The training facility hummed with activity as I leaned against the wall, watching Noarin and Lyra spar. Their movements were a blur of fire and earth, each push met with a counter, each attack deflected with precision. It was mesmerizing, but I couldn’t fully appreciate it. My mind was too preoccupied with the conversation I knew we needed to have.
As their session wound down, I felt my heart rate pick up. Noarin, flushed and breathing heavily, made her way over to where I stood. She grabbed a towel and water bottle before sliding down the wall to sit beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from her post-workout.
“Good session?” I asked, wincing internally at how stilted my voice sounded.
Noarin nodded, taking a long drink of water. “Yeah, Lyra’s getting really good with her earth manipulation. Nearly caught me off guard a couple of times.”
An awkward silence fell between us, heavy with unspoken words. I could feel the others in the room casting glances our way, no doubt sensing the tension.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I turned to face her. “Noarin, about yesterday-“
“Aruta, I’ve been thinking-“ she started at the same time.
We both stopped, a nervous laugh escaping us both.
“You go first,” I offered, my throat feeling dry.
Noarin took a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine. “I wanted to apologize if I put you on the spot yesterday. I realize now that asking about moving in together was a big step, and I should have approached it differently.”
I shook my head, feeling a pang of guilt. “No, Noarin, I’m the one who should apologize. I reacted poorly, and I didn’t express myself well at all.”
She gave me a small smile, encouragement in her eyes. “So… how do you really feel about it?”
I took a moment to gather my thoughts, remembering my conversation with Kai. “Honestly? The idea both excites and terrifies me.” I saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, so I hurried on. “But not for the reasons you might think. I care about you so much, Noarin. The thought of sharing a life with you, of waking up next to you every day… it’s amazing.”
Her smile widened, a hopeful light entering her eyes. “But?” she prompted gently.
“But it’s a big step,” I admitted. “And with everything going on with the Holders and the ADF, I was worried about adding another big change to our lives.”
Noarin nodded, understanding in her expression. “I get that. It is a lot to handle all at once.”
I reached out, taking her hand in mine. “But you know what? After thinking about it, after imagining what our life together could be like… I realize that I don’t want to wait. Whatever challenges come our way, I want to face them with you, Noarin. By my side, in our home.”
Her eyes widened, a mix of surprise and joy flooding her features. “Aruta… are you saying…?”
I nodded, feeling a smile spread across my face. “Yes. Let’s do it. Let’s find a place together.”
For a moment, Noarin just stared at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Then, with a small sob of happiness, she threw her arms around me, burying her face in my shoulder.
I held her close, feeling a warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with her fire abilities. It felt right, like everything had fallen into place.
It wasn't until I heard a wolf whistle that I remembered we weren’t alone. I looked up to see Kai grinning widely, giving me a thumbs up. Rishia stood beside him, wiping a tear from her eye with a warm smile. Lyra was bouncing on her toes, looking like she was barely containing her excitement, while even the usually stoic Darius had a small smile on his face.
“Well, it’s about time!” Kai called out, his voice echoing in the suddenly quiet training room. “Should we start planning the housewarming party now, or…?”
Noarin pulled back slightly, her cheeks flushed with a mix of happiness and embarrassment. But her smile, as she looked at me, was radiant. “Ignore them,” she whispered, her eyes shining. “This moment is ours.”
I nodded, gently wiping a tear from her cheek. “Ours,” I agreed, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
image [https://i.imgur.com/nVA1WhR.jpeg]
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Kai raised his glass of sparkling water. “A toast!” he declared. “To Aruta and Noarin, who have finally decided to take the plunge and move in together. May your shared home be filled with love, laughter, and only occasional scorch marks from Noarin’s fire abilities.”
“Kai!” Noarin protested, but she was laughing along with everyone else.
The midday sun bathed the city in a warm glow as our group sits beside a big rounded table. Kai had insisted on treating us all to lunch at a fancy French restaurant.
