coping mechanism of rationally planning a way out to survive. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let her leave until morning, but at the very least, the two brought her back to her room. Sir Bazan and Sir Pinzon were worried, as Tori's skin was unnaturally cold, and she was paler than normal. She told them about the room and the old man, but the two female knights were more concerned with warming her up.

Another hot bath was issued for her, but Tori couldn't sleep. She had the curtains around her canopy bed closed. If it wasn't so late, she would've called Constantine to ask about that world's stance on ghosts. It sounded ridiculous, even to her, but there was a door. She'd never been so creeped out in her entire two years in Soleil. She'd wandered around the Fortress and Moss Hill, both of which had histories of violent battle and blood, and she felt nothing unnatural or ever had a feeling of deja vu.

At most, the clammy dampness and dark subterranean tunnels around Moss Hill made her uncomfortable. Old cities she'd explored in her original world never gave her this feeling. She'd walked through more catacombs and graveyards than she could remember. But this was her first personal paranormal experience, and she was not having it. As soon as the sun rose, she flung open her curtains and demanded to go back to Viclya.

She didn't wait for Axton or Piers; she just sent a note with the escort knight Piers had assigned to her and took her usual imperial carriage back to the delta village. She'd told her friends what she saw, and everyone thought that she remembered incorrectly. Henrik had said it was possible that she didn't remember she turned a corner, so the door she thought was behind was actually in a different hallway. JP had added that she did sound a bit lost in thought at the time and it was possible she was disoriented.

Albert had said many of the halls in the palace looked the same and he often got lost because of it. Tori was adamant that she was sure. She distinctly remembered taking only a few steps outside the door before turning around to ask if the old man was the Emperor Emeritus.

"The Emperor Emeritus isn't in Horizon," Albert had told her.

"The last I heard, he was in Nord. Whenever he returns, the Emperor throws a large family meal to welcome him back and nothing has been announced." Even if the old man was the Emperor Emeritus, it didn't make the disappearing door any less weird.

"In some cultures, cats ward off evil and ghosts," Tori said.

"You have to protect me, okay, Alexander?" She received a lazy meow in return.

"Good. You will be the Guardian of Cosora." Ilyana sighed.

"Even if it was a ghost, it didn't do anything to you. It just gave you a crystal and even sent you out. If it were evil, wouldn't it try to trap you or something? That's what they do in stories."

"I'm still not going back."

"Okay, don't go back," Ilyana said with a hint of amusement.

"Anyway, we have less than a month until school starts. My family is leaving tomorrow, and Constantine's party is next weekend. We need to collect all his gifts and put them in a chest."

"I already have the chest ready," Tori said.

"It's pushed against the wood sofa-bench in the main room. I hope he likes what we got him." She pushed herself into a seated position and Ilyana pulled her to her feet. She lumbered back out and called for Alexander to follow her to the beach so she could lay on a hammock and catch up on some sleep in the breeze. She did her best to push her haunted imperial palace experience behind her and focus on what mattered: making money, petty revenge, and parting ways with people she cared about.

The next day, she had a long meeting with Landon Voss. The man was older than her by several years, but seemed incredibly nervous when he sat across from her to speak. He explained what he was doing there and what he hoped to accomplish. It was exactly what Tori thought: he wanted to open a brick factory in the delta. Landon did his best to sell his skills and abilities, as well as convince her that he and his family would be the best choice for future brick needs.

Tori didn't tell him that after she was given her title, she had considered asking Madam Voss if she wanted to start a branch of Stackhouse Bricks in the delta. Landon came to her, and she didn't have to bother with any of her planned incentives. Before the day was over, she had introduced him to Professor Stakes, Architect Wilshire, who was a colleague of Architect Ebbadottir and taking her place while she was on maternity leave, and Professor Grey.

She handed over several maps and left them to arrange surveys of the delta to find a suitable place to build a brick factory that met the Voss' and Tori's requirements. Once a location was found, and Tori was confident one would be, she would have arrangements made to move Landon's two younger brothers and Madam Voss to the delta.

