The morning sun had climbed above the horizon, spilling golden light across the apartment garden, painting the grass in shades of amber and green.
Yuuta sat cross-legged on the damp earth, his notebook spread open before him, his pen tucked behind his ear, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Around him, the garden was coming alive, birds sang in the trees, insects buzzed among the flowers, and somewhere in the distance, a dog barked at something only it could see.
Elena played nearby, chasing a butterfly with outstretched arms, her silver hair streaming behind her like a banner. Normally, Yuuta would have been chasing her, would have caught the butterfly in his cupped hands and presented it to her with a flourish, would have reveled in her laughter and her awe.
But not today.
Today, he had no time for such things.
He had to become stronger.
He had to learn aura.
He had to stand beside Erza, or at the very least, not be a burden she had to carry.
