Damien woke up and lifted his hand into the air as usual before faltering, allowing it to fall back to his side. Depressing to wake up in this manner, but it had become so routine to scratch Alexa's wing to be let out that he still did it without thinking.

He sat up and stretched as a weight leapt off his chest, Jasper scampering for the door.

Once done stretching, he hopped out of bed and set into the forms as usual. It again felt strange not to have a companion to do this with but he managed.

He finished up after one rotation through and moved downstairs to make himself and his father breakfast. He was supposed to go through a couple of rotations of the forms to really loosen up, but it had started feeling empty and tiring alone. Instead, he spent this morning time making his dad food. The man wasn't good at preparing meals and Damien had taken it upon himself to handle it.

He finished making their meal and left the kitchen, entering Garrett's shop where he was huddled over the workbench as usual.

Alexa, Emily, and Kastra had left about a month ago. No complications had befallen them from what he could tell through the bond and his general approximation of their location was getting further and further away by the day, so all seemed to be going well save for the feelings of anxiety coming from Alexa.

The first few days had been rough. Not having the usual warmth of their two bodies to sleep next to instilled in him a feeling of loss and the cold night air only served to enhance it. He did his best to prevent the loneliness from taking over, yet it permeated his body every time he entered his room. The feeling lessened slightly when Alexa and even Kastra's own feelings of loss seeped through, bringing him comfort to know they missed him already too.

Still, he didn't sleep that first night.

Vanessa came over the following day to check up on him and denied his requests for her to sleep over. While it wouldn't be too big of a hassle for her to sleep over literally every day until Alexa and Kastra got home, she'd expressed the need for him to be comfortable being alone again.

He tossed and turned the second night as well.

Finally, on the third night, Damien decided to steal Jasper from his father's room and the warm body of the fox eventually helped him fall asleep, waking up the next day well into the afternoon. Since then, Jasper had been his replacement for the two missing pieces in his life and he'd begun to get better at controlling his feelings of solitude. Eventually, the fox was no longer needed, but had begun a habit of sleeping with him on and off already. Thus, his days began to continue as normal. Normal without the usual sparring session and other influences Alexa had.

He'd taken to once again spending that time observing his father's work like he used to, spending time with him and Marci as they toiled in the shop. The little Fae had made herself a pair of goggle-like glasses and was beginning to look like the perfect imitation of a mad scientist to his great amusement. She had started to calm down a lot more from her usual antics once Kastra moved in but now was steadily ramping back up the longer and longer her favorite fairy was gone.

"Breakfast, Pops," Damien announced, walking into the shop and setting their food on the bench.

Garrett turned and saw the assortment of rolls, eggs, and small meat strips lined up for them and smiled, stopping his work and pulling up a chair. Damien settled into his own, both choosing to eat here rather than at the table.

Their days always started in this manner and branched out from there, lonely in the sense that they both missed their partners but less so with each other's presence. It wasn't nearly as loud or excitable without the girls around, but they found the time relaxing in its own way, spending it together as father and son.

The clock continued to tick around them as their world moved through the days at a sprint.

Winter became spring and spring became late summer as Damien and Emily traveled to Hathen to welcome Alexa and Kastra back for the three months she'd be able to stay.

Damien was excited for a multitude of reasons. For one, he'd never been able to convince Emily to take him back to the lake and though they would take mini trips into the nearby dungeons on occasion for him to work on his swordsmanship, he never really got to get out a ton. Leaving the house was always a vacation. He swore to himself that when they graduated from the Aademy, he would set out and find out what the world was like on his own.

The second reason was Alexa and Kastra. Friends weren't something he'd made other than Vanessa as all the Humans his age were obsessed with being immature and there were no other Celestials in his Village. The prospect of having them both home was exciting, made all that much more so from the feelings flowing to him from their side of the bond.

