A few days passed.

The village where Vivian and Charlotte were staying was called Bali.

It was small, quiet, almost forgettable at first glance, but its history was anything but small.

It was said that long ago, this village had been the heart of the Kingdom of Bali, ruled by King Bali himself.

He was a king of terrifying strength, so powerful that even the gods grew wary of him.

Yet for all his might, Bali was gentle, merciful, and unfailingly just.

The gods feared that such power remaining in the mortal world would tilt the balance of existence.

Unable to act directly, they turned to the Guardian, the strongest of all gods, the one said to both create and destroy.

King Bali was a devoted follower of the Guardian. Knowing this, the gods begged the Guardian to intervene.

So the Guardian descended into the world in the form of a small Brahmin child and approached the king, asking for alms.

Without hesitation, King Bali agreed.

"Ask for anything," he said, "and it shall be yours."

The child smiled and replied, "Then grant me only three steps of land."

Bali promised.

In that moment, the Brahmin began to grow, his body expanding until it towered over heaven and earth.

The court trembled.

The people cried out, realizing too late that their king had been deceived, and begged him to withdraw his promise.

But Bali did not waver.

The first step claimed the heavens.

The second step claimed the earth.

There was nowhere left to step.

Anger thundered through the Guardian's voice.

"Bali," he declared, "you have broken your promise."

The king only smiled.

"I have nothing left," Bali said calmly. "No land, no kingdom. But I still have my life. Take that as your third step."

The Guardian raised his foot, and then stopped.

"You have lived without sin," he said. "You kept your word even at the cost of everything. You saw all living beings as equal. I am pleased."

The Guardian granted Bali immortality and crowned him king of the underworld.

Yet even then, Bali hesitated. He did not wish to be separated from his people.

Understanding this, the Guardian spoke once more.

"Once every year, you may return to see them."

And so, from that day onward, the time of King Bali's return was celebrated, especially in this village, which still carried his name.

And today was the day of his return.

That was why the entire village was celebrating, and why even the newly married couples were invited to join the festival.

Vivian and Charlotte stepped out of their small house together.

Both of them were wearing colorful clothes, clean and simple, yet filled with warmth.

Charlotte held Vivian's hand tightly as they walked toward the festival ground.

The night air was alive.

Soft lights glowed along the paths, laughter echoed from every direction, and the smell of food and flowers filled the village.

Drums sounded in the distance, steady and joyful.

As they walked, Charlotte spoke softly.

"Honey," she said, "do you know our neighbor had a daughter?"

She was talking about the couple who had a child just a few days ago.

Vivian nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I saw her. She was very cute."

He remembered hearing the baby's cries from inside his house.

He had wanted to go and hold her, to feel that small warmth in his arms.

But the thought of his illness stopped him.

He stayed back, afraid.

Charlotte had held the baby though. She had even brought the child to meet him.

But Vivian had refused to hold her.

"She really is adorable," Charlotte said again, recalling that moment.

As she spoke, she looked at Vivian's face.

His eyes were bright, filled with gentle happiness.

Yet behind that light, she saw it clearly, a small trace of hesitation, and a quiet regret he never spoke aloud.

Charlotte tightened her grip on his hand, as the sounds of celebration grew louder around them.

After a while as they entered the festival ground, they met many familiar faces.

Some people greeted them with smiles, while others walked beside them for a short while, talking and laughing.

The ground was full of life.

There were many stalls lined up, glowing under lantern light.

Vivian and Charlotte slowly walked around, looking at the food, the toys, and the small handmade goods.

After some time, Vivian's eyes stopped at a jewelry stall.

Without saying anything, he walked toward it.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw the items on display. Charlotte followed behind him quietly.

"Welcome, sir," the stall owner said with a bright smile.

Vivian nodded and smiled back. He looked carefully, moving a few pieces aside, until he found what he was searching for.

"How much is this?" he asked.

The shop owner raised three fingers. "This much."

Vivian opened his pouch, took out three bronze coins, and handed them over.

"Thank you for your patronage," the shop owner said.

Vivian stepped out of the stall and turned toward Charlotte. He held out a necklace in his hand.

It was simple. Beautiful, but not rare. Something that could be found almost anywhere.

But to Charlotte, it felt more precious than anything in the world.

"This is for you," Vivian said, scratching the back of his head.

"I couldn't give you anything after we got married, and… well… I'm not really in a position to buy something expensive either, so—"

Before he could finish, Charlotte turned around and faced away from him.

"Are you just going to talk?" she said with a small smile. "Hurry up and put it on my neck."

Vivian let out a soft chuckle and gently placed the necklace around her neck, his hands careful and slow.

Charlotte touched it, then turned back to him.

"It's beautiful," she said warmly. "Just like my husband."

She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, and for a moment, the noise of the festival faded, leaving only the quiet warmth between them.

After that, they roamed around the festival for a while.

Soon, an announcement echoed across the ground.

