The next morning, Ravaryn awoke to chaos once again. But within the rented tavern room, it was strangely calm. A soft morning light filtered through the cracked wooden windows. Aizen sat by the window, shirtless, steam rising off his skin as he meditated in silence. Beside him, Lyra lay under a light blanket, her silver hair flowing around her like moonlight.
They'd stayed up most of the night—talking, thinking, and holding one another in the quiet, both finding rare peace amid the storm of their lives.
A sudden voice broke that peace.
"Where's Theodore?"
Mikaela stood frozen at the doorway to the shared children's room, her small hands trembling as she clutched the edge of the doorframe. Her big, worried golden eyes searched the shadows of the room. "He's… he's not here!"
Aizen's eyes snapped open. In an instant, he was on his feet, grabbing his cloak and storming out the door. Lyra followed quickly, her face pale.
The others gathered, panic already spreading.
"I—I woke up early," Mikaela stammered, "and Theo wasn't in his bed. I thought maybe he went to the bathroom or downstairs but… I searched everywhere!"
"Calm down," Lyra said, kneeling beside her. "We'll find him."
Lina sniffed the air and darted outside, claws ready. "He's not close. No scent nearby. Something's wrong!"
Aizen's heart pounded. He clenched his fists so hard that blood began to drip from his palms.
Theodore… was the quietest. The gentlest. He had the weakest body but the kindest heart. Always reading, always learning. Always sticking close to Mikaela.
And now he was gone.
Aizen's rage boiled inside him, barely restrained. The wind around the tavern began to stir unnaturally—dust and leaves spiraling as the sky darkened slightly overhead. He had promised to protect them all. And now one was taken.
"Aizen…" Lyra whispered, stepping beside him and placing a hand on his trembling back. "Breathe. We need your mind. Not just your power."
He didn't respond at first.
But when he looked into her eyes—calm and fierce—he nodded, though his jaw was tight with fury. "I'll bring him back. Even if I have to tear this city apart."
They spent the entire day searching—speaking with guards, investigating alleyways, even roughing up a few criminals for information. But it wasn't until sunset that they got a single lead.
A frightened informant whispered in Lyra's ear, "They took him to the Crimson Hand's lair… at the edge of the underground district. They've been watching you all since you arrived."
Mikaela's voice cracked behind them. "They… took Theo because he was alone?"
Lyra nodded slowly. "He's small… and they prey on weakness."
Mikaela collapsed to her knees. "It's my fault! I should've protected him—I'm the older twin!"
"No." Aizen knelt in front of her, his voice low but steady. "It's their fault. And I'll make sure they pay."
As night fell, far away in a dark, damp room deep beneath the city…
Theodore sat curled in a corner, surrounded by stone and chains. His small frame shivered from cold and fear. His wrists ached, bound too tightly with iron cuffs. Around him, voices murmured—plans, deals, laughter in the shadows.
He pressed his forehead to his knees and whispered in a broken voice, tears streaking down his cheeks.
"…If only I had stayed closer… If only I was stronger…"
His small sobs echoed in the chamber, unheard by the ones who loved him.
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(End of Chapter 16)