"Water danger?" Rocky squeaked, instantly covering his head with his arms. "What if… what if I turn into stone and they forget me on the island forever?"
"You big pebble, no one forget you," Boo declared, floating upside down. "Boo will carry you! But…" he leaned in dramatically, "principal said no wandering alone. Does ghost count as plant? Because Boo sometimes stand very still like tree…"
That broke the tension completely, and the whole group burst into laughter. Even Alina had to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing too hard. Dante, however, only gave the faintest twitch of his lips before clearing his throat.
"Stay together," he repeated coldly, but his eyes softened for a fraction of a second as they flicked toward Alina.
Finally, Dante stepped aside from the door, and one by one, the babies leapt out eagerly, their little feet landing on the warm sand.
