---
And then, without turning, Elias's lips quirked ever so slightly. He mouthed two crisp words at the tree.
'Stop Perv'
The spy nearly toppled off the branch. She slapped both hands over her reddening face. H-he knows?! Of course he knows! He always knows! Her legs kicked in silent panic, but her eyes… her eyes refused to look away. If anything, she leaned forward.
Her reasoning was clear: she was here to protect him. Yes, protect. Watch every angle, every movement, every line of muscle under water… for security purposes, naturally.
Elias, now waist-deep, dragged a hand through his wet hair, droplets sliding down the sharp line of his collarbone.
The spy groaned inwardly. How cruel. How can someone so calm, so unreadable, walk around looking like this? Does he even know? No, worse—he does know, and he enjoys tormenting me with it.
From below, Lucien suddenly shouted, "Elias! Is someone watching us?"
The spy froze like a rabbit.
Elias didn't even glance up. He just smirked, calm as ever. "No. Just the wind."
But when he turned his face toward the trees again, he mouthed one more word only she could see.
Behave.
Her fingers curled around the bark, a mix of frustration and giddy embarrassment twisting inside her. Easy for you to say, Mister Prettyboy. You're the one parading around half-naked!
And yet… even knowing he'd caught her, she couldn't tear her eyes away. Protecting him? Yes. But maybe… admiring him just a little more than necessary.
---
By the time the sun began to slip lower, the lake glowed with streaks of gold. The boys had long forgotten their protests—splashes, laughter, and complaints filled the air until their arms tired and legs wobbled.
"Enough," Elias said at last, stepping out of the water. He dried his hair with a towel, pale strands dripping. "The lake will claim you as its own if you don't come out now."
Lucien flopped onto the grass. "Then bury me here. Tell the world I died a hero's death—defeated by a lake monster while saving some idiots."
"Me too. I'm Hero Number Two," Elen muttered, collapsing beside him with a huff.
"You two…" Elias sighed. He set towels across their heads, ignoring their muffled groans. "Dry yourselves. Or I'm leaving you here as fish food."
The boys fought the towels as though he'd tried to smother them, but in the end both dried off and curled by the fire Elias lit.
Leya emerged from the far side, hair damp, cheeks faintly flushed. She peeked at Elias for approval.
He gave a small nod. "Good. You'll all sleep better tonight."
The fire crackled softly. The children slumped, exhaustion pulling their eyelids down one by one.
Elen tried to keep talking but his words slurred halfway. He looked at Elias again before drifting into sleep, faintly aware of the steady presence keeping them safe.
Lucien lingered longer, staring at Elias. "...If you leave someday, I'll hate you," he whispered, not quite realizing he'd spoken aloud.
Elias's hand stilled over the firewood. Then, quietly but firmly: "I won't. You're not broken glass to be left behind. You're iron—you bend, you don't shatter. I'll be here to remind you until you believe it yourself."
Lucien's lashes lowered, hiding the tears before they fell. He turned toward the warmth of the fire, pretending sleep.
Leya, half-drifting, heard it too. Her small fingers tugged at Elias's sleeve, refusing to let go. "You… make it feel like we're not dirty anymore," she murmured. "I want to stay. Always."
Elias smoothed her damp hair. His voice came softer than the fire's crackle. "Then stay. I'll be here until you learn you don't need me to feel clean."
The spy in the trees pressed her lips tight, chest twisting. Tch… that's not fair. Why can he say things like that? Why does it sound like the world bends around his words?
She hugged her knees, glaring at the children sleeping peacefully under his hand. Lucky brats. Clinging to him like that… and he lets them.
Her gaze slid back to him, firelight tracing his profile, the faintest smile curving at his lips as he adjusted their blankets.
And he doesn't even notice how dangerously he shines.
Elias, of course, noticed. Without lifting his head, his blindfolded eyes turned toward her branch. Calm. Knowing.
His lips curved faintly.
"Still watching?"
The spy nearly toppled from her branch. She buried her face in her knees, muffling a groan. Yes, I'm still watching, you insufferable pretty monster… and I can't stop.
---
Below, the fire crackled. The children slept in a small pile, soft breaths filling the night. But somewhere in their drowsy dreams, they each knew—Elias was there, watching over them.
And Elias sat guard, silent and unwavering—he looked at kids' faces, sleeping peacefully.
The children slept in a tangled heap, breaths soft. Somewhere in their drowsy dreams, each of them knew the same thing: Elias was there, guarding them.
And Elias sat awake, silent and unwavering. He looked at their faces, shadows of pain still lingering even in sleep, and thought:
They're cracked… but not shattered. I'll keep building them until they see themselves the way I do.
'That experiment's results..... It's okay, it will be okay too... I will be there for you when you need me, always....' he promised to himself, looking at the kids' faces, sensing their faint breath under the forest silence.
---
The Next Morning:-
The sun rose lazily over the lake, scattering pink and gold across the rippling surface.
Chirp! Chirp!
Birds chirped.
Buzzzzzzzz...!!!!
Insects hummed.
And the smoke from the fire's dying embers curled faintly into the crisp air.
Lucian stirred in his sleep, not fully awake yet not lost in dreams either.
His eyelids stayed heavy, but he caught the faintest shift near him, a hand that had been there and then gone, as if making sure he was covered well.
He didn't open his eyes, didn't say anything, only breathed a little softer, holding on to that quiet warmth.
By morning the forest air was cool, carrying the smell of damp leaves.
The children stretched, rubbed their eyes, and yawned. None of them had noticed what had happened in the night, only that they woke feeling strangely safe, as if the forest had been gentler to them.
Elias sat not far away, calm as ever, like nothing had passed at all. For a brief moment his gaze brushed Lucian, who still lay half-asleep, and it was almost as if he knew the boy had felt it.
He gave no sign, only let the silence carry it.
---