Ren’wyn looked up, and his sorrowful expression drew a sad smile from her.Peria refilled their glasses.
“To those of us that hide and hope,” Ren’wyn said, raising her glass.
The three toasted, and just like that, Esrin became a fast friend.
By the end of the night, they were obscenely drunk, finishing two more bottles of wine.Peria passed out on Esrin’s couch, mumbling about ocean journeys that made her “so damn seasick.”Esrin refilled Ren’wyn’s glass and sat beside her on the floor.
They stretched their legs out, feet interlocking on the wooden floor, and gazed up through the skylight at the stars.
Ren’wyn’s eyelids drooped, and she leaned her head against Esrin’s shoulder.
Almost too quiet to be real—perhaps just a dream—she heard him whisper, “I’m going to saveyou.”
Peria’s grumpy moan woke Ren’wyn the next day.She opened her eyes to find Esrin snoring softly above her, her head resting in his lap and his hand draped over her shoulder.
“If I wasn’t so damned hungover, I would make a snarky joke,” Peria groaned.“How’s hislap?”
She managed a wicked grin, and Ren’wyn lobbed a throw pillow ather.
Esrin stirred, prompting Ren’wyn to quickly sit up.He blinked at her, smiling sleepily, then groaned as he pressed his palms to his forehead, pushing his hair back out of hiseyes.
“I think I ate my feathered comforter,” Esrin mumbled, smacking his lips for emphasis.
Ren’wyn burst out laughing, Peria joining in, but the effort made all three clutch their heads in pain.They collapsed back down, Esrin flopping onto the carpet next to Ren’wyn.The trio lay there happily, letting the minutes tick by.
Peria was the first to rise, declaring that no one would feel better lying down.She moved to the kitchen, tossing eggs into a pan with butter and slicing bread for toast.Esrin sat up and glanced at Ren’wyn, his gaze lazy and warm.A smile crossed his face, soft and unhurried, before he leapt up and joined Peria, filling three glasses of water.
The scrambled eggs and thick slices of buttered toast helped dull their headaches slightly.Luckily, it was the weekend.After breakfast, Peria and Ren’wyn returned to their dorm to clean up, promising Esrin they would spend time together again soon.His shy smile lingered in Ren’wyn’s mind, lighting up the rest of herday.
“So…” Peria began as they showered in opposing stalls.“What was it like waking up with your face in a man’s crotch?”
Ren’wyn heard the snicker in Peria’s voice and threw her loofah over the divider.She grinned when Peria let out a startled “oof” as the loofah made contact.
“Look, Ren’wyn,” Peria continued, undeterred.“Hear me out.Esrin’s fun, he’s handsome, and he clearly looks at you more often than me.You owe Erst nothing.Nothing, Ren.And… Esrin could be fun.I think you should go for it.”
Ren’wyn didn’t reply immediately.She stood in the shower, listening to the water cascade around her and watching the steam rise from the tile floor.Esrin was beautiful in a way most men weren’t—confident yet gentle.What would it be like to love someone like that?To be with a man who was kind, devoted?Certainly not like the cruelty of Erst’s hands, pushing her into the roses at home after she refused his advances.
“I’m sorry,” Peria blurted, jerking Ren’wyn out of her dark memories.“I shouldn’t butt in.I just—I hate that you’re shackled.I hate being powerless, and I hate that you’re sad and hurt.I want you to be happy, Ren.For once in yourlife.”
“Peria,” Ren’wyn responded gently.“I’m not upset with you.I love you.But… I met Esrin yesterday.I don’t know him.I’ve always hoped for… for love, and yes, he’s handsome,but…”
“I get it,” Peria interrupted, her tone softer now.“I get it, Ren’wyn.Just… don’t miss something good, okay?Promise?”
“I promise,” Ren’wyn agreed.
3
How to describe the next three months?Classes and lessons filled Ren’wyn’s days with the promise of knowledge and the challenge of exams and papers.Shifts in the catacombs were equal parts painful and rewarding.Peria bought bottles of nail polish in every imaginable color, and weeknights settled into a familiar routine of tea, studying, and Peria’s animated recounting of her many conquests.Friendship illuminated the darkest corners of Ren’wyn’s spirit—the ones that ached with reminders of the future.
It was their new companion who made this winter unique.Afternoons with Esrin became a highlight, his easy laughter and unashamed confidence attracting Ren’wyn in ways she hadn’t thought possible.The darkness of Erst’s cruelty seemed to dissolve like fog in his sunshine.Sleep came more easily, nightmares became infrequent, and Ren’wyn found a fresh wellspring of energy to tackle new tasks and conquer new skills.Even her dark mage Masters noticed the change, setting increasingly difficult goals.Ren’wyn relished the challenges, delighting in her successes as her newfound contentment fueled her magic.
When the weather allowed, the trio hiked the woods around campus or visited nearby lakes.Esrin danced snowflakes and leaves for them using his magic, conjuring shapes with puffs of air that earned delighted giggles.He used his power over water to strip frost from the leaves, gathering the crystals into Ren’wyn’s hair like a glittering crown.On a rainy weekend, Esrin urged them outside, shielding them with magic like an umbrella.Days filled with honest laughter had been a rarity in Ren’wyn’s life, but Peria and Esrin made them commonplace.This was what it would be like to be safe and loved, to live a story with a happy ending, and Ren’wyn considered what it would take to grasp that future.
Every few weeks, Esrin threw a party in his apartment.Though he often lamented not having “real friends,” he clearly enjoyed the attention of his admirers.Despite his popularity, he was never too busy for Ren’wyn, always making room for her under his arm and Peria under the other.Their friendship became a safe haven, banishing Ren’wyn’s anxiety.
As winter dwindled, Ren’wyn realized she had gone without a nightmare for an entire month.On Lyr’ren’s birthday, memories of Vair brought their familiar ache and exhaustion.Peria dragged Ren’wyn to Esrin’s apartment, where the three sat by the fireplace, playing board games and sharing a dessert from Ishvaen made of flaky pastry, honey, nuts, and rose water.The desire to halt time, to remain with these two forever, burned within Ren’wyn.
Peria rarely used her empathy around them, though when Ren’wyn panicked or suffered nightmares, her friend responded quietly with calm and peace.One night, drunk and laughing, Peria bathed all three of them in her magic.Ren’wyn shrieked with uncontrollable giggles until she nearly passed out.The trio collapsed into a heap in the center of Esrin’s apartment, falling asleep in each other’s arms.Peria apologized profusely the next morning, but Esrin and Ren’wyn assured her they loved it.
