#ladsasdads

“Thanks.” Xavier mumbles. He then directs his voice at Aurora, “Alright. No more running around. You’re sweaty all over."

"He's right." Caleb agrees. "Let’s put you in the shower and you’ll feel great, okay?”

“Nope.” She pops the ‘p’ cheekily and zips past him, towards the stairs.

“Come on. Please?" Xavier slumps into the softness. "Daddy doesn’t want to play chasey today.”

Rafayel shifts off the sofa. “I’ll take her. I need to take a bath too. Let’s go, cutie.” 

“Nooo." She stomps. "I already did a shower this morning!”

An arm whisks Aurora a few feet in the air. Her legs flail around as she is pulled into a familiar hold. A deep voice chuckles, “Hello to you too, Kitten.” 

“Oh, she must’ve woken you up.” Caleb sympathises. “Listen to us, Pip.”

“Not quite.” Sylus sighs. “I have a business meeting to attend in two hours, so I was bound to get up soon.” He ruffles her hair with his other hand. “Rafayel. Take her uniform off of her.”

Rafayel makes quick work of it while she pouts. “I’m not sweaty!” 

As she protests, a pale green object slips out her fingers and spirals to the ground. 

She momentarily forgets about the shower, looking straight down.

“NOOOO! My ring!”

“Your ring?" Rafayel pauses mid-lift of her shirt at the outburst, raising an eyebrow. "What ring?”

“You don’t have a ring.” Sylus states. “Do you want one, Kitten?”

“What a strange way to ask for a ring.” Caleb expresses.

Aurora gets confused. ”What?…I already have a ring! It fell out of my hand.” She points at the floor. “Stooooop! You’re gonna step on it!” Squirming in Sylus’ hold, she bites his arm, making him reluctantly let her go.

She picks it up, cradling it in her hand.

A bright, golden-yellow flower sits on top of a green, stem ring.

She slips it on her finger.

“It really is a ring.” Xavier comments, resting his chin on the edge of the sofa, peering at the outburst.

“Yeah…” Aurora holds her hand out in front of her, admiring it. “My boyfriend gave it to me.”

…

Silence.

The front door clicks open.

A black-haired man with a tall, white coat walks in. 

“Why is it… so quiet?” His golden eyes narrow. “What broke? Who’s injured?” 

Caleb’s voice is deceptively calm. “You have a boyfriend?” 

“That’s not possible! You’re too young!” Rafayel exclaims, prying her fingers open to examine the ring.

“Who is your boyfriend, Aurora?” Sylus asks, tone flat.

Zayne simply chuckles, already sensing what’s coming.

She giggles. “Daniel gave this to me. His dad taught him how to make it.” 

“No way!” Xavier bursts. “Daniel? As in that bakery guy’s son?” 

Sylus huffs. “You still have a grudge on Charlie?”

“Princess.” Xavier stands up, making his way to Aurora, effectively ignoring Sylus. “This Daniel boy isn’t good. His dad tried to take mummy away from me. I told you, remember?”

“Buttttt, he’s so nice. He plays with me at the park all the time.” She sways side to side.

Caleb chuckles. “Are you for real, Xavier?”

“I am.” He rolls his eyes. “Charlie tried to steal my wife. And now his son is trying to steal my baby. It’s generational treason.” 

“If Xavier is this fired up, then something’s off.” Rafayel mutters. “Sorry, cutie.” He begins dramatically, “No blessing from me. I do not approve of this relationship.” He holds his hand out, palm waiting. “Come on now, pass me the ring.”

“No way!”

Zayne snorts.

“She probably doesn’t even know what ‘boyfriend’ means.” Sylus states at the two guys.

Zayne inquires. “Sweetie. What does ‘boyfriend’ mean?”

“Pfft. It means...he’s my friend, who's a boy!”

She crosses her arms, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

…

A beat.

The corner of Zayne’s lips curls up. "I thought so." He mumbles, pushing up his glasses.

Then Caleb breaks.

He lets out a deep laugh, one hand covering his face.

Sylus chuckles alongside him.

“What’s so funny!?” Aurora grumbles. 

