"What was that?" demanded Viren. His voice dropped off of its accusatory tone at the end, softening with concern as he looked at Aaravos.

Aaravos walked with his head down, eyes only half open. His shoulders slumped and he responded so quietly he was difficult to hear. "I lost control."

The air around them was eerily still. Most life that could flee Lux Aurea and the surrounding wastelands had already done so. Grass gradually gave way to drier and drier grass under their feet until all that was left was dust and ash.

"I don't blame you," said Claudia, catching up to Aaravos's other side. "You were imprisoned for 300 years! I'd lose my cool too."

Aaravos stayed quiet. His turbulent inner state had finally manifested in reality. He'd never directed his anger towards them, but the grief always had to have come from somewhere. Callum knew what he was dealing with better than anyone else. He stepped in front of the rest of them, causing everyone to pause. "It doesn't matter that you lost control; it matters that you came back before anyone got hurt."

"I…" Aaravos trailed off. He seemed torn between being ashamed or being angry. "I don't know what I feel."

One look at you like this, and I would have wanted to free you myself.

No one else knew what to make of Zubeia's words either.

Claudia tapped Aaravos on the shoulder. Once he turned to her, she hugged him tightly, head resting on his chest. "Maybe with this, you can feel better?"

Aaravos held her close, wistful smile on his face. He sniffed. "Better, yes."

She wasn't done. She looked up at Aaravos with a fake pout. "And do you love me?"

"Of course I do," he replied with a surprised chuckle rising out of his chest. "My heart has been vacant for so long; don't doubt that there's room for all of you."

"That was almost not sad," she replied.

"I tried."

Terry hugged them both but looked around them, realizing how far out they'd come. "Um… not to rush anyone, but is it safe to just be out here like this?"

"You're with me," said Aaravos, giving Claudia an affectionate hair ruffle. "No corrupted creature would dare get near us, so stay close."

"How can you be so certain?" asked Viren. Aaravos gave Viren his most unimpressed, dead-eyed glare over Claudia's shoulder. "Point taken."

A sun salamander skittered by them, one of the few things that could weather the harshness.

Aaravos stepped back out of Claudia and Terry's hugs with a wry smile. "Alright, alright, I believe I can hold my emotions together enough to make it to the old city without collapsing. Even if you're with me, it's best to get to shelter."

Viren wrapped his arm around Aaravos's waist. "Be that as it may, perhaps I want emotional support as we walk."

Aaravos returned the side embrace, beginning the trek again in step with Viren, giving Viren a quick peck on the cheek. "Callum, did you know you heave the most dispassionate sigh whenever you spot anyone else being affectionate to their partner?"

Callum coughed and covered his mouth. "My bad."

They continued the subdued walk to the city, but at least everyone else's moods had leveled out. Callum couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He continually glanced behind them, the back of his neck prickling with concern every few minutes. No matter how often he tried to dismiss the feeling, he couldn't help feeling watched. Perhaps a banther or other creature was circling them from a distance, the corpse of the city itself watching from the shadows.

"Do you have a particular place in mind?" asked Viren. They'd already walked past the ruins of the outer ring of the city. Viren's jaw was set, antsy despite Aaravos's assurance.

Aaravos gestured ahead of them. "Where else would I take my mages? The library."

Callum's unease was forgotten as he stared at the building looming before them, splendid despite the surrounding ruins. The golden, domed building seemed to be intact from their vantage on the ground, the sun over the doors glinting in the low evening light. "The Great Bookery!"

Claudia tapped her chin. "Huh. Guess it makes more sense than library."

Viren pushed the doors open, leading the way in as everyone else oohed and aahed. Light filtered through the glass ceiling down onto golden and white designs in the floor, inviting them onwards to the desks and chairs still set out for guests. Staircases wound up either side to different floors of tomes and scrolls, invoking a sense of peace instead of the dread of outside. Viren turned to Aaravos, who was included in the oohing and aahing. "Haven't you been here before?"

