The quiet part was over.

By the time midday rolled in, the streets had changed. The somber stillness of the morning melted away, replaced by something alive. The fires still burned, but now, they weren’t just for remembering. They were gathering points—centers of laughter, of movement, of color.

The people had changed too. The dark, practical clothing of everyday life was replaced with anything bright. Reds, yellows, blues—faded but vibrant, patched but worn with pride. It wasn’t fancy or anything, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was proof that they were still here. That they could still celebrate.

Lilith stood beside me. I didn’t miss the way she kept glancing at her wrist, at the cloth I had tied there earlier. She hadn’t taken it off. She didn’t want to. But something within her wondered if she should.

She noticed me watching and looked my way. “What?”

I smiled. “Nothing.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, like she didn’t believe me, but she let it go.

People were dancing. The majority of them, at least. Others were setting up tables, laying out what little food there was. The scent of cooking fish drifted through the air, thick with salt and spice.

I sighed, stretching my arms over my head. “Now this is Nation Day.”

Lilith hummed, watching the movement. She didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was curious.

I nudged her with my elbow. “Come on.”

She followed me through the streets, past people greeting each other, past someone strumming a beat on a battered instrument, past children who were too excited to sit still.

And then we reached the table.

I wasn’t one to sit still.

The moment the music swelled, my feet moved before I even thought about it.

Lilith stood at the edge, watching.

Her eyes followed every step.

When I finally stopped, breathless, I dropped down beside her. She was still staring.

She looked fascinated at me.

I chuckled, grabbing the bowl of sloppy fish and scooping up a bite.

Lilith wrinkled her nose. “You actually enjoy that?”

I grinned around my mouthful. “Best meal of the year.”

“Okay, you gonna try it, or just stare at me the whole time?”

She exhaled through her nose, then—hesitantly—took a small bite.

Her expression stayed carefully neutral.

I was looking at her amused. “Well?”

Lilith chewed. Swallowed. Thought about it.

“…It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.”

I snorted. “That’s high praise coming from you.”

She watched as I ate with absolute pleasure, like it wasn’t just scraps thrown into a pot.

Then, before she could say anything else, I grabbed her wrist.

“Alright, that’s enough sitting around.”

Her eyes widened. “Musa—”

I pulled her up, dragging her toward the center.

She tensed immediately, feet planted stiffly against the ground.

I huffed a laugh. “Relax.”

Lilith’s shoulders were tight, her movements stiff.

I sighed, stepping closer, lifting my hands to rest gently around her neck.

Lilith froze.

I met her eyes. “Just follow me.”

She swallowed, her throat moving beneath my fingers. But she nodded.

As I swayed, I started speaking, my voice soft against the music. “When I was little, I used to dance with Orid. He’d spin me around ‘til I got dizzy.” I smiled, lost in the memory. “I hope he’ll join today.”

Lilith was quiet, listening.

I rested my head against Lilith’s shoulder. “But I’m happy to dance with you.”

Her grip on me tightened slightly.

For a long moment, we just stood there, moving gently, letting the music surround us. The tension in Lilith’s body slowly faded. She wasn’t exactly dancing, but she wasn’t frozen anymore either.

And she was still holding onto me.

We stood there, moving slowly, surrounded by music, by laughter, by the heartbeat of the Wasteland.

I felt my own smile grow.

For once, everything else faded away.

—

Later, we sat side by side, watching everything unfold. The music, the laughter, the flickering glow of candles.

Lilith’s eyes softened. “It’s… nice.”

I looked at her. “Yeah?”

She nodded, the corner of her mouth tugging up slightly.

I nudged her. “Told you you’d like it.”

Before she could respond, a familiar voice broke through the noise.

“There’s my little princess.”

I turned, smiling as Orid approached.

He held out a hand. “Come on. One dance.”

I rolled my eyes but stood anyway.

His hands were steady, warm as he led me into the steps we used to do when I was small. I laughed as he twirled me once, just like he always had.

Lilith watched, something unreadable in her expression.

When the song ended, Orid kissed my forehead before pulling away.

Lilith didn’t say anything at first, just glanced at me as I returned to her side.

I nudged her playfully. “What, jealous?”

She scoffed. “Not in the slightest.”

I smirked, but I saw the way she looked at me. At all of it.

The warmth, the connection, the celebration of simply being.

And somehow, I knew—this day meant something to her now, too.

Even if she wouldn’t say it out loud.

—

Lilith and I sat side by side on the rooftop, legs dangling over the edge as we watched the celebration continue below. From here, the fires looked smaller, their flickering glow stretching shadows across the streets. The colors, the movement, the heartbeat of the Wasteland—it all blended together into something soft.

Something warm.

I let out a slow breath, leaning back on my hands. “Not bad, huh?”

Lilith didn’t answer right away. She just kept watching, something about it felt… different.

Then, finally, she spoke.

“Musa.”

I turned to her “Yeah?”

She hesitated, her fingers curling slightly against the fabric of her pants.

Then—softly, carefully—she asked,

“Would you come with me? To the Golden Land?”