Ch#132
Whoosh.
Every time the loud sound rang out, the flames flickered. They blazed atop a massive basket large enough to hold several people.
Beside it was a gigantic balloon that had only just begun to inflate.
She knew immediately what it was.
"A hot air balloon!"
It was the same one she had seen on the first day of vacation, riding in the carriage with Irene toward the capital.
Whenever a hot air balloon floated lazily across the capital's sky, she couldn't tear her eyes away.
And now it was right in front of her.
Evi wasn't the only excited one.
The moment they got out of the carriage, the children hurried toward the hot air balloon.
"Wow! It's huge!"
Ruska circled it once and exclaimed in admiration.
Even Arsel, who rarely showed much reaction, seemed a bit thrilled as he approached closely to inspect it.
The sleepiness that had filled their eyes the entire way there had long vanished.
"You've arrived, Miss Irene. We can depart soon."
The people preparing the hot air balloon bowed to Irene.
After thanking them for their early morning efforts, Irene turned, crossed her arms, and declared proudly.
"This is what I prepared to commemorate the end of our vacation."
At her words, Ruska said from the side, looking daunted.
"Isn't this super expensive?"
"Who do you think I am? I'm Irene. Te. Rins. This is easily covered by my allowance."
As Irene elegantly tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled, Ruska grumbled.
"Who else? The southern spicy fist."
"......You're not riding."
"I'm sorry, Princess of the South. My mouth must still be half-asleep."
Evi giggled at Ruska's immediate groveling and gazed at the balloon, now even more inflated.
She had thought it was big from afar, but up close, its enormity felt even more vivid.
To the point where it was wondrous how something this huge could float in the sky.
Once the balloon was sufficiently inflated, the staff gathered the children and explained the precautions.
"The basket is sturdily connected to the balloon—strong enough to hold a cow. Still, jumping high or shaking the basket inside is forbidden. Sudden gusts can make it sway and cause injury. And if you suddenly feel dizzy or short of breath, tell us immediately."
"Yes!!!"
As if such a thing would never happen, the four responded energetically.
As the children boarded the basket with two staff members, the people outside bustled about.
In the meantime, the fire above roared even louder, blazing fiercely.
As the balloon inflated more perfectly, the people outside untied the ropes holding it down.
"One, two, three!"
With the shout, the hot air balloon floated up lightly.
"It's rising!"
Evi gripped the basket's edge and looked down as it swiftly rose past adult height.
"Have a safe trip!"
"Strong winds up there—be careful!"
"Winds?"
Evi reached out her hand. Barely any breeze—why warn about wind?
She soon found out why.
As they rose higher, the wind began to blow fiercely.
"But what if we fall?"
Ruska muttered while gaping around, and Irene unhesitatingly stomped on his foot.
So quickly and hard that the basket shook slightly.
"Making such an ominous remark......!"
"Miss! Calm down, calm down!"
"Agh! Agh! My mistake! Let go of my ear!"
As the basket grew chaotic, the hot air balloon rose even faster into the sky.
"Bye! We'll be back!"
The people waving below were now out of sight.
The capital's buildings were barely visible; only scattered lights filled her view.
As even those grew smaller, Evi felt a sudden fear.
"Irene, why ride the hot air balloon in the pitch-black dawn when nothing's visible?"
"I asked around, and they said sunrise is the most spectacular. But......"
Irene shivered.
"I'm......a little......regretting it......"
At first, she thought rising in a hot air balloon would be easy.
They just sat while it moved itself, right?
But as they ascended, Irene began regretting her choice bit by bit.
'Winds are strong! It's cold! And above all, it's dark!'
Unlike the ground, the higher they went, the temperature dropped sharply and the wind grew biting.
But harder still was the pitch-black night sky.
Stars were there, but the sky was far darker than early evening.
"Evi, scared? Want to go down?"
Irene asked, sniffling.
Worried the younger Evi must be even more terrified than her bigger self.
And regretting forcing this just to see sunrise out of greed.
At Irene's question, Evi shook her head.
"No. I want to see the sunrise."
It was prepared by Irene, remembering how excited she was about hot air balloons that first day.
Not just Irene—Arsel and Ruska had come at dawn too.
And the staff who prepared even earlier.
Since everyone moved for this moment, she felt it right to see the most spectacular sight before descending.
The hot air balloon kept rising higher and higher.
Now it swayed with every gust.
Even Ruska, who had been nonstop joking and laughing, grew quiet.
Evi looked up at the sky.
The balloon's fire flickered brightly above, but it blocked the stars instead.
A starless sky felt so desolate.
Fearful of the dark sky, she looked down to see the capital's lights now tiny as fingernails.
The sense of lights receding, sucked into darkness, made Evi tremble.
As she unwittingly gripped the basket tightly, Arsel grabbed her from behind.
"You okay?"
She should say yes, but words wouldn't come.
Understanding, Arsel soothed her gently.
"It's normal to be scared. We're so high up."
Reassuringly patting her shoulder, he made it seem fine.
At the kind, warm touch, Evi unwittingly leaned her back against Arsel's chest.
Burying into him, he welcomed it fully, placing both arms on her shoulders and pulling her closer into his embrace.
Suddenly, the fierce wind whipping her hair calmed, and the cold enveloping her body faded.
Gripping Arsel's hand tightly, Evi whispered softly.
"It's so dark, I'm scared."
This was the darkest sky she'd ever seen. Staring up felt like falling into darkness, not rising.
Arsel pulled her tighter into his arms.
"It's darkest just before dawn. So......let's wait together a little longer."
Evi nodded, clinging to him.
Scary, but bearable with someone there.
"Arsel. Me, me too......"
Then Irene, gripping the basket, grabbed one of Arsel's arms.
Not to be outdone, Ruska seized the other.
"Hey. Hold me too!"
Arsel swallowed a sigh at the two much larger ones trembling and clinging desperately.
But he didn't shake them off.
Thus, the four children huddled as one, drifting aimlessly in the dark sky.
"Look over there!"
A staff member regulating the fire pointed east and shouted.
The children all looked where his finger pointed.
"Ah......"
Suddenly, a thin blue streak appeared in the pitch-black sky.
It widened, changing the sky's color—from black to blue, then orange.
"Wow......"
Someone's sigh drifted with the wind. Nothing else was heard.
Moments later.
"Look there!"
"Whoa! Over there, there!"
Multicolored waves rippled across the sky in an instant.
The moment gasps escaped the four children.
Far away, at the mountain's edge, the brilliant morning sun began to rise.
Everything changed.
Warmth infused the cold wind; the starless sky brightened, revealing dawn stars twinkling everywhere.
Not just the sky.
Dense buildings appeared atop the ground once dotted only with distant lights, along with people walking between them.
The fear of drifting unknowingly between sky and earth vanished.
With light, everything clarified.
Where they were, what they were doing.
Having greeted countless mornings in life, this was the first time seeing the sun rise so vividly.
Though the same day began, an indescribable thrill overwhelmed them; the four clung tightly, gazing at the dazzling sun.
In everyone's arms, Evi thought.
Someday, when lonely or scared, she'd recall this moment.
Then nothing would frighten her.
Thus, the four's summer vacation ended.
