Saving the Villain

Maxen had to listen to Cosette and Luke\'s sniffles until they reached the place he wanted to take them. Luke and Cosette looked at each other in surprise, seeing the gigantic carnival rides from afar. The surprise in their eyes slowly twinkled like little children excited about today\'s adventure.

The three of them didn\'t waste a second as they rushed to the amusement park, full of energy to try on the rides. Knowing Cosette and Luke, they didn\'t bat an eye on the tamer rides as they immediately set their fiery eyes on the Insanity.

Maxen nearly jolt when the two looked back at him with a glint in their eyes. In the end, Maxen had to deal with their screaming and crying while he maintain his composure throughout the ride. Not just that, but he also had to hear Cosette\'s questions, "does anything faze you, Max?" and Luke\'s inquiry, "are you numb?"

Fortunately, the two didn\'t press on the matter as they dragged Maxen to the rollercoaster upon hearing the loud screams from a distance. As if the first ride did nothing to them, Cosette and Luke went through hell once again throughout the roller coaster ride.

The cycle continued as they tried different rides such as the condor, drop tower, evolution, star flyer, pirate ship, and all the intense rides they could find. As they tried everything one after another without breaks, the three gradually enjoyed it as the slight fear lingering in their hearts was replaced with excitement.

They went through all the rides once more time to enjoy them to the fullest before switching to other activities the amusement park offers. They tried bumper cars, carousels, some water rides, going through a haunted house, some more arcade games, and kiddie rides.

Although the intense rides were full of screams and high emotion, the tamer rides were full of candid laughter. They went through everything without taking a pause, and the three of them enjoyed every second.

The only time they took a break was when they finally felt hungry. Only then did they also realize the sun was about to set. So after grabbing some snacks inside the amusement park, they wanted to watch the sunset from the Ferris wheel.

"Oh, today is very fun!" Cosette mused. Her cheeks had a shade of natural red at the high emotion and fun activities they had. "Thank you, Max. It\'s your birthday, but it feels like mine."

Luke hissed as he swallowed down the soda he was drinking. He raised a finger but was unable to say anything due to the mild brain freeze. Maxen and Cosette were sitting across from him on the Ferris wheel.

"Don\'t cry, Luke," Cosette lectured before he could recover. "This is a fun day and we\'re celebrating Max\'s birthday. Right, Max?"

Maxen nodded when she cast him a look. "No more crying."

"See?" Cosette raised her chin, proudly smiling as if she was praised before she took a bite of her hamburger. "By the way, are you having fun, Max?"

Maxen let out a short chuckle as she fumbled with her words because she was speaking and chewing at the same time. She kept her eyes on him as she sipped from the straw.

"Yes." He slowly raised his eyes to the window as they slowly ascend the sky. His eyes softened, catching the beautiful sunset over the horizon. "Very much."

Cosette and Luke smiled warmly, turning their attention to the beautiful scenery in silence. Even before they stepped foot in the amusement park, their energy was already at its peak. Yet, their energy and adrenaline kept increasing with every ride.

But watching the sunset, this adrenaline and urge to ride more intense rides slowly dwindled, relaxing at the sight of the orange tint with a golden undertone spread through the sky.

"It\'s so beautiful," Cosette whispered as the golden rays hit her face. Maxen\'s eyes fell on her and hummed.

"Right?" he mumbled. "So beautiful."

Her lips stretched until the corner of her eyes creased, making Maxen smile even more. The latter stared at her for a while before raising his eyes at the scenery once they were at the peak.

"I…" Luke broke the prolonged yet peaceful silence between them. "Is it weird if I say I never went to an amusement park?"

Luke kept his eyes on the scenery. His eyes were soft and warm, while his lips curled into a subtle smile.

"It\'s just as fun as I thought it was," he added, and then chuckled briefly. "I\'m so happy."

Maxen\'s brows rose as he slowly gazed back at Luke. The latter slowly looked back at him when he felt his gaze on him.

"I\'m not crying," defended Luke, lest Maxen would misunderstand his mellow tone. "It\'s just that no one took me here because everyone is busy back there."

Cosette looked back at Luke, and the moment their eyes met, she instantly knew he would pick on her before she does. So she spoke before him.

"It\'s not weird," she said, taking Luke off guard.

"What did you say?"

"It\'s not weird that this is your first time in an amusement park," she clarified with a shrug, looking back at the window to see the sunset again as they slowly descend. "It\'s my first too," — in this lifetime.

"I\'ve had a weird mind back then. I was obsessed with becoming perfect, so going to an amusement park to have fun never crossed my head. Actually, it did, once. But I thought, \'what a waste of time,\' but actually, I was just afraid my dad will turn me down," she explained in a much lighter tone as she recalled how she usually sabotage herself even before anything could happen. "I know I can go, but it\'s no fun when the people who would come with me will be Nanny Lucia and Butler George again. If only I was aware back that my dad would drop anything in a heartbeat if I asked him, I wouldn\'t have hesitated."

Cosette looked back at them with a bright smile. "But I\'m still glad to achieve this first with the both of you. It\'s really fun. Let\'s do this again."