In exchange, they had to hire and train people from the village, but if there were one or two experienced workers in Chetterswickshire, Tori would allow them to come as well to assist in setting up. According to Landon, Baron Hart was pursuing Madam Voss again, so Tori agreed to bring her over sooner to 'help with the site establishment.' She wasn't doing it to hurt Baron Hart, though she thought him somewhat undependable for being unable to keep his daughter under control.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Tori didn't want things to get worse. The safest place for Madam Voss would be under Tori's umbrella. After all, simply entering Viclya required prior approval or invitation. Landon wanted to move his family with legitimate reasons and, in all honesty, if Tori approved the move, who would stop them? Alessa? Nobles couldn't prohibit the commoners living in their territory from moving.

People in Soleil could move about the empire; it was just expensive to move an entire household, and most people wouldn't move unless there was a legitimate, usually financial, or familial, reason. Nobles in power rarely moved, as they were tied to the land, but their relatives often did. Auntie Lucia had moved to Horizon when she married Uncle Maurizo.

Since she had planned to live there, she just needed to provide a residential address - not an inn or business, of where she would live in Horizon, which needed to be confirmed with the owner of the residence. In her case, it was Uncle Maurizo's mother who confirmed that she would live there, as Grandma Stella had owned the house when her aunt and uncle were married. Addresses could be changed if they moved and just needed to be revalidated.

Grandma Stella had moved back to southeast Sur, so she transferred her residency there and handed the property to Uncle Maurizo and Auntie Lucia. Tori thought of residency as a permanent address. When she was in college in a different city in California, her permanent address had been her parents' house, as she didn't plan to stay in her college town. All her voting was done for her hometown, not for her college town.

It was similar in Soleil; temporary workers cast votes for their chamber representative in their hometown, not the location where they were living temporarily for work. Tom, Alessa's little friend from Chetterswickshire, had been working temporarily. It wasn't unheard of for people to move somewhere for a long-term position and during that time, they could change their residency. However, most people who traveled outside of their local area to work often didn't want to cut themselves off from their roots.

If Tom rented, he could've moved his residence to Horizon, but he likely believed that Alessa, the heir to the Hart Barony, would return to Chetterswickshire eventually. If he was following her around like he did in the game, then there was no reason for Tom to register his residence in Horizon if he was going to go home.

The only reason interested parties needed to get permission to move to the Cosora Delta was because Kasen found an old law that allowed a new 'settlement' to regulate who could settle within its boundaries - a 'closed settlement.' There were two main reasons Tori thought the law existed. First was to allow the settlers to select the people they needed.

If everyone who swarmed a settlement was a farmer and they needed a miller, but there was little land left to distribute, whoever was running the settlement could prioritize a miller over another farmer. The second was just to keep people they didn't want out, for whatever reason. Of course, the law was only in effect for the first five years of settlement and an even lesser-known addendum exempted immediate members of the imperial family: they could not be banned from entering a closed settlement.

The old law also didn't specify what counted as a 'settlement.' Kasen suggested that instead of counting the entire delta as a single settlement, she should treat each new village as an individual settlement to regulate population and not overwhelm herself. To focus on her villagers, infrastructure needs, and keep her various projects away from people like Adrien Rosiek, Tori hoped to keep a firm grasp on who came in and out of Viclya.

There were very few people who already lived in the area, and they mainly lived on the borders, inland. She didn't expect many people to want to move to the delta considering it was well known for the refugees settled there, and 'refugee settlement' carried a certain stigma of difficulty of living. People didn't migrate to make their lives worse. Still, Tori knew a few workers had asked, as they were optimistic about the delta.

Some knights were also interested in retirement there, and the children all wanted to move there.

"I'm very smart, Lady Tori. If I move here, I can help you," Riri said as he sat across from her and beside his sister. His father raised a brow and his mother giggled.

"Oh? What can you do to help me? Do you have a position in mind?" Tori leaned forward and gave Riri a sincere, curious look. Riri furrowed his brows, a fork still clutched in one hand as he looked down at his plate and seemed to seriously consider her question. He lifted his head.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I like your attitude." Tori grinned.

"But I can't answer your question. Viclya is still young and as we grow, we will need more people, but you won't be ready to work here for another ten years - at least. I'm not sure what exact positions we'll need at that time."

"Can I ask you in five years?" Riri asked.

"I will need some time to prepare."

