Dec 22, year 230

"...allow you to go, but you'll need to take at least two of my guards with you."

"But Ana will be fine alone..."

"I'm sorry but this is non-negotiable. The city has become more dangerous lately, and I do not want anything bad to happen to you. Please understand, Ana."

"..."

"I get that you want to be on your own when you're at that place, and I will tell my guards to give you some space, but it's still too risky to let a little girl wander around this big city in the middle of the night."

"O-okay..."

After Rose had woken up from her deep slumber, she'd asked a nearby maid about Lance's whereabouts. The maid had guided her upstairs, towards the end of a big hallway directly above the hall she'd entered in. They passed by countless smaller rooms, which contained tools, clothes, towels, spare parts... Most of the things the maids would ever need to have at their disposition, were concentrated behind a dozen of doors. The two other hallways upstairs, both perpendicular with the one they were walking through, probably consisted of sleeping rooms and utility facilities like bathrooms and toilets. At the end of hallway they were walking in, there were two bigger doors, one on each side. As soon as they came closer to them, Ana's and Lance's voices sounded dimly from the right room. 

Just before they reached the room, Ana walked out of it and greeted Rose. Without waiting for an answer she then continued down the hallway and disappeared into one of the others. She clearly was not in a great mood after the talk with Lance. Rose stopped at the doorway of the room, which had the interior of a luxurious living room. A small fireplace was positioned at the opposing side of the room, surrounded by a couple of comfortable sofas and a glass table in the middle. The rest of the room was filled with a couple of bookcases and desks, of which one seemed to be used as some kind of writing desk. A pen and some paper were lying in the middle of it, but nothing had been written down as of yet.

Lance was sitting in one of the sofas, staring into the smoldering fire. When he heard their footsteps, he turned around and signaled her to enter the room. Rose did as she was told and instinctively took place in one of the sofas. It was almost as cozy as the bed she had lied in earlier, inviting her to lie down and doze off... She managed to resist her urges, but her body ended up in an unnatural, plank-like state as a result. Lance gently smiled and told her to relax, after which her body softened a little. 

"I see you're even more beautiful today, my lady." He started flattering her again, out of nowhere. This time however, Rose's mind was not as breakable as before. She still felt her heart race a little and her cheeks redden, but she managed to keep her composure. She smiled and thanked him for the praise. Lance gazed over her, inspecting her from top to bottom.

"Those clothes fit you extremely well, I must say. You look perfect in them!" Lance's volley of compliments were unstoppable.

Before she'd come to this room, the maids had given her a whole new attire: A frivolous purple shirt, embedded with crystal-colored flowers, combined with a normal jeans and a pair of sneakers. She had even received a fitting new bra and underwear. The new attire was rather simple, but it supported her form well. The maids had also considered some fancy dresses, but one of the maids had convinced them it was better to wear some casual clothing if she wanted to blend into the city crowd.

She wondered why they had all those clothes, since Lance seemed to live here alone. Rose suspected it was one of the maid's personal clothes, which had made her feel even guiltier. Ever since yesterday she had been imposing on these people. She definitely had to repay them for taking such a great care of her, whilst being a total stranger. As if he'd read her thoughts, Lance answered.

"There's no need to pay me back. You can keep the clothes too. I've already given the maid enough to buy a whole new outfit."

"B-but..." 

"See it as a repayment for taking care of Ana." He paused for a second. "I heard bits and pieces of what happened from her, but if lady Flori wouldn't mind, I would like to hear the story in more detail."

Rose explained everything that had happened, excluding the details about her power. Somehow, she didn't feel comfortable telling other people what she was capable of. After all, she did not even know herself... All she remembered was that she had woken up with those four stones embedded in her hand and feet, and somehow she knew how to control them. However, deep inside her chest there felt something off, as if she was using prana that was distant and unfamiliar to her. 

When she was finished, Lance was sunken deep in thoughts. He tried to make sense of all of it just like she was, but Rose had way too little information to tie everything together. Maybe Lance could help her...

"It's a fascinating story for sure. I'm really happy you managed to keep Ana safe, who knows what might've happened if you hadn't been there... While she has a lot of potential, she's still young and vulnerable. That's why I was opposed to her coming back in the first place, especially on her own..."

"What made her come back, if I may ask?"

"As I'm sure you are aware, in three days an event called the Red Lunar festival takes place in this city. Do you know the meaning behind the festival?"

Rose shook her head. She had only heard the name, but never the purpose of it.

"Every year, the Terra region including this city, holds a ritual to remind the dead. Every year, on that day, the moon shining on the horizon is colored deep red, hence the name 'Red Lunar festival'. Due to its eerie, sinister light, people in the past thought it was a gate to the afterlife and started making offers to please the gods, praying that their beloved ones wouldn't be taken away from them. It used to be a very serious, sad day in which people were reminded of their losses and their own mortality..."

He pointed at a painting on the wall. On it, there were two firm men shaking each other's hands. One held a giant hammer, the other held some kind of mini cannon. They were standing on a dock, connected to the ocean in which tens of boats were gathered. Behind them, a small red circle was drawn. That was probably the red moon Lance was talking about.

"About thirty years ago, after a long series of battles, the pirates and the people from Vinclum had made peace with each other. The man on the left with the hammer was our lord back then, Tarroc Domevale. The peace treaty was made on the exact same day as the Red Lunar festival, giving a more positive meaning to the day. After that, Tarroc reformed the festival and added a joyous meaning to it: not only were they going to remember the dead, but also express their gratefulness for being alive and at peace. The result is a festivity that starts with honoring the dead, and ends with celebrating together with your closest ones."

"I see..." Rose's attention had been completely captivated by the calm, relaxing voice of the young man in front of her.

"Now, I could tell a lot more about the actual festival, but I'm sure you will find out on your own if you stay here. Now, you might ask why I'm explaining all this..."

He tuned down his voice, adding a more serious undertone to the conversation.

"There are very few people who know this, and I'd like to keep it that way. I am only telling you this because you seem trustworthy, and because you have saved her life. She seems to have taken a liking to you, so it's necessary that you don't repeat the slip-up you made yesterday when you interact with her."

"I understand." Rose had almost forgotten about the moment she had brought up Ana's parents in front of her. She did not want to make the same mistake again, just like Lance said.

"As expected of such a beautiful and kind-hearted lady! I have fallen for you all over again..."

He probably said those words to lighten up the mood for a second before he told Ana's story, but it was enough to give another beating to Rose's heart. She quickly looked away to not let Lance in on her feelings. However, it was already too late.

"Haha, I'm sorry, I'm making you feel awkward, aren't I?"

At least he knew what he was doing to her...

"Well then, before your blushing face becomes irresistibly cute and I will be rendered speechless, I will continue the story..."

He winked at her... Rose had serious trouble keeping up. She did not have much experience with boys, and none had pushed her as far as this guy had done. She knew he was choosing his words carefully, twisting her feelings around his finger, but she could not help getting carried with the flow. If she wasn't as interested in Ana's story, she would've stormed out the room ages ago in embarrassment. But luckily, her curiosity exceeded her awkwardness.

While regaining her composure, Lance's face had darkened, turning around the mood in the room. Based on his reaction, Rose already knew. She hoped her gut feeling was wrong, but there were too many hints that had been leading up to this. The story Lance was about to tell her... It was going to be anything but pleasant.