Rafayel turns away and scoffs, concealing a sheepish smile and blushed cheeks.

Xavier lets out a breath and plops back on the couch, an arm over his face. It fails to hide his red-tinted ears.

“This isn’t funny!”

“Yes yes, Pip.” Caleb smiles at her. “Off you go to the shower.”

---

Later, the ring was somehow crushed under Xavier’s foot.

“Oops.”

Aurora stares in betrayal. “You stepped on it! On purpose!”

“I didn’t see it.”

“You’re lying.” She growls. Jumping onto his back, her forearms wrap around his neck.

He smirks, nuzzling into her hold like it’s a hug. “I didn’t say I wasn’t.” 

“Fine! I’ll ask him for another one.” Xavier starts choking.

-----

Xavier

The lights were all off. The house breathed gently, calm and still.

Aurora padded off the stairs, coat zipped and shoes in hand.

Haha. I’m so close to the back door. Just a few more steps-

Thunk.

Her foot hit something solid and warm. 

She yelped, stumbling back.

“Mmmmfghhh…”

A mop of pale hair shifted near the base of the staircase.

“Dad?!”

He groaned, turning over in a burrito of an oversized hoodie. 

His eyes blinked open—barely.

“Why’re you stepping on me…”

“Why are you on the floor?!”

“Tireddd.”

“You have a bed!”

“…But it’s upstairs. Do you want to cuddle with me?”

“No. You can’t be sleeping on the ground. Your back will be sore.”

He blinked up at her, squinting.

“Are you wearing makeup?”

Her stomach dropped.

“No?”

“Mmm. Okay. Lemme know if you see my other sock.”

And just like that, he rolled over and passed back out, right in front of the door she needed to get through.

She stared at him for a long, silent moment.

“I hate everything.”

-----

Zayne

The hallway was silent, soaked in soft grey light.

Aurora pressed herself against the wall like some kind of spy. 

She crept past the bookshelf, avoiding the one that creaked.

Almost there.

She turned into the kitchen.

And nearly died.

A harsh light lit up a face. Cold, bluish. A laptop screen.

Zayne sat at the table. Completely still. Hoodie on. Barely illuminated. Glasses on. Fingers paused on his keyboard like a ghost in the middle of typing.

She inhaled sharply and slapped a hand over her mouth.

His head tilted slightly.

“…You good?”

His voice was low. Unbothered. Like he’d been there for hours.

She clutched her chest, trying to look normal.

“I—yeah. Yeah, just—um. Water.”

Zayne blinked slowly.

“Middle of the night water?”

She nodded too fast. “Mhm.”

He went back to typing. Click. Click. Click.

She edged toward the fridge like it was all part of the plan.

“You always look this suspicious when you’re thirsty?”

Her grip on the fridge handle slipped. “What?”

He didn’t look up.

“You’re sneaking around like a cat burglar. I thought you were Sylus at first.”

She snorted. “I’m just thirsty.”

“Right.” A beat. “You didn’t see anything weird outside, did you?”

She stilled. “…Why?”

Zayne finally looked up. Shadows under his eyes. Calm, unreadable.

“No reason.”

She grabbed a glass. Filled it halfway. Stood there awkwardly.

He didn’t say anything else.

But he kept typing.

She quietly backed away with the water still half full.

Aurora switched the light on. “It’ll be bad for your eyes to be looking at a screen in the dark."

“Goodnight,” she mumbled. 

“Mmhm.”

-----

Rafayel

The hallway was bathed in shadow, the silence stretching wide and still.

But then she paused.

A soft amber light spilled from under the art studio door.

She tilted her head.

A quiet hum slipped through the crack, followed by the muted clink of a brush dropped into a glass jar. Her breath caught.

Please don’t be him. Please be a ghost.

She made the mistake of stepping past the door.

“Where is that stash of coral I brought last time? I swear it was here somewhere. ”

Rafayel’s voice drifted out, casual, distracted.

She jolted, practically jumping back.

The door creaked open further on its own.

He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, barefoot, shirt smudged with maroon and blue. The large canvas in front of him bled with colour—something melancholic, something empty. 

Red paint streaked across his clothes like a crime scene, and his palette sat on a stack of sketchbooks.

