Mia slept soundly for two days straight after her intense surgery. During this time, she only woke briefly to eat and attend to her basic needs. When she finally woke up fully, Kat conducted a final checkup to ensure her recovery was progressing as expected. Satisfied with Mia's condition, Kat allowed her to return home with her family.
Back at their grand house, the entire family gathered in the living room. To everyone's surprise, Mia, who had been mostly silent since her awakening, began to speak.
“Mother, father, everyone... I'm sorry for everything I made you all go through. I was stupid, I didn't think things through and ran away. I was so afraid of seeing all of you hating me, that...that...” Mia said but suddenly she began to cry a little. She might have matured a little but those feelings were still there and she didn't really process them as well as she thought she did.
“Mia, we would never hate you, we love you.” Marry said to Mia. Similar things were said by the others.
“It might not be my place to say this but I am thankful to you Mia. Without you I would never have met Choi.” Elara said in a tone that showed that she understood that what happened was bad but at least something good came out of it.
“I-I-I love all of you so much! I was so afraid of doing something bad and hurting all of you. I want to eat with all of you! To Play! To sleep together! To go out!” Mia said between her bouts of tears. She was processing her feelings so what she was saying and what she was trying to say were not the same thing but the message was coming across. Mia was afraid of not having their love and being alone but she loved them too much to be away from them.
Once she calmed down a little, after a few rounds of hugs, she began to talk again. “I swear to be a good daughter from now on. I will never let your love be wasted.” Mia said channeling her inner adult a little. The others there couldn't really do much more than accept her feelings.
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With all that out of the way. Mia's family decided to throw a party to both commemorate her recovery and introduce themselves to the neighbors. Invitations were extended to Jin and Kat too. About an hour later food was prepared, drinks were ready and people started to appear.
Marry, Huang and Lin took center stage in the party, introducing the family but more specifically Mia. Any chance they got they showed their love of Mia while also adding that she was accepted into the Blue Flame Military Academy. This earned the family a good amount of social points as no one in the neighborhood had any family members there. Mia was a little sad to notice that the adults here were not as nice as in their old town. It's like there was some sort of social power struggle and she wanted no part in it if possible.
Mia, still getting used to her childlike body, found it easier to interact with the other kids at the party. They chatted about sweets, dolls, games, and all the typical interests of children. Mia even used her magic to create playful displays that delighted the other kids. Initially, their families were worried but soon realized that Mia had complete control over her powers, and her magical displays only elevated Mia and her family status among the neighbors.
However, Mia knew that most of the kids she met wouldn't have the opportunity to attend the academy, so their friendships might not progress beyond the party. Still, they had a great time. Mia pulled all the stops, telling stories with her and the kids dolls, showing things made out of the elements, even letting some of the kids with a little more courage ride Onyx for a while. Mia couldn't really put it into words but she could feel how happy Onyx was. Little did she know that all the wolf wants is for Mia to be happy and anything that makes her happy, makes him happy.
As the night wore on, some parents left with their sleepy children, while others remained, discussing adult matters like work, shopping, and clothing. Mia grew tired, her recent activities finally taking a toll on her. She returned to her father, who was engaged in conversation with some guards, and nestled into his lap. Marry and Lin joined Huang nearby, enjoying the warm family moment. The sight of Mia, nodding off on her father's lap, was endearing to the adults in the room.
However, as the night grew darker and the party continued, Mia's thirst got the better of her. In her half-asleep state, she reached for a cup near her and took a sip, unaware that it contained alcohol. Chaos ensued as her family rushed to stop her, and in that moment, the legend of Huang's mischievous little devil added a new chapter in Azuria.