"I think in five years we can give you a more accurate idea of the job market by the time you're ready to work. At the very least, we can give you insight into what additional schooling and training you will need, providing we can't give them to you here." Am I interviewing a primary schooler?

"Riri, if you come to Viclya, who will run the mine?" Ilyana asked with utmost seriousness. Her brother looked at her, as if it were obvious.

"You." At the table behind them, JP nearly spit out his drink as they started laughing. Riri looked around, appearing unsure as to why they were laughing. His sister gave him a questioning look.

"Isn't your sister already working here?" Baron Agafonov asked him casually. Riri's eyes widened, as if he just remembered.

"Pfft...." Tori turned her head to the side. Ilyana frowned.

"Riri, what if I want to work in Viclya? You know that Tori, Henrik, and I have Lions Gate." Riri tensed and a panicked look filled his face.

"But Ava and I already decided to live on an island! We're going to build a fortress and have the kitchen make funnel cakes!" The table behind them was struggling to keep from laughing. Tori raised a brow.

"This is the first I'm hearing of this."

"Darling, it looks like both our children want to leave us to live here." Baron Agafonov let out a heavy, defeated sigh, and looked at his wife with a meaningful expression.

"Perhaps we should make a third?" Tori's brows shot up. Wow, Baron Agafonov... I did not expect that, but damn. Slick. Ilyana grimaced and sank in her seat, trying to contain her mortification as Tori and the others looked at her. Baroness Agafonova looked down with red cheeks, but a wide smile that was both shy and excited was on her face.

"Dad...." Ilyana hissed in a low voice. She looked around.

"We're at dinner!" Baroness Agafonova giggled, and Tori heard her quiet voice.

"Not forever." Tori looked at Ilyana, silently wanting to know how it was possible that there were only her and Riri if her parents were like this. Ilyana only groaned.

"Riri, I forgot to ask, are you already packed to go home tomorrow?" Tori did her best to steer the conversation elsewhere for Ilyana's sake. Riri nodded.

"Yes, all our things are packed! Thank you for all the gifts!"

"I have one more," Tori said. She reached into her pocket and fished out a small velvet drawstring bag.

"This is for you." Riri put down his utensils and carefully lifted his chubby little hands towards her to accept the gift.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome. You can open it," Tori said. Riri put all his focus on his gift and pulled open the bag. He tilted it on to his palm and an opaque blue crystal with faint dark blue lines which mounted on silver the size of his small palm tumbled out. The sturdy silver chain slipped between his fingers as he gasped. His big eyes looked excitedly from Ilyana to his parents.

"Look! Look! It's a medallion! Like Ava's cousin got!"

"Blue tiger eye is for self-confidence and protection," Tori said. She motioned towards the crystal face.

"I carved a protection charm with focus on safety, luck, and quick reflexes." Ilyana looked at Tori with damp eyes.

"Thank you, Tori." Tori waved her hand.

"That's blue tiger eye from Gorask," she said. She looked at Baron Agafonov with a grateful expression and he nodded his head once in return. The Baroness helped Riri put it on, but he ended up being distracted by it the rest of dinner. Afterwards, Ilyana went with her family for an evening walk. The next day, the Agafonovs climbed into their carriages with the servants who'd accompanied them. Ilyana embraced her family.

She likely wouldn't see them again until next summer, as it was too difficult, and too much time, to travel to and from Gorask in the winter. Tori stood to the side and only stepped forward to accept their good-byes and thanks when Ilyana pried herself away with tears in her eyes. She clung to Tori as she watched the carriages leave their little village. Sonia patted Ilyana's back, assuring her that at the very least, Riri wanted to move there with her. Ilyana couldn't help but smile at that.

As the small group returned to the encampment, Tori took a deep breath. There was one more person they'd have to say good-bye to before summer ended.

"Do you know how difficult it's been trying to track you down?" Tori looked into the modest wooden building on Nao Island, where Constantine had headquartered his project. Now that it was over and his Lycée project was completed, the job of training and organizing villagers to do logistical work in between islands was given to one of the first people he trained. He looked up from where he was adjusting the flowers in front of a small shrine. His lips curled up into a smile.

"Are you looking for me?" Tori gave him a nod.

"I wanted to see if there was anything you needed before you left." He chuckled as he stood up and shook his head.