He turned his head lazily towards her, brush still in hand.

“Didn’t think I’d get a midnight audience.”

She cleared her throat. “Just… passing by.”

“Mhm. Full coat, phone in your sleeve, boots already laced. Very casual.”

She froze.

He raised a brow, then returned to dabbing the canvas with his brush.

“Going somewhere?” His voice cut through the hallway, calm and cool—but edged like a knife hidden behind a smile.

Aurora froze.

“…Kitchen,” she lied.

He tilted his head. “Right. Because the kitchen requires eyeliner.”

“Tell me, should I be more concerned about the ‘sneaking out’… or the terrible blending job on your left eye?”

-----

Sylus

The office door creaked.

She froze.

His voice came from the dark, calm and terrifyingly casual:

“…Midnight coat modeling?”

And then—click.

A harsh beam of light hit her straight in the face.

She blinked hard. “What the—?”

Sylus lowered the flashlight slightly, expression unreadable. “Just testing the backups,” he said flatly. “The emergency ones broke last week.”

The beam swept down from her eyes to the coat… to the shoes… back up to her face, pausing on the subtle shimmer of her mascara.

She squinted against the light. “Dad—turn that off!”

He obliged. Slowly. Still watching.

Sylus stood in the hallway, half in shadow, arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t even frowning. That was the worst part.

“I was… just getting water,” she said.

“In a coat.”

She blinked. “I get cold easily.”

“Mascara too?”

She touched her lashes on instinct. “…I was trying a new routine.”

“At 2:13AM.”

A pause.

She turned towards the kitchen. “Anyway—I’m gonna go back to sleep now.”

Sylus tilted his head, watching her walk past him.

“…Make sure you close all the windows,” he murmured, voice brushing the back of her neck like silk.

Aurora’s heart slammed.

She didn’t answer.

And Sylus just stood there in the dark… smiling faintly.

-----

Caleb

Her fingers closed around the backdoor doorknob.

Victory was within reach.

“You left your bedroom door slightly ajar. Rookie mistake.”

She spun around.

Caleb stood behind her like a shadow. Arms folded. Voice calm, but dangerous.

“I’m—just—uh—going out for fresh air.”

He stepped closer.

“With perfume on.”

She cleared her throat.

“I wanted to smell good.”

He raised a brow. “For?”

“The moon…?”

“Moonlight doesn’t care what you smell like.”

“Okay but I do.”

A beat passed.

He didn’t move. Just stood there, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Do I need to do a body search?”

“You need to get a hobby.”

“This is my hobby.”

She rolled her eyes and turned toward her room in defeat.

But then—

He lunged.

“Wha—?!” she shrieked as Caleb grabbed her around the waist from behind, fingers diving straight into her sides.

She buckled, gasping through laughter. “St-Stop! You psycho!”

“Hmm… suspicious activity detected. Conducting a tactical inspection.” He grinned, spinning her just enough to get access to her coat pocket mid-chaos.

She squealed and tried to twist away, but he’d already fished out the phone.

“Aha.” He raised it triumphantly, stepping back like he just found contraband on a field op. “I knew it.” His hand reached something else out of her other pocket. “A wallet. Why do you need your wallet in the backyard?”

Her mascara was smudged now from laughing too hard. “Give it back!”

Caleb held it out of reach effortlessly. “Were you planning on going somewhere?”

She grumbled. “It doesn’t matter now.”

He tapped her forehead. “Speak up. I can’t hear you.”

“Nothing.” She snatched her phone back.

She turned back towards her room in defeat.

“Night, soldier,” he said as she passed.

