Chapter 32: Chapter 30

Although it was getting cold outside, it felt great getting some sunlight directly on my face. Despite wearing several layers of clothing under my black robes, I couldn't stop shivering. Even my long blue hair wasn't enough to protect my neck from the chilly air.

The town of Halton was a large river settlement on a temperate grassland, somewhere between a large town and a small city. So, there was much room to be found out here behind our row of houses. The backyard was around forty by fifty meters, in a fenced-off area surrounded by trees and vast fields that kept it secluded from our neighbors and the town itself. Our house was on a hill that overlooked a field that ended up at the river a few hundred yards out. It was within walking distance to the town square from the front but located in a spot that was easy to escape into the countryside if need be.

\As soon as I stepped foot through the door to our yard, Lori took hold of my hand tightly with an eager expression. Lori and I had promised to make the fire pit after we got back from the expedition, and we were going to try and finish it right then and there. With that thought in mind, I followed her lead and headed to a shed in our backyard. It was located by the back right corner of the house, and we'd left the stone and wood out before we set out on the expedition.

I grabbed what we needed and a bunch of metal tools, including hammers, chisels, spades, and saws. Then, with a new determination, I cast a sequence of spells to levitate everything we needed: wood, bricks, coal, limestone, clay, tinder, and so on. When everything was finally settled, I walked up to my sister, who was already standing at our designated spot.

"Let's do this," I said as she looked at me excitedly, and I floated the tools over to the ground next to Lori.

"Right!" She agreed, following the wood as I set the materials down by the wall of our house.

As she began to organize the materials to be easier to work with later, I used another spell to summon a thin sheet of flame above us to keep us warm. Then, I contained it with a partially-constructed magic barrier to keep its sparks from anything flammable. My little flames danced happily on their own, sapping at my mana but never requiring any attention from me.

Lori moved at breakneck speeds and dug a hole in the yard in a matter of minutes. Then, she laid a firm foundation in the pit and zoomed off to the side. We started mixing in limestone and clay to make sand until we finished the setup, and I floated bricks in from the side. When we laid enough rows out for four sides about a meter up, Lori began to lay out brick after brick into layers while I carefully adjusted them and spread the cement with magic. I centered them around the square that lay directly in front of us in a circular pattern, using my magic to keep them straight and level. I quickly lost track of how much time we'd spent building it, but it was a welcome distraction for me. Likely for Lori as well.

Finally, when we reached the halfway mark, we stopped working and sat back on our hands to catch our breath. Then, Lori shifted her weight forward and rested her arms on her knees, staring intently at our creation. I followed suit, sitting cross-legged next to my sister and watching our handiwork unfold.

"This is amazing sis, it's like magic! Well, I guess it literally is magic..." she said as she poked one of the bricks. "It's amazing what you can do with the precision magicky stuff."

"We could throw up some walls and make some furniture in here too. Or maybe something bigger, like a backyard cabin," I suggested with an awkward grind. "After that, we should start thinking about how to decorate it! After all, it doesn't have to just be a fire pit."

Her face lit up brightly at the thought, and the two of us quickly finished the structure. We carefully covered each layer with more bricks, sand, and tinder before building another. When we were finally satisfied that we'd rounded off the edges of our project,

Lori opened her eyes and stretched out her arms to inspect the new circular fire pit in the middle of the yard.

"I think this is perfect! It looks so cozy!"

She looked at me with pride shining through her bright Lavender eyes; it was hard not to smile back. The firepit sat symmetrically between the house and the fence on the opposite side. With its smooth sides and clean lines, it stood tall against the grassy field surrounding it—like a sentinel keeping watch from atop a small hillock.

"Well, let's get some wood inside it now," I stated. I felt a jerk as I felt her jump at me and squeeze the life out of me again. This time, I just smiled resignedly as she shook me around and hugged me tightly.

With an eager grin, Lori ran back toward the materials we'd left along the back of our house. She picked up what we needed and brought them back to where I waited with bated breath; then, we started filling the pit together.

When we finished laying down our first few pieces of wood and stacked another layer of kindling on top, we both turned toward each other and grinned simultaneously. We had built something beautiful to keep us warm throughout the long winter nights.

"Let's light it up! Let's light it up!" Lori exclaimed excitedly, like a child who couldn't wait to see her favorite toy. "This is going to be so awesome! Oh gods. Do your thing!"

I gave her a sheepish grin and took a deep breath while steadying myself. Looking up at the makeshift radiator I'd set up, I dispelled the flames and barrier before stretching my arms dramatically.

Puffing up my cheeks, I walked before the dry kindling and began chanting a spell from memory. Just for the sake of it, I spun around with a dramatic twirl, drawing my wand, and began to fire off a sequence of spells.

With a wave of my wand, I traced the spells for some levitation and telekinesis, and the remaining materials and tools began quivering and shaking violently. Summoned lights sprang up around me, filling the air with their soft glow, but as soon as they appeared—they vanished again like a puff of smoke.