"It's been centuries, let me have my sense of wonder." Aaravos winked. "It could use a giant statue of me in the middle, though."

The center of the floor, directly under the domed ceiling, was a circle outlined in runes. Golden patterns swirled around the engraved clock. Callum already had his sketchbook out to draw the sun spell symbols interspersed around the clock. "There's so much to explore- weeks in Evenere wasn't enough time, and we barely have a day or two here, right?"

"Are we sure it's safe in here?" asked Terry.

Aaravos nodded. "I can sense if there are any creatures nearby, and I assure you the building is empty except for us." He closed his eyes and his stars glowed. "They know I'm here, and to stay away."

"I'd still feel better if we braced the doors," said Viren.

Claudia watched as Sir Sparklepuff wandered around the central desk area. "Seems like Sir Sparklepuff agrees," she commented. Sir Sparklepuff opened the book drop and crawled inside, closing the door. He peeked out from the book drop deposit slot. Claudia opened the door and guided him out, only for Sir Sparklepuff to happily flap his wings and get back inside, closing the door and looking out at her expectantly. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Come on out of there."

"I've been thinking about his name, actually," commented Viren. Aaravos stood behind them, using magic to levitate chairs and tables against the main doors with a bored expression. "Maybe he should just go by Spark."

Sir Sparklepuff now Spark, bounded out of the book drop and hugged Viren around his legs.

Terry grinned. "That seems to be a yes!"

"Spark is still cute," admitted Claudia. "And he can be as fancy as he wants whenever it pleases him."

Spark perched next to Viren and nodded, raising an imaginary tea cup.

"Spark it is," commented Aaravos. "We still reserve the rights to his full name when he's in trouble."

Viren lifted Spark up, playfully bouncing him in his arms. "Which is almost never, because he's a delight."

For the first time in weeks, Spark coughed up green slime on the floor over Viren's shoulder.

Viren sighed.

Calum dropped off his bag and sleeping roll at one of the remaining desks. They could all settle in wherever they wanted, but he figured he'd need some time among the bookshelves to decide what section he wanted to fall asleep reading in.

He wasn't going to get that chance.

A bright light shone next to him, so bright that he had to shield his eyes. Callum glimpsed white and magenta through his fingertips for a moment before it faded. A weight jumped up onto his arm and he blinked, realizing what he was seeing.

"Stella?!"

Stella chirped but anxiously tugged his sleeve. Callum's prior sense of dread came back in full force. "Rayla, is she okay? Where is she?!"

The portal opened again and Callum ran through it immediately.

They were outside the library, somewhere far off and barely within Lux Aurea's walls. Stella let the portal close behind them, cutting off shouts from the library as the others noticed Callum vanish.

Rayla was on the ground at their feet.

Callum fell to his knees beside her, hand cupping her face. "Rayla, wake up!" She was breathing, but cold to the touch. Her face and hands had a grey tint to them. Both of her butterfly blades were sticking up out of the ground near her, stained with drying blood. Stella made worried sounds and pushed at Rayla's shoulder, getting no response.

His mind raced as he knelt there, searching over Rayla's body to figure out what had happened. It was easy to overlook. The only sign was a scrape along the back of her left hand. What would have otherwise been a harmless scratch was blackened and raised, veins near the infected skin prominent yet dark grey instead of blue.

"Corruption. She's been corrupted." Callum's heart pounded as he rambled. "I- I gotta save her. I need one of those salamanders!"

Aaravos was only a thought away. Callum flooded their connection with his panic, thoughts coming through less in words and more in flashes of ideas as he started overturning rocks around him, scrambling around as he and Stella searched for one of the sun salamanders.

The response he got back was concerned, but he could feel the knowledge he needed waiting for him, ready to be pulled on.

Aaravos spoke directly to him.

Wait. It's dangerous-

"No! She can't wait!" shouted Callum. It didn't matter if Aaravos would be there in a matter of minutes. Every feeble breath from Rayla seemed like it could be her last.