Rafayel

She’d be born part lemurian for sure

So Rafayel would give her a lemurian name

Cordelia – which I have found to mean ‘daughter/heart of the sea’

Which is very fitting for the God of the Sea

Being born as a lemurian means the inheritance of artistic creativity

Aurora would probably lean towards singing rather than painting I believe (I can totally imagine her singing and a small crowd of animals forming around her)

The sea being a comfort place

Whether it’s just going to walk at the beach or having a dip in the water, it’s where she unwinds and where she can be alone in her thoughts :)

She loves how the water can mirror the pink and purple hues of the sky at a sunset

Zayne

They have similar golden eyes

Aurora’s source of the sweet tooth

Which means dreaded dentist visits

‘Dad says the dentist aren’t real doctors’ ‘I never said that sweetie’ ‘Dad also said that dentists are annoy-’ ‘Aurora let them clean your teeth please’ cue him looking away with red ears 

He probably lets her indulge in a few sweets at night sometimes, knowing that he also does it

He makes sure she brushes thoroughly though because he’s been told off by the dentist enough

Sylus

An obsession with collecting and hoarding

Especially, as a little girl, she’d love his stash of jewels and gems

Who wouldn’t go crazy over colourful sparkly things

He’d definitely buy more shiny gems in her favourite colour

But when she gets older, she’d be eyeing his guns and he’d help her at the shooting range

He’d gift her a custom gun

Dressing up!!!!!!

Sylus would facilitate yearly birthday shoots 

She could get the boys to wear any outfits she wished and she could wear whatever she would want

He’s the dad who’s like ‘Wear whatever you want sweetie. If anyone takes a wrong glance at you just tell me okay? Tell them your dad can fight’ (He’d make sure they never step within her 100m radius)

Caleb

His number one cooking partner… to the point that the guys begin to prefer her cooking over his as years go by

No she did not inherit Xavier’s cooking skills

She’d walk into the kitchen ‘What are you doing dad’ ‘Cooking pipsqueak’ ‘Can I help’ ‘Alright but no eating the ingredients this time’ 

She’ll be helping him bake cookies and he’s making the dough

He turns around looking for the flour but that was obviously a mistake because now her hand is in the bowl of chocolate chips

She tries popping a few in her mouth when she then remembers someone who would love these, plopping off the stool and running to Zayne’s office room

Zayne comes into the kitchen holding her with a firm grip on her arm

It seems like she left a handprint of chocolate on his office door as she came to feed him

He debunks every rumour she hears ‘Dentists are real doctors. Zayne just doesn’t like dentists’

She’d watch Caleb making his models and hear him talk about his planes

Talking about planes, he’d take for a ride whenever she wished to

Maybe even teach her when she gets older

---------

Xavier

🎵 Now Playing: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act 2: No. 10, Scene. Moderato 🎵

She found herself in front of the room in which the main character of her nightmare sleeps.

Is a dream really something to be bothering Dad about? 

Xavier had worked at the Hunter’s Association all day, immediately crashing on his bed when he arrived early in the night.

Aurora retracted her hand away from the doorknob.

However, the tremble in her heart wished to reason against her. 

No one will be by my side. My star has left me. And this time he will not return home. Her mother’s voice echoed in her head.

A hiccup escaped her. She slapped a hand over her mouth, swallowing down the sob that clawed at her throat.

That’s not true. He didn’t have a choice. 

Aurora breathed in deep for four seconds. Holding it for four. And releasing it for another four.

I’ll be selfish just this once.

She slowly turned the knob, ensuring it doesn’t make a sound, and opened the door.

Greyish-blonde hair rested on a pillow like a pom-pom. Xavier’s arms and legs flailed out, as if he were tossed onto the bed face forward.

Aurora tiptoed closer to him, crouching beside his head. Soft breaths of air left his lips. 

Her fingers reached out, gently brushing her dad’s hair out of his eyes. He twitched slightly… then leaned into the touch, body unconsciously recognising her. Her thumb glided across his cheekbone.

And just like that, she sees it again. 

His clothes, torn up. His body, coloured with red blotches. His face, twisted in panic, gasping for air when he realises the spaceship is too broken to take him home. 

Too broken to take him to her. Too broken to tell her that he hasn’t forgotten.

The tremble returned to her chest. A violent puff of air escaped her throat.

Each breath was jagged, alternating between gasps and chokes, like she’s drowning. 

Her dad’s eyes snapped open. He stood immediately, light sword materialising in his hand.

Aurora barely registered it.

Her hands flew to her mouth, attempting to muffle the sounds rippling from her body.

Xavier’s guard increased as he frowned in worry. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” He crouched next to her, eyes scanning for a threat he can’t see. 