"Are you impatient to get rid of me?"

"Hardly." Tori grinned, her eyes smiling, as well.

"But I was the one who dragged you here; I should at least see you off properly."

"You didn't drag me; I came willingly. And I heard everything about my going-away party. I think it's more than enough of a sendoff," he said. He took a step back and bowed to the shrine before turning back to Tori.

"I don't need anything else. Mrs. Jelas has a firm handle on things. She's been overseeing most of the work since I officially completed my project."

"What about your belongings?" He grinned.

"I've been living out of a chest since I moved out of the dorm. I just need to put aside some clothes to change into and it can be moved to the ship tomorrow."

"Looks like you're ready to go." Tori said. She continued to smile, but it wasn't as sincere as earlier. Constantine took a deep breath and nodded. He looked around the wooden building.

"Perhaps it's because we're so young that it feels like I've spent almost a lifetime here. I worked on this island from when all we had on it was a wooden table." Tori's eyes softened.

"To me, it feels as if time passed rather quickly."

"That, too." He turned around and cocked his head to the side.

"Isn't it strange? I feel as if I've been here for so long, yet it was over in an instant. I was just getting used to living here. I had a daily routine: wake up, work, lunch, work some more, dinner with my friends, walking around the promenade...." He lowered his head and let out a small, wry laugh.

"In two days, I'll wake up on a ship and this time next week, I'll be in Karap." Tori leaned against the doorframe.

"Are you regretting your decision now that it's so close?" Constantine shook his head, appearing firm in his resolve.

"I don't regret leaving Lycée and joining the seminary." She gave him a sad smile.

"But you'll miss us." He turned his head to the side, but she could see his eyes redden and grow wet. Constantine took a moment to collect himself and turned back to her with a smile.

"How can I not?" He chuckled, though a bit forced. He walked towards her and stepped through the door. Nao only had its foundation, but had yet to be built upon with the grandeur of their original, lofty ideas. Aside from the wooden building that functioned as an office and storage area for the small shrines on the island, there wasn't any other permanent structure. Even the shrines were temporary. There were plenty of potted plants and the beginnings of a garden in the center of the island.

From where they stood, they could see the buildings being built on Rois just across a small strip of water. Tori could only imagine what he was thinking: that when he first came, the islands had nothing manmade. Just dirt, grass, trees, and birds. Now, a small tent settlement was transforming into a town before his very eyes.

"Did you expect to see this much change?" She watched him shake his head.

"No, not at all." Tori took a step forward and clasped her hands behind her back. She looked out at the other island, as well.

"Imagine how it will look when you return."

"Return?" Constantine looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and surprise. Tori nodded.

"Do you plan to join a cloistered order after seminary?" Tori was certain he still wanted to study preservation of historical items, which would require him to go to a research institution that offered such training and provided access to items. He shook his head.

"I don't. At least, not any time soon after seminary."

"Exactly." She almost bounced on her feet as she gave him a cheeky smile.

"So why wouldn't you return to at least visit us?" Her eyes crinkled up with mirth.

"Don't forget whose county this is and who's stuck here because of it." A brilliant smile filled his face and he nodded.

"I almost forgot."

"I gathered." Tori giggled. She looked back at the other island.

"You will always be welcomed here, whether as a guest, a priest, or a regular resident."

"You'll give me permission to move here?"

"Eventually, once our infrastructure can manage a sizable migration, we'll welcome people to live here," Tori replied.

"I know plenty of workers building the village want to move here once they can." Constantine seemed to think for a moment.

"I don't know what you'd need me for if all I can do is work on historical pieces."

"Why do I need a reason to have my friends around other than just wanting them to be? Even if I don't see you every day, it's nice to know that you're nearby. It's not mandatory, of course. I'm not going to force you to live here," she told him with a knowing look. Constantine grinned.

"But it's an option. You will always be welcomed in my home, Constantine." He smiled once more and lifted his eyes.

"You know, my uncle told me that before I left for Lycée. I will always be welcomed back to Temple Mountain." He swallowed.

"I always thought that if I joined the clergy, that is where I'd end up. Perhaps, I'd follow my uncle and work towards becoming a pope."

"That's still an option, isn't it? We're still young. There is plenty of time." At least, she hoped there was. Constantine smiled, but shook his head.