Aaravos appeared next to him, hand grabbing at his shoulder, more frantic than Callum had seen him yet. "Callum, wait. The sun spell you're thinking of is Dark Magic-"

"I don't care!"

"-which will not cure her, but take her corruption from her and inside of you instead," Aaravos finished. "I hadn't elaborated before, and I realize I gave you false hope. There's a reason these creatures haven't been used among the Sun Elves to cure their own, but-"

"Doesn't matter." Callum finally found one, hiding under a nearby boulder. He caught it in his fist, rushing back over to Rayla.

Aaravos was stunned. "I said wait. There has to be something else-"

"You can't do it, can you?" Callum looked at Aaravos's darkened hollow in his chest. "I bet you can't contain any more corruption. You can use spells, but this is different. Fine- we don't have time for another solution."

"Callum, stop."

The command in his tone would have made Callum at least hesitate any other time, but not with Rayla unconscious in front of him.

Callum took the wiggling salamander and crushed its body on the ground in front of him, spilling its golden blood with sickening cracks of delicate bones. He held Rayla's wounded hand in his own with the broken corpse of the salamander, eyes glowing as he chanted, "Traeh ym otni ssenkrad ruoy ekat i, Traeh ym otni ssenkrad ruoy ekat i…"

Biting cold seeped into Callum's hand, coursing into his veins as he took Rayla's corruption into his own body. He gasped, eyes screwing shut as the cold spread. It was so much worse than when he'd used Dark Magic before. The miasma shot through his limbs, dissipating in intensity but sapping his energy at the same time. It was as if he'd aged a few years within the span of a minute. The day had already been an emotional ordeal, and he didn't have any resolve left. He doubled over, other hand clutching at his chest, unaware that he was crying and still reciting the incantation until Aaravos's hands on his shoulders squeezed him, gently trying to shake him out of his stupor.

"Callum, Callum, come on, she's alright."

The only reason Callum looked up was Aaravos's mention of Rayla.

Rayla's breathing was steadier and her face had more warmth in it.

That was all that mattered.

"Rayla!" Callum surged forward and held her close to himself, crying into her shoulder. She mumbled something underneath him, but was still unconscious.

"We need to get her inside." Aaravos opened a portal of his own. "Let me carry her."

"Be careful!" snapped Callum.

Aaravos held his hands up. "I know, I know." He levitated Rayla with the same spell he'd once used on Viren, guiding her through the portal into the library.

Callum ran ahead, unfurling his sleeping bag and clearing an entire table of books with a violent sweep of his arm. He laid out the bag and a pillow for Rayla, anxious as Aaravos set her down, precise and gentle.

"What happened?" Viren, Claudia, and Terry gathered around Callum and Rayla.

"Woah," said Terry, eyes wide.

Claudia scowled. "Did it have to be her?"

Callum glared at her, fist tight. "If you have a problem with Rayla, you have one with me."

Viren laid his hands on Claudia's shoulders, guiding her back. "Perhaps we should have a word."

No, after everything, Callum wasn't done.

"Are you happy now?!" he blurted out, wiping at his tearstained face. "There, I did it, I'm a Dark Mage! I have my price just like everyone else. I found my limit. I won't stand around and watch someone I love die in front of me, which makes me just like all of you. I didn't have time or a way to find a primal magic solution without getting corrupted! You're right, I was wrong, are you happy?" He directed most of his vitriol towards Claudia, but Aaravos stepped in.

"Callum-"

"Did you really not know she was out there?!" Callum hadn't shouted at Aaravos like this for so long. "You could sense all of these creatures moving away from us, but never guessed as to where?"

Aaravos's expression darkened. "I don't take well to baseless accusations. No, I didn't know."

Claudia and Terry backed away. Spark hid in the book drop again.

It was unfair to blame Aaravos for this and Callum knew it, but he pressed further. His voice broke. "Why? Why didn't you make sure?"

"I had no reason to think anyone had followed us, and in case you've forgotten, I had other things on my mind." Aaravos wasn't angry, but his low tone still carried a warning.

They were both at their emotional limit. Past it, honestly.

