The sky looked very different that day.
Soft.
Warm.
Like the sun was taking its time to fly through the sky.
Elisia walked along the path, kicking a small pebble ahead of her.
Tap.
…tap.
Tap.
The Wandering Knight followed beside her.
“It’s pretty,” Elisia said, looking up at the sky.
“It is,” the Knight replied.
She squinted toward the distance.
“…Hey.”
“What is it?”
“I think I see something.”
Far ahead,
At the top of a small hill,
There was a glow.
Not bright.
Not blinding.
Just… very warm.
Elisia started walking a little faster.
“Come on,” she said.
The Knight followed.
Step by step, they made their way up the hill.
The light grew softer.
Closer.
Familiar.
When they reached the top,
Elisia stopped.
“…Oh.”
Down below,
It was that same road she used to always wait at.
The road leading back to her castle.
It was somewhere she knew she belonged.
She smiled.
A quiet smile.
Then she turned.
“You’re coming too, right?” she asked.
The Knight didn’t answer right away.
The wind moved between them.
“…I can’t stay on every road,” he said gently.
Elisia’s smile faded just a little.
“…Oh.”
She looked back at the glowing path.
Then back at him.
“But… you’ll still walk, right?”
The Knight nodded.
“Always.”
She took a small breath.
“…Okay.”
It wasn’t a sad “okay.”
Not really.
Just… a small one.
The Knight reached into his cloak and pulled out something small.
A thin piece of thread.
Simple… but warm.
He held it out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A reminder,” he said.
She took it carefully.
“…Of what?”
The Knight looked at her.
“Of the road, and that I will always be back.”
Elisia nodded.
Like she understood.
Even if she didn’t fully.
“…Thanks,” she said.
They stood there for a moment.
Not saying much.
Then Elisia turned toward the light again.
“…I can go,” she said.
The Knight didn’t stop her.
She took a step forward.
Then another.
Halfway down the hill—
She stopped.
Turned around.
“…Bye,” she said.
But the hill was quiet.
The Knight was gone.
Elisia looked for a second longer.
Then smiled.
Just a little.
She held the thread in her hand.
Then turned back toward the light.
And kept walking.
Tap.
…tap.
Tap.
She paused.
Looked back again.
Nothing there.
But this time,
She didn’t wait.
She kept going.
And even without him beside her…
she was never walking alone.
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