The dirt road curved gently between tall grass and swaying trees. Birds chirped lazily in the distance, and a soft breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and distant rivers. It was a calm day.
Aizen walked at the front, his dark cloak trailing behind him, while Lyra kept a steady pace beside him. A few steps back, two smaller figures trailed behind—one with soft silver wings, the other with curled crimson horns.
The twins.
A devil and an angel.
Lyra kept glancing back at them with furrowed brows. Finally, she spoke.
> "You know… it's not every day you see a demon and an angel walking together. Especially as kids."
The horned girl, bold and bright-eyed, grinned up at her.
> "We're twins!" she said proudly, her tiny fang poking out. "I'm Mikaela, and that's my brother, Theodore!"
Lyra blinked. "Twins…?"
Theodore peeked out from behind his sister, his silver hair shimmering in the light. He gave a small, shy wave but said nothing.
> "But… you're different races."
> "Yup!" Mikaela nodded cheerfully. "We were born like this! Papa was an Archangel, Mama was a high-ranking devil. They said love didn't care about war."
Lyra stopped walking for a moment, stunned.
> "An angel and a devil… in love?"
Mikaela twirled. "They died. But we're still here. And we love each other more than anything!"
Her words were innocent. Simple. But they struck Lyra like an arrow.
She glanced at Aizen—his black mane catching golden sunlight, his steps confident but always scanning the surroundings. Dangerous. Beautiful. Haunted.
> Is this what peace looks like? A demon and an angel calling each other family…?
By evening, they found a clearing and made camp near a freshwater stream. Aizen had hunted earlier, bringing down a massive tusked boar the size of a wagon. The meat now sizzled over the fire on makeshift skewers, as Lyra turned them slowly, the scent rich and mouth-watering.
Aizen sat on a mossy rock, sharpening his blade with practiced ease. Mikaela stood in front of him, hands behind her back, rocking on her heels.
> "Hey, Aizen?"
> "Hmm?"
> "Why do you look so… handsome and strong?"
Aizen paused.
Even Lyra, still tending to the roasting meat, glanced up sharply.
> "Because…" Aizen said with a small, amused smile, "I'm determined to destroy the evils of this world."
Mikaela's eyes sparkled. "Wow… so cool!"
Lyra nearly dropped the skewer.
> Handsome? Cool?!
She kept her expression calm, her hand tightening on the wooden stick.
> She's just a kid. She's just a kid. She's just a—!
Theodore, quiet as always, shuffled toward Aizen and sat beside him, his silver wings folded close. He was trembling slightly.
Aizen noticed and gently draped his cloak across the boy's back.
> "You're safe here," he said softly.
Theodore nodded and leaned into him, eyes wide but comforted.
When dinner was ready, the four of them gathered close. Lyra watched Aizen tear a chunk of boar meat in half and hand the bigger piece to Theodore without hesitation. Mikaela sat on his other side, munching happily and humming as if the world had no war, no death—just this meal and warmth.
And Lyra… sat across from them.
Farther than usual.
Her eyes kept flicking to Mikaela's little hand clinging to Aizen's sleeve.
And then to Theodore's silver head resting on Aizen's shoulder as he slowly drifted to sleep.
She narrowed her eyes.
> …Why do they all get to sleep beside him?
Later that night, the fire had dimmed to embers.
Mikaela and Theodore lay curled up, one on each side of Aizen, their tiny forms snuggled under his cloak. He was seated against a tree, unmoving, his eyes half-closed. Protective. Calm.
Lyra stood a few feet away, blanket in hand. She stared at the scene.
Her heart beat faster than she wanted to admit.
> What is this stupid warm feeling in my chest? And… why do I feel cold?
After a long moment of staring…
She walked over.
> "Hey," she whispered.
Aizen looked up.
> "...Yeah?"
Lyra didn't say anything.
She simply stepped forward… then gently climbed onto his lap, resting her head against his chest—just above where Theodore already slept—and wrapped her arms lightly around his waist.
Aizen tensed.
> "W-What are you doing?"
> "It's cold," she muttered. "And I'm not losing to two adorable orphans."
> "...What?"
> "Nothing. Shut up."
He didn't argue.
His arm wrapped instinctively around her back, steadying her as she settled in.
Four of them now, tangled in a pile of warmth, breath, and beating hearts.
For once, Aizen didn't feel like a cursed weapon or hunted prey.
He felt like… part of something.
And Lyra, resting with her cheek against his heartbeat, smiled in the dark.
> "I'm not letting anyone else steal your warmth," she whispered, barely audible.
The fire crackled softly nearby.
And the night passed in peaceful silence.
---
End of Chapter 9