Morning came quietly, a gentle wash of sunlight pouring through the thin curtains, stirring me from the most peaceful sleep I'd had in... longer than I could remember.
For a moment, I lay there in the soft tangle of blankets, the warmth of last night's memories folding around me like an extra layer. Their laughter, their teasing, their quiet promises—they clung to me even now, making the small dorm room feel less empty somehow.
I rolled over slowly, squinting at the clock on the bedside table.
Still early.
Classes wouldn't start for another few hours, and today, by some miracle—or maybe Evelyn's intervention—there were no survival drills, no mandatory magic assessments, no emergencies.
Today was... ours.
The thought made something gentle bloom in my chest.
I stretched lazily, the kind of full-body stretch that made me feel human again, before slipping out of bed and padding across the room to freshen up. The reflection in the mirror startled me for a moment—my hair a mess, cheeks slightly flushed from sleep, but my eyes—
My eyes looked lighter. Less weighed down.
It was small, but it was real.
By the time I was dressed and ready, a soft knock sounded at my door.
I opened it to find Claire bouncing on the balls of her feet, a huge grin plastered across her face.
"Morning, sleepyhead!" she chirped, holding up a woven basket covered in a checkered cloth. "Breakfast picnic in the gardens! You're legally obligated to attend. No take-backs."
Behind her, Camille leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her ice-blue eyes dancing with amusement. "She bullied the kitchen staff into giving us pastries."
"I politely asked," Claire huffed.
Tessa was there too, quiet as ever, holding a small thermos that I guessed was full of tea. Diana strolled up a second later, tossing an apple casually in one hand, while Lillian trailed behind them, her hands delicately folded in front of her, a soft, hopeful smile on her face.
"Come on," Claire urged, grabbing my hand without waiting for an answer. "Before Camille eats everything."
"I don't—" Camille started, then shrugged. "Well. No promises."
I laughed under my breath, letting them pull me into their orbit once more, feeling the last tendrils of sleep and uncertainty fall away.
The gardens were bathed in morning light when we arrived, the flowers dewy and vibrant, the air fresh and cool. It was quiet here, tucked away from the rest of the academy, a little haven that felt like it belonged only to us.
They spread the blanket under a tall, blossoming tree—the same one where Lillian and I had once sat together, where everything had quietly begun to shift.
We sat close, knees and shoulders brushing without thinking, the basket emptied quickly between us. Claire stuffed an entire croissant into her mouth and attempted to talk at the same time, earning a scandalized look from Diana and a soft laugh from Camille.
Tessa poured tea with a quiet grace, handing cups out without needing to be asked.
Lillian sat beside me again, her presence gentle but sure, her pink hair catching the light in a way that made her look almost ethereal.
For a long moment, I just watched them.
Laughing. Teasing. Existing.
And I realized something I hadn't fully admitted to myself before:
I loved them.
Maybe not the neat, clean kind of love. Maybe not even the easy kind.But it was real. Messy and beautiful and terrifyingly precious.
And for once, I didn't feel the need to run from it.
"You're staring," Camille murmured softly, nudging me lightly with her shoulder.
"I'm allowed," I said, smiling quietly.
Claire leaned over dramatically, pretending to whisper but making sure everyone heard. "She loves us. She really, really loves us."
"I never said that," I protested, cheeks heating instantly.
"You didn't have to," Diana said, smirking. "It's written all over your face."
Tessa took a sip of her tea, her red eyes calm. "We already knew."
Lillian's hand found mine again under the blanket, squeezing gently.
"No rush," she whispered. "We're not going anywhere."
And sitting there—under the flowering trees, with their voices and laughter filling the air, with their hands and hearts quietly reaching for mine—I knew that was true.
Whatever this was, whatever it would become, it didn't have to be decided today.
It just had to be lived.
And for once, I was ready.
I squeezed Lillian's hand back, smiling up at the clear blue sky overhead, and let the sunlight and the sound of their love soak into my bones.
For now, this was enough.
More than enough.
The morning drifted onward, the air growing warmer as the sun climbed higher into the sky, but none of us seemed in any hurry to move.
Claire sprawled out on the blanket, arms stretched dramatically wide, one foot dangling off the edge as she muttered something about needing to "absorb the sun like a plant." Camille, always the picture of composed grace, simply sipped her tea and flicked a crumb off her skirt with delicate disdain. Diana and Tessa sat side-by-side, exchanging quiet remarks every so often, a rare, easy comfort between them.
And me... I sat there, tucked between Lillian and Claire, feeling like the world had finally slowed down enough for me to catch up.
"Should we plan something for tonight?" Claire asked suddenly, lifting her head just enough to look at us upside-down. "Since it's a 'Sera Appreciation Day' and all?"
I groaned quietly. "You're still on that?"
"It's tradition now," Claire said, absolutely serious.
Camille smiled behind her teacup. "She's right. Once Claire declares something, it's nearly impossible to erase it from public memory."
"It's a gift," Claire said proudly.
"A curse," Diana corrected, arching a golden brow.
"I think it's sweet," Lillian chimed in, her hand brushing lightly against mine under the blanket again, her voice wrapped in that soft fondness that always made my heart flutter helplessly.
"I second it," Tessa said, her voice almost too casual. "You deserve a little celebration."
They were impossible. Utterly impossible.
And yet...
Something inside me, something long hidden and quietly desperate, ached to let them.
"Alright," I said, pretending to sigh but smiling helplessly. "Fine. Tonight, but nothing crazy."
Claire immediately sat up, fists clenched in victory. "YES!"
"We should do something relaxed," Camille suggested, glancing around at the others. "A little party just for us."
"And games," Claire said. "We have to play something."
Lillian hummed softly. "Maybe a storytelling game? Something peaceful."
Diana leaned back on her hands, the sunlight catching in her hair. "Or we could make Sera answer more uncomfortable personal questions."
"Pass," I said immediately, making them all laugh.
"We'll be nice," Lillian promised sweetly, squeezing my hand once more.
A part of me—the part that still struggled with being the center of so much attention, of so much affection—shivered at the thought.
But a bigger part, the part that had slowly, stubbornly started to believe that I was allowed to be wanted, felt...warm. Ready.
"Okay," I said softly, almost to myself. "I'd like that."
And judging by the way they smiled at me, glowing with shared excitement and something deeper, I knew they understood what that simple admission really meant.
The rest of the day passed in a soft haze of preparations. Claire darted around gathering decorations from the student council's seemingly endless stash of event supplies, while Camille sweet-talked one of the cafeteria workers into letting her "borrow" extra pastries.
Tessa quietly organized blankets and lights, setting up a hidden little spot in one of the academy's lesser-used courtyards—a private garden tucked behind the music wing, framed by tall hedges and flowering vines.
Diana, of course, appointed herself supervisor, sitting in a chair she dragged into the center of the courtyard and sipping lemonade while delegating tasks with her usual smug efficiency.
Lillian stayed with me most of the time, occasionally brushing a petal from my hair or slipping her hand into mine without a word. She didn't need to say anything. Her presence was enough. Always enough.
When evening came, the sky blushed into shades of violet and rose, and the tiny courtyard transformed into something magical. Lanterns floated lazily above, casting golden pools of light. Blankets were spread out in a soft nest, surrounded by flickering candles and trays of stolen pastries.
It felt like a dream. Like something pulled straight from the kind of life I never thought I could have.
"You made all this for me?" I whispered, unable to hide the disbelief in my voice.
"No," Claire said with a grin as she plopped down on one of the blankets. "We made it for us."
"But especially for you," Lillian added gently, guiding me to sit beside her.
As we settled into the cozy glow of the evening, I realized—this was it.
Not some grand destiny.Not the redemption of a villainess.Not the saving of a kingdom.
Just... this.Just them.Just me.
And as Claire began spinning an outrageous story about a magical chicken that could predict the future, and Camille interrupted every few sentences with dry, sarcastic corrections, and Diana added "official amendments" to the tale like she was drafting a law, and Tessa calmly handed out pastries like a silent enforcer of snack time, and Lillian laughed quietly at my side, leaning her head gently against mine—
I realized, without fear, without doubt—
This was the happiest I had ever been.
And I never wanted it to end.