Kastra had been a rock for them both throughout their time apart. After the first few months had passed, Damien had been able to keep his emotions in check enough to attempt to help Alexa with her rampaging ones, but before that, Kastra had been the lighthouse. Lonely, anxious, nervous, scared, sad... nearly once a day he or Alexa would be wracked with some type of mental ailment, and it would begin to spiral out of control until Kastra stepped in, always sharing comfort or warmth. It was a blessing.

Only once had he felt feelings of sadness come from the Fae and it had surprised him to no end. About eight months in she'd broadcasted a feeling of utter sadness and defeat, waking him from his sleep from how strong they'd been. He'd noticed Alexa was asleep and tried to reassure the Fae in his sleep-addled state, yet nothing he did fixed her mood and in fact, they only served to impact his emotions. After that night, she didn't seem to feel sadness. He'd always wondered what had happened.

Time had passed though, and they were to be back soon. He'd noticed about three months ago when the desire to see the two girls had kicked in and it had begun to get worse, slowly eating him alive day by day. He began to want to make the trip to see them at the Academy no matter how impractical. Finally, the day came when Emily began preparing to travel to Hathen and he begged to be brought along. She'd told him it would be best if he stayed back, saving on the amount of horses they would need if he were to come along, but still he'd insisted and she'd relented with the condition that he'd need to catch his own meals and get his own water if he wanted to. He'd agreed immediately.

When they'd begun the trip, his anxiety had subsided somewhat. Moving toward the girls, actively attempting to reach them, seemed to lessen the consuming desire in him, if only slightly. About halfway through the trip, he'd noticed both girls expressing the same tension he was feeling as the Equals pact slowly got to them as well, taking more time presumably from their proximity to each other.

Today, it was at an all-time high. He stood in their room at the Inn they'd chosen for its proximity to the receiver, pacing back and forth. The girls were to return tomorrow after spending all day today packing and checking out of their dorms, yet it felt like one more day would literally kill him if he didn't at least try to see them. He'd already asked to see the receiver where they'd arrive three times today, and it wasn't even noon yet. Noon meaning fifteen o'clock with their thirty-hour days, which only served to make it worse every time he thought about it.

Emily sat on the bed trying to talk with him, but he couldn't hear her words. The pact was turning him obsessive at this point and it was taking all he had to stay in their room. She'd tried everything to calm him down since they'd arrived two days ago, but nothing helped and he hadn't even been able to sleep last night.

Biting his nails while looking out the window, something in him clicked as he sprinted out their door and down the stairs. Emily had shouted something at him but he couldn't hear it over the feeling of absolute relief in his chest.

Sprinting out the door of the Inn they'd been staying at, he hooked right and attempted to speed down the street at his fastest pace but was grabbed by the back of his shirt and hoisted up.

"Please let go they're coming I can feel it! Let me go or come with me just move that way please mom!" he shouted while pointing.

Like an addict trying to get his fix: all-consuming.

They didn't move for a second as he actively listened for her response, doing his best to quiet the demands his mind was making.

"You should have just told me. You were about to give yourself away, you know?" she said, taking off down the street faster than he could have.

The anxiety slowly faded away as his mind began to work again. A calm, chilly relaxation flowed through his body the closer they moved in the direction he was certain the girls would be waiting.

They arrived after five minutes of sprinting to an open plaza that was roped off and heavily guarded. In the center of it, a large circular stone was set in the ground, about fifty feet in diameter. The receiver.

No one was allowed in this area at all times and anyone who attempted to go beyond the rope was either killed or detained in some way. If someone was in it when a party came through the other side there was a very real possibility that they would teleport directly inside of the intruder, killing them both. It had only happened once in the entire time they'd had the transfer gate and was considered thereafter attempted murder to enter without permission.

When Damien saw the plaza his eyes lit up as Emily transported him to the waiting area. If she wasn't holding onto him he may very well have jumped the rope, but she was so he didn't. Not to say he didn't still try though.

"Can I help you?" a large sentry asked, walking up to them.

Damien looked the man up and down before climbing up to Emily's shoulders to see around him. He was blocking the view.

