digital heart | minsung | ✔

30

Suddenly, Lino grabs my hand, squeezing it lightly. My heart performs a somersault when I look up, only to find him looking at me with a fond smile. I feel how I'm losing myself in his beautiful eyes again and I know I'm falling for him more and more, right here on the spot.

"Are you sure you don't have connection issues?" the boy questions, but the teasing tone of his voice gives away that he knows fully well what the real reason behind my little zone-out moments is.

"I'll just check my headgear later," I mutter dismissively, to which Lino just snorts.

"I hope it helps," he replies, not sounding too sincere. But he drops the subject, though the hint of a smirk remains on his face. Then he opens his menu and quickly takes out what he needs; a shiny blue teleport crystal. It firmly lands in his hand, and with his other hand, he grabs mine.

The same instant, I'm pulled into a tunnel of light and the city of Nox is far behind me. A blink of an eye later, my feet touch the pavement again. I glance around, immediately recognizing my new surroundings as Ninyo, the city that shimmers in the sunlight.

Right now, it's bathing in the pale moonlight, and it still looks as stunning as ever.

"H-How did you-" I ask, staring at our connected hands in confusion. I'm pretty sure he only had one teleport crystal at hand and yet here we are, both of us standing in the white city of Ninyo.

"Once you unlock the magic skill, you can take people with you using only one crystal," Lino explains, making no efforts of letting go of my hand already. "Pretty convenient, huh?" 

I nod in agreement before taking a curious look around the city. I can't help but wonder what Lino has in mind for our date, and why he wanted me to come online after midnight specifically. I mean, it sure is beautiful and all, but tomorrow is moving day and I don't want to walk around like a zombie while dragging my stuff into my new dorm room.

"Hey, get Twilight out of your inventory," Lino gently orders, finally letting go of my hand. It drops by my side immediately, feeling cold from the moment he let go. I pout a little but obey immediately, opening my inventory and selecting my horse.

A moment later, she appears next to me, the same moment Valkyrie appears next to Lino.

"Where are we going?" I question curiously, carefully mounting my horse.

"We're going on a peaceful ride through the moonlit fields," the raven-haired announces, already seated on his black horse comfortably. "There's this really special place in Parallel hardly anyone knows about, and I really wanted to take you there. But somehow, I feel like a chill ride through the fields would fit well. It's okay if you don't-"

"I think so too," I interrupt the other, giving him a warm smile as I urge Twilight to step forward. "Lead the way, Lino."

I don't have to tell him twice; with a smile, he sends Kiri past me and leads me to the West exit of Ninyo. The sound of hoofbeats bouncing off the walls is soon replaced by the wind that rustles through the tall grass as we enter the lush fields surrounding the white city. Small animals and fireflies skitter away here and there as we make our way under the moonlight.

The midnight sky is even more stunning as I expected it to be, the vast darkness proving itself to be the perfect canvas for maybe the most breathtaking sight in Parallel. Bright stars are scattered everywhere, forming giant constellations everywhere. The light that radiates off the stars illuminates the fluffy clouds that drift through the sky lazily, warping capricious shadows over the surface. But it's the two moons that proudly occupy their place in the sky that stand out the most.