The morning passed with a strange lightness that Aiden hadn’t felt since arriving in Astralis. He found himself walking through the Castle’s halls, slowly coming to terms with the immensity of everything—his inheritance, the magic, and now the small, peculiar family he was slowly accumulating. Regis, ever calm and composed, Garrick with his quiet strength, and Lyra… well, Lyra was something else entirely.
As he wandered toward the library, Aiden couldn’t help but notice Lyra darting around the Castle, her golden hair bouncing with each step. There was a liveliness in her movements, though they were far from graceful. She had this strange way of turning even the simplest tasks into small, unpredictable adventures.
“Oops!” Lyra’s voice rang out, followed by a loud thud. Aiden turned the corner to find her standing next to an overturned cart that had once held several flowerpots, now scattered across the marble floor. Lyra stood frozen in place, her wide eyes fixed on the mess she had created, hands clasped together as if praying for the chaos to magically disappear.
“I was just trying to water the plants,” she said, looking up at Aiden as if seeking forgiveness for yet another accident. “I didn’t think the cart would be so… wobbly?”
Aiden bit back a laugh, watching as she knelt down to pick up the broken pieces of pottery. There was something endearing about the way she moved—always slightly too fast, as if her excitement got the better of her body. Despite the constant trail of small disasters she left in her wake, Aiden noticed that it was impossible to stay upset around her. In fact, he wasn’t upset at all. If anything, Lyra’s chaotic energy brought a strange kind of joy to the Castle. It felt alive with her here.
Regis approached, sighing softly as he surveyed the scene. “Lyra, perhaps you should focus on tasks that require less… mobility.”
Lyra’s face flushed crimson. “I’m sorry, Regis! I was just trying to make everything look nice for Master Aiden. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine, Lyra,” Aiden interjected with a smile, crouching down beside her to help gather the shattered pots. “Accidents happen.”
Lyra blinked at him, her expression softening as relief spread across her face. “Thank you, Master Aiden!” She let out a nervous giggle, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she picked up a handful of soil.
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Regis shook his head. “You’re way too nice about all this, Master Aiden. This is going to spoil her.”
Aiden laughed and apologized to him.
As they cleaned up together, Aiden realized how infectious her spirit was. Despite her blunders, there was a kind of innocence and enthusiasm in everything she did. She genuinely wanted to help, even if things didn’t always go as planned. And as clumsy as she was, Lyra managed to fill the Castle with a warmth that had been missing since his arrival.
Later in the day, Aiden sat by the large windows overlooking the garden, observing Lyra from a distance as she tried her best to arrange some new decorations in the hallway. She hummed quietly to herself, a small smile on her face as she carefully adjusted a tapestry. For a brief moment, everything seemed to be going smoothly, and Aiden thought maybe, just maybe, she’d manage without breaking anything this time.
But as she stepped back to admire her work, her foot caught on the edge of a carpet, sending her tumbling backward into a nearby suit of armor. The clatter was deafening as the armor fell to the ground in pieces, echoing through the corridor. Lyra yelped, immediately scrambling to her feet, her face a mixture of panic and guilt.
“I didn’t mean to!” she cried, her voice high with anxiety. “I was just… I mean, it looked so perfect, and then—”
Aiden couldn’t hold back the laughter this time. It bubbled up before he could stop it, filling the air with genuine amusement. And as he laughed, he noticed something. Lyra, despite her obvious embarrassment, started laughing too. It was a soft, bubbly sound, and soon enough, they were both laughing together, the suit of armor lying forgotten on the floor.
“I swear,” Lyra said between giggles, “I’m going to break everything in this Castle before the month is over.”
Aiden wiped the tears from his eyes, still chuckling. “Honestly, I think the Castle’s stronger than you think. And besides, you make it more interesting.”
Lyra looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. “You really don’t mind?”
Aiden shook his head. “No. In fact, I think the place would be a lot duller without you here.”
Her smile was radiant, and for a moment, Aiden realized that despite all the messes, Lyra had a way of making people feel better just by being herself. She didn’t try to hide her clumsiness, and instead, she embraced it with a kind of joyful acceptance that made it impossible not to smile along with her.
As the sun began to set, casting warm orange light through the Castle’s windows, Aiden felt an odd sense of contentment. Lyra was still bustling around, likely causing another minor disaster somewhere, but it didn’t matter. The Castle was no longer just a place of mystery and magic—it was starting to feel like home, a place full of life and laughter, largely thanks to Lyra’s unintentional antics.