Five years ago, a war broke out between two clans. The reason? I don't know, but I can say that, from that moment on, everything changed. "This family's future is over," the man said. He launched a powerful fire attack, strong enough to destroy a city, against the boy who was at home taking care of his sick parents, despite being small. However, Ryuzo intervened and saved the entire family at the last instant. "What are you trying to do? What did this family do to you?" My parents have always been sick. I don't know why. Since I was born, their health has been getting worse. Before I turned three, Ryuzo took care of them and me, even though we didn't have much money. In the end, our clan lost, and the destruction harmed everyone. My house was left in ruins, and we don't have much money. My parents and I ended up in the hospital. I wasn't seriously injured, but since my parents couldn't get out of bed, some debris from the destruction fell on them, but they weren't badly hurt. Ryuzo protected us. I didn't stay in the hospital for long; I spent most of the time unconscious, so I was discharged soon after. Ryuzo was walking me home, and on the way we passed a lamppost and a trash can. I found it very strange, there was a lamppost in the middle of nowhere, just a lonely lamppost, so I looked inside the trash can and there was only a teddy bear, nothing else. It seemed very lonely, so I decided to adopt it. Then I thought: "What will its name be? Hm... I know! Ash'vour! The one who stays by my side." Ryuzo turns to see what I'm doing and his eyes widen slightly: "Lauren, what are you doing with that bear that was in the trash? It might be contaminated." Lauren makes a sad expression, with her eyes downcast. Ryuzo sighs... and smiles slightly. "Okay, okay, you convinced me, you can keep the teddy bear." He ruffles Lauren's hair with his hand. And then they walked home. The old gate creaked at Ryuzo's touch. The house was quieter than Lauren remembered. The windows were cracked, the garden, once blooming thanks to her mother, was now just dry earth and piled-up leaves. Lauren hugged Ash'vour tightly. "That's it, Lauren, you're home." Ryuzo opened the door calmly. A smell of bitter tea and medicine hung in the air. "Lauren, I brought your parents home before you woke up. The doctors said..." Then he remembered: "They don't have much time left. If it were just rubble, they would be fine, but they have an illness that hasn't been discovered yet, we're so sorry."
"You don't need to apologize, it's not your fault."
"We ask that you take them home so they can enjoy the last time they have left with their family."
"The doctors said everything will be fine, so don't worry, Lauren." Lauren smiled broadly. And Ryuzo feels guilty for having lied to him.
"Go see them, Lauren, they're in the room." He enters the room and a weak voice calls him.
"Lauren? Lauren, is that you?" Lauren approached her; she was pale and thin, and her father was lying beside her, wrapped in blankets, coughing softly. Lauren wanted to say, "I'm here," "I'm okay," "I missed you," but nothing came out.
"Oh, my son..." her mother embraced her slowly with weak arms. "You're back... you're back," her father smiled. "You're okay, son. That's all that matters." Lauren cried silently. Ash'vour slipped from her arms and fell onto the wooden floor. That night, he slept embraced with his new companion. And when he woke up, he felt something strange. Ash'vour was beside the bed; it had been dirty before, but now it was clean, as if someone had washed it during the night.