Callum laid his head down on Rayla's chest, listening to her heartbeat and breathing. He closed his eyes and was unable to hold back more crying, weariness and relief mixing into a weak sob. He heard departing footsteps and expected everyone to leave him alone.

Not quite.

A blanket was draped over his shoulders and Callum sniffled. "I'm fine."

"No."

His head shot up, blinking as Viren, not Aaravos, passed him some of their rations. "If you aren't going to sleep, then you need to eat something and get warm." He pulled up a chair and nudged the back of Callum's legs with the edge of the seat. "And sit."

Callum sat down automatically. He took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"It's common to not feel like yourself after using a demanding spell. Especially when you aren't used to it." Callum blinked, processing that Viren was caring for him. He hadn't even realized what a wreck he'd been. "Aaravos and Claudia are making hot brown morning potion somewhere, which will help." Viren awkwardly patted Callum's shoulder. "Do you need anything else?"

"Um." Callum swallowed and wiped his face again. With Rayla being safe and stabilized, he hadn't even thought about himself. "No, I think I'm okay. The blanket helps." He still felt cold even as he drew it tighter around himself.

Viren lingered. "I… I'm sorry," he managed. "It's difficult. I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

"It's what you've done too, isn't it?" asked Callum. "Different times and places, but it felt like this."

"Whatever you have to do, whatever you're faced with-" Viren stood tall but bowed his head as he spoke to Callum. "-make sure that there's enough of you left to make it home and still be you."

Callum sat with those words for a while.

They'd arrived at the library late in the day, and the sun set in the span of time it took to settle in and explore. Moonlight shone through the glass ceiling, as though it was their own, huge, personal moon. Callum would have sat there all night with Rayla, but the others found a lounge area with couches and extra cushions. Callum agreed to let Aaravos move Rayla to a couch. He still kept the bedroom under her, giving her his blanket once she was settled in. Callum sat on the floor next to Rayla, which made Aaravos raise his eyebrows.

"There's a chair next to you."

Callum shook his head. "If she wakes up and is really disoriented, I want to be right here."

"Oh! Speaking of that!" Claudia tapped her chin. "Maybe the assassin who's hellbent on killing my dad shouldn't have her swords nearby, huh? Good idea?"

Stella had retrieved Rayla's butterfly blades, which Callum had put with his backpack near where he was sitting. Callum and Stella both glared at Claudia. "She'll be fine. Rayla's not unreasonable."

Claudia folded her arms, staying close to Viren.

At that moment, Rayla shifted in her sleep, making an inquisitive noise. Callum bolted up, watching her start to wake up. "Rayla!"

She yawned first, blearily sitting up and blinking several times. "Callum?" Rayla looked up at him and her hands flew to her mouth to cover an exclamation of shock. "Callum, what happened to you? Are you okay?!"

"What, me?" Callum scratched his head. Rayla almost stumbled over herself in her effort to get up, unsteady as she had to hang onto him for balance. He took her in his arms so naturally he didn't even think, beaming at her now that she was awake. Rayla didn't look as happy.

"Did someone do this to you? Are you safe?" She glanced at the rest of the group and needed a moment to process it. "Uh…"

Viren had half of Aaravos's hair in his palm and a hairbrush in the other hand. Aaravos hadn't even turned his head to acknowledge Rayla and he still didn't, eyes closed and head angled back for Viren to brush his hair. Perhaps what got Rayla's attention the most was Spark, perched on an ottoman in front of Viren and Aaravos's couch, flipping through an illustrated tome of bugs. He looked up and bounded over to Rayla with delight, wings spread wide.

"So…" Callum gestured to the rest of the group. "Uh, this is everyone, that's Spark, you know the rest."

Claudia slammed the book she and Terry had been reading shut. "Actually, she almost killed Terry once, but didn't know his name until now, right?"

"Almost!" insisted Terry, trying to be cheerful.

Rayla tensed in Callum's arms and he stepped between Claudia and Rayla. "Woah, hey hey! We have a truce."