"No, we are just waiting for some friends who will be coming through," she said, prompting the guard to look down at a parchment he held.

"Last name?" he asked while staring inquisitively up at Damien.

"N'moran," Emily replied.

"Not on the list. She's there for tomorrow though, ma'am. I believe you showed ear-"

"They're coming today," Damien declared, interrupting the man.

The guard cocked his eyebrows at Damien's statement before speaking again.

"I'm pretty sure they're not, boy. They signed up to transfer tomorrow morning."

"No, it will be today," Damien asserted, not taking his eyes away from the plaza.

The sentry stared up at him awkwardly as a few seconds passed before glancing back to his parchment. Finally, he looked to Emily.

"Rigghhht... well, just keep him from doing anything dangerous, ma'am. And may I suggest not bringing the boy next time," he finished, walking back to his post.

Seconds turned into minutes as they stood there waiting, staring at nothing. Emily said nothing and only kept a firm hold on Damien's ankle while he sat on her shoulders. He was thankful for it.

Gregersen stood at his post, sighing at the boring duty. Being assigned to the receiver was everyone's least enjoyed daily post, but someone had to do it and they all took shifts. Today, it was his squad's.

Looking down at the list he'd been given prior to the start of the day showed him one name left before he'd be allowed to head to the pub with his men. It had become a tradition for them all to go once this particular job ended and he could not wait.

Finally, the stones lit up, indicating a transfer was about to be sent. The mentally suspect boy behind him let out a squeal of delight and then a cry of agony as a family of three came out of the portal. Gregersen held back a smirk as the family made its way over to him to check-in.

"Alright, that's the last of them," he declared after taking down the people's names. "Looks like we get to leave early!" he shouted, his men cheering in delight save one. "Rolf, you're still on until the night guard arr-"

Just then the surroundings lit up a second time and Gregersen turned around in time to see a figure sprinting out of the circle. It was a small Celestial girl who looked around twelve by their kinds standards.

"Miss there is no need to run," he called out yet she kept sprinting toward him with a fervent look on her face. "Miss," he said, reaching out with his hand to stop her before she crashed into him, "please do-"

Something not visible to the naked eye tapped his head lightly as he crumpled to the ground, the last thing he saw being the girl's leggings and skirt as she lept over him.

The guard crumpled to the ground followed by Kastra barreling into his chest and rubbing her face against his neck. Half a second later, Alexa tackled him off Emily's shoulders in a full sprint as he received her with his arms wide open, gliding backward to the ground thanks to Alexa and landing on his back while they hugged each other with so much strength that it hurt. Neither were willing to ease the pressure.

Emily laughed as the world slowly drew itself back into focus and stopped being so depressing. Time slowed, his headache disappeared, his shoulders stopped being so tense, his muscles relaxed, and his expression fell into the most content smile he'd ever had.

Kastra climbed beneath his shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck while kissing it. An odd occurrence as she'd never kissed him before now, but tolerable he supposed. Alexa trembled while wrapping her legs around his and holding him in a full-body coma. It was a familiar warmth and nice. Or it was up until he realized she'd been kissing him too.

"What're yo-" "Stop doing th-" "LEXI ST-"

Peck after peck rained down on him as the overly affectionate Celestial expressed how much she'd missed him and he fought to stop her, to no avail. He couldn't move his body and lifting his chin up only made it so she kissed his neck, which was worse, so he eventually just settled in and closed his eyes as he patiently waited for her to stop. He couldn't bring himself to dislike her for doing it. He really did miss her enough that he could kiss her at this point.

At some point, Emily had picked them both up and carried them back toward the Inn but he wasn't sure when.

Finally, the world was right again.

The return two and a half week trip home passed in the blink of an eye, Alexa telling them story after story of what her life at the Academy had been like.

On arrival, she'd been told that Kastra wouldn't be allowed beside her at the Academy. The Fae were welcome on Eleram grounds, but she would have to register as a guest and guests were only allowed on academy grounds for a few weeks at most, so she'd ultimately have to leave.

