The Liberation of the Mages Heart

Solitary

"Yes.... Now our people won't need to fear them anymore.", she smiled at him and he felt his heart jump.

As Ruth's hand glided over her wounds, a gentle warmth emanated from his touch, mingling with the air charged with unspoken emotions. Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. The gravity of the moment hung in the air as Ruth continued to mend her wounds, his healing touch a tender dance on her skin.

"Thank you, Ruth, for always being there.", her eyes sparkled with gratitude, and Ruth found himself drawn to her. The proximity between them intensified, and their breaths mingled, creating a deeper unspoken connection. There always had been something between them, something different, something special.

As Ruth finished healing the last of her wounds, he hesitated, his hand still lingering on her back. Their gazes locked, dark brown met grey-blueish and the world seemed to fade away. In that suspended moment, the air crackled with this something - an unspoken desire, a tension that neither dared to name.

Finally, breaking the silence, she whispered, "Ruth, I...," her voice trailing off as she looked into his eyes, her lips parting slightly. The words hung between them, and the space seemed to shrink, inviting the possibility of a shared confession.

Ruth, feeling the weight of the unspoken, leaned in, closing the gap between them. Their lips brushed in a tender, almost hesitant kiss, a fusion of gratitude, longing, and the uncharted territories of their emotions. Time stood still as they explored this newfound intimacy, a gentle surrender to the emotions that had silently grown between them during their shared trials.

As the echoes of their shared moment lingered in the air, a subtle awkwardness settled between Ruth and her. Ruth, suddenly aware of the weight of his action, withdrew gently, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. She, too, felt the shift in the atmosphere, a mixture of emotions playing across her face.

"Thank you, Ruth. I... I should go," she said softly, breaking the silence. She smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes, a reflection of the unspoken complexities that now hung in the air.

Ruth nodded, swallowing the words that threatened to spill out. "Take care, Bell. If you ever need anything... you know where to find me," he managed, his voice tinged with a sincerity that mirrored the depth of their connection.

With a lingering gaze, she turned to leave. The door closed softly behind her, leaving Ruth standing alone in the quiet aftermath.

In the solitude of his space, Ruth sighed, his thoughts a tumultuous cascade of emotions. He ran a hand through his hair, grappling with the realization that their relationship had taken an unexpected turn. The line between friendship and something more had blurred, leaving him in a state of contemplation of why he did it. Why did he kiss her? Has the spell he had casted upon himself years ago, faded? Or has she broken it?

***

He shook his head at the memory. „Damn it, Bell...I really hope that you are fine."

He had given up on investigating what was happening to him. The spell of shielding his heart from romantic feelings and especially love, was still intact, he had checked this several times already. Why she would pop up in his mind so frequently, it circling around her and their shared memories so often, was not explainable.

He had reached a dead end, surrendering to the conclusion that he did not know why this was happening.

As a shooting star suddenly crossed the night sky, another memory trailed through his mind.

***

„A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!", she closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again, smiling at him.