"No, I don't want to be the pope. I will likely join the church to some extent, but not the way my uncle did. I don't think I can live on Temple Mountain forever."

"There isn't anything wrong with wanting to experience life outside of it," Tori said with a shrug. She walked around him and began to follow the path marked on the foundation. She heard him let out a thoughtful hum behind her as he followed.

"When I first entered Lycée, I thought that I'd return to my uncle's side once I finished my studies. I was raised in the Belcoy Church, it was all I knew. Uncle hoped that Lycée would give me new experiences."

"Would you say it did?"

"Not in the beginning. The dorms were similar to the living quarters on Temple Mountain, only with students. Everyone also only seemed to know me as the Pope's son."

"That's how I knew you."

"Then I suppose it isn't too bad if that's how I got your attention," he replied with a smile.

"I'm thankful. Since you approached me, I've had opportunities I'd never imagined." Tori raised a brow.

"Constantine, you've been living in a tent."

"But with friends." He let out a laugh and fell into step behind her.

"I didn't have friends my age growing up in Temple Mountain, Tori." He glanced down at her with a somber expression.

"You don't know how much I cherish such a chance. Many of our classmates at Lycée are friendly towards me, but distant. If they don't want something from me, then they will keep a respectful distance. Most are polite, but won't go out of their way to have meals or explore the city together. Our long carriage rides to Viclya, the room where we studied above Cafe Fortuna, and the birthdays we've celebrated here are very dear in my heart." Tori smiled and nodded with understanding.

"Two years. You know where to find us... well... maybe not Ewan." Constantine tilted his head and raised a brow, so Tori elaborated.

"If he decides that he wants to join one of the higher tier imperial knight orders, he'll need a few years additional training. I heard it's grueling and they rarely have breaks." Constantine laughed.

"But he'll still end up in Horizon. Perhaps guarding His Highness Prince Piers one day."

"That's true," Tori conceded. Constantine let out a tired sigh and she giggled. She lifted a hand and patted his shoulder.

"Two years will pass faster than they did here."

"I didn't feel lonely when I left Lycée," he told her.

"I thought I wouldn't feel it until I was in a monastery cell in Karap. I haven't left and I already miss seeing Ewan running around the encampment, Ilyana's voice when she's teaching, the twins arguing...."

"We'll miss your patience and support." Tori countered him.

"It goes both ways." He looked down.

"Everyone will be celebrating and wishing me well tomorrow night. You all worked so hard to prepare, but it will be my last dinner with you all." He let out a soft, bittersweet laugh.

"I don't want to cry at my party." Tori looked around the island. At that time in the afternoon, everyone was still working, so aside from Constantine, no one else was on the island. She'd only come because she couldn't find him anywhere else and went through his usual schedule to try to figure out where he'd be.

"Constantine." She called out towards him and he turned to look at her. Tori raised her arms and beckoned him forward with small waves of her hands. His eyes immediately brimmed with tears as he took in a shaky breath. He bit his lips and walked forward, wrapping his arms around her as he leaned over and pressed his head against her slender shoulders. She could feel trembling against her as stroked his back to try to soothe him. His shallow, uneven breaths moved against the base of her neck.

For a moment, she felt a bit guilty that she took her friendships for granted. Even in her original world, she never had a shortage of friends, especially friends her age. Constantine grew up surrounded by adults in an adult world. Even the person he seemed the closest to when she proposed to join forces for their Lycée project, Brother Cassius, was several years older. They were his first set of real friends his age and he'd only had them for a year or so. Her embrace tightened.

She'd only approached him for advantageous purposes, but the situation had changed. She didn't know how long they stood there, hugging, but after some time, Constantine began to pull away. Tori's shoulder was damp with tears. At least she hoped it was just tears.

"Do you feel a bit better?" He nodded; his face flushed.

"I do... thank you." He gave her a sheepish smile as he lifted his hand and ran it through his hair.

"I'm sorry for losing my composure."

"You don't need to worry about that when you're with us. If you start to cry at your party, I'll just hug you again." She gave him a playful, reassuring smile and he nodded. His own smile faltered, and he began to look uncertain. He swallowed and clenched his hands.

"Tori...?" he asked as he took a step back.

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Sure."