Tears streamed down her face in burning rivers, soaking her palms, her sleeves, and everything she tried to hide behind.

Xavier wrapped his arm around her, now sitting cross-legged beside her. “I’m getting very concerned, Starling. What’s happening?”

“I- I don’t know.” Her voice croaked and wavered. She leaned into the side hug.

She blinked to unblur her surroundings but froze. Her hand shook as she reached towards the star tassel hanging on his sword. Something she saw her whole life but now meant more than a decorative piece. 

“Who-hic-Who gave you this?”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Your mother…why?”

“Whe- when?”

“When we were little kids.” He paused. “Aurora, why are you deflecting? Why are you crying like this?”

His answer didn’t make sense. He said he first met Mum on her first day of work. 

But according to the dreams, they met when they were kids at school.

Her gaze shifted. “What about this badge?”

“Aurora-“

“Please.” She whispered, desperate. “Please just answer. I’ll explain, I promise.”

“She gave it to me when we were teenagers.”

Her breath stilled.

The star tassel. The badge hanging off his sword. 

Jeremiah’s shop named ‘Philo’, when the planet in her dream was called ‘Philos’. His Lumiere outfit looked the same from when he was a prince.

It was too much of a coincidence.

“Tell me now. Why are you crying? What happened? Why are you shaking so much?” He pulled her into his lap, the sword vanishing with a flick of his wrist.

“I had a... dream.”

Xavier exhaled slowly, with a sad, knowing smile. “Ahh. A nightmare? Did I die or something?” He picked and placed her on the bed, lying on her right side.

The image rushed back. 

His chest, rising and falling too fast. His voice, hoarse and broken, whispering sorry, over and over. I’ll find a way back. Just wait a bit longer, My Starlight.

Perhaps a dream of him dying would’ve hurt less than watching him so helpless. So in pain.

Xavier held her tight, rubbing soothing circles into her back with his hand. But it wasn’t enough. Not when her heart felt like it’s beating out of time with reality.

“I thought it was just a dream,” she whispered. “At first.”

His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

She swallowed hard. Her voice shook. “I saw you. On another planet. You were a prince there. You came here to find a cure for the planet so they wouldn't use Mum but..."

Xavier’s body tensed next to her. His hand stilled. 

"the ship broke, and you couldn’t go back. You were stuck here… panicking. Apologising to Mum over and over in an audio recording, begging her to wait a little longer.”

His silence said more than words ever could.

She gulped, staring into his eyes. “Was it really a dream, Dad? Or was this something…” She’d either be spot on or be making the most ridiculous conclusion of her life. “...something else?”

His sapphire eyes softened and glistened. His mouth opened, only to close.

It was enough. Enough for her to understand.

Aurora buried her face in his chest, the rippling entering her body again. They hugged tight.

No one knew who was consoling who anymore. Whose tears were dampening whose shirt.

No one spoke. There was nothing left to say. 

Maybe tomorrow she’d ask more. Maybe tomorrow he’d tell her.

But for now, they would stay like that.

A father with her daughter.

A king with his princess.

---------

Zayne

🎵 Now Playing: this is what winter feels like [JVKE] 🎵

Aurora grabbed her phone from the nightstand. 

3am. Just when her dad’s shift ended. 

I miss you.

She hesitated, thumbs hovering over the keyboard.

W̴h̷y̴…̶w̸h̸y̶ ̵d̶i̸d̶ ̶y̷o̷u̵ ̴k̷i̸l̷l̸ ̸m̷e̵?̷ ̸A̴r̵e̸n̴’̴t̶ ̵y̴o̷u̷ ̷a̸ ̶d̵o̸c̴t̸o̶r̶?̸!̵

Her breath wavered. A tear slipped out of her eye.

She smiled, letting out a huff.

He was going to arrive in fifteen minutes. 

She made her way towards the couch, heart heavy. Xavier and Rafayel were fast asleep, Sylus was at the N109 zone, and Caleb was recruited on a mission in Skyhaven.

I know how this nightmare ends.

She shivered, trembling hands cradling her head. 

