The festival lights flickered like stars, paper lanterns swaying in the cool night wind. You and Ren had wandered away from the others, finding yourselves on the quiet edge of the village. The glow painted his features gold, softening the sharpness that usually defined him.

You had known Ren long enough to understand his silence - the kind that wasn't cold, just.. careful. He'd never been one to speak much, but lately, the way he looked at you lingered longer than before. The others teased him about being softer around you, though he always brushed it off with a glare and a muttered denial.

He stopped beneath a lantern, hands tucked into his pockets. "After the Shaman Fight," he said, voice low, almost hesitant. "Let's meet again. Here." The words hung between you, fragile but certain. For the first time, Ren Tao looked unsure