The early morning air was brisk and clean, tinged with pine and earth and the gentle hush of lake mist curling in from the water. Birds chirped cheerfully overhead as the world stretched and yawned awake, and Luna blinked her eyes open to the soft light filtering through the sheer curtains of the cabin.
She groaned softly, wincing as she sat up, her stomach making a faint protesting gurgle. "Seriously?" she muttered to herself, rubbing her abdomen. "You still want food after last night?"
She had very nearly entered a food coma—her last memories before sleep involved bribing her digestive system with antacids and muttered prayers.
Still wrapped in her blanket, Luna padded barefoot to the front porch, letting the screen door gently creak open. The dawn light spilled like melted gold over the tranquil lake, a scene so unreal it momentarily silenced her.
No car horns, no metal groan of high-rises, no city clutter.
Just stillness.
And... Auren.
He was just off to the side of the lake, dressed in loose, soft clothing, moving slowly through graceful Tai Chi forms, his breaths deep and quiet, in harmony with the waking world. Each movement flowed into the next like water, calm and composed—surprisingly elegant for someone she still associated with jittery ramblings and clumsy hand gestures.
Luna leaned against the porch post, watching him for a moment with her cheek rested against the wood. She squinted thoughtfully, wondering if now was the time to interrogate him about how he knew Emmerich or how long he suspected her background, but her stomach had other plans.
Grrruuughh.
Luna grimaced. "Traitor," she whispered to her own belly, glancing down at it in betrayal.
With one last look at Auren—who was now moving into something vaguely crane-like—she turned back inside, rubbing her arms against the slight morning chill. The warm, soft lighting of the cabin greeted her like a hug.
She plopped down at the sleek tablet station where the in-cabin menu was displayed. The breakfast options were stunning. Local truffle omelets. Brioche French toast with berry compote. Honeyed ham, waffles with gold dust—
Her phone buzzed.
Luna squinted, expecting maybe Emmerich reminding her to hydrate or Kana texting from the other room. But instead, the message was from Edward.
"Hope you're enjoying your trip. The sunrise must look better out there. Don't forget to let your soul rest too, not just your body."
Luna blinked, lips twitching.
A soft smile bloomed unbidden.
She stared at the message for a moment longer, feeling something unplaceable twist gently in her chest. She didn't have to reply—not yet—but her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she simply closed the screen, tucking the smile away like a secret folded into her heart.
"What's that goofy face?"
Luna jumped.
Kana stood at the archway in rumpled pajamas, hair a mess, holding her toothbrush like a wand.
"I—wasn't—what goofy face?" Luna said, too fast.
"Oh please," Kana said through a foamy mouth. "I've seen you scowl while eating molten chocolate cake. You were smiling. Like that kind of smile."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "What kind?"
Kana stepped closer, brushing one hand through the air. "You know. That one you do when you get texts that make you feel things." She made jazz hands. "Was it Dad Emmerich checking in again? No. Wait. Was it—" Kana gasped. "Edward? Was it Edward?"
Luna turned the tablet screen back on and hid her face behind it. "No comment."
Kana's laugh echoed down the hall. "Oh-hohohoho! You like him."
"Drop it or I'll order you kale smoothie with tofu cubes for breakfast."
"I take it back!" Kana yelped, retreating with the sounds of exaggerated choking.
Luna sighed and leaned back in her seat, biting her lip as she looked out the window again. The sun was up now, the sky bleeding soft pinks into bright gold. Somewhere outside, Auren was finishing his routine. And her phone buzzed once more, this time with a message from Mary asking if they brought marshmallows.
Luna grinned.
It was going to be a good day.
The late morning breeze swept gently through the trees, carrying the scent of pine needles and sun-warmed earth. Sunlight danced across the rippling lake, casting shimmering reflections across the grassy shore. The VIP cabin now sat quiet behind them, left in favor of nature's larger playground.
Luna adjusted her oversized sunglasses and kicked off her sandals, enjoying the cool tickle of grass between her toes. The others had already begun their small adventures — Mary leaned slightly on Kana as they strolled along the gravel path winding near the lake's edge. The sisters laughed quietly together, voices soft with nostalgia.
