Mira waved her hand—and all the phoenixes that had been circling above the steppe flared with golden flame and vanished, as if they had never existed.

  — Alright, — she said. — Dismissing the unit. They’re tired. And now… let’s make a new one!

  She snapped her fingers—and a massive, glowing phoenix appeared before us. Wings like rivers of fire. A tail like a comet.

  — Let’s fly! YEEHAW! — she shouted and jumped onto the phoenix’s back.

  I climbed on behind her.

  And the phoenix shot upward.

  Like a jet-fired arrow.

  Like a lightning strike.

  In an instant we rose above the fog, above the remnants of the battlefield, above the clouds. The air was cold but beautiful—the sun was sinking beyond the horizon, painting everything in red and gold.

  When we climbed high enough, Mira patted the phoenix.

  — Alright, slow down! The view here is gorgeous.

  The phoenix decelerated and hovered, spreading its wings like a massive living platform.

  We sat on the fiery plumage and watched the sunset.

  Silence.

  Peace.

  A rare moment.

  — So… maybe a bit north… or south… — Mira muttered, looking around. — Eh, whatever. We’ll find it on the way.

  I stood up.

  — Hey, — Mira said. — What are you doing?

  — Making my own.

  I began gathering mana, and a silhouette formed beneath my feet.

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  A fiery tail.

  Wings.

  Feather by feather.

  — Hey! — Mira exclaimed. — Are you seriously copying it one-to-one?!

  — Hold on… — I said.

  And the phoenix’s shape began to change.

  The wings stretched longer, the body elongated, the beak became a snout.

  — Oh! — Mira clapped her hands. — Now that’s more like it! A dragon! Damn, you’re good.

  I jumped onto my fire dragon.

  — I’ll grab Noxus real quick.

  — Go!

  I darted forward, the dragon tore through the air, and a second later I was back at the camp. Noxus was standing there, chewing grass, completely unprepared to be snatched like prey.

  — LET’S FLY! — I shouted.

  The dragon scooped him up like an eagle grabbing a sheep.

  — AAAAAH!!! — Noxus screamed. — LET ME GO!!! I’M NOT A BIRD!!

  A second later, I was back beside Mira.

  She stared with wide eyes.

  — You have… a TALKING horse?!!

  — Noxus, calm down. It’s me.

  Noxus looked at me, then at Mira.

  — AND WHO IS THIS?! ANOTHER DISASTER?!

  Mira burst out laughing.

  — This is insane. Even I’m jealous. You’ve got a talking horse! Why aren’t you flying on him?

  — He’s half pegasus, — I said.

  Noxus turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

  — I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I DON’T FLY.

  Mira laughed hard.

  — Alright, whatever. LET’S GO! RACE YOU!

  We took off.

  Dragon and phoenix tore the sky apart.

  The wind whipped through our hair.

  The sunset fell behind us.

  When the sun finally set, our village appeared ahead.

  Empty.

  Dead.

  Burned.

  But we both felt it—this was nothing more than an illusion.

  Mira nodded.

  — The elves did a good job. Expanded illusion. Looks like a dead land, but in truth—a living home. Alright… going in.

  We broke through the layer of magic—and everything changed.

  From ruins rose a real house.

  From ash—living walls.

  From cold—warm light.

  Our home.

  We dismissed the dragon and the phoenix.

  I turned to Noxus.

  — Stay quiet. Not yet.

  — Fine… — he grumbled. — But if someone lifts me into the air again, I’m biting!

  We approached the door.

  I knocked.

  Footsteps.

  The lock turned.

  The door opened.

  And there was Mom.

  — Zenhald?!

  — Mira?!

  — MOM!!! — we shouted together.

  She rushed toward us and hugged us so tightly I forgot how to breathe.

  — My children… you’ve grown so much… — her voice trembled. — Mira… you’ve become so strong… And Zen… how big you are… how brave…

  I felt something warm bloom inside me.

  As if the storm within me quieted, just for a moment.

  — We were so worried about you… After the news about the destroyed city… but the elves said you were alive… — she stroked my cheek. — Your father was out in the fields. He’ll be back soon. Trade stopped, war… it’s been hard… but the elves help us. Without them, I don’t know what we would have done.

  She stepped back and smiled.

  — Come in. You must be hungry.

  Mira smiled at me.

  — Home, little brother.

  And for the first time in a long while, I felt it—

  I had truly returned to the place where light begins.