As we clinked glasses, I couldn’t help but notice the way Lyra’s eyes kept darting to Darius, a secretive smile playing on her lips. Darius, for his part, seemed more relaxed than usual, the hint of a smile softening his typically stoic features.
“So,” Rishia said, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in her eye, “now that we’ve got these two lovebirds sorted out, who’s next? Lyra? Darius? Any exciting developments in your love lives?”
I nearly choked on my water at Rishia’s directness, but Lyra just grinned, exchanging a quick glance with Darius. “Oh, you know,” she said airily, “nothing much. Just got engaged last week. No big deal.”
The table fell silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos.
“WHAT?!” Kai exclaimed, his voice echoing through the restaurant and earning us some disapproving looks from nearby diners.
“Engaged?” Noarin gasped, her eyes wide. “But… but you never even told us you were dating!”
I stared at Darius, who looked surprisingly unfazed by the commotion. “How long has this been going on?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around the idea.
Lyra laughed, clearly enjoying our shock. “Well, we’ve been together for about a year now. We just… kept it quiet.”
“A year?!” Rishia sputtered. “How did we not notice?”
Darius finally spoke up, his deep voice tinged with amusement. “We’re trained in covert operations. Keeping a relationship secret wasn’t exactly a challenge.”
Kai shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this. Here we were, celebrating Aruta and Noarin moving in together, and you two are already engaged? Talk about stealing the spotlight!”
“Oh no,” Lyra said quickly, reaching out to grasp Noarin’s hand. “We didn’t mean to overshadow your moment. We were going to tell everyone soon, I promise.”
Noarin smiled, squeezing Lyra’s hand. “Don’t be silly. This is wonderful news! We should be celebrating both couples!”
As the initial shock wore off, the questions began to fly.
“So, how did you two even get together?” I asked, genuinely curious about how the bubbly Lyra and the reserved Darius had ended up as a couple.
Lyra’s eyes sparkled as she launched into the story. “Well, it all started with a training mission gone wrong…”
For the next hour, we were regaled with tales of Lyra and Darius’s secret romance. There were midnight rendezvous on rooftops, coded messages hidden in mission reports, and even a close call where they had to pretend to be strangers.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“I can’t believe you managed to keep this a secret for so long,” Rishia said, shaking her head in amazement. “Especially you, Lyra. I thought you couldn’t keep a secret to save your life!”
Lyra stuck out her tongue. “I’ll have you know I’m an excellent secret keeper. When it matters.”
“So, who proposed?” Noarin asked, leaning forward eagerly.
To everyone’s surprise, Darius cleared his throat. “I did,” he said, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.
“No way!” Kai exclaimed. “I need details. Was it all stoic and serious like ‘Lyra, I have assessed our compatibility and determined that marriage would be a logical next step’?”
We all burst into laughter at Kai’s impression of Darius, even Darius himself chuckling softly.
I found myself marveling at how much I still had to learn about my teammates. Here we were, people who trusted each other with our lives on a daily basis, and we’d had no idea about this huge part of Lyra and Darius’s lives.
The afternoon wore on, our meals long since finished but nobody making a move to leave. We swapped stories, shared laughs, and reveled in the joy of new beginnings – both Noarin and me moving in together, and Lyra and Darius’s engagement.
As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows through the restaurant’s windows, I looked around at my friends – no, my family. Noarin, her eyes shining with happiness as she chatted with Lyra about wedding plans. Kai and Rishia, playfully bickering about who had been more oblivious to Lyra and Darius’s relationship. And Darius himself, more relaxed and open than I’d ever seen him, his arm draped casually over the back of Lyra’s chair.
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The sun starting to set, we leave the restaurant with satisfied looks. On the walk, we talk about many random things.
“Ahh, that was fun,” Lyra stretched her arms languidly, her muscles pleasantly sore from the recent exertion. She turned to Kai, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Anyway, I still didn’t expect you to be the heir of the Yosuga family. The ADF has been working with your technology companies for ages.”
