"...Beyond this stolen night, we share a cherished dream…"

Firefly slowly inhaled, taking in the solitary view. The Soulglad company's Scorchsand Audition venue was reaching its climax. The giant bottles of their signature dormant drink released untold amounts of the refreshing beverage like a volcano.

The heat was suffocating her on all sides, resulting from the spark machines stationed at the edges of the final stage, where she and the Nameless went face-to-face with Sunday, a Pathstrider of the Order.

She put a hand to her chest, attempting to calm her rapidly-beating heart. Was she weak?

There wasn't a set definition for the term she knew of, but Firefly often felt powerless for most of her life. Was that not what being weak was?

With the intense hotness and her troubled state of mind, it felt like she was back on that scorched earth, a survivor where there should have been none, cursed to live a fragile existence until the end of time.

"Firefly!"

A familiar voice jolted Firefly out of her thoughts. She turned behind her to see Caelus making a beeline for her, completely out of breath.

"Caelus?" She came to his aid to prevent him from collapsing on the floor, "What happened?"

"Nothing," He panted heavily, barely able to choke out the words, "I just wanted to see you again."

Really? She fought down the warmth that arose inside her and flicked her finger on his forehead, "That's no excuse for wasting time!"

"You need to go now," Firefly tried to shoo him away playfully, "The stage is awaiting its leading actors."

"All parts of the play are of equal importance," The Trailblazer wouldn't take no for an answer, "And we're not exactly putting our lives on the line like you are."

"...Is that what this is about?" Her eyes fell to the floor.

Elio's script had foreseen that she would die three times, and the first had already happened when the blade of Dormancy pierced her chest. It was safe to assume that what came next for her would be the second one.

Caelus also looked away, guilt written across his face, "Pretty much."

She frowned. What had she done to deserve having someone who was this concerned for her? Nothing exactly came to mind, and all her mind could remember was what he did for her. Fulfilling one of her dreams and vowing that he would help her with the rest.

"I won't die," Firefly sighed, "Permanently, at least."

Was it a bit out of place to crack a bad joke here? Perhaps, but she felt that the atmosphere was slowly souring, and the small smile she squeezed out of him made the embarrassment worth it.

"I know," He sheepishly scratched his head, "I guess I just wanted assurance."

"Assurance," A lightbulb went off inside her head, "Like a promise?"

To promise something so grand had never been done by Firefly before. Promises to buy a short-statured hacker a few video games, promises to get a few coats to add to a particular someone's collection, she'd done a few of those. This was unknown territory.

Caelus nodded satisfactorily, "Not exactly what I had in mind, but it fits."

"Very well," Breathing deeply, she held his hands in her own, "I won't leave you. I can promise that."

Taking the initiative was a difficult action that took all her willpower. Even so, Firefly was sure that her face was starting to burn up, if Caelus' own cheeks getting rosy was any indicator.

The Trailblazer took it further and embraced her, "That's all I ask."

"And to seal the deal…" He trailed off as something reached her palm, "...You can have this back."

Caelus broke off, leaving her to wonder what he'd given her. She peered down, eyes wide as a familiar piece of paper returned to her.

"You had it this entire time?" Firefly checked it for any discrepancies. She wouldn't think Caelus would stoop so low as to replicate it, and she was right. The slip of paper was indeed the original, complete with her horrible handwriting and the innumerable creases running across its surface.

"Returning it to their owner sort of slipped my mind," He apologized with a sly smirk, "It's not every day someone comes back to life."

She pouted, "Point taken."

With all the loose ends tied up, it was finally time to go. Caelus turned to leave but was stopped short in his tracks.

"Take care, Caelus." Firefly felt like sneaking one last hug in, burying her face into his back.

What a hypocrite. She told herself, wasn't she the one saying that they were pressed for time? But she wanted to spend just a little more time with him, one more priceless moment before the eternal dream had to end.

Caelus let her, too. They stayed that way for a while, content with living in the present, not thinking about the future, if only for a short instance. He only started to walk away once she let go, taking one last glance at her before he disappeared from her line of sight.

"You too, Firefly."

Following Firefly's command, flames coalesced around her, the familiar sensation of being stuck in limbo permeating across her being as the Stellaron Hunter Sam appeared.

It wasn't that long ago, but it felt like an eternity had passed since then. She constantly dreamt of the scorched planet where she was born anew, yet in the so-called Land of Dreams, all she could see was a boundless night sky.

Instead of the lone shoot that sprouted from the barren dirt, her eyes were fixated on the primal lights that trailed the night sky, sacrificing their warmth to bring peace to all that bore witness to their radiance.

In that dream, Firefly saw herself conversing with one of those stars. It brought her a new feeling, one with feathers, soaring until it perched in her soul, singing a tune without words and never stopping at all.

Nothing could stop her face from grinning, even within the coldness of her armored coffin. Until all burned to ash, she would fight for herself. And for him.

"...Between souls whispered that it seems…"