"I summon thee, gift from the gods above. The embers of purity and passion. Come forth and roar with fury! For the heavenly purpose... of cooking dinner!"

With an audible and almost anti-climactic pop, a series of tiny sparkles sprang out of my wand and flew into the wood pile we had laid down. There was no fanfare or fireworks show: just a few sparks that landed on top of the dry tinder, which quickly ignited it all. A moment later, the first piece of kindling caught fire, followed by another, then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh—until finally, the whole pit filled with light.

"Hehehehe! Well done, little sis," Lori responded with a chuckle, "I didn't know you had it in you to pull off such a dramatic flourish. You're such a doofus!"

I blushed but couldn't help smiling back at her; I hadn't had a chance to do any fancy spells like this one since I'd gotten started with crafting goods. It felt good to let loose, though, and if anything, she deserved some praise for being there to work with me on something as silly as building a fire pit. We spent hours together working on it too, and it wasn't every day that I got to work on a fun little project like this.

I stared at our work in awe, and this world's alien nature really struck me. Not only did the fire burn bright enough to heat the entire yard from inside its warm embrace, but the dancing shadows cast against the house walls were like a painting made of flames. I could hear the crackle of the fire as it licked up the sides of the pit, eager to reach the sky.

As if waiting for the absolute perfect timing, the sun began to set behind us, bathing everything around us in orange and red hues. The fire lit the grassy field perfectly, making it look almost like an old Disney movie, while the darkening blue sky above added depth and mystery to the sight.

When the flames reached their highest point before they started dying down again, Lori and I turned toward each other once more. We stood there for a long moment without saying anything. Then, Lori jumped for joy with both hands held against her face.

"This is so amazing!" She exclaimed as she ran over to me and hugged my waist tightly, "I can't believe we built this! This was way too much fun."

"I'm glad you like it," I responded as I wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "Now how about we get some of those extra pork cuts and vegetables I bought earlier out here? That'll take care of dinner—and make a first test run at cooking outside in the cold weather."

"Yeah let's do that!" Her voice echoed excitedly across the field; then, she pulled away and began to walk back towards the house. At the same time, I moved the tools and materials we'd used back to the shed.

Then, she blurred as she sped up, and in a couple of seconds, she'd brought out a bag with the pork shoulder, some remaining ribs, spices, and assorted vegetables that I planned on roasting over the open fire. I looked at it like it was a great gift from the gods before levitating it over to work my usual magic to prepare the food for cooking.

It's strange to think, but despite living together in a house for weeks and spending most days side by side, this was the first time we had ever cooked together because of our sleep and study patterns.

Honestly, it was very nice, but it felt weird too. We had a funeral to attend in a few days, and until then, who knew how long we would have to wait for things to feel entirely normal again.

Lori brought out two wooden chairs from the house; I used my magic to place them on either side of the fire pit so we could sit comfortably during dinner. I began preparing the ingredients while she laid the meat and vegetables in front of the flames. When everything was ready, Lori brought over the pot and a sharp knife from inside the house to begin slicing the fruits and vegetables into bite-sized chunks.

With a quick flick of my wand, I raised an entire line of meat and vegetables into the air over the flames. The fat from the meat glistened in the light; meanwhile, the vegetables began to brown evenly while releasing their natural juices—that scent I remembered so well from summer barbecues in a foregone world. I thought of my previous world, of earthly joys like neighborhood parties and eating good food with loved ones.

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I cast another spell, and the meat and vegetables all arranged neatly in the air. They began to spin and float around me a second later as I used my magic to manipulate them into position.

The sound of sizzling meat filled my ears, and they began cooking to perfection in only moments.

Lori whistled at me while her hands on the blade trembled. I could tell she was keeping herself from grabbing one of the pieces to put in her mouth—she wanted to wait for me to finish so she wouldn't ruin it.

While she continued staring with hungry eyes at the slow-cooking food, a breeze blew past us, sending little flecks of snow dancing like fairies around us before melting into nothingness. They drifted along the ground like snowflakes as they vanished into oblivion. The light and sound of the roasting food over the flames were magnified, adding to the already serene scene.

After a few minutes, Lori broke out of her trance and began to move again. She held the knife up, inspecting the reflections in front of her. Its surface reflected the flames in brilliant colors: orange, red, and purple. Her gaze was so intense that her entire face radiated joy and excitement. After some time, she looked down and noticed the glowing skin of the meat that was slowly browning. With an impulsive gesture, she grabbed one of the juicy ribs with her bare fingers THROUGH THE FLAME—and quickly shoved it into her mouth.

I stared at her for a second, speechless. How did she not get hurt from doing that?! That's like reaching into and biting into the sun! I didn't say anything; instead, I gave her a moment to take her time savoring the taste and chewing up the whole rib. When she was done, she licked her lips clean and made a satisfied hum while pulling herself together.