Alexa had begged and pleaded but even after speaking to one of the Branch Leads, the people who oversaw specific portions of the Academy, she had been denied her request. That is until Kastra herself stepped in and asked.

Upon realizing that she was completely different than most Fae, the Branch Lead for air had inquired for more details. Kastra explained that she had a desire to stay around this particular Celestial and assured her cooperation with most if not all procedures one would go through as a permanent guest at their Academy. The Lead had asked if she would be willing to follow another Celestial or Human instead and Kastra had immediately said no in an offended tone, causing the Lead to backtrack. Finding a Fae this cooperative to potentially learn about their race from was an exciting prospect for the Academy, it seemed.

Eventually, the Lead had agreed upon the condition that Alexa was accepted into a program higher than their starting tier of Bronze. They had multiple tiers one could test into, starting at Bronze and ending at Diamond based on how well you manipulated mana and how much you could maneuver with more intricate tests the higher you progressed, or combat. Most every child who actually passed the tests to attend the Academy all were placed in Bronze and if she wanted special privileges, especially considering she was only ten though would be eleven at the start of the year, she'd have to prove she was worth them.

The classes offered and things teachers taught were based on what level you landed in as well. One could move up throughout the years, depending on how far they progressed, with most children graduating at the gold level. Alexa had tested into the gold level, shocking the Lead and exciting the girl herself.

With that, Kastra had been granted freedom to roam so long as she stayed relatively near Alexa or their shared abode and didn't cause trouble. When he'd asked about the place of residence she'd spoken of, she detailed that all who were at the gold level or above were given their own small home to live in or could band together with others for a larger one, which most of certain elemental specialties did. Those below gold were put in dorms, so she was given a more intricate home with a larger yard. The Academy treated all with the potential to learn well but treated those who proved themselves to be outstanding better than usual, offering benefits of sorts to try and entice them into staying after their seven years were up.

She hadn't been successful at making many friends on her own, as he'd feared, but had eventually met Gallion once she'd realized they were in the same tier. He had tested into silver the year prior and advanced into gold by the end and was still the exact same as he'd always been, yet was a bit of a celebrity to the people. He lived in a shared home with others that specialized in fire and had become something of their caretaker.

Gallion had immediately invited her to come join them in the home, but she'd declined. Rumors had labeled that group as particularly overzealous and... sexual. She'd wanted to keep to herself more, and definitely didn't want to deal with the man's philandering. Still, Gallion had made it a point of introducing her all over the house and it had become a place she could go to when she wanted to talk.

She and Kastra had grown immensely closer, and Damien felt a bit like a third wheel at some points when they sat next to each other, sharing inside jokes and laughing while leaning on one another. Kastra had even taken to being their size when in private on occasion, laying in their laps and embracing him more openly than she had before. When she kissed him at one point, he asked just what the hell was going on and apparently, Alexa was at fault.

Kastra explained how Alexa had told her it was natural to kiss members of your family, and since they were family they should too. She'd enjoyed it and after that, Alexa had done her best to reinforce the thought in her head and asked her to help convince him of the point of view when they were back together. Emily had begun laughing as she showed her support for the cause while he mentally cringed and Alexa showed an embarrassed face.

At least they were getting older.

More and more topics were touched on, some disturbing and some entertaining, as the cart steadily made its way back to Carlon. She'd actually been embarrassed once she'd realized how much she'd kissed him at the gate, and to his great surprise, had even apologized while blaming the pact. It had been agreed upon that Damien from that moment onward would travel with them to the Academy to reduce the amount of time they'd spend apart. If the pact only got stronger as time wore on, next year he may very well end up hopping the rope, and Alexa might threaten her way through the transport gate rather than using her status for special privileges.

