The sun was setting by the time Aizen, Lyra, Mikaela, and Theodore reached the outskirts of the village. The sky had turned into a soft blend of gold and violet, clouds brushed like feathers across the fading daylight. The path beneath their feet had turned from wild forest ground to worn earth, marked by the quiet passing of villagers, merchants, and carts over the years.
Mikaela and Theodore looked around with wide sparkling eyes, holding hands as they walked between Aizen and Lyra. Two small figures wrapped in faded but well-kept clothes, their small wings—black and white—folded neatly behind their backs. They were exhausted, yet the presence of Aizen and Lyra beside them gave a sense of safety that no walls could ever provide.
Lyra took a small breath, inhaling the scent carried by the wind.
The village smelled of firewood smoke, freshly baked bread, and wet grass.
Her golden eyes softened.
"This place…" she murmured. "It feels peaceful."
Aizen nodded, though his expression remained sharp and aware. He had always been like that—no matter how calm the surroundings were, his instincts were never asleep. Not after everything he had lived through. Not after losing everything once.
He didn't want to lose anything again.
The village was quiet but lively—children running barefoot, chickens wandering freely, men returning from woodcutting, women laughing while hanging clothes to dry under the dimming light. Lanterns were beginning to flicker lit one by one, casting a warm glow across the earth.
This place didn't know war.
Didn't know blood.
Didn't know the fear of dragons, demons, or beastmen.
It was… untouched.
Aizen walked ahead to speak with the chief while Lyra kept the children close.
The chief was an elderly man with long white hair tied behind his back, deep-set eyes, and a calm presence. He sat outside a wooden hall, smoking gentle herb leaves from a pipe. When his eyes met Aizen's, there was no fear—only a quiet understanding.
"I heard you are travelers," the chief said. "The forest watches you. It recognizes your strength."
Aizen bowed his head politely. "We seek temporary shelter. A home for at least three months. In exchange… I will help protect your village from any monster threats nearby."
The chief smiled, slow and knowing, like he had expected exactly those words.
"This land is peaceful because strong people pass through it and choose to protect instead of destroy," the chief replied. "If you wish to stay, then stay. But yes… help us keep this peace. That is the only condition."
Aizen accepted without hesitation.
Lyra, watching from afar with Mikaela and Theodore, smiled faintly.
Even now…
Even with everything he had lost before…
Aizen still protected others.
That hadn't changed.
The chief handed Aizen the house papers—permission to live in one of the spare homes on the northern part of the village, near the quiet riverbank where the breeze was cool and the night was gentle.
Aizen returned to the group.
"And this is our home for the next three months," he said, holding up the documents with a tired but soft smile.
The house was… surprisingly pleasant.
Two floors, wooden beams, a small balcony, and a garden of overgrown flowers that Mikaela immediately ran toward with a gasp.
"Woahhh! This room is big! Is this for the two of us?" she asked, pointing inside excitedly.
Aizen nodded. "Yes. You and Theodore will sleep in this room. The two remaining rooms are mine and Lyra's." He paused, kneeling to look the twins in the eyes. "You two can play, explore the village, and make friends. But don't go far, okay? Stay within the village boundaries."
"Yes, papa!" Theodore said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, but his eyes bright and sincere.
Mikaela elbowed him lightly. "Ohhh? So now you're calling him papa comfortably, huh?" She giggled while Theodore puffed his cheeks and looked away.
Aizen couldn't help but chuckle.
Lyra watched him—her heart tightening just a bit.
He was smiling again.
Not the sharp, guarded grin of old Aizen…
But the gentle one.
The one she remembered from another lifetime.
The fireplace was lit.
Lyra cooked.
Aizen chopped firewood and helped villagers fend off minor monsters.
The twins played and laughed in the village.
Slowly…
Warmth began returning to a life long marked by blood and sorrow.
Days passed.
Weeks passed.
The sun rose and set in peace.
And for the first time in many, many years—
They lived.
Not survived.
Not ran.
Not fought.
They lived.
---
But peace is never eternal.
One evening, the light outside had dimmed into a soft purple dusk. Aizen sat in the living room, leaning back on a wooden chair with a book in his hands—an old novel about fishing techniques passed down from ancient times. He wasn't truly focused on the words. His mind was elsewhere.
Ravaryn.
The old human kingdom.
The place where Crimson Hand festered like rot.
Where Amethyst and Crystal were waiting—unknowing.
Where blood was destined to spill again.
His fingers tightened on the book.
It's almost time.
Meanwhile, Lyra stood by the window, watching the fading horizon. She wasn't anxious—but something inside her chest ached faintly.
As though she were waiting for something…
Someone…
"Where are those two…" she murmured. "They should be home by now. It's almost dark."
Aizen closed the book and stood up. He wasn't worried—if anything, his instincts told him everything was fine. But Lyra still needed reassurance, and he always gave it.
"I'll check outside—"
Before he could finish, the door burst open.
Mikaela and Theodore hurried in, breathless and smiling—
But they weren't alone.
Between them stood a small girl.
Her hair was messy—pale blonde, almost silver under the fading light.
Her ears were soft, cat-like, trembling faintly.
Her clothes were ragged.
Her eyes were green—soft, gentle, and scared.
Just like how she was the first time.
"H-hello…" she whispered. "I'm… Lina… I don't… have a home…"
Aizen stopped breathing for a second.
Lyra's hand covered her mouth, eyes trembling—not in surprise.
But in recognition.
They found her.
Again.
Just like before.
Like something was guiding fate back to its rightful place.
Mikaela and Theodore both looked up at Aizen nervously.
"We… um… we brought her home because she was alone… and we wanted her to stay with us… i-if that's okay…"
For a moment—
The room was silent.
Then Aizen knelt slowly.
Just like he did once in the life before.
"Of course," he said softly. "But first… Lyra, can you help her bathe? She deserves to be clean and warm."
Lyra nodded immediately.
Her eyes were shiny.
Her throat tight.
She had waited years for this moment—yet she couldn't say it aloud.
"Come, Lina," she whispered. "Let's get you washed. You're safe now."
As Lyra led Lina away, Aizen placed a hand over his chest.
We're almost all together again.
He could feel it.
The missing pieces returning.
One by one.
---
END OF CHAPTER 81 PART 1