"Remember when we used to sneak out and steal fish crackers from the temple storehouse?" Kana said, elbowing Mary gently.
"And then blamed it on the raccoons?" Mary added with a smirk.
"It was the raccoons eventually!" Kana protested.
"Sure it was."
Luna smiled watching them from a distance, heart warmed by the familiar rhythm of sibling banter. She quietly backed away to give them space, then turned and called out toward the tall, ivy-covered watchtower just up the hill.
"Hey Auren, let's go lose to me in a round of birdwatching trivia."
Auren, who had been peering over a nature map near the benches, blinked in surprise. "I— You're challenging me to a bird-naming contest?"
Luna tossed him a pair of binoculars. "Let's see if that doctor's brain of yours is worth its student debt."
Moments later, the two climbed the creaky metal staircase of the watchtower, and were met with a sweeping view of the sparkling lake, dense forest, and far beyond, the faint peaks of mountains on the horizon.
"Alright," Luna said, already scanning the sky. "First one to twenty birds wins."
Auren adjusted his glasses. "Prepare to lose."
Five minutes in, Luna had enthusiastically called out things like:
"Red-whiskered bulbul!"
"Uh… a striped sky sparrow thing?"
And: "Okay that's just a duck, but it's a fancy duck!"
Meanwhile, Auren rattled off names like:
"Grey-crowned crane."
"Common shelduck."
"Is that a black kite circling? Yep."
By the time Luna slumped dramatically against the rail, Auren looked smug as ever, stretching his arms like a well-fed cat.
"So," he said, turning toward her with a victorious grin. "That's twenty-two to… nine."
"Nine and a half," Luna huffed, taking off her sunglasses. "The fancy duck should count as half."
"You owe me a bottled coke."
Luna chuckled and mock-bowed. "I am a woman of my word. Next gas station or convenience store we pass, one bottle with your name on it."
"Make it two and I'll carry your backpack for the rest of the trip."
"Deal."
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the wind gently tugging at Luna's ponytail and Auren's hoodie strings. Below them, the lake sparkled like scattered gemstones. She glanced at him sideways.
"You're not bad company," she said, then squinted into the distance. "And I'm keeping the binoculars."
Auren laughed. "Noted."
By the time they descended the tower and rejoined the others, the picnic area near the lake was already being transformed into a miniature banquet. Cabin staff had arrived like graceful ghosts, laying out blankets and setting up shaded umbrellas, coolers, and food trays under an open canopy.
Kana was already lounging on a bean bag with Mary, sipping iced tea.
"Where were you two?" Kana asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Outclassing Luna in bird trivia," Auren said as he walked past them.
Luna gave Kana a look. "He cheated. He has a PhD brain."
"More like wiki page advantage," Kana states.
"Why didn't I think of that!" Luna exclaimed.
"FYI, I actually learn classifying birds so I can join my grampy bird watching, you know," Auren states matter-of-factly.
Mary laughed softly, her cheeks slightly flushed, but her smile bright. "This whole trip feels unreal. Like we were dropped into a food commercial with birds singing backup vocals."
"Don't say that too loud," Kana whispered dramatically. "Or a Michelin star chef might appear with a truffle-scented curse."
"Too late," Luna groaned as she sat down and lifted the lid of one tray. "Duck confit tacos with pickled ginger slaw. We're officially doomed."
Another tray opened.
"Sushi-grade sashimi over cold soba with seaweed pearls," Auren read aloud.
And another:
"Lobster mac and cheese sliders." Kana blinked. "We're going to hibernate for a week after this. Or roll back home."
"I volunteer Auren as our rolling assistant," Luna said, already chewing.
Everyone laughed.
As the food disappeared and the lake glistened beneath the early afternoon sun, the four of them sprawled out in happy, sated contentment. Mary leaned her head on Kana's shoulder. Auren polished off a third plate of barbecue. Luna made a daisy chain crown and placed it silently on Mary's head.
For now, life was full and slow and good.
