Retreat and Revelry – A Celebration Worth Fighting For
The wind of the Eidolon Cradle stirred like a tired breath, no longer hostile, no longer testing. It had nothing more to offer them.
Not now.
Not after the news that had turned the entire expedition upside down.
Alter stood with Vastbane resting across his back, his arm loosely around Lira's waist. The Cradle's mist curled at their feet, as if the dungeon itself were watching… and accepting their departure.
"We're pulling out," he said quietly.
No speech. No flare of magic. Just those words—and the weight they carried.
Selene didn't question him. She simply nodded, slipping her blade into its sheath with reverent precision. "Understood."
Mira closed her spellbook with a snap of frost. "I suppose that means I can finally thaw my hair."
Kaela, already halfway through stuffing her emergency chocolate into her pouch, blinked. "Wait, really? We're actually leaving?"
Ziri's eyes sparkled. "Permission to detonate the 'mission complete' flare?"
"Denied," Alter said reflexively.
"Too late," Ziri grinned.
A small flare went off behind her. It was shaped like a baby bottle. The sky above the Cradle briefly lit with pink and gold stars before vanishing.
Revyn, perched on a crumbling obelisk nearby, let out a low chuckle. "Best use of fireworks since we lit Thorne's pants on fire."
"You lit my pants on fire," Thorne growled.
"That's what I said."
Alter would normally give them a look—that look—but this time… he didn't.
He smiled.
Just a little.
Because tonight, for the first time in what felt like years across two lifetimes, he wasn't walking forward to face death.
He was walking away from it.
Toward something worth living for.
The Portal Home
The return portal shimmered open, casting soft waves of golden-blue across the fractured stone.
The team formed a loose line, weapons holstered, gear already half-forgotten. The atmosphere had shifted. Not victory. Not escape.
Celebration.
Lira touched her stomach gently as she passed through the portal, and the moment she vanished, someone behind her shouted—
"We're having a baby!"
No one knew who said it.
Everyone acted like it was them.
Arrival – Mythral Dawn Estate, Capital City of Celestia
The estate lit up like a war had been declared—a war on silence.
Kaela barrelled through the front gates shouting, "UNLOCK THE PARTY WING!" as if such a thing existed. Spoiler: it did. Thorne and Garran were already dragging out kegs that hadn't seen daylight since the Divine Beast Campaign. Lanterns burst to life. Enchanted music charms floated up from the garden ponds. Fireworks—not Ziri's, but Veyna's sanctioned ones—started tracing celebratory phrases across the night sky.
"LIRA IS PREGNANT!"
"ALTER DID IT!"
"DAD MODE UNLOCKED!"
Selene tried to disable the last one. It reappeared, larger.
Somewhere across the east wing, Revyn and Riven were sneaking off with bottles of elven cider. Sorei was racing Caelum to the rooftop with a cake. Mira had conjured a chair and was already sipping tea in total chaos as if nothing had changed.
Lira was immediately swept away toward the main hall by the women, leaving Alter standing on the outer steps as the wind swept through his hair and the noise of a hundred happy souls echoed around him.
He looked down at his gloved hand.
Then up at the sky.
And he smiled.
Truly.
The war could wait.
Tonight… they would revel.
Lira – Surrounded by Chaos and Care
Lira barely made it five steps into the estate's grand hall before she was seized by a tactical assault of warm hands, high-pitched squeals, and floating furniture that repositioned itself beneath her.
"She needs a cushion throne!"
"And tea! Goddess, someone get her mana-calming tea!"
"Do not let her stand!"
"Don't let her think about standing!"
Within moments, Lira found herself seated on a velvet-draped recliner that had definitely not existed ten seconds ago. Beside her were levitating footrests, a plush blanket charmed with anti-nausea enchantments, and a side table with six types of tea—none of which she asked for.
Selene stood to her right like a silver-haired guardian, arms crossed, watching everyone with practiced calm.
"We don't need to smother her," she said.
"Says the woman who threatened to decapitate Caelum for offering her wine last week," Kaela chirped from the side, already dragging in a second pillow for back support.
"That was different. He called it medicinal."
Ilyra leaned forward, pressing her palms gently to Lira's stomach with glowing fingers.
"There's a tiny flutter already… The life force is faint, but steady. A flicker."
Lira blinked. "You can already feel it?"
"I attuned to it," Ilyra said with a smile, placing a protective charm on Lira's wrist. "This links your vital signature directly to mine. Just in case."
"You're turning her into a baby beacon," Kaela laughed.
"If anyone tries to mess with her, I want to know."
The Betting Scandal
The room shifted as Nyra entered with a smug little smile and a flutter of holy scrolls tucked under her arm. She sat beside Lira and cleared her throat.
"Ladies… I have a confession to make."
Lira raised an eyebrow. "Oh no."
"I won the pregnancy betting pool."
Stunned silence.
Then a chorus of:
"What pregnancy pool?!"
Nyra flipped open a glowing book titled 'The Great Mythral Wager Ledger – Volume III'. Illuminated runes danced across the pages.
"Betting opened the day Alter disappeared into the Still World. I listed odds based on three variables: duration of time inside, emotional reunion impact, and personal chemistry levels—"
"—You were calculating chemistry levels?" Sorei gasped, delighted.
"Absolutely. I'm a healer. I know tension when I see it."
Selene leaned over the page, narrowing her eyes. "Did you really give Kaela 3:1 odds on shouting 'Are you serious?!' upon the reveal?"
"She screamed it exactly on cue," Nyra nodded, pointing to the playback rune.
Lira rubbed her face in mock disbelief. "You were betting on my uterus."
"No!" Nyra said cheerfully. "Just its contents."
Mira sipped from her cup nearby, utterly unfazed. "I bet three scrolls of stasis warding that it would happen