Chapter 15: The Aftermath of the Battle
I sat alone while my siblings, as always, were with their partners. I didn't look for Ozaire. Wherever he was, he seemed fine—and maybe it was better that way. Maybe now, I could finally forget him. Move on.
Eventually, I stood and made my way toward the others. I spotted Ozaire in the distance, slightly battered, probably from the fight. I offered him a small smile and looked away.
That night, I went straight to bed. Skipped dinner. I didn't feel like talking.
The next morning was… too quiet.
I dragged my feet through the house, the halls of Yuan's family estate far too familiar, too unchanged. The faint hum of magic still lingered in the air, but something felt off. Or maybe it was just me. After everything we'd been through—everything we survived—I thought it would feel different. Like we'd earned a sense of peace. But peace? Peace never stayed long. It never did.
I pushed open the door to the breakfast room and saw everyone already seated.
"Ophira, you woke up late," Yasha noted, glancing up at me. "That's unusual."
"Are you okay?" Reese asked, concern etched in her voice.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," I reassured them, forcing a small smile. "I just overexerted myself yesterday and decided to sleep in a little."
Reese didn't look convinced, but she let it go for now, returning to her plate. The clinking of cutlery resumed, filling the silence I hadn't realized was so heavy.
"Morning," Ozaire greeted.
I slid into the empty seat beside Bailey, who gave me a gentle smile. Valerie passed me a plate stacked with toast and fruit without a word. No one mentioned the battle. No one mentioned Ozaire. It was as if we were all pretending things were normal.
"Thanks... and Morning to you too" I said cheerfully. Tried to.
Reese's gaze flicked between us, but she didn't comment.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable—just fragile, like the air after a storm. Still tense, still loaded.
I picked up a piece of toast and nibbled on it slowly, pretending my hands weren't shaking just a little.
The breakfast table slowly emptied. One by one, my sisters drifted off—some to train, others to rest. I lingered, pretending to be absorbed by the garden view through the glass doors. But in truth, I was stalling. I didn't want to run into him.
Yet fate was cruelly efficient.
As I stepped out onto the balcony, the fresh breeze brushing against my face, I felt him behind me.
"Ophira," Ozaire's voice was low—measured, but edged with something sharp.
I didn't turn around. "If you're here to check if I'm alive, congratulations. I am."
He stepped closer. I could feel his presence now, cornering me with nothing but silence and unresolved things.
"You didn't look for me after the battle," he said, his tone unreadable.
"You were fine," I replied coolly. "Clearly. So there was no need."
"Right," he said, almost to himself. "Because you're always so good at pretending you don't care."
I finally turned, eyes narrowing. "What do you want, Ozaire?"
His gaze met mine, then as if he was about to say something, he backed off and said "Nothing"
I sighed and look straight into his eyes "I'm tired"
I walked away. I know he knew what I meant.
...
Much Later, Yasha came up with the idea of unwinding after the battle with a pool.
The warm sun kissed my skin as I stepped out of the changing room and onto the poolside. Yasha's plan had been simple—spend the day in the sun, relax by the pool, and just forget about everything, even if only for a few hours.
I glanced around at everyone as they emerged from the changing room, each of them looking effortlessly cool or stunning, and of course, everyone's swimsuits matched their personalities to a tee.
The scent of sunscreen, citrus drinks, and the faint perfume of blooming gardenias filled the air. For once, it didn't feel like we were soldiers or survivors. Just sisters.
Valerie was already sprawled out on a float shaped like a giant sunflower, her eyes closed and a satisfied smile on her face as she drifted. Yasha, in a sleek one-piece that screamed elegance, flipped her hair back after surfacing from a graceful dive, water cascading like a commercial. Gaia was busy organizing a poolside trivia game with Paicey and Bailey—naturally turning a relaxing day into something mildly competitive.
I rolled my eyes and chuckled.
Maybe this wasn't so bad.
Slipping into the water, I let the coolness wrap around me, washing away the heaviness I didn't even realize I still carried. I swam a few quiet laps, letting the silence of the water soothe the constant buzzing in my head.
"Ophira! Join us for pool volleyball!" Yasha called, grinning with that unrelenting big-sister energy that was impossible to refuse.
I hesitated for half a second. Then shrugged. "Why not?"
Before I knew it, I was laughing—genuinely laughing—as Reese missed a shot and blamed the sun, and Bailey kept accidentally hitting the ball straight at people's faces. Valerie played defense like her life depended on it, yelling dramatic one-liners every time she blocked a shot.
For the first time in a while, I felt… light. Like I could just be me. Not the fighter. Not the girl trying to forget. Not the one avoiding his eyes.
Just a sister.
Just Ophira.
At some point, I caught a glimpse of Ozaire sitting at the far end of the pool, watching quietly from behind his sunglasses. But I didn't linger.
Today wasn't about him.
It was about this. Laughter, sun, water, and healing—even if just for a little while.
And I was finally starting to believe I deserved it.
That night, the house was quieter than usual.
The soft hum of the crickets outside the open balcony doors mixed with the gentle rustle of sheer curtains dancing in the breeze. The pool lights still glowed faintly below, casting rippling reflections on the ceiling above my bed.
I lay there, arms folded behind my head, hair still faintly damp from the pool, and my skin warm from the sun despite the cool air of the evening. My muscles ached in a satisfying way, like I'd actually let go. Like I'd lived.
I closed my eyes, letting the silence stretch.
Then a whisper of a thought crept in—he looked tired today.
I shook my head, exhaling. No. No Ozaire tonight. No thoughts. Just me.
But it was impossible to completely stop them. Not when the quiet let your guard down. Not when the stillness gave your memories room to stir.
The way he'd looked from the edge of the pool. Quiet. Not as composed as usual. For a second, it was like we were just two people on opposite sides of something invisible. Something we couldn't cross.
I turned on my side, clutching my pillow tighter. I didn't want to think about the war or about him. Not now.
So instead, I thought about Yasha's laugh echoing through the pool. About Valerie singing off-key to some pop song blaring from Gaia's speaker. About Reese falling asleep mid-conversation with a wet towel still over her head.
I smiled to myself.
This was peace.
It wasn't loud. It didn't come all at once.
But it was here—quiet, lingering, and mine.
"In the silence after the storm, you learn to listen to the whispers of peace. It's not the absence of noise, but the presence of stillness that reminds you—healing is happening, even when you can't see it."