That afternoon, the sky was heavy with dark clouds, yet mercifully it held back the rain.
The final event of the day—the archery match—went on as planned, even with the strong evening wind.

Elira stood at the edge of the field with her fellow dancers, watching. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure Sena could hear it.

In the center stood Raka and the other young men of the village, bows in hand. They looked every bit like warriors preparing for battle.

Elder Fred shouted from the sidelines, signaling the contestants to take their stance. Then, with a single command, dozens of arrows soared toward the row of targets across the field.

Elira’s eyes locked on the tall figure in the middle. She barely noticed anyone else. Her breath caught as Raka’s arrow flew straight and true.

Thwack!
It didn’t waver, even against the wind—landing cleanly in the center of the target.

“Yeah!” Elira shouted, forgetting herself completely. People turned, but she didn’t care.

Applause filled the air, mixed with cheers and pride. Just as Elira had boasted before the contest began—Raka had won.

“See? See?” she squealed at Sena, shaking her by the shoulders. “I told you Raka’s the best archer!”

“Tsk!” Sena stepped back, plugging her ears. “Okay, okay! I admit it. Your Raka’s amazing.”

Elira released her, grinning like she was the one who’d won. She hopped in place, waving wildly when Raka looked her way.

Sena and the other girls could only shake their heads. Elira looked like a child, glowing with pride.

She didn’t stop talking about Raka until the elders stepped up to announce the winners.
The day ended with prize-giving, marking the close of the competitions before the grand Fire Harvest Festival in two nights.

When most of the crowd dispersed, Elira stepped onto the field. But before she could move further, a tall man with pale skin and a charming smile stopped her.

“Hello,” he greeted warmly. “You’re Elira, right? I’m Henoch.”

“Oh—” Elira blinked, glancing around behind him as if searching for someone else. “Yes, nice to meet you.”

Henoch chuckled softly. “Looking for someone?”

“Hm?” Elira hesitated. “Not really.”

Henoch pulled a folded white cloth from his belt pouch and handed it to her.
Elira frowned at it, confused.

“I heard you like berries,” he said. “I found some while hunting yesterday.”

“Oh?” Elira blinked, unsure what to say. “Thank you.”

“I also heard plenty of berries grow near the Hinra River. If you’d like, I can take you there sometime.”

Elira’s brows knitted tighter. Why would one of the most admired men in the village suddenly invite her to a river?

“Okay,” she replied quickly—because she’d just spotted the person she’d been looking for. “Thanks for the berries!”

Without waiting for a reply, Elira hurried off, leaving Henoch standing there in surprise.

“Raka!” She jogged toward him, smiling wide. “Your performance was amazing!”

Raka looked from Elira to the man still standing behind her, then back again. He exhaled quietly and focused on her.

“Watching you made me want to learn archery,” Elira said. “When the festival’s over, will you teach me?”

Raka didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something small. A pendant—an ivory-colored arrowhead tied to a black cord—swayed before her eyes.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“The prize,” he said. “Made from deer bone. The elders blessed it.”

“Wow. Like a lucky charm?”

Raka cleared his throat, briefly looking away—remembering her “good-luck charm” from earlier. Then he slipped the necklace over her head.

Elira froze as his face passed close to hers. Time seemed to slow while he adjusted the cord, the scent of him filling her lungs, her heartbeat going wild.

“Don’t lose it,” he murmured. “They say it keeps bad luck away.”

Only when he stepped back did Elira dare breathe again.

“Why?” she asked softly. “Why give me something this special?”

“I won because of the luck you gave me earlier,” he said simply, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“I’m giving it back.”

Her heart thundered so hard it almost hurt. Since when did Raka’s words make her feel like this? She couldn’t even respond—her thoughts scattered by his small smile.

Elira touched the pendant, trying to calm herself. Of all the things Raka had ever given her, this one made her chest ache the most. It fit around her neck perfectly, as if it had been carved just for her.

“Let’s go home,” Raka said. “I need to speak with your father.”

Elira waved to her friends and followed him. Every few steps, someone stopped to congratulate Raka, mostly young women.

Inside, Elira laughed quietly to herself. Since when did her stoic, boring Raka become so popular?

“Elira!”

“Huh?” She blinked—apparently, Raka had been talking to her the whole time. “What did you say?”

His expression soured, the face she always teased him for. “I asked what that man wanted.”

“Oh, right.” Elira pulled the white cloth from her pocket. “He gave me this.”

Raka stared at the berries in her hand, his face unreadable.

“I didn’t know berries grew near the Hinra River,” Elira said. “Isn’t that the place with all the glowing fire-bugs? Couples go there a lot.”

“Henoch invited me there since I like berries. I wonder how he even knew that.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I said ‘okay.’ It’s a good chance to gather more berries.” She offered one to Raka.

To her surprise, he took it—and then ate the rest straight from her hand.

“Hey!” Elira protested. “Those were mine!”

“I was hungry,” Raka said flatly. “I worked hard to win your prize and skipped lunch.”

“Wait—you ate before the contest!”

He didn’t answer, still chewing.

“Tsk. Fine, but don’t be so greedy!”

Raka shot her a look. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

Elira stopped walking, just steps from home. “Get what?”

“That Henoch guy’s trying to get close to you. Nobody goes to the Hinra River for berries.”

Her cheeks flushed red. Even in the moonlight, Raka could see it.

“If you’re that desperate to pick them, I’ll go with you,” he muttered. “What would you even do without me?”

Elira couldn’t tell why he suddenly looked irritated—but his gaze made her heart stutter again.

“Okay… um…” she stammered. “Then—tomorrow night?”

For a split second, she caught a faint smile before he returned to his usual scowl.
“I can’t. Tomorrow’s busy.”

Something inside her sank, and Raka noticed.

“After the festival,” he said quickly. “Once your dance is over, we’ll go.”

Elira brightened instantly. “Deal! After the festival!”

Raka patted her shoulder. “Go inside and rest. I’ll be gone all day tomorrow—don’t wait up.”

Her smile faded. “Why? What are you doing all day?”

“Nothing serious. Just village business.”

“You’re going to Kamura?” she asked quietly. The thought she’d been trying to bury resurfaced.

Raka met her eyes and gently cupped her cheek. “Trust me. It’s nothing bad. Focus on your dance.”

His words felt like a spell. Even as questions swirled inside her, Elira could only nod. But as Raka’s hand slipped from her cheek, she felt the same wind that carried his promise—cold, and heavy with something unsaid.

She just hoped Raka wasn’t someone who would one day break her heart.