Chapter 20/1 – The Secret Library of Forbidden Stories
They discovered a locked chest in the attic with books "for those over 100 years old."
Joker picked the lock with shadow magic.
Inside: uncensored fairy tales (Snow White kills the stepmother, Cinderella blows up the castle, etc.).
One story in particular caught their attention: "The Blood Moon and the Chains of Draknar" – a legend about a night when the moon bleeds and traffickers invade border orphanages.
Lirien read it and cried softly: "I've seen this… in my visions…"
Kuroe smiled: "But in the book, the children win in the end."
Lysithea caught them, panicked… until she heard Harley reading dramatically:
"…and then the princess grabbed the axe and said: 'the next one to call me fragile becomes barbecue.'"
Lysithea ended up sitting on the floor with them, reading along and dying of laughter, but with a chill when remembering the blood moon legend.
Chapter 20/2 – The Talent Show "Second Version" (age 7)
This time with an official audience (the three nuns + two deer from the forest that showed up out of nowhere).
Acts:
- Rina & Sylvara → juggling duo with fruit (ended in a food fight)
- Marina → spat water forming a rainbow
- Astrid → lifted the table with one hand and did push-ups with the other
- Lirien → sang an elven song that made the garden flowers dance
- Kuroe → made all the objects in the room float to spell the word "LOVE"
- Joker & Harley → grand finale: disappearance of Lysithea (actually hid her in the cupboard with sweets and hugs).
Lysithea came out of the cupboard crying with laughter, chocolate smeared on her face.
Chapter 20/3 – The Garden of Promises
Each child planted a magical sapling in the garden with a promise written on a little paper buried alongside it.
Known promises:
- Rina: "I promise to protect everyone with my little fangs."
- Marina: "I'll make a lake just for us to swim in forever."
- Astrid: "I'll be strong enough to carry everyone on my back."
- Joker & Harley (on a single paper): "We'll build the biggest circus in the world and put everyone inside it. Anyone who doesn't fit will learn to fly."
Lysithea planted hers in secret: "May these saplings grow as tall as the love I feel for you."
Chapter 20/4 – The Flying Pajama Day
Harley discovered a levitation spell in an old book.
Result: everyone spent the day floating 5 cm off the ground, using their pajamas as capes.
Lysithea joined the fun and ended up serving lunch while floating with the tray balanced on her head.
Historic photo: nine people floating in a circle in the dining room, all making silly faces.