The sun had set hours ago, and the southern aurora were streaking across the sky. Milo had invited his friends to celebrate the New Sun at the Anani estate while his family was travelling across Evira.

Micheal waited for an answer to his question as he considered the cards in his hands. "Oh come on, nobody wants anything for themselves next year? Liars, all of you!"

Reyna played her card, grinning. She knew she had the winning hand already. "I just want to get through this last year at the university with enough sanity to open my own academy."

Micheal snorted "Sanity? Good luck?"

Reyna pointed to the card on the table. "Thanks. Don't need it"

Milo looked up at the green lights overhead. "I want acceptance from people. Not for me, for everyone. I don't think there's other keeper houses tonight with their son, an elf, a halfling, another keeper and a changeling-drow."

"Fat chance" Liam muttered. "Would be nice for that to happen eventually though. Can't keep bailing this one out" he played his card and pointed to Corym.

Corym shrugged. "Eh, I got this. Next Sun, I want a little recognition, and a lot more time with this guy." he lifted Milo's hand and kissed his fingers, causing everyone around the table to groan. Micheal playfully threw a game token at him, which hit Corym in the shoulder. 

"Lights above, man, you became sappy" Liam chuckled.

"Shut up, I've seen you make moony eyes at that one fighter. Emilia, was it?"

"Oooh you like Emilia?!" Micheal quipped. "She's great, we trained together a long time."

"Trained together, you say" Reyna teased.

"Hey now I don't kiss and tell!" 

"Oh my gods Micheal it was ONE kiss, and it was an accident. And you told literally everybody" Reyna picked up her points from the table. "If anyone here doesn't kiss and tell it's Milo." 

Milo blushed and looked back up to the lights dancing in the sky. "There's... There's nothing to tell-"

"Excuse me?! Nothing to tell?!" Corym laughed. "You could have worded that any other way. You wound me, sir!" 

"So there's something to know?" Reyna raised her eyebrow and glanced at Milo. "Pray tell"

"There isn't, I-- ugh, Corym you bastard" 

Corym laughed out and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Sorry, darling I couldn't help it. " 

"So there's nothing to know?" Micheal asked. "Ugh, ran out of mead again." 

Milo quickly got up to get some mead to fill his friends glasses, hoping it would help him get rid of his blush. 

Corym leaned back in his chair. "Nope, nothing to know. We're just happy." 

"And Reyna is about to be even happier, she's winning big tonight" she gloated about herself, displaying the entirety of her winning hand. "Pay up, loosers." 

Milo returned with a new bottle of mead. "Let me guess, Reyna won?"

"Who else?" Liam got up to sit in the grass. "I'm telling you if we ever have to go to war, I want her on our side, girls' a good luck charm." 

Eventually, the five of them were lying in the grass, wrapped in cloaks and blankets, looking up at the particularly bright auroras, talking about everything and nothing. Eventually, Micheal sat up. 

"Wait guys, we missed it. It's almost two in the morning. It's the New Sun." 

As per tradition, they each made a source of light - Corym, Reyna and Liam used magic, while Milo and Micheal got some candles. It was said that it helped add to the suns light, to make the next year brighter. 

Milo noticed Corym summon a second light, away from the others. 

"Can't hurt, right?" 

Milo lifted his and Coryms hoods, and kissed him, hidden from view. 

"Nei innai so erro, mo nares. May it shine bright for you, my steady one."

"Heyyy, you said it correctly. You too, by the way." Corym grinned. 

"Hey once you guys are done canooding, Liam wants to bring us to a better place to see the lights!" 

Between the souther aurora cutting through the night sky and the millions of lights the Holnites had created, the New Sun was on its way to be the brightest yet.