Fie wandered through the lively crowd, her eyes catching sight of a familiar trio—Angelica, Towa, and George—standing near one of the refreshment tables. Angelica was in the middle of gesturing animatedly while Towa giggled and George nodded along with a calm smile. Fie decided to join them, her curiosity piqued by their cheerful energy.

"Hey, everyone," Fie greeted, sliding effortlessly into the group.

"Fie!" Towa beamed, looking up at her with bright, sparkling eyes. "You look lovely tonight! That gown suits you so well."

Fie smirked. "Thanks, Towa. You're looking pretty cute yourself—so tiny and perfect like always."

Towa giggled, playfully poking Fie in the arm. "You're not that much taller than me, you know. What are you, a rege or two?"

"Still counts," Fie teased, sticking out her tongue.

Angelica's rich laughter joined in. "Leave it to Fie to fire back so quickly," she said. "But Towa's right—you really do look stunning tonight. Laura's one lucky lady to have such a fiery little partner."

Fie rolled her eyes playfully. "Thanks, Angelica. And yeah, Laura's great—I'm lucky too."

"You two make quite the pair," George added, his tone warm. "It's great seeing you both so happy. You've come a long way since the early days at Thors."

Fie gave a small, appreciative nod. "Yeah, we have. Hard to believe we're all here now, celebrating graduation."

"It's been such a journey, hasn't it? I'm so proud of all of you—Class VII is really something special," Towa said with clasped hands.

"Don't sell yourself short, Towa," Angelica chimed in, throwing an arm over Towa's shoulders. "You're a big part of what makes Thors special. We all look up to you—even if we literally have to look down a little."

"Hey!" Towa protested, though she couldn't help but laugh along.

"Besides," Angelica continued, her grin widening as she turned her attention back to Fie, "I wasn't kidding earlier. You're a firecracker, Fie. It's not just about how you look tonight—you've got that spark that draws people in. Don't ever let anyone dim that light."

Fie blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Angelica's sincerity. "Uh, thanks," she said, her voice softening. "That's nice of you."

George chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Angelica's got a way with words when she wants to. But she's right, Fie. You've got something special."

The group fell into an easy rhythm of conversation after that, trading stories and laughs as the energy of the graduation party buzzed around them. Fie found herself smiling more than usual, feeling genuinely uplifted by their camaraderie.

As she eventually excused herself to continue mingling, Angelica called out after her with a wink. "Don't let Laura have all the dances, Fie! Save one for me!"

"We'll see, Angelica. We'll see," Fie laughed, waving over her shoulder.

Fie wandered through the lively venue, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd. She spotted Machias standing off to one side with his father, Governor Regnitz. They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation, but Fie decided to join them anyway. She always found Machias's stiff demeanor amusing, and she hadn't had many chances to interact with his father before.

"Hey, Machias," Fie greeted casually as she approached. "Governor Regnitz."

Machias turned, his surprise melting into a small smile. "Fie! Enjoying the party?"

Fie shrugged. "It's pretty good. Lots of people, lots of food. You?"

Machias adjusted his glasses. "It's been nice catching up with everyone. Father and I were just talking about the state of Heimdallr. With the times changing, there's a lot of work to be done."

Governor Regnitz chuckled softly, his tone warm. "Machias is always so focused on the future. But it's a pleasure to see you, Fie. You've grown into quite a remarkable young woman."

"Thanks. I guess I've come a long way since my days of half-assing it in class," Fie smirked.

"I've heard stories about your time at Thors," the Governor laughed. "It seems you've left quite the impression on Machias."

Machias coughed, clearly a bit flustered. "Fie's always had her own way of doing things, but she's a reliable ally."

Fie gave him a teasing look. "Was that a compliment, Machias? Careful, you're starting to sound soft."

"Don't push your luck," Machias said with a slight smirk.

Governor Regnitz smiled fondly at their banter. "It's good to see the bonds you've all formed in Class VII. As a father, it's reassuring to know that my son has such steadfast friends."

"Machias is a good guy. A little stiff sometimes, but he's got a good heart. You should be proud," Fie said.

Machias's ears turned slightly red, and he adjusted his glasses again. "You don't have to say it like that, Fie."

The conversation shifted to lighter topics as they stood together, discussing the party, the food, and the people they'd met. Fie found herself enjoying the easy camaraderie of the moment, even with Machias's occasional flustered responses.

As they wrapped up their chat, Governor Regnitz looked at Fie with a kind expression. "Thank you for stopping by, Fie. It's been a pleasure speaking with you. And Machias," he added, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "make sure to take some time to enjoy yourself tonight. You've earned it."

"You heard the man. Lighten up, Machias. It's a party," Fie said.

Machias sighed but smiled. "I'll do my best. Enjoy the rest of the evening, Fie."

Fie scanned the crowd, her eyes lighting up when she spotted Gaius standing with two people she immediately recognized as his parents. The family resemblance was unmistakable—the same calm demeanor and warm smiles that Gaius exuded were present in his mother and father as well. Feeling a sudden tug of curiosity and affection for her friend, Fie made her way over to them.

"Hey, Gaius!" she called out as she approached.

Gaius turned, his face lighting up with one of his trademark serene smiles. "Fie! It's good to see you. Come, my parents would be pleased to speak with you."

