As they climbed the stairs, worry pressed down on the siblings with every step. The noise of the café faded behind them, replaced by the steady rhythm of their own breathing.

  Lara's mind spiraled back to the events of the day-the fire, the darkness, the pain that had torn through her body. Her fingers tightened around her jacket, still stiff and heavy with dried blood. She could almost feel it again, the hole that had been there, the certainty that she was dying.

  Her grip trembled, knuckles whitening, as if holding the fabric was the only thing keeping those memories from swallowing her whole.

  Gasilin glanced back, his expression softening. "Is everything alright, Lady Lara?"

  Lara hesitated, her steps slowing. "It's just..." Her voice faltered. "Today feels like a roller coaster I never agreed to ride. I'm still trying to make sense of everything that happened."

  Alcy reached out and gently patted her shoulder, steady and familiar. "We're almost there," he said quietly. "Dad and Mom are just ahead."

  His words were meant to comfort her, and they did-just a little. Lara nodded, drawing in a shaky breath, and forced her feet to keep moving.

  "Wise words, Sir Alcy," Gasilin replied, his voice carrying unmistakable pride. "You've truly matured."

  Alcy blinked, caught off guard. A soft chuckle escaped him before he could stop it, his ears warming with an embarrassed blush. "I-well... thanks," he muttered, scratching the back of his head.

  "I second that," Sele added smoothly, one hand lifting in an elegant, almost teasing gesture. Her lips curved into a knowing smile as she looked at him.

  Fei said nothing. She simply watched them all, eyes sharp, body tense-every movement measured, every breath cautious-like someone standing on thin ice, fully aware that one wrong step could shatter everything.

  "Wise words, Sir Alcy," Gasilin replied, his voice carrying unmistakable pride. "You've truly matured."

  Alcy blinked, caught off guard. A soft chuckle escaped him before he could stop it, his ears warming with an embarrassed blush. "I-well... thanks," he muttered, scratching the back of his head.

  "I second that," Sele added smoothly, one hand lifting in an elegant, almost teasing gesture. Her lips curved into a knowing smile as she looked at him.

  Fei said nothing. She simply watched them all, eyes sharp, body tense-every movement measured, every breath cautious-like someone standing on thin ice, fully aware that one wrong step could shatter everything.

  They stopped before a closed door.

  "One moment, everyone," Gasilin said gently. "I'll announce your arrival."

  He stepped inside, leaving them standing in the quiet hallway.

  Alcy and Lara exchanged uneasy glances. The silence pressed down on them, heavy with everything that had happened-blood, pain, confusion, and the fear of what waited on the other side of that door.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Sele noticed immediately. She turned back to them, her expression softening, confidence replacing the tension. "Don't worry," she said lightly. "As long as my boss is involved, things will go smoothly."

  She offered them a bright, assured smile.

  It helped-just a little. Lara's grip on her jacket loosened, and Alcy straightened his shoulders, taking a slow breath as they waited.

  "Your boss sounds like a cool and strong guy," Alcy said quietly, breaking the tension.

  Sele's eyes lit up instantly, as if the words had struck something personal. "Of course he is," she replied with unmistakable pride. "He's the coolest."

  Her confidence was effortless, absolute-like there had never been a moment of doubt in her mind.

  Fei remained silent, her gaze lowered.

  Cool?

  she thought.

  Strong?

  All she had felt from him was danger-overwhelming, suffocating danger.

  Maybe that was because she didn't really know him.

  Or maybe Muuey was the kind of person you could never truly understand-only survive around.

  The hallway stayed quiet as they waited, each of them holding a very different image of the man behind that door.

  A hard jolt struck the door-and it sprang open with a harsh crack.

  Mr. and Mrs. Stone stood there, frozen for half a heartbeat, their faces already streaked with tears. The moment their eyes found their children-alive, standing, breathing-the restraint they had clung to shattered completely.

  "Lara... Alcy..."

  The siblings barely had time to react before Mrs. Stone rushed forward. She pulled them into her arms with desperate force, as if afraid they might vanish again if she loosened her grip. Her body trembled, her breath uneven, clutching them like she had been searching for them for years rather than hours.

  "You're safe... you're really safe..." she whispered, over and over, her voice breaking each time.

  Alcy stiffened for only a second before his arms came up around her, holding her back just as tightly. Lara pressed her face into her mother's shoulder, relief finally overwhelming the fear she had been suppressing since the battle.

  Mr. Stone stepped forward more slowly. His eyes were red, his jaw clenched hard as he rested a trembling hand on both their shoulders, grounding himself in the simple truth before him.

  They were alive.

  For that moment, nothing else mattered.

  "Well, isn't this touching."

  Sele couldn't help herself. A soft smile crossed her face as she watched the family reunite, the tension in the room briefly easing under the weight of something warm and human.

  Mrs. Stone was the first to notice her. She pulled back just enough to look over Lara's shoulder, surprise flashing across her tearful expression.

  "Ah-Lady Sele? How are you involved in all of this?"

  Sele paused, her smile faltering just a fraction. For once, she seemed unsure of her footing. "Ah... well..." She scratched the side of her face lightly. "That's a bit hard to explain."

  Still wrapped in her mother's embrace, Lara lifted her head and spoke quietly. "Mom... she doesn't seem to remember us."

  Sele sighed, then straightened, her tone calm and professional. "Of course I know Mr. and Mrs. Stone," she said evenly. "But if our dealings were official... then I wouldn't remember the details. That's just how it works."

  The words were polite, distant-carefully measured.

  Mrs. Stone studied her for a moment longer, then slowly nodded, tightening her hold on her children again. Whatever explanations were missing, one truth stood firm.

  Her kids were here. Alive.

  And for now, that was enough.

  "Well then," Sele said gently, breaking the moment without shattering it. "I don't want to keep my boss waiting."

  Her eyes shifted to Fei.

  Fei met her gaze, hesitated only a second, then nodded. Without a word, she followed Sele as the two women turned and stepped inside.

  At the doorway, Sele paused and looked back at the family. "Take your time," she said calmly. "When you're ready, we can talk properly."

  Then they were gone, leaving the room quieter-softer.

  For a brief moment, the world stopped pressing in.

  Lara clung to her mother, her confusion finally surfacing now that the danger had passed. "Mom... Dad... what's going to happen now?"

  Mr. Stone rested a hand on her head, his voice low and steady, though his eyes betrayed his worry.

  "We're about to find out," he said softly.

  And in that fragile pocket of peace, the family held onto one another, knowing it wouldn't last-but grateful for it while it did.

  The Stone family is back together, but the 'Contract' isn't signed yet. What do you think the parents will have to sacrifice for Muuey's help?