Once they'd returned home, a celebration was held. The moment word came in, Vanessa had flown to their house and wrapped her niece in a large embrace, surprisingly more affectionate than ever before. The Ice Queen herself had actually missed the girl while she was gone, electing to even stay the night with them a few nights a month for the two and a half she'd be visiting.

Life went back to normal for a bit as they showcased how much they'd both improved over the year. He showed off his new advances in controlling more magic at once, being able to handle up to three bolts the size of his arm rather than just the two he'd been able to before. Meanwhile, Alexa hadn't improved too much in water or ice magic, but the others had received huge improvements as the first-year students always were forced to practice each and every main element. They did this to accustom the students to using all means at their disposal, and one was only let slide if their affinity to that particular element happened to be horrible, something they tested at the beginning of the year.

The three slept more soundly than they had in months every night, including ones when Alexa stayed at her Aunts house instead like this particular night. Damien had wanted to stay with her over there even, but surprisingly she'd been the one to request he stay here, citing a desire to spend time with Vanessa alone to talk about woman things or something rather. Damien hurriedly agreed at that point and made no attempt to press further, eliciting a suspicious glance from Alexa.

No way was he about to barge into that mess. She was almost twelve, it would make sense that now be the time Aunt flow came to town.

Thus, only Kastra and he lay on their bed as they tried to fall asleep. Awkward when Alexa wasn't around because Kastra would insist on becoming full-sized and shorten her usual dress in length to be a nightgown. His body was getting older and his thoughts were beginning to wander against his will in some situations with this certainly being one of them, made all the worse by how closely she slept to him. Alexa had been using her in the same way she'd used Damien, prompting Kastra to sleep with their foreheads almost touching. It was embarrassing as much as it was enchanting.

"Hey, do we have to sleep this close?" he asked, face blazing red.

She didn't say anything but he felt as her head nodded forward tiredly and bumped into his slightly.

He sighed.

"Your air smells nice," Kastra said out of the blue, causing him to become even more self-conscious. "I missed you more than I thought I would."

'Dammit, woman. Stop saying things like that.'

"Yeah, that pact really-"

"I meant I missed you," Kastra interrupted as her sparkling silver eyes seemed to glow slightly in the dark room. "Before the pact made things worse."

The correction caused him to smile. He'd missed them both more than he thought he would as well, and something about not having the Fae seated on his shoulder and leaning against his neck had always felt wrong. He was glad she'd be staying here with him this next year.

"Is that why you were in pain a few months ago?" he asked.

Genuine surprise showed across her face as she stared at him.

"You were awake?" she asked.

"I was," he replied. "You didn't feel my anxiety flowing back?"

She shook her head and turned away from him, speaking to the wall.

"It was not a good night, that night."

"Why don't you tell me what happened," he said.

Silence reigned in the night for a few minutes as Damien waited for her response. He thought she'd gone to sleep when she finally spoke up.

"It was words from a Celestial I spoke with. They'd been mean before, but what he said... felt plausible. He stated I shouldn't waste my time on a Human and bitch Human lover who would both abandon me eventually because they'd get sick of me. Said if you didn't die first, you'd run away with Alexa. An impossible scenario, I knew, but the words hurt," she finished.

Damien felt anger well up in his chest but pushed it down. Anger was not what she needed right now, but he had a feeling he knew exactly who the hell she'd been talking to. He hoped Gallion wasn't part of the reason they'd been around him.

He reached forward and pulled the small woman back toward him before wrapping her in a hug, resting his head on her shoulder as he spoke into her ear, "It wouldn't happen even if we didn't have a pact. You're irreplaceable."

Damien didn't understand when it had happened, but in the two and a half years since they'd met, this Fae had slowly begun to take hold of his heart. Perhaps it was the time they'd spent before she'd left, perhaps it had been the time they'd spent apart, but she was truly someone he viewed as invaluable, just like Alexa. He was not sure what he'd do anymore should they decide to make him choose in the future. They were both permanent.

She nodded and they didn't speak again as the gentle moonlit night took over their minds, lulling them to their sleep.