"Doesn't mean I like her," muttered Claudia.

"Right back at you," said Rayla, hands shaking from light-headedness as she clenched her fists. She winced, leaning on Callum for support. "Now that I've found you, we should go-"

Aaravos sighed, finally turning his head to Rayla. "Callum hasn't been harmed by any of us, nor will he or you be. Just as I expect you'll keep your blades to yourself. I insist you both stay and see our mission through."

Rayla glanced at Callum, uncertainty and worry clouding her eyes. "Callum, is that true? You, with Aaravos, Viren- are you safe? Are you all fixing the Sunforge like he said?"

"We're both safe here." Callum shot a look at Claudia. "I'm just fine. You're the one who gave me a scare, actually. When Stella brought me to you, you were- you were barely alive." Callum brought Rayla in for a tight hug, relief and euphoria flooding his senses. Months of loneliness seemed to melt away as his longing finally ended with her, here. "I'm so sorry for leaving without you, it's because of me you got hurt-"

"You healed me, didn't you?" asked Rayla, returning the hug but with a pitch of concern in her voice.

Aaravos answered before Callum could. "Yes, that's where the white came from."

Callum froze.

"What?" He pulled back, patting down his hair, as if he could feel if anything was different.

Rayla reached up and stroked the part that had gone white, a section in the left front of his hair. "It's here. It's why I was so worried. If I'd been more careful-"

"It doesn't matter. Tell me exactly what happened to you," Callum insisted.

Claudia abruptly stood up. "No! Doesn't anyone else see the problem here?! She tried to kill Terry, actually succeeded in killing my dad, and she's just welcome here like that? She's an assassin! She's just waiting for Viren to fall asleep and-"

"Claudia." Viren also got up, stepping in front of Claudia and facing Rayla, sincerity ringing in his voice. "I've done terrible things- unforgivable things, especially to your family. I'm glad to know that your parents are freed- truly, I'm glad- and I understand if you still harbor ill will towards me, but I have none towards you."

Rayla looked at Callum again and then back at Viren. She hesitated. "I… I don't know how I feel. You seem so different than what I remember. If you've kept Callum safe and been true to your word, then I don't need to settle anything. Not right now."

Viren made eye contact with Claudia. "That's good enough for me. Haven't both of our families been torn apart enough?"

Claudia's gaze fell to the floor, shoulders sagging. "As long as she understands that, I agree."

"Come on, now," encouraged Aaravos, reclining on the couch. "Rayla has at least one fan here from all Callum's told us about her." He grinned as Spark tugged on Rayla's sleeve and leaned against her for a hug. "And Callum has said a lot."

Rayla awkwardly put a hand on Spark's head as her face turned pink. "Um. You what?" she asked Callum. Callum looked away at a blank wall.

"Never shuts up about you," replied Claudia, sounding less angry than before.

"Draws you all the time," added Terry.

"I feel like I've known you all my life," said Viren.

"I feel like I've known you all my life," finished Aaravos, still grinning.

Callum could appreciate that the worst of the tension was gone and no one was going to murder anyone else, but it didn't stop his face from flushing bright red. "Oooooookay, hey let me show you, uh, something, anything, anywhere else," he rambled, taking Rayla's hand and leaving the room.

She followed him out of the lounge, stifling her laughter. They were on the middle level of the library, overlooking the central clock sigils. Rayla squeezed his hand. "Hey."

Callum slowed down, pausing by the railing. He turned to her with a watery smile. "Hey."

Rayla hugged him again, this time to savor it. Callum could still barely believe she was back- rather, he was returned to her this time around. "Rayla, I'm so sorry I keep leaving. I don't want us to be apart again. I should have stayed with you."

"No, I understand why you left." Rayla took a step back and looked at Callum again, as if seeing him for the first time. She ran her fingers through the white streak again, eyes wide and moist. "But just because you had to go doesn't mean I couldn't follow. I've had enough of you eloping with Aaravos without me."