It came in fragments, like shattered mirrors reflecting different lives—her dad, Zayne, and the others: Dawnbreaker, the Master of Fate, and the Foreseer.

One version stood alone, isolated, killing Alterums for the sake of others. 

Z̸a̷y̶n̷e̵…̸k̴i̵l̷l̷ ̴m̶e̸.̷

A whisper. A plea. A curse.

Another version was impaled by his own evol. By his own ice crystals.

The same ice he used to make popsicles for her in the summer.

The same ice he pressed gently to foreheads during fevers, whispering, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

It bloomed, jagged and merciless, from his own chest like a betrayal.

Click.

Her stomach twisted. Her chest clenched.

How could something so kind – so familiar – turn into a weapon against him?

Her dad- lips blue, eyes wide with pain. Knees buckling as he is stabbed by the very evol that once made her giggle when he’d make a snow seal.

She curled into herself tighter.

It hurt.

“Aurora?” His voice cut through the haze. 

She hadn’t registered the door opening. Not while her thoughts drowned her.

“Are you crying?”

She pats her sweaty fingers on her hot cheeks, which were wet with tears.

Aurora could make out his legs in front of her.

She swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the floor. “No,” she lied, voice hoarse.

The couch dipped next to her.

Cold fingertips held her chin and turned her face towards him. 

How was she going to face him without seeing blood bloom like frostbite over his chest?

The moonlight from the windows illuminate his exposed forearms. She could make out the pink, pale scars adorning them.

A harsh sob left her throat.

“Why are you crying, dear?”

“I had a nightmare.” She choked out, trembling as she is pulled into an embrace.

Zayne didn’t answer right away. 

“Was it…about me?”

…

He wiped her face with his hand. “What happened?”

Finally, she looked up. The sight of him—so close, so alive—only made her throat tighten again.

“Mum was there. You- you kept telling her to leave because…you were losing control of your evol.”

A beat of silence passed. No confusion. No denial.

“The ice pierced through you.” Her voice cracked. “You died.”

Recognition.

Zayne gulped. His arms stayed around her, but now they were tighter. Not squeezing… just anchoring. He wasn’t sure if it was for Aurora or himself.

“These scars on your arm. It happens whenever you lose control over your evol, isn’t it?”

His jaw tightened. His fingers trembled faintly as they stroked her hair. 

Aurora clutched his shirt. “It wasn’t just a nightmare, right?”

“I won’t lie to you,” he murmured. “But yes.”

“What?” It wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “You never told-”

“I don’t want you to carry what I can’t leave behind.” His voice was thick. Almost breaking.

“You’re my daughter. You deserve warmth, not memories soaked in blood.”

She looked up at him again. “They found me anyway.”

Zayne lowered his forehead to hers. “Then we carry them together.”

Her lips parted. “I never saw you look so… terrified.”

His eyes glistened. “Because I couldn’t control it. And the moment I hurt someone I love…” He trailed off. 

“I would rather die than see that happen.”

Her breath hitched. 

“Then you still losing control over your evol…is Astra still after you?”

“My soul has been cursed. There’s nothing I can do but stay away from your mother. But everytime…every lifetime...I find myself straying back to her no matter how hard I try to keep her safe.”

She sniffled.

When push comes to shove, leaving me behind might be for the best.

“You’ll never be alone, Dad. I’ll never leave you.”

They stayed like that—pressed together, stitched by silence. Not quite healed. But no longer alone.

------------

Read Rafayel ver. here

Caleb stared at it, arms folded tightly. 

Zayne was the one who found it—resting just outside the gate when he returned from his early run. Addressed in delicate, looping handwriting.

To Aurora.

Xavier broke first. “That handwriting looks older than a teenager’s.”

Rafayel let out a slow breath. “It’s definitely not from one of us.” He glanced up, smiling faintly, but there was no humour in it.

Sylus reached out and tapped the corner of the envelope. “Did you open it yet?”

Caleb shook his head. 

“You should.” Sylus stated.

“He shouldn’t.” Zayne retorted. 

“I don’t think she’d like it if I opened something for her.” The brunette agreed. “If you wanna open it, then go ahead. If Aurora gets mad that you took that opportunity away from her, then that’s your fault.”

