Chapter 21/1 – The Night of Letters to the Future
Each child wrote a letter to their 10-years-older self.
They placed them inside a magical box that only opens in 10 years.
Excerpts that Lysithea secretly read (and cried over):
- Joker: "Hey, future me, have you built the circus yet? If not, hurry up!"
- Harley: "If you're not married to me and Joker, you're doing it wrong."
- Lirien: "I hope we're still singing together under the tree."
- Rina: "Do I still have my tail? If yes: awesome. If no: sad."
Lysithea wrote hers: "If you're reading this, know that your sister still keeps every drawing, every hug, every laugh. I love you all even beyond the end of the world."
### Chapter 21/2 – The Last Hug Before Sleep (every night)
A sacred ritual that never fails:
Lysithea enters the dormitory, turns off the light, sits on the floor.
One by one, the children come to her, receive a kiss on the forehead and a "good night, my love."
Joker and Harley are always the last.
They arrive together, hand in hand, receive the double kiss, and whisper in unison:
— Good night, Mommy Lys.
She answers every single night, without exception:
— Good night, my two earthquakes with hearts of gold.
Then she lies on the floor between the beds until everyone is asleep, just to make sure no nightmare gets close.
And thus ends another perfect day in the orphanage that the world doesn't yet know is broken.
### Chapter 21/3 – The Day of the "Blanket Castle"
Rainy day, no going outside.
Joker and Harley declared "emergency construction of the biggest blanket castle in history."
Result:
- 27 blankets,
- 42 pillows,
- 15 chairs,
- 3 brooms as towers,
- secret entrance under the dining table.
Inside the castle there was room for all eight children + Lysithea lying in the center as the "happy prisoner queen."
They spent six hours in there telling stories, eating hidden cookies, and pretending the outside world didn't exist.
When they took it down, Lysithea whispered:
"If I could live forever in this castle with you, I would."
### Chapter 21/4 – The Spoon Concert
Astrid discovered that banging a spoon on a pot makes a cool sound.
It turned into a children's orchestra:
- Joker: conductor with a broken wand
- Harley: backup vocals shouting "la-la-la"
- Rina: drumming with her tail
- Marina: special steam effects
- Sylvara: bamboo flute
- Lirien: harp made of elven hair strands
- Kuroe: made the spoons float on their own
- Astrid: lead drummer (broke three wooden spoons)
Lysithea recorded everything in a magical memory sphere and watches it in secret when she feels nostalgic.