The evening arrived with the sky transforming into layers of gold, rose, and deep amber. The sun hung low over the water, painting everything it touched with warmth that seemed to seep into the sand itself.
The earlier chaos had mellowed into comfortable contentment, and people scattered across the beach in small clusters,
Reinhard sat on the sand, legs stretched out, white jacket discarded beside him. Brunhilde settled gracefully next to him, azure dress arranged carefully.
She held his right hand between both of hers, fingers tracing the black glove that hid his Beast Symbols. Her touch was gentle but purposeful, mapping the patterns beneath the fabric.
"Your Fire Rune," she began, her voice carrying that patient teaching quality. "You've been using it to simply set things on fire, but you can do far more with it, like shaping it and coating it."
"I can already shape it? I thought I would need to be at your level to do that." Reinhard says with a blink.
