• Laughter Among the Ashes

The Western Front of Valleria, once a frozen, crystalline wasteland soaked in the blood of warriors, was now alive with laughter, the clinking of metal cups, and the warmth of flickering firepits.

The remnants of the Abyssal Reaper had been incinerated, its corrupted Aether dissipating into the night air. Now, the surviving Aetherians and support personnel gathered around the makeshift camp within the Forward Bastion, an outpost carved into the cliffs overlooking the battlefield.

Valleria, one of the Five Great Nations, had long stood as a bastion of humanity's survival on Aethelgard.

Its people were warriors first, builders second, and survivors always.

They had endured over a century of strife, first against the planet's oppressive energy shifts, then against the Kryll that rained from the heavens like an unending storm. And yet, even now, with another battle behind them, they laughed.

Because that was how warriors of Valleria honored the dead.

Commander Lysara Vael stood before them on a raised platform, her wounds bandaged, her long silver hair still streaked with dried blood. She looked over the assembled warriors, the survivors who had stood against an apex predator and lived. Her golden eyes glowed faintly in the firelight, enhanced by her Aetherial strength.

She raised her cup.

"Tonight, we do not mourn." Her voice, though commanding, carried warmth. "If those who fell were still with us, they would not want us to drown in sorrow. They would not want us to break beneath grief. They would want us to drink, to laugh, and to live. That is why they gave their lives."

A hush fell over the gathering, a moment of silence filled only by the distant wind.

Then, a warrior raised her weapon high.

"To the fallen! May they watch over us!"

"TO THE FALLEN!" the crowd roared, lifting their drinks, their weapons, their voices.

And just like that, the weight of grief turned to joy.

....

....

Alex Reiner sat on a metal supply crate near one of the larger firepits, his long black hair cascading over his shoulders, held together by the familiar silver hairpin he had worn since his first deployment. His deep blue eyes, often sharp with tactical calculations, were now soft, reflecting the firelight.

He barely had time to breathe before a woman playfully smacked him on the back—Seris Dorne, the Flame Aetherian who had turned a pack of Daggerlings to ash earlier.

"You magnificent, beautiful bastard!" she said, her flushed face evidence of just how much she had been drinking. "You actually did it! If it weren't for that rail cannon, we'd be Kryll food right now!"

Alex smirked, swirling the glowing amber liquid in his cup—Aetherbrew, a drink infused with purified Aether, strong enough to make even an Aetherian's head spin.

"You make it sound like I pulled off a miracle," he said, voice smooth as ever. "I just did my job."

"Yeah?" Kaela Morrin, the Gravity Aetherian, leaned over, arms crossed under her chest. "Then why is everyone still chanting your name? Face it, Reiner. You're the golden boy of Valleria's military right now."

True enough, scattered throughout the outpost, warriors were still murmuring his name between drinks and laughter. He had saved them all, and they wouldn't let him forget it.

"Speaking of," a soldier from the logistics division grinned, "word is, you're done with your military service soon. That true?"

The conversation shifted instantly.

All eyes turned to Alex.

A woman sitting across from him smirked. "Retirement? Finally admitting that war's not for you?"

Another huffed, folding her arms. "More like he finally realized he's too pretty for the battlefield."

Alex chuckled, leaning back. "You make it sound like I'm leaving for good. Just means I won't be chained to a Handler's seat anymore. I might take some private contracts, maybe even travel to Eredon Prime and see what the engineers there have been working on."

"Uh-huh," Seris scoffed. "You just don't wanna admit you're getting old."

Alex placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Seris, please. I'm twenty-seven. I'm in my prime."

"Exactly," another woman chimed in, a mischievous grin spreading across her lips. "Prime age to find a partner."

The group exploded into laughter and teasing.

"Seriously, Reiner, you've been single forever!"

"Some of us are starting to think you don't like women."

"Oh, he does. He's just a coward!"

"Tell me," another woman leaned in, "what's your type?"

Alex took a slow sip of his drink, contemplating his answer.

"Come on," Seris nudged him, "don't be shy. We just fought a goddamn Reaper. Give us something fun to talk about!"

The conversation took a sudden competitive turn.

A woman to his left smirked, balancing a rifle across her ample chest. "Some men like a little extra support, you know?"

Another, a tall, muscular warrior, flexed, her enhanced Aetherian musculature rippling under the firelight. "Or maybe he's into someone strong enough to carry him if he ever gets injured."

"Forget that," a third woman laughed, shaking her head. "Reiner's too pretty to be impressed by that. I say he's into the quiet, mysterious types."

Alex exhaled dramatically. "You're all relentless."

"That's what happens when you're the only single man in a room full of warriors," Kaela teased. "Now spill."

He looked around at all the expectant faces.

"Fine." He leaned forward, eyes glinting. "I like a woman who—"

The entire camp leaned in.

"--knows when to end a conversation."

Groans and mock outrage erupted around the fire.

"YOU BASTARD!"

"THAT DOESN'T COUNT!"

"CHEAP!"

Alex laughed, standing as he finished his drink. "If I ever settle down, I'll let you all know. Until then, keep the dream alive."

Seris crossed her arms, grinning. "Oh, we will. And when you finally crack, we'll be the first to rub it in your face."

"Looking forward to it," Alex said smoothly, walking away as the conversation shifted to more outrageous battlefield stories.

As the night wore on, the laughter continued.

The war was still far from over.

But tonight, they were warriors.

And warriors celebrated their survival.