"Everyone, we hope you are enjoying the festival. The fireworks will begin within the next hour. Please enjoy the show!"

After the announcement, people around them started talking excitedly.

"Hey, let's go. The fireworks look beautiful from the mountain."

"Really?"

"Yes, I watched them from there before."

"Then let's go."

Hearing this, Vivian grew curious. He looked at Charlotte and smiled.

"Do you want to go and see?" he asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Mm."

They began walking toward the mountain.

It was called a mountain, but it wasn't very big.

The path was gentle, and many people were heading the same way. After walking for a while, they entered the mountain path.

As they walked halfway up, Vivian noticed a couple ahead of them.

The man was carrying the woman in his arms. Then he saw another couple doing the same.

'All of them?'

A strange fire lit up inside him.

Vivian suddenly stopped.

"Honey?" Charlotte stopped too, looking at him in confusion.

Vivian didn't answer. He stepped closer, bent down, and picked her up in his arms.

"Honey?" Charlotte gasped, startled by his sudden move.

Vivian held her tightly….but the color drained from his face almost at once. His breathing grew heavier.

He bit down on his lips and took a step forward.

"Honey, put me down," Charlotte said softly, seeing how pale he was. "You can't climb while carrying me."

But Vivian didn't listen.

Holding her close, he kept walking up the mountain.

After struggling for a long while, he finally reached the top of the mountain.

Vivian carefully put Charlotte down on the ground and bent forward, breathing hard.

"Huff… huff… huff…"

He panted heavily. Charlotte quickly opened her water flask and handed it to him.

Vivian took a few big gulps. Slowly, his breathing eased.

"See?" he said with a weak smile. "Your husband is still going strong."

He flexed his arms proudly, though there was barely any muscle left.

Charlotte smiled, but there was a slight bitterness in it.

Just a few years ago, his body had been very different.

He had been a warrior. Not just this mountain, any mountain, he could have climbed it while carrying her without trouble.

But his illness had taken everything.

His strength.

His future.

And slowly, his life.

Charlotte let out a quiet sigh, pushed those thoughts aside, and smiled again.

"The fireworks are going to start now," she said.

"Oh… right," Vivian replied.

He handed her back the flask, and the two of them walked to the edge of the mountain and sat down side by side.

"Husband," Charlotte said softly.

"Yes, wife," Vivian replied, placing his right hand on her shoulder.

Charlotte rested her head against him as they looked ahead.

"If we have a child," she said quietly, "what would you prefer? A girl or a boy?"

Vivian smiled, not turning his head.

"Either," he said. "As long as the child is healthy."

Charlotte looked at his face. She bit her lip gently and placed her right hand over her stomach.

"Wife, look," Vivian said suddenly, excitement in his voice. "The fireworks are starting."

He pointed at the sky.

But Charlotte didn't look up.

She kept staring at him.

His face was glowing with happiness. For this moment, it felt like he had forgotten everything…his pain, his illness, his fading time. He was simply happy.

Boom!

A firework burst across the sky.

Boom!

Another followed, bright light washing over his face.

Vivian kept talking, laughing softly as he watched the sky. Charlotte stayed silent, watching him instead.

As another firework shot up into the air, Charlotte finally spoke.

"You're going to be a father soon.

Boom!

Another firework burst into the sky, trying to swallow her voice.

But Vivian did not miss what she said.

He froze.

"…What?" he asked softly, as if he wasn't sure he heard her right.

Charlotte turned to him. Her eyes were calm, but they were shining. She nodded once.

"I'm pregnant."

Vivian's lips parted, but no words came out. His hand, which had been resting on her shoulder, slowly slipped down to her arm. It trembled.

A weak laugh escaped him. "You're joking," he said, but his voice was breaking. "This… this isn't funny."

Charlotte shook her head gently.

"I'm not joking."

Vivian stared at her, then slowly looked at her stomach. His eyes widened, then softened. Tears gathered before he even realized it.

"I…" His voice cracked. He swallowed hard. "I'm going to be a father?"

He laughed again, this time mixed with a quiet sob. He covered his face with one hand, shoulders shaking.

"For someone like me… someone who doesn't even know how much time he has left…" He lowered his hand and looked at her, eyes red but filled with light. "You still gave me this."

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he reached out carefully, almost afraid, and placed his hand over her stomach.

"Thank you, Charlotte," he whispered.

"Even though you know that I'm going—"

"Husband!" Charlotte interrupted, holding him tighter.

But Vivian didn't stop.

"Even though you know that I'm going to die," he said through tears, "thank you. I will give you and our child all the happiness I can."

Another firework exploded in the sky, bright and loud.

Vivian pulled Charlotte into a gentle embrace, holding her as if she might disappear.

"Thank you," he said quietly, resting his forehead against hers. "This is the happiest day of my life."

The fireworks continued to bloom above them, but for Vivian, the world had already changed forever..

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