Sylus, still in his robe, leant forward and frowned. “Did she mention anyone lately? Anyone new?”

“No,” Xavier answered quickly.

Sylus’s gaze flicked to him. “Are you sure?”

“She tells me everything,” Xavier said, quieter this time. “She would’ve said something.”

“If I were Aurora, then the first person I’d hide my boyfriend from is you, Xavier.” Rafayel rolled his eyes.

“What do you mean?! She’d tell me before Caleb.”

“Excuse me?! What are you trying to say?” Caleb raised his eyebrow and his voice.

“We all know it. Don’t act innocent-”

“Guys.” Zayne’s voice cut through the tension like ice, pointing a finger to the ceiling. “She’s sleeping.”

Rafayel glanced towards the staircase, then back. “I don’t think she even knows what today is yet.”

Zayne tapped his mug. “She’s growing up. You all know that.”

No one answered.

The silence wasn’t hostile—it was heavy with realisation.

She was still their little girl, in many ways. The one who snuck into their beds after nightmares. The one who cried when she lost a petal from her flower crown. The one who asked Caleb to braid her hair before school and still let Xavier carry her when she pretended to fall asleep on the couch.

But to the world, she is a girl on the edge of becoming a woman—grace blooming in her voice, confidence in her step, and secrets they’re no longer allowed to know.

Xavier’s voice dropped. “Do you think she’ll… like it?”

Caleb looked down at the envelope. “I think she’s going to be flustered. Maybe confused.”

Sylus added quietly, “But she’ll be curious. That’s natural.”

Rafayel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re not going to overreact, right?”

Zayne sighed. “You guys already are.”

“You’re acting like you aren’t concerned either.” Xavier glared.

“Being concerned and trying to track down who gave it to her are different things.” Zayne said flatly, pointing at Caleb, who was already scrolling through the ring camera footage like it was a military operation.

Footsteps echoed lightly upstairs.

Aurora was waking up.

“She’s going to be down soon! Should we just chuck it out?” Rafayel whisper-yelled.

“No.” Zayne stood. “Sylus. There isn’t anything suspicious in here, is there? Hidden cameras? Suspicious substances?”

“...No. I checked beforehand.”

“That’s great, then. We are going to let her have it.” 

Rafayel disagreed. “What? No-”

A soft yawn floated down from the staircase. 

Their heads turned.

Aurora shuffled in, hoodie slung over her pyjamas, hair still tangled from sleep. She blinked against the low morning light, rubbing one eye as she reached the bottom step.

“…Why’re you all staring at me?” she mumbled.

None of them answered right away.

Rafayel was the first to speak, voice gentle. “Morning, cutie. You hungry?” 

The guys looked at him strangely. It was like a switch flipped inside him.

She frowned. “No? Why are you all sitting here like you’re in a meeting or something?”

Caleb cleared his throat. “There’s something we… found. Outside.”

Her eyes trailed over to the table—and stopped.

She blinked.

“…What’s that?”

Zayne nodded towards the box. “It has your name on it.”

Aurora stepped closer, slowly, like approaching a sleeping animal.

When she saw the envelope, her breath caught just a little. “Wait. This is for me?”

Her lips curved into a smile. “Did you guys get this for me because it’s Valentine’s? Aww-”

“No, we didn’t.” Xavier sheepishly rubbed his neck, interrupting her before she can express her gratitude.

Sylus studied her reaction carefully. “Do you recognise the handwriting?”

She picked up the envelope and turned it in her hand, lips parting.

Aurora felt her cheeks warm.

“No. I mean… I don’t think so?”

Xavier stepped besides her too quickly. “Starling, if someone’s bothering you—”

“No one’s bothering me.” She looked up at him, confused. “Why would you think that?”

“Because gifts like this don’t just show up on our doorstep,” Caleb said. He was standing now too.

Aurora opened the box gently, as if afraid the roses would vanish.

"Well, they have a good taste in chocolates."

Pairs of violet and sapphire eyes glared at Zayne's golden ones.

She looked down at the bear, the chocolates, the hand cream. “He remembered I liked this scent,” she murmured, almost to herself.

