When Zura reached the orphanage, he spotted Noelle pacing around like she was about to blow up.
'What's up with her now?' he wondered and jogged over.
"Yo, what's going on?"
"Sister Lily!" Noelle blurted, her expression all panicked.
"What about her?"
"She's not here!"
'I mean, yeah… I noticed. Obviously.' Zura cleared his throat. "Maybe she's in the church, praying or something?"
"I already checked the church!" Noelle snapped, her voice loud enough to make a kid nearby flinch.
"Okay, okay. Calm down," Zura raised his hands. "Maybe she just went for a walk? People do that."
Noelle frowned, then paused. "She did mention something about enjoying the breeze sometimes…"
She sighed, tension dropping from her shoulders a bit.
"But still… she shouldn't just leave like that."
"Come on, this is Hage. It's peaceful. No one's robbing nuns out here."
"It's not about her!" Noelle shot back. "It's about the kids! You don't just leave them alone to chase wind and butterflies." Noelle retorted with a soft sigh. "But I don't blame her. She is trying her best, so we should try our best too."
Zura rubbed the back of his neck. "True, but sister Lily's been doing this for years. She knows what she's doing."
Noelle crossed her arms and exhaled through her nose. "Yeah… I guess. I'm just—ugh, never mind."
Then, out of nowhere, she flicked her hand and shot a water ball at him.
Zura reacted on instinct and absorbed it with ease.
Noelle's eyes widened. 'He absorbed it? Already?! He was training hard… but this fast?'
What she didn't know was how Zura trained. Not just with spells—but with something harder. Much harder. Though, to be fair, that session did unlock his focus.
"What the hell's your problem?!" Zura shouted, shaking water off his arm. "You know I'm still—"
"You looked sweaty. Thought you needed a bath," Noelle said, tilting her head with a smug grin. "You're welcome."
Zura squinted. "...Right."
Then it hit him. "Wait—why are you even here?"
Noelle looked away, and for the first time since he got there, she went silent.
Her cheeks started to turn pink.
"…Don't tell me you missed me that much?" Zura leaned in with a grin. "Couldn't wait for the sun, huh?"
"I didn't!" Noelle snapped, face heating up. "I went to the Wizard King about your clothing problem. He sent you some outfits. They're not stylish or anything—but at least you won't look like a stray dog."
"Ooh~" Zura looked at himself. "Yeah, these rags were starting to become part of me."
Noelle handed him the clothes. He casually started using leftover water magic around him to clean his body, splashing water here and there.
Then, another bigger water ball hit him out of nowhere.
"I was bathing, thank you very much. Just so you know, I could have easily absorbed it, but I let it hit me so I could wash myself."
"You were doing it wrong," Noelle replied.
He peeled off his shirt, revealing his barely-there abs.
Noelle looked away, cheeks glowing red. "Ugh… Just put these on already."
Zura smirked and slid his fingers toward his pants.
"Don't even think about stripping here!" Noelle yelled, throwing a stick at him.
Of course, Zura was simply trying to tease Noelle, and he had no intention of getting naked in front of Noelle.
"Relax. I ain't that free." He laughed and ducked behind a tree.
He got behind the tree and began changing his clothes.
"It's impressive how quickly you managed to learn to absorb magic," Noelle praised Zura.
After a moment, he called out, "You know… you're the first person who's said something nice about my magic."
Noelle raised a brow. "I just said you learned fast. That's all."
"I still can't absorb two types at once," he admitted. "If someone hit me with water and fire at the same time, I'd probably get cooked."
"You'll figure it out," Noelle said softly.
Zura stepped out from behind the tree in his new clothes.
She blinked. "They actually fit."
"I got a decent body under all that dirt, you know."
Noelle gave him a look but didn't comment.
Then, quietly, she said, "Just… don't overdo it."
Zura tilted his head. "Hm?"
She didn't repeat herself.
Instead, she raised her hand and summoned her silver pigeon.
"You leaving already? I was gonna make toast," Zura joked.
"I'm not leaving." Noelle extended her hand. "Come. I want to show you something."
Zura grabbed it, and without hesitation, climbed onto the pigeon behind her.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
The pigeon soared high, cutting through the clouds. The breeze was cold but felt good.
Zura looked down and caught sight of Sister Lily walking out of the skull. Her movements were… not normal.
She looked like someone who had just survived a war—or a long, long night.
Zura's eyes widened.
Noelle started turning her head, probably out of habit.
Panic shot through Zura, and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"...!"
He froze.
'I'm dead.'
He remembered her words: 'Do that again, and I'll throw you off.'
But… nothing happened.
No yelling. No explosions. No sudden fall from 1,000 feet in the air.
Zura cautiously looked at her face.
Noelle's cheeks were red. Her lips were slightly parted.
"I'm only letting you do this because you're scared of heights," she muttered.
'Tsunderes are best!'
Zura's arms didn't loosen. He stayed like that, close to her, eyes half-closed with a faint smile.
'She reminds me of Lucy… That same attitude, the sharp tongue… and that soft heart.'
With Noelle, it wasn't about power, or status, or even magic.
It was just… calm.
He tightened his hug—not in a pervy way, but like someone who didn't want to let go of something that felt warm and familiar.
Home.
Noelle didn't say anything else. The sky around them stretched far and wide, painted with soft clouds and morning light.
For once, neither of them needed to say a word.
Author's Note: So… where is Noelle taking him? Got guesses?
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