Late afternoon light slanted through the trees, turning the lake gold as the sky began its gentle drift toward twilight. A lazy breeze stirred the grass, and the chirping birds had quieted into occasional trills, like soft punctuation in the serene stillness.
Inside the luxurious VIP cabin, Luna stood stretching her arms with a satisfied sigh, cheeks still faintly flushed from their lakeside feast. She turned toward the cozy lounge where the others were gathered.
"So," Luna asked, "what do we want to do tonight? I checked the service list. There's a karaoke room, open-air bath, movie projector setup by the lake…"
Mary, half-curled under a thick fleece blanket and resting on a chaise, smiled softly but shook her head. "Think I'll turn in early tonight. All that walking got me feeling like my bones are forty years older."
Kana immediately crouched beside her, brushing a loose strand of hair from Mary's face. "You okay?"
Mary gave a faint nod. "More tired than usual, that's all. The lake was worth it."
"I'll do a basic check-up," Auren offered gently from across the room, already picking up his medical bag. "Just routine—make sure the lake didn't sneak in a surprise."
Mary gave a weak laugh. "Fine, Doctor Birdman."
"Don't call me that."
Luna stood and stretched again, this time looking to Kana. "Well, what about you? Still want to hit karaoke?"
Kana looked between Luna and Mary, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
Mary rolled her eyes and waved a hand. "Go. Seriously. If you stay and stare at me like I'm about to keel over, I will call the staff and have them throw you out."
"I'll call them myself," Auren muttered under his breath.
Kana made a face, then leaned over to press a kiss to her sister's forehead. "Alright, alright. But we're singing your favorite sad '90s hits in your honor."
"I want off-key power ballads and nothing less," Mary said.
Auren gave a small wave as the girls left. "I'll meet you two in the karaoke room after this. She'll be fine."
The karaoke room was more like a sleek private lounge—soundproof, dimly lit in warm hues, with plush seating, touchscreen panels, a fully stocked fridge, and an impressive sound system. The tablet listed thousands of songs in multiple languages. Kana immediately plopped onto the couch and handed Luna a mic.
"Warm up, diva," Kana said with a smirk.
Luna gave a mock bow, choosing a cheesy pop song first. They sang, laughed, butchered the lyrics, and completely failed to harmonize for the first few songs. Eventually, they caught their rhythm and began moving from upbeat tracks to more mellow tunes.
When Kana finally collapsed dramatically against the cushions, catching her breath, she turned to Luna more quietly.
"I've been meaning to tell you…" Kana fiddled with the edge of a throw pillow. "I've been wrapping up the last of my big shoots. Modeling gigs, campaigns, all of it."
Luna blinked. "I did get a feel you were doing that. So, almost done with the major gigs then?"
Kana nodded. "Yeah. That's why I had to call you and drag you to that photoshoot. It's one of the last major ones I have to deal with."
Luna's eyes searched her friend's face. "Is Mary aware that your almost ready to stay with her?"
"Yeah," Kana said softly. "I already gave her the heads up, telling her that it's time. Time to be with her as much as I can. I didn't realize how much time I was missing until I came back."
Luna was quiet for a moment, then leaned over and bumped her shoulder against Kana's.
"Hey, cheer up, you still got plenty of time," Luna said. "I'll miss you being around more often, but this… this is the right call."
Kana smiled, a little wobbly. "You sure you'll be okay?"
Luna grinned. "I'll survive. I've got Milo. And my job. And Ken being cowardly Ken."
Kana chuckled. "Okay, yeah, that's probably enough chaos to keep you distracted."
"And hey," Luna added, lifting the mic. "Even if you're not around every day, I'll still spam you with memes and food pics. And I expect detailed updates from you and Mary."
"Deal," Kana said, and they clinked their drink cans together like wine glasses.
Just then, the door opened and Auren slipped in, looking mildly amused at the chaotic pile of mic cords and snack wrappers. "Room for one more?"
"Only if you're singing a duet with Luna," Kana declared.
"Absolutely not," Auren said immediately.
Luna grinned wickedly. "Too late. We already picked your song."
Kana and Luna shared a conspiratorial look as they queued up the most ridiculous duet on the list.