Kai’s lips quirked into a half-smile, a mix of pride and sheepishness crossing his face. “I also didn’t know that my father was secretly helping the ADF with their technology division until recently,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “The ADF is really good at working secretly. Makes me wonder what else they’ve been up to.”
The casual banter faded into the background as something caught my attention. My eyes narrowed, focusing on a small figure perched on a nearby park bench. A little girl, no more than four years old, sat motionless, her tiny legs dangling over the edge.
image [https://i.imgur.com/6XV6Mx5.jpeg]
“What is that girl doing?” I spoke up, my voice tinged with concern. The others followed my gaze, their expressions shifting from relaxed to alert in an instant.
Kai leaned forward, his brow furrowing. “I don’t know, but it’s really strange to see a girl alone in a park this late at night. It’s giving me an uneasy feeling.”
Rishia’s eyes darted around, scanning the area with the precision of a trained agent. “Maybe her parents are still around,” she suggested, though her tone betrayed her doubt. The park was eerily empty, save for our group and the mysterious child.
Noarin, her face softening with compassion, approached the girl. She knelt down, bringing herself to eye level with the child. “Hey sweetie,” she cooed, her voice gentle and warm. “What are you doing here all by yourself?”
The little girl simply tilted her head, her large eyes filled with confusion. The lack of response sent a chill down my spine.
I stepped closer, standing next to Noarin. “Where are your parents?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and friendly.
Suddenly, the girl’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. She hopped down from the bench and, before I could react, wrapped her tiny arms around my leg. “Papa!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with joy and recognition.
I jerked back in surprise, nearly losing my balance. Everyone’s eyes locked onto me, a mix of shock and amusement on their faces.
“No, I’m not her father,” I quickly explained, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “I don’t know this girl. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
Kai’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. “Sure, sure,” he teased, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Maybe your doppelganger has a daughter. Should we be worried about parallel universes now?”
I sighed heavily, looking down at the girl still clinging to my leg. Her big, innocent eyes stared up at me, filled with unwavering trust. “I’m not your dad,” I said gently, kneeling down to her level. “Who did you come here with, sweetheart?”
The girl just tilted her head again, her expression blank.
Lyra stepped forward, her training kicking in. She knelt beside me, her voice soft but clear. “What’s your name, little one?”
The girl's gaze shifted to Lyra, her brow furrowing slightly. “Name…?” she repeated, the word sounding foreign on her tongue. Our expressions fell as the gravity of the situation began to sink in.
Suddenly, Saria appeared on Noarin’s shoulder, her tiny face uncharacteristically serious. “We better take her to the ADF to look for a clue to her identity,” she declared, her tail wiggles nervously. Her expression hardened as she added, “There is a small spatial activity here.”
A heavy silence fell over the group, the implications of Saria’s words hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
“Are you saying… Belzad was here?” I finally spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. The mere mention of his name sent a shiver down my spine.
Saria shook her head, her tiny features creased with concentration. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “The trace is so small that I don’t think it’s enough for someone traveling with it. But…” she trailed off, her eyes fixed on the little girl.
“There’s another possibility,” Saria continued, her voice low and urgent. “There might be another space attribute Holder out there. This girl… she might be able to help us find more information.”
Noarin’s eyes widened, a mix of hope and apprehension flickering across her face. “You think she might be connected to the other space Holder?”
Saria nodded gravely. “It’s possible. We need to bring her to the ADF base immediately. If there’s any clue about her identity, we need to find it.”
Without further discussion, we quickly made our way to the ADF headquarters, the mysterious girl cradled safely in Noarin’s arms. As we entered the facility, a flurry of activity erupted around us. Agents rushed to and fro, computers hummed to life, and databases were scoured for any information about our young charge.
Hours passed, the tension in the room growing with each failed search. Finally, Agent Chen approached us, her usually stoic face etched with confusion and concern.
