The bathroom of the house was small, but warm. Lyra lit a lantern and placed it near the tub, filling it with heated water. Steam rose softly, filling the room with a gentle mist.
Lina sat on a wooden stool beside the bath, her small form trembling—not out of cold, but from being overwhelmed. She held the tattered hem of her clothing tightly, as though letting go would make everything vanish.
Lyra knelt beside her.
"It's alright," she said softly, her voice like the rustle of warm leaves. "You're safe here. No one will hurt you. No one will take anything from you."
Lina hesitated, her voice barely a whisper.
"…Really?"
Lyra smiled—the same soft, loving smile she had once given a scared dragon prince in another life.
"Mhm. Really."
Slowly, Lina allowed Lyra to lift her shirt and rinse her hair. Dirt washed away into the clear bathwater, leaving strands of soft golden hair that shone under the lantern light. Her small ears twitched gently as Lyra used a soft cloth to clean her back, careful, slow, patient.
"You have very pretty hair," Lyra said with a grin.
Lina blinked, surprised.
"N-no… it's dirty…"
"It was dirty," Lyra corrected. "Now it's beautiful."
For the first time, Lina smiled.
---
Meanwhile, in the living room:
Theodore sat beside Aizen, legs dangling off the chair, watching him carefully. His small hands were clasped together in his lap.
Aizen glanced at him.
"What is it, Theodore?"
The little boy hesitated, then looked down, as if afraid his question was stupid.
"…Papa… how did you become strong?"
Aizen paused.
It wasn't the first time someone asked him that.
But this time… he answered differently.
He leaned back in his seat, eyes drifting toward the dim lanternlight.
"I became strong because I had to protect something," Aizen said. "People I didn't want to lose. People I couldn't lose."
He looked at Theodore directly.
"You become strong when your heart chooses something worth protecting. And once you choose it… you never let go. No matter what."
Theodore stared at him, eyes trembling.
"So… if I want to protect Mikaela… and mama Lyra… and Lina… and you… then… I can be strong too?"
Aizen smiled.
"Yes. You can. And you will. I believe in you."
Theodore held those words tightly—
as if they were the most precious thing he had ever received.
---
Lyra returned with Lina a few minutes later.
Lina's hair was now soft and brushed, her face clear, her clothes replaced with one of Mikaela's smaller dresses that fit surprisingly well. She looked like a completely different child—still shy, still fragile—but no longer fading.
Mikaela gasped dramatically.
"Linaaaaa! You look like a princess!!"
Lina's face turned bright red instantly.
"N-No I don't!"
"Yes you do!" Theodore added in his quiet voice.
Lina's ears twitched and she stared at the floor, flustered beyond comprehension.
Lyra giggled softly.
Aizen coughed into his fist to hide his smile.
---
Dinner
Lyra prepared a pot of simmered pork—rich broth, soft vegetables, roasted meat that filled the house with warm aroma. The four children sat around the low dining table while Aizen placed the wooden bowls in front of each of them.
Mikaela grabbed her spoon eagerly.
Theodore folded his hands and whispered,
"Thank you for the food…"
Lina watched the two, unsure what to do—but Mikaela grabbed her hands and Theodore's hands, pulling all three into a silent little circle.
"We eat together in this house," Mikaela said with a proud grin.
Lina nodded slowly.
"…Together…"
They ate.
Warmth spread.
Laughter returned.
Aizen and Lyra watched them—side by side—
and for a moment, the house felt like something sacred.
Not temporary.
Not borrowed.
Not fragile.
Home.
After dinner, Mikaela nudged Lina gently.
"Hey Lina… we're going to Ravaryn soon. A big city! Really big! And dangerous and scary but cool!"
Theodore nodded firmly.
"And we're going as a family."
Mikaela looked at Lina carefully.
Then, with the softest voice she ever used:
"Do you… wanna come with us? You can be our family too."
Lina froze.
Her throat tightened.
No one… ever asked her that before.
Not in her whole life.
"I… can I really…?" her voice broke.
Aizen answered before anyone else.
"You are already one of us. From the moment you walked through that door."
Lina's tears fell silently.
They did not break her.
They healed her.
---
Night
The children grew tired quickly.
Aizen carried Theodore to bed.
Lyra guided Mikaela.
A new small bed was placed beside them—Lina's.
They all curled up together—three small figures under one shared blanket.
Mikaela hugged Lina in her sleep.
Lina clung back.
Theodore rested against both of them.
Aizen watched them for a while.
A tiny family. Fragile. Precious.
Something he almost lost in the last lifetime.
Lyra stepped beside him, whispering:
"We saved them again."
Aizen nodded.
"…Yeah."
Lyra touched his hand.
"Aizen… goodnight."
He squeezed her hand gently.
"Goodnight, Lyra."
They went to their separate rooms—
but the warmth stayed.
The house settled into quiet breathing.
The crickets outside sang softly.
The river flowed just beyond the trees.
Tomorrow, they would leave for Ravaryn.
Tomorrow, the world would begin to move again.
But tonight
They rested.
Together.
---
END OF CHAPTER 81 PART 2