Leo surveyed the land where Marissa's family home would stand, mentally mapping the foundation. The original plan had been modest—a simple two-room structure like the others he'd built for the townspeople. Practical, functional, nothing more.
But after his night with Marissa, everything had changed.
"I've been thinking," Leo announced as Marissa's parents joined him at the site. "Your family deserves better than what we discussed."
He knelt, pressing his palm against the earth. The ground vibrated slightly in response to his magic, acknowledging his presence.
"Instead of two rooms, I'm thinking three rooms—one for you both, one for Marissa, and a guest room." His fingers traced the outline in the dirt. "Thicker walls, reinforced with stone supports. A proper kitchen space, not just a cooking corner."
Marissa's father frowned. "That's more than we agreed upon. We can't possibly—"
"The cost remains the same," Leo interrupted, standing up and brushing the dirt from his hands. "Consider it my contribution to the community."
Marissa's parents exchanged puzzled glances.
Leo shrugged, his face deliberately neutral. "The town needs solid structures. I'm simply building what I think works best."
Leo closed his eyes, connecting with the earth beneath his feet. His magic flowed into the ground, a conversation between his power and the soil. He raised his hands, and the earth responded.
Walls rose from the ground, not in jerky movements but in a fluid dance. Stones emerged, arranging themselves into perfect formations. Windows took shape, doorways formed, and a roof materialized as if the house had always been there, just waiting to be uncovered.
Marissa's parents stood slack-jawed as their home appeared before them in less than thirty minutes. What would have taken a team of builders weeks happened in the span of a morning meal.
Leo stepped back, surveying his work with critical eyes. He adjusted a window frame with a flick of his fingers, strengthened a corner with a gesture. The stone walls gleamed in the morning light, solid and permanent.
"It's finished," he announced, wiping sweat from his brow. The exertion had been a little more than he thought, but worth it. "You can move in today if you wish."
Marissa approached him, eyes shining with something beyond gratitude. She reached for his hand, squeezing it tight.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Leo leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips, not caring about her parents' presence. The kiss lingered just long enough to make his intentions clear.
"I need to check on other projects," he said, stepping back. "Enjoy your new home."
He nodded politely to her parents and departed without ceremony, leaving the family to explore their new dwelling.
After he disappeared down the path, Marissa's father cleared his throat.
"That was... unexpected."
Her mother's expression wavered between shock and concern. "Marissa, what exactly is happening between you two?"
Marissa touched her lips, still feeling Leo's kiss. "He's not what you think," she said softly. "He's not just an apprentice mage. Leo is a full mage, perhaps even stronger."
Her parents exchanged alarmed glances.
"And he's been nothing but good to me," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "He treats me with respect and kindness. The house is just one example."
Her parents remained silent, processing this revelation about the man who had just built them a home with nothing but his will and the earth beneath their feet.
For a week, Leo's days fell into a rhythm that brought him unexpected peace. Sunrise to sunset, he shaped the earth into homes—each structure more refined than the last as his powers grew with practice. The townspeople watched in awe as walls rose from nothing, stone foundations solidified beneath his touch, and roofs took form with mere gestures of his hands.
Nights belonged to Marissa.
They met in secret spots beyond the town's edge—sometimes in a meadow under stars, other times in the half-built shell of tomorrow's project. Her skin glowed amber in the light of his conjured earth-crystal lamps. Their bodies found each other with increasing familiarity, yet each encounter held the thrill of discovery.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," Marissa whispered one night, tracing the new lines of exhaustion on his face. They lay together on a blanket spread across the floor of what would become the town's new meeting hall.
Leo caught her hand, kissed her fingertips. "I'm fine."
"You built three houses today."
"The last one was complicated. Needed reinforced supports for the second floor."
Marissa propped herself up on one elbow. "Even mages need rest."
"Maybe you're right," Leo admitted. He stretched, feeling the pleasant ache in his muscles. "Perhaps I'll take tomorrow for myself."
The next day, Leo slept past dawn for the first time since arriving in Riverstone. He ate a leisurely breakfast, walked through the town with no destination in mind, and found himself at the river's edge. Sitting on a sun-warmed rock, he watched the water flow, letting his mind empty of responsibilities.
For the first time in months—perhaps years—Leo simply existed. No training regimen, no construction plans, no political manoeuvring, no enemies to outwit. Just the sound of water, the warmth of sun, and the distant laughter of children playing.
When Marissa found him there hours later, he was skipping stones across the water's surface, using the tiniest pulses of earth magic to make them bounce impossibly far.
"So this is what Leo the mage looks like when he's not saving the world or building it," she teased, settling beside him.
Leo smiled, realizing he hadn't thought about his responsibilities all day. "I think I needed this more than I knew."
Marissa's presence became as constant as Leo's magic. Each morning, she arrived at his door with a basket of fresh bread and preserves, insisting he eat properly before exhausting himself with spellwork. The townspeople grew accustomed to seeing them together—the powerful mage and the beautiful refugee walking side by side through Riverstone's winding streets.
"You've got quite the audience today," Leo murmured as they approached his latest project. A half-dozen children had gathered at a safe distance, eyes wide with anticipation.
Marissa smiled. "They're not here for me."
Leo positioned himself at the center of the marked foundation. He closed his eyes, connecting with the earth beneath him. The ground trembled slightly as he extended his awareness through the soil.
"Watch," Marissa whispered to the children, who inched closer.
Leo's hands rose slowly, and the earth responded. Walls emerged from the ground like growing plants, soil compacting into solid stone. Windows formed, doorframes materialized, and a roof took shape—all in a single, fluid motion that looked more like art than construction.
The children gasped in unison. One small boy clapped his hands in delight.
Marissa felt a familiar flutter in her chest. No matter how many times she witnessed Leo's magic, the wonder never diminished. The raw power controlled with such precision still left her breathless.
"That's Leo's woman," she overheard someone whisper in the market later that day. The merchant who'd previously haggled ruthlessly over vegetable prices now offered her the freshest selection without argument.
"Take these too," the merchant insisted, adding extra apples to her basket. "No charge."
At first, the preferential treatment had made Marissa uncomfortable. She'd earned her way through life without special favours. But she quickly realized it wasn't just about Leo's power—it was about what he represented to Riverstone. Hope. Security. A future.