The snowflakes in the air had started to fall again, covering our surroundings with white wisps that danced in the wind. Their harmonious tickle sent a chill through my body as they fell softly onto my cheek and hair. Lori and I looked at each other once more, smiling as we sat there like two giddy children—only this was a far better experience than any ordinary childhood story could ever hope to be. This was like, well, a real-life anime.

"We should probably move inside," I said, looking over at the falling snow and then at the twinkling lights in the house; "it'll get dark before long."

A soft wind blew past us, swirling around our feet as if to support my words. The flakes fell faster now, clinging to their frozen forms all the way down to the earth. I stared up in wonder - the way the CGI snow flurried and scattered from my first-person point of view was highly surreal.

"Yeah...can you get the food? I'll get the chairs." Lori stood up as she spoke. I nodded in affirmation and gathered all the loose plates and food around me in the air. My sister began to walk back to the house, humming to herself while I followed close behind her.

As she walked off toward the house with the chair and some large bags in her arms, she stopped suddenly, and I felt a chill run down my spine as she whipped around to stare off into the field. Her eyes darted around as if something had caught her attention, and her entire body was coiled up in a clear fight or flight response.

Oh no, what now?!

My heart clenched in my chest.

No, not again!

I followed her gaze to where she stared into the distance out into the field.

There was nothing there.

"Hey Alice?" she called out to me, sounding worried. I turned to face her and found her looking at me with a severe expression on her face.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly, unsure of what she wanted to say.

Lori didn't respond; instead, she put down one of the chairs and raised her hand like she was trying to find something far away on the horizon.

As soon as she did, her face suddenly relaxed, and her eyebrows drooped slightly as the tension left her shoulders.

"Nothing," she said with a sigh. "Just paranoia I guess."

Before I could respond, she scooped up the chair, turned, and started walking quickly toward the house again. I watched her for another few seconds as she walked into the house. When she reached the entrance, Lori briefly turned around and stared into the field for a moment. Then, she turned back around and kept going like she hadn't seen anything strange at all, continuing to hum to herself.

I looked behind me out into the field, just to make sure: it looked as though everything was perfectly fine. Even in the gloomy darkness, with only the setting sun to light up the field, there wasn't anything out there. I couldn't help but wonder what had her so jumpy, but it was easy to forget that we'd been put through life-threatening danger only a few days ago. Maybe she needed some time to relax and get the nerves out.
Walking back to the house, I suddenly felt a sense of unease and turned around to survey the field again myself. I'd discovered at this point that the creepy crawlies had a habit of showing up on me when I was alone, after all. After a moment, though, my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. I still didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It seemed like my sister was right and that nothing was out there but.

I breathed a sigh of relief and went back to the house. Turning out again, I traced a spell and snuffed out the fire from the edge of my effective range. Once the fire was extinguished entirely—or at least as much as I was capable of—the cold air bit into my exposed skin. I shivered from the sudden drop in temperature.

With a wave of my wand, the door to the house opened again. I entered our home's warm, safe interior, which was now lit by the glow of a fireplace.

As I closed the door, I saw Lori standing in front of the fire with two cups of hot wooden mugs. She smiled at me and handed me the mug. When did she have time to make this? Ah, that didn't matter.

"Here you go!" she exclaimed happily, holding out the steaming cup of tea to my hands. I accepted it with a smile and floated all the food over to the dinner table. The food landed on the table like a perfect landing strip, and a small gust of wind pushed all the food to its designated place. All the meat was cut into pieces, and all the vegetables were peeled and sliced—they were ready to eat.

When I finished putting the food onto the plate, I sat down in my chair, taking a sip of the sweet, delicious tea. The warmth of the liquid spread throughout my body, warming me up in a hurry as I sighed in contentment. Lori was watching me with a pleased grin as I enjoyed the drink.

"That looks good," she said with a giggle as I picked up the fork and knife. I beamed with pride at her compliment and began cutting and eating the meat.

This world doesn't seem like fantasy anymore to me; it's become so realistic that I can almost feel the heat from the flames burning the logs in the hearth. Still, even after nearly a month, it felt like a surreal dream. A part of me was afraid that if I woke up, this moment would be gone forever—but the thought was fleeting.

Lori's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Alice, you'd better finish that! You promised me you'd eat better!" She waved her arm in a flamboyant gesture as she spoke. I laughed in response.

It was little moments like these where I could forget how strange and out-of-place everything around me had been at first. I had gotten used to this new world, and although I might never truly get comfortable here, I managed to adapt.

The snow fell harder outside; the sound of the wind whistling through the trees was drowned out by the soft crackle of the flames. We ate in silence for a while, and I let the conversation between us die down—it was nice to just enjoy some 'family' time in peace again.

As we continued to sit in the living room together, I listened to the sounds of the snowfall and wind. They were peaceful, and I felt like I had finally found a piece of the world I could cherish.

I knew that this feeling wouldn't last, but...I'd might as well enjoy it while I still can.

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