"Elo- Rayla!" She giggled and Callum joined in with a splutter, shaking his head. "Alright, I deserved that." His worries melted away, his heart soaring as he got more and more used to the idea that Rayla was here and here to stay.

Wherever they went next, it would be together.

She brushed her hair behind her ear, usually a tell that she was nervous about something. "About how you found me earlier… it's stupid, really. I knew there were corrupted monsters around, but not that many during the day. I had three banthers come at me. I managed to take them all with me, but these streets are rather narrow and I was tailing you all from too far away for anyone to notice when I went down. All I got was a scratch, but it almost killed me." She looked at her hand where only the thin scar line remained.

"I'm just glad I found you. Thinking I'd almost lost you forever after leaving you behind, I just- I-"

"Please don't beat yourself up about it." Rayla sniffled. "You had no idea what kind of risk it was to heal me, right? But you did it anyway."

Callum was steadfast in his reassurance.

"I'd do it again if I had to, as many times as I needed to."

Rayla put her hands on Callum's shoulders, eyes moist. "I know, Callum, and I'll know that every time I ever look at you. It's a mark of love." She leaned forward and kissed Callum's cheek. "And I love you too, which means I won't want you to have to do this for me. I'll try to be more careful and rely on people around me a little more. I know I was as good as dead out there."

"Let me be there for you." Callum mirrored Rayla's kiss, going for her opposite cheek with a smile.

"Yes- you and all the other people we know. Soren? Amaya? Corvus? Ezran? Remember them?"

"Oh. Yeah I guess." Rayla rolled her eyes with a smile. Callum continued, a tease in his voice. "When we tell the others about your epic showdown with the banthers, we can bump the number up to four or five, for effect."

"How much have you been embellishing about me?"

"Not a lot- I don't need to."

Rayla blushed again. "I forgot how head-over-heels you are for me in your absence. It's funny no one else was able to."

"Hey. When will my penance be over for my elopement?" he asked, unable to hold back a smile.

"When I run out of jokes about it."

The exhaustion of the day hit Callum out of nowhere. He leaned on the railing, overcome with the need to yawn. As he opened his eyes, he absently stared at the broad rays of moonlight filling the library, something softly chiming in his mind.

"Rayla, I do have something to show you!"

Callum ran down the stairs, Rayla close behind him. "Something we couldn't see from up there?" she asked.

He stopped directly under the apex of the dome above them. Turning around, he reached for Rayla's hands, so excited he was grinning. "Okay. Get ready."

"For what?"

Rayla was always beautiful, but she was most stunning in the moonlight. Callum didn't need to look up at the moon- just at her- to feel his connection to the arcanum grow. He focused on a feeling, not an incantation, eyes closing as he felt something click into place inside of him, a silent understanding he couldn't explain with words.

The sensation started with the crown of his head and ran downward like raindrops, soaking him in moonlight. He opened his eyes to Rayla staring at him, mouth open. He held up their joined hands- his hand was only outlined- a barely detectable shadow to those who didn't know the Moon Arcanum.

"Callum, how did you- you connected to the moon?" Rayla looked him up and down over and over again with amazement. "Moonshadow form, just like that!"

"I've had the best teachers."

Rayla made a face. "Lujanne?"

"No, she definitely wasn't the best."

"Aaravos."

"I mean- technically yes, but I meant you." Callum stepped closer to her, cupping her face with his palm, touch as gentle as a breeze. "I could tell you- like I've told everyone, apparently- how much I missed you, and how much you mean to me, but this says more than I could. I never stopped thinking about you and wanting to be closer, even if it was just being under the same sky."

Rayla's own Moonshadow transformation happened a lot faster, but Callum could still trace the motion it made from head to toe.

She smiled at him, and the smile turned more into a joyful laugh, shared power and connection racing through every point their outlines met. "We don't have to miss each other anymore."

No one else could see them, two silhouettes in the moonlight. Rayla leaned close to him, hands on his shoulders. Both of them moved in together, lips meeting and chasing away any lingering space between them in a world entirely their own.