A gentle breeze, carrying the crisp scent of the forest from beyond the mountains, drifted through the dim night.

Nevia warmed her slightly chilly hands over the roaring campfire. The air filled with the rich aroma of soup, and the constant gurgling of boiling water echoed in her ears.

"Sister Celia, is it ready yet?" Nina shook Celia’s arm, her big blue eyes wide and pink lips pouting impatiently.

"Don’t rush, almost done," Celia said. She lifted the clay pot’s lid, stirred it with a spoon, and a thick, savory scent wafted out.

Nina scrunched her tiny nose and eagerly held her small bowl toward the pot.

"Not yet!" Celia smiled, gently tapping Nina’s hand, then nodding toward Alyssa and Nevia sitting quietly nearby. "Look how well-behaved they are."

"But I’m hungry!" Nina whined, pulling her hand back with a pout.

"That’s because you skipped dinner," Celia retorted, annoyed.

"I just saved room for something tasty tonight!"

"You missed dinner because you got lost," Nevia whispered with a chuckle into Alyssa’s ear.

"Huh?" Alyssa murmured, dazed by the warm breath on her ear. Her heart suddenly raced for no reason. She didn’t understand this feeling—it made her both embarrassed and strangely fond. Being here with everyone felt incredibly lucky and happy.

Nevia let out a soft, melodious laugh.

Nina glared at her, baring her teeth in a scary face. But her adorable features couldn’t pull off terror; it only looked unexpectedly cute. Nevia laughed even more delightedly.

Nina puffed out her cheeks, turned away huffily, and stared at the pot over the fire.

Earlier that afternoon, Nevia and Nina had returned home to find their mother still absent. Without her authority, the girls grew unrestrained. Bored while waiting for dinner, they’d dragged Alyssa into a game of hide-and-seek. Nevia naturally invited Alyssa to stay for dinner—but whether on purpose or not, she forgot the hiding Nina when they came back. Exhausted from cooking, the genius mage Celia had tossed the food onto the table and started eating without a glance. So when Nina finally found her way home after much hardship, she was greeted by a full-bellied Nevia, a nervous Alyssa, a slumped Celia in a chair, and a table covered in leftovers.

The little girl’s hair stood on end! The consequences were severe—Nina was truly furious!

So Celia decided on another campfire party. With Nevia’s mother away, they didn’t need early bedtimes. The star tonight was the mushrooms Nevia and Nina had gathered. But the cooking fell to swordsman Ade—Celia had sworn off kitchens forever, a predictable outcome. Still, Nevia hadn’t expected this大叔 (Ade teared up again) to be surprisingly skilled. "You really can’t tell by looking," Nevia thought, watching Ade. He’d probably made dinner too; otherwise, Celia wouldn’t have been so depressed.

"Ready," Celia announced. Nina hurriedly held out her bowl, and her stomach obligingly growled. Her face instantly flushed red.

"Haha," Nevia laughed outright.

Suddenly, Nina grabbed the pot with a thick towel and stormed off. "These are my mushrooms—I’m not sharing with anyone!"

Celia blinked in confusion.

"Nina," Alyssa called softly, trying to run over, but Nevia caught her hand. Alyssa froze as if under a spell, her face flushing unseen in the firelight.

"She’ll be fine," Nevia said confidently, as if she knew Nina well. Alyssa nodded dazedly.

Nina poured the mushrooms into a wooden bowl, showing off toward Nevia. But Nevia just smiled and pulled another clay pot from her backpack—she’d brought her own gathered mushrooms too. Nevia met Nina’s glare with a bright smile.

Nina gritted her teeth, snatched the bowl, and opened her mouth. "Ow!" she cried pitifully, burned by the heat.

Everyone panicked. Celia conjured a cup of ice water with magic. Alyssa stood worriedly, pulling Nevia to Nina’s side.

"Sorry about that," Nevia said, scratching her head awkwardly.

○

The moon rose high in a star-sparse sky, veiled in a thin, gauzy layer. Nina patted her full belly, leaning against Celia on the grass. On Celia’s other side sat Nevia and Alyssa, huddled around the fire. Its glow painted their cheeks rosy red.

Celia flipped through a thick book, telling a children’s fairy tale in a dreamlike voice. It drifted near and far. Alyssa felt a strange illusion—this was like a beautiful dream. She’d imagined scenes like this: everyone around a campfire, gazing at stars, watching moonlight, counting twinkles together. If this is just a dream, please don’t wake me yet.

Alyssa tilted her head back, gazing at the endless black sky. The twinkling stars reminded her of the flowers around her house. But tonight, the moon over the flower field seemed especially bright. For some reason, it looked like her mother’s face—a beautiful, gentle smile.

Mom, thank you.

Alyssa closed her eyes, turned her face, and smiled as she rested her head on Nevia’s slender shoulder.

So warm.