The city of Illyara was alive with the sounds of joy and celebration, the air filled with the smell of roasted meat and sweet treats. Brightly colored banners hung from every corner, and the streets were packed with people enjoying the winter festival. It was the last celebration before the year ended, and the excitement in the air was palpable. Children ran between the game stalls, laughing as they tried their luck at winning prizes, while merchants shouted, trying to attract customers to their booths.
Damian, now thirteen, stood on the edge of the bustling square, watching it all with mild amusement. Beside him, his four-year-old brother, Ewan, tugged at his sleeve with boundless energy.
"Damie! Damie!" Ewan's small hand gripped his older brother's coat as he hopped in place. "Let's play games! That one! That one!" he said, pointing at a ring toss game, his words broken and enthusiastic.
"No," Damian replied, his voice level and calm, pulling Ewan away from the stalls for the umpteenth time. "We need to find Mom and Dad first."
Ewan pouted, his big eyes pleading as he tugged harder. "Please, Damie! Play with me! Fun! Fun!"
Damian sighed, glancing down at his brother. "We can't just run off, Ewan. We'll get lost."
"Not lost! Games! Fun!" Ewan's small voice was determined, as if this was the most important battle of his young life.
Damian rubbed his temple, resisting the urge to give in. His little brother had a knack for wearing him down with his endless enthusiasm. The city was large, and with the festival crowd, finding their parents was proving more difficult than he had expected. Ewan's persistence didn't help matters.
"Look," Damian said, trying to reason with him. "We'll find Mom and Dad, and then we can try some games. Deal?"
Ewan's face scrunched up in contemplation, as if this was a tough negotiation. "Deal!" he finally agreed, although it didn't stop him from dragging Damian towards another brightly lit stall.
They continued walking through the crowd, Damian keeping a careful eye on Ewan as he led the way. After a few minutes, Ewan stopped pulling and looked up at his brother. "Damie, where Mom and Dad?"
"We'll find them soon," Damian reassured, though he wasn't entirely sure himself.
As they navigated the crowd, weaving between groups of festival-goers, they suddenly bumped into someone.
"Thought it was you," a familiar voice said.
Damian looked up, surprised, and saw the girl from the library. She was standing with her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with amusement. Her brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and her casual smirk was as sharp as ever.
"You?" Damian blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, it's a festival," the girl replied, rolling her eyes as if the answer was obvious. "Didn't I say I'd stick around?"
"I... forgot about that and that as years ago," Damian muttered.
Before he could say more, Ewan tugged on Damian's coat again, staring wide-eyed at the girl. "Pretty lady! Pretty lady, play games with me!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his toes with excitement.
The girl chuckled, crouching down to Ewan's level. "Pretty lady, huh?" she teased, ruffling his hair. "What do you want to play, little guy?"
Damian sighed, trying to hide his growing irritation. "Ewan, we need to find Mom and Dad first."
But Ewan ignored his brother, grabbing the girl's hand. "Games! Games! Pretty lady, play!"
The girl raised an eyebrow at Damian, smirking. "Looks like you've got your hands full with this one."
Damian shot her an exasperated look. "He's relentless."
"Well, we can't disappoint him, can we?" she said, standing up and letting Ewan pull her toward a nearby game stall. "Let's play some games."
"Seriously?" Damian groaned but followed, knowing he had no choice now.
They spent the next half hour playing various game stalls, with Ewan cheering every time he managed to toss a ring or pop a balloon. The girl, whose name Damian still didn't know, seemed to enjoy herself, teasing both Ewan and Damian with lighthearted jabs.
"Fish eyes, you're terrible at this," she laughed after Damian missed a shot at a shooting game.
"I'm not trying," Damian shot back, but his usual calm demeanor was slipping in the face of her constant teasing.
By the time they had finished, Ewan had won a small stuffed toy, which he clutched to his chest proudly. "Damie! I won! Look!" he beamed.
"Yeah, you did," Damian said, patting his head. "Now let's find Mom and Dad."
They walked through the crowd again, this time with Ewan's excitement slightly subdued by his new prize. After a few minutes of searching, they finally spotted their parents standing near a large fountain, waiting for them.
"There they are," Damian said, relieved.
As they approached, Amara noticed the girl with them and raised an eyebrow. "Who's this?"
Before Damian could answer, the girl stepped forward and introduced herself with a confident smile. "I'm Mira," she said. "Just a friend of Damian's."
"A friend, huh?" Nathaniel said, a teasing smile forming on his face. "I didn't know Damian had any friends around here, let alone a girl."
Damian groaned inwardly. "It's not like that."
Liana laughed softly. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mira. You're welcome to join us for the fireworks if you'd like."
Mira nodded. "I'll stick around for a bit. Wouldn't want to miss the show."
As the family settled into a spot near the plaza, the sky began to darken, signaling the start of the fireworks display. People gathered around, their voices growing quieter as they anticipated the spectacle.
Allistair leaned toward Damian, grinning mischievously. "So, Damian, is this your girlfriend?"
Damian shot his father an annoyed look. "No, Dad. She's just a friend."
"Just a friend, huh?" Nathaniel winked.
Mira chuckled from beside him. "You're getting teased by your parents? That's cute."
Damian sighed. "Can we just enjoy the fireworks, please?"
As the first burst of color lit up the night sky, Mira leaned closer to Damian. "Hey," she said, her voice low enough that only he could hear. "The entrance exams for the military academy are in three months. Think you'll be joining?"
Damian shook his head, keeping his eyes on the sky. "No. I'm not interested in that. I'm going to apply for the scholar exam."
Mira smirked, her violet eyes gleaming in the flickering light of the fireworks. "I figured as much. You're still as boring as ever, Fish Eyes."
Damian sighed at the nickname but didn't argue. He wasn't going to let her provoke him, not during the festival.
As the final bursts of fireworks lit up the sky, everyone stood in awe at the dazzling display. The bright colors reflected off the snow-covered streets, turning the entire city into a glowing wonderland.
Mira stood beside him, her teasing momentarily forgotten as she watched the sky. "It's the New Year," she said softly. "A fresh start."
Damian nodded, feeling a strange sense of peace despite the chaos of the festival. It was the beginning of something new, even if he wasn't sure what that was yet.
As the last firework faded from the sky, Mira turned to him with a small smile. "Well, see you when I see you, Fish Eyes. I really thought something interesting would happen tonight, but I guess not."
Damian smirked. "Sorry to disappoint."
She waved as she walked off into the crowd, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.