--
"You've been a good friend to me, Astrea— no, your name now is Neirin."
In the pavilion, the small palace in the middle of a lake, Neirin and Halios continued their conversation without minding the time. The sun had already set, and the moon was already out of the horizon, but their tea ceremony continued. The snacks kept appearing. Even though there was no servant around, Halios and Neirin were able to enjoy their time as their conversation went deeper and deeper.
Neirin removed the mask on her head and put it down. Halios still remained in a child's body, but the only difference was that his voice had changed. Sometimes he sounded like an adult, while in some cases, in their conversation, he sounded like a five-year-old child who couldn't utter words correctly.
Neirin wanted to laugh, and she did so. Halios laughed too. Enjoying and reminiscing their time as if this was their last.