He gestured toward the older couple, who were already beaming at her. "Mother, Father, you remember Fie, one of my friends from Class VII."

Fatima clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with kindness. "Ah, Fie! We've missed you. Our children hope you'll visit soon, so they can nap with you in the Highlands once more."

"Wait, that wasn't a dream?" Fie said with wide eyes.

Lockey extended a hand, his grip firm yet gentle when Fie shook it. "Greetings, Fie. You know, your classmates all enjoyed the Highlands, but I feel as though this was especially true for you. I can still vividly recall the smile on your face as you ran through the fields, twirling about and scattering grass to the wind before falling into to the earth. The way you inhaled the air so deeply, running your hands into the soil before falling into a peaceful slumber…it was as though you were a child of the Highlands."

Fie scratched the back of her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Oh, you saw that. Well, uh…it's a nice place. Really nice. Amazing. And you and your kids are great too. I guess…it all made me feel like a normal kid without any worldly troubles for a while or whatever…" she trailed off, glancing awkwardly at the floor.

Fatima chuckled softly. "You honor us, Fie."

As they continued chatting, Fie found herself increasingly charmed by Gaius's parents, and the bond Gaius had with them.

Their conversation meandered through topics ranging from life in the Nord Highlands to Gaius and Fie reminiscing over the adventures Class VII had faced together. The family shared stories about Gaius's siblings and the simple joys of their life back home, which made Fie smile and laugh more than she'd expected.

When it was time to part, Fatima gave Fie a warm hug. "You're welcome to visit us in the Highlands anytime, my dear. We'll make sure there's a warm meal and soft bed waiting for you."

"Yes, we would be overjoyed to have you," Gaius said.

"Thanks," Fie said, her voice tinged with gratitude. "I'll be sure to take you up on that."

With a final wave, Fie wandered off into the crowd, her heart feeling lighter. Moments like these, surrounded by people who cared so deeply for one another, reminded her of the bonds that made everything worth it.

Fie found a quiet corner where Emma sat, gently petting Celine, who was curled up in her lap. The cat's tail swished lazily as Emma hummed softly. Spotting Fie, Emma smiled and waved her over.

"Hi, Fie," Emma said warmly. "Enjoying the party so far?"

"Yeah, it's been great," Fie replied, sitting cross-legged on the floor beside them. "You two look cozy over here. Taking a breather?"

"Something like that," Emma replied with a chuckle. "Celine needed a quiet spot, so I decided to join her for a bit."

Celine let out a soft "hmph" but didn't lift her head from Emma's lap. "Don't act like you're doing me a favor. I'm perfectly fine on my own."

Fie smirked. "Sure you are. You're just soaking up all the attention."

Before Celine could retort, the air around them seemed to shift, and Fie felt a subtle ripple of something. A moment later, Vita Clotilde materialized in front of them, her signature calm, breezy smile firmly in place.

Emma immediately set Celine on a nearby chair and stood, planting her hands on her hips. "Vita! What are you doing here? You're taking a tremendous risk just showing up!"

Vita laughed lightly, brushing a lock of hair over her shoulder. "Oh, Emma, always so serious. But don't worry—I've taken precautions. It was worth it to see you again."

Fie blinked, glancing around. Nobody else in the room seemed to react to Vita's sudden appearance. Turning back to her, Fie tilted her head. "Wait, how come nobody's freaking out? You're, like, standing right here."

Vita's smile widened. "Sharp as ever, Fie. I'm using a spell to conceal my presence. To everyone else, it's as though I'm not here at all."

"Whoa," Fie said, her eyes wide. "That's kind of overpowered."

Vita chuckled, a musical sound that seemed to fill the space. "It does have its limits, dear. The moment I try to exert aura, channel an Art, or even show hostile intent, the spell will break, and I'll be quite visible. So, as far as combat advantages go, it's far from perfect."

"Ah, got it," Fie replied, grinning. "Well, I'm glad you could make it. And, uh… I'm sorry about what happened to Grianos."

Vita's expression softened, her usual aloofness giving way to a moment of genuine gratitude. "Thank you, Fie. I admit, it's tempting to take revenge right here and now, but I won't spoil your special night with such things."

Before anyone could respond, Rean approached, looking slightly confused as he noticed Fie and Emma seemingly talking to thin air.

"Hey, what's going on over here?" Rean asked, his gaze flickering between them.

"Oh, just catching up with an old friend," Vita said, dropping her invisibility spell with a graceful wave of her hand.

Rean froze, his eyes widening. "V-Vita?! What are you doing here?"

Vita smirked, stepping closer to him. "Relax, dear Rean. I'm only here to celebrate your achievements. And perhaps to tease you a little, of course."

As Rean stammered, Vita leaned in ever so slightly, her playful grin growing. "Tell me, how does it feel to have so many lovely ladies vying for your attention tonight? Would it trouble you terribly if one more were added to that number?"

Rean's face turned red, and he stumbled over his words. Fie stifled a laugh, standing up and brushing herself off. "Alright, I'm gonna leave you guys to it. Have fun!"

Then she slipped away, glancing back once to see Rean flustered while Vita laughed, clearly enjoying herself. Emma looked somewhere between exasperated and amused, and Celine, now perched on Emma's shoulder, watched the scene with an unamused glare.

Fie smiled to herself as she rejoined the crowd, thinking how even the strangest of encounters felt right at home on a night like this.