Ariana's phone calls with her aunt had taken on a new, excited tone. The heavy grief that once filled their conversations was now edged with pride and anticipation for the future. 📲
"Hazon has finished his schooling with excellent results," her aunt shared, her voice brimming with a happiness Ariana hadn't heard in months. "And he has made his decision. He wants to follow in your footsteps."
Ariana felt a surge of familial pride. Her cousin, Hazon, whom she had helped reassure in their darkest hour, had chosen to attend Silvercast University. But instead of business, his passion lay in justice.
"He's been accepted into the criminology program," her aunt continued. "He says he wants to understand the law, to protect people. I think… I think everything that happened shaped him."
Ariana understood. The loss of his father had not broken Hazon; it had given him a powerful direction. Knowing her cousin would soon be on the same campus, embarking on his own journey, filled her with a deep, warm contentment. Her family was not just healing; it was growing, evolving, and building a new legacy, starting this coming academic year. đź’ť