Xavier’s eyes widened. “He?”

“No! I mean, I don’t know who it is-!” she corrected quickly.

Rafayel stood with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Okay. So. There’s a boy.”

“There is no boy!” Aurora exclaimed. “You’re all being insane!”

“Then who would know your favourite scent, princess?” Xavier demanded.

“I don’t know!” she said, cheeks flushed. “I just kind of assumed it was a guy!”

Zayne leant back in his chair again, smirk on the edge of his lips. “In this day and age?”

Sylus folded his arms. “Do you want to open the letter?”

“…Can I do it in my room?”

“No.” Caleb said.

“Yes.” Zayne said at the same time.

They both stared at each other.

She opened it cautiously, in front of them and mumbled, “Overprotective fathers.”

With a quick scan, she lets out a relieved sigh. 

She folded the letter carefully and tucked it back into the envelope. “It’s just… really generic.”

Sylus extended his hand. “May I see it?”

Aurora’s fingers tightened around the paper, but reluctantly let it go. “Here.”

A beat of silence passed.

Caleb grabs it anyways.

Hey, I wasn’t sure if I should send this. But I figured… one small thing can’t hurt, right? I don’t know you well. Not really. But I notice things. Like the way you always choose flowers with little white petals. Or how your hair glows golden when you walk past the library windows in the morning sunlight. You’re the kind of person that people write songs about and never forget. So here’s something small. Just a box. Just a bear. Just a card. But I hope it makes you smile today. That’s all I wanted. – Yours, maybe someday P.S. I sprayed a little lemon perfume on the card. You like it, don’t you?

"Yours someday? I think not-"

“Well?" she intercepted Rafayel's fore-coming rant, snatching the envelope away. “Can I go now?” she asked, already backing away with the gifts.

No one stopped her. Zayne offered a faint nod. “Don’t skip breakfast.”

She nodded once and turned.

As soon as she was out of sight, her steps doubled.

---

Caleb dragged the footage back again. Frame by frame. His jaw clenched tighter with every second that ticked past.

“There,” Xavier said suddenly, pointing. “Pause it.”

The screen froze on a frame just outside the front gate. The box wasn’t there.

Caleb clicked forward once.

The box appeared.

No figure. No shadow. No movement.

Just… there.

“What the hell?” Rafayel whispered.

“There’s a jump in the timestamp,” Sylus muttered, already reaching for his phone. “Four seconds. Clean cut.”

“I didn’t cut it.” Caleb scowled. “There’s no trigger warning. No motion flag. Nothing.”

Rafayel leant in, brow furrowed. “Our system doesn’t glitch like that.”

“It doesn’t,” Sylus confirmed coldly. “Unless someone made it glitch.”

Zayne folded his arms. “So not only did he avoid the cameras—he knew exactly where the blindspots were. And how to exploit the software.”

“It can’t just be some teenage boy with a crush,” Caleb said flatly.

“He knew where to step. Where not to breathe,” Sylus added. “The precision’s too calculated.”

“There’s no record of anyone on the street either,” Xavier said. “I checked the neighbor’s feed. Same glitch. Same timestamp skip.”

“That means he looped or bypassed multiple systems,” Rafayel muttered. “He’s not just sneaky—he’s good.”

Zayne exhaled. “Which raises a very big question.”

All four turned to look at him.

He stared at the frozen frame of the box on the screen.

“…Why is someone that good leaving love letters for our seventeen-year-old girl?”

---

Aurora closed the door. Quietly.

She sat on the edge of her bed, heart racing. Her fingers turned the card sideways, feeling along the seams. Then she tilted it under the light.

Nothing.

Until her nose caught it.

Peach and lemon.

“…You idiot,” she whispered, smiling.

She stood up, walked to her desk, and turned on her lamp. She held the card close to the warm bulb—careful not to burn it.

Slowly… pale gold letters began to bloom across the paper, like secrets unfurling under moonlight:

Happy Valentine's, My Valkyrie. These gifts are only the start. 11pm. Wait for me. Keep your balcony door open. - R

Her breath caught.

She pressed the card to her chest, eyes wide, face burning.

Then she glanced at the clock.

6:43 AM.