“We’ve run her through every database we have access to,” she reported, her voice tight. “Facial recognition, DNA analysis, missing persons reports – everything. There’s no record of this girl anywhere in the world.”
A collective gasp rippled through our group. I looked down at the little girl, who was now peacefully asleep on a nearby couch, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around her.
“How is that possible?” I whispered, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.
In the end, we’re left with more questions than answers. The girl we found remains a mystery, her identity as elusive as a wisp of smoke. We’ve searched tirelessly, scouring databases and following every possible lead until the clock struck midnight, but to no avail.
“What should we do now?” Lyra asks, her voice tinged with a mixture of frustration and concern. Everyone’s gaze settles on the girl, now peacefully asleep on my lap, her small chest rising and falling with each breath.
Rishia turns to me, a glint of mischief in her tired eyes. “Maybe we should leave it to Aruta? She’s quite fond of you, after all.”
I pause, considering the weight of this responsibility. “But I don’t have any experience with babysitting,” I admit, my voice betraying my uncertainty.
Kai shrugs, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. “None of us do,” he points out, his tone light despite the gravity of the situation. “Should be fine, right? The girl definitely thinks you’re her dad now. Don’t worry, the mom is also there to help.” He winks at Noarin, earning himself a light smack on the head from me.
I glance at Noarin, catching her gaze fixed on the girl. Her eyes are a whirlpool of emotions – curiosity, concern, and something softer, almost maternal. Taking a deep breath, I make up my mind.
“I guess we have no choice,” I say, looking down at the sleeping child. “Until we find out something about her, I’ll take care of her.”
Rishia stands up, stretching her arms above her head. “Great, because now I’m really tired.” She yawns widely, not bothering to cover her mouth. “Can I take a day off tomorrow? I want to sleep 24 hours straight.”
Chen nods, her usually stern face softening slightly. “Sure, everyone can take a day off tomorrow. I’ll contact you if there’s an urgent situation.”
We leave as usual, each of us heading home in our own way. Kai and Rishia hover off into the night sky, their silhouettes dark against the starry backdrop. Lyra and Darius climb into their car, the engine purring to life. Noarin and I decide to walk, the cool night air a welcome respite after the long day. I carry the girl in my arms, her warmth a constant reminder of our newfound responsibility.
“Another mystery to solve, huh…” I muse, gazing up at the stars twinkling above us.
Noarin follows my gaze, her voice soft and thoughtful. “I wonder, is this girl really from the other world? Since she has no connection to this one."
“But then how did she get here? She doesn’t even have any ornament on her,” I reply, my brow furrowing in confusion.
We fall into a companionable silence, our minds racing with possibilities about the girl’s origin. The quiet streets of the city pass by, the occasional streetlight casting long shadows across our path.
“Hey…” Noarin breaks the silence, her voice hesitant. “Don’t you think now… we skipped so many steps?”
I try to process what she means, my mind sluggish from the long day. Then, like a bolt of lightning, realization strikes. Heat rushes to my face as I understand the implication of our situation – suddenly, we’re not just a couple, but makeshift parents to a mysterious child.
“I… I guess we did,” I stammer, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement. “It’s like we’ve fast-forwarded through dating straight to having a family.”
Noarin giggles softly, the sound like music in the quiet night. “It’s certainly not how I imagined things would go,” she admits, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “But then again, nothing about our lives has been conventional, has it?”
I chuckle in agreement, shifting the sleeping girl in my arms. “That’s an understatement. From discovering our powers to battling evil Holders, and now… impromptu parenthood. We’re certainly keeping things interesting.”
As we approach our apartment building, a thought occurs to me. “We’re going to need supplies,” I say, glancing down at the girl. “Children need… things, right? Clothes, food, toys?”
Noarin nods, her practical nature kicking in. “We’ll have to go shopping tomorrow. For now, we can make do with what we have. Maybe one of my t-shirts can serve as a nightgown for her.”
As we step into my apartment, I can’t help but feel a mix of trepidation and excitement. This mysterious girl has turned our world upside down.