{Third Person}
By the ti the car ca to a smooth stop, the sky had already deepened into evening.
Lights stretched across the rooftop ahead—warm golden strands hanging from poles, soft music drifting through the open space, and low chatter blending with the distant hum of the city below.
The breeze was gentle up here, carrying a mix of laughter, clinks of glass, and sothing faintly sweet from the drinks being served.
Elowen stepped out first, completely at ease, like she belonged to the night itself. Amara followed, a little more reserved, her eyes taking everything in at once.
"This is it," Elowen said, turning slightly with a grin. "Try not to look too overwheld."
Amara gave her a look. "I’m not."
"You are," Elowen teased, already walking ahead.
They hadn’t taken more than a few steps after reaching the rooftop before a small group noticed her.
"Elowen!"
Voices overlapped. A few of them broke away imdiately and ca toward her—laughing, relaxed, completely unrestrained.
One of the girls pulled her into a quick hug. "You disappeared for ages!"
"I was busy, living a difficult life," Elowen replied easily.
"Oh, please," another scoffed. "Shopping and partying aren’t difficult."
Elowen gasped dramatically. "You wound ."
Amara stood just a step behind, watching how Elowen’s friends received her. There was no bowing, no stiffness and no titles. They treated her like a real friend.
Then, as if rembering, Elowen turned and gestured toward Amara. "This is Amara," she said simply. "My friend."
That single word—friend—shifted sothing in the air.
Imdiately, all eyes turned to Amara. They were curious and a little surprised.
"A human?" one of them said, not rudely, but just intrigued.
Another tilted his head slightly. "Where did you even find her?"
Elowen didn’t miss a beat. "I picked her up on the way."
A few of them laughed. "That explains nothing," soone pointed out.
"Exactly," Elowen replied, completely unbothered. And just like that, the tension dissolved.
They welcod Amara into the circle without hesitation. Curious questions ca quickly.
"So what’s it like in your Kingdom?" one of the girls asked, leaning closer.
Amara blinked once, then answered, "It’s... normal, I guess. There are similarities. We have structured cities, factories, schools..."
"Factories?" another repeated, intrigued.
Amara nodded. "Yes. For production—materials, goods, things like that."
A few of them exchanged looks, clearly interested. Then one of the guys stepped forward slightly. He had an easy posture, confident without being overbearing, with a sharp but friendly gaze.
"Hi! I’m Kael," he said. "So, what do you do for fun?"
Amara glanced at him, then answered honestly, "I ride horses. And... fencing."
There was a small pause, then soone repeated, "Fencing?"
A girl frowned slightly. "Wait... you an climbing over walls?"
Another nodded. "Like jumping fences?"
For a second, Amara just stared at them in sheer surprise. But the next second, she burst out into laughter.
Her actions caught them off guard.
Elowen blinked. "Are we wrong?"
Amara nodded, still smiling. "Very wrong."
"Then what is it?" Kael asked, now genuinely curious.
Amara straightened slightly, gesturing lightly with her hand. "It’s a sport. A form of combat, actually. You use a blade—lightweight—and it’s about precision, speed, and technique."
They all went quiet for a second, trying to process her description.
"That sounds..." one of them started.
"...interesting," another finished.
"I want to see that," soone added.
Elowen’s eyes lit up imdiately. "That settles it. Next weekend, we are going riding."
Amara blinked. "Riding?"
"Yes," Elowen said like it was obvious. "You said you are good at it. So you are coming with us."
Amara hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Alright."
Kael smiled slightly. "And the fencing."
Amara glanced his way almost imdiately as he added a bit more casually, "When you have ti, you should teach ."
Almost imdiately, the others indicated interest.
" too."
"I’m in."
"That sounds fun."
The interest spread quickly through the group.
Amara found herself nodding again. "Okay... I can do that."
Elowen watched all of this quietly. Her gaze lingered briefly on Kael. The way he looked at Amara. the ease in his tone and the curiosity that went just a little deeper than the others.
A slow, knowing smile tugged at her lips. She didn’t interrupt or try to correct anything.
She hadn’t ntioned who Amara was. Instead, she leaned back slightly, picking up her drink, and decided, silently, that she would let this play out a little longer just to see where it goes.
---
The night settled in fully as the rooftop grew livelier.
Music drifted a little louder now, blending with laughter and the occasional cheer from another table. Glasses clinked, soone sowhere started a ga, and the entire space felt... free.
Elowen leaned back in her seat, completely at ease. "You can’t just sit there and watch us," she said, nudging a glass toward Amara. "Try it."
Amara glanced at the drink. It was light in colour, almost harmless-looking. She hesitated for a second before picking it up. "...Just a little," she mumbled.
"That’s how it always starts," Kael muttered under his breath, earning a few chuckles.
Amara ignored him and took a small sip. Her brows lifted slightly. The drink wasn’t bad, though it was different; it wasn’t unpleasant.
Encouraged, she took another sip, and then gradually, the night started to unfold around her. At first, it was subtle.
She listened more than she spoke, occasionally smiling, occasionally answering when soone asked her sothing. Another drink found its way into her hand, this ti without hesitation. Then another.
The conversations grew easier and lighter—sohow funnier.
She didn’t notice when she started laughing more freely. Didn’t notice when her shoulders relaxed. Or when the tightness that had been sitting in her chest for days loosened.
Soone suggested a simple ga. Nothing serious—just playful dares and questions.
Elowen jumped right into it. Kael leaned forward, clearly enjoying himself.
Amara watched for a bit, then got pulled in.
"Your turn," soone said.
Amara blinked. "What?"
"Truth or dare."
She let out a small laugh. "That’s... familiar."
"Of course it is," Elowen said. "Now pick."
"Truth."
A girl across from her grinned. "What do you miss the most from your ho?"
The question landed softly but stayed. Amara didn’t answer imdiately. Her fingers tightened slightly around her glass.
"...My friends," she said finally in a calm voice.
For a second, the laughter around her faded in her ears. She could almost see them. Hear them.
The way they used to talk over each other. The way everything felt easy and uncomplicated. She took another drink. Just to wash that feeling down.
"Your turn," she said quickly, passing it on.
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