It was the first morning in weeks where no one woke up to battle sounds.
The girls were still asleep—or pretending to be.
Lucius sat by the dying embers of the fire, the Blade of the Last Name resting beside him. It didn't glow. It didn't whisper.
It just was.
He stared into the ashes, and for once… there was no weight in his chest.
Just stillness.
Not peace. But something close.
---
Zara was the first to rise.
She stretched, yawned, and collapsed beside him like it was routine.
"You're thinking again," she said.
Lucius didn't look at her.
"I always am."
She nodded. "Yeah, but you're not thinking about dying this time."
He didn't answer.
She smiled.
And stayed.
---
Velda wandered over with two cups of something hot.
She handed him one without asking, then sat across from him cross-legged.
"Prediction spell says we might actually get a quiet day."
Lucius raised a brow.
Velda sipped.
"Prediction spell's probably lying," she admitted.
---
Lilith didn't say anything when she arrived.
She simply walked over, sat beside him, and leaned against his shoulder.
She didn't say a word.
She didn't need to.
---
Claire arrived last.
She had no words either—just a faint, almost apologetic smile.
She sat across from him, hands folded.
She looked like she wanted to ask something.
Lucius waited.
She didn't speak.
Not yet.
But her presence was enough.
---
And for a moment…
He looked around at all of them.
At the ones who'd stayed.
At the ones who remembered—even if he hadn't.
---
For a moment… the fire didn't hurt to look at.
And Lucius whispered:
"Thank you."
He didn't say it loud.
But they all heard it.
---
> [Emotional Bond Progression: Stable]
[Memory Flame resting…]
[Warning: Unknown celestial anomaly approaching from above.]
---
Above them, far beyond the clouds—
something cracked.
But they didn't hear it yet.
They had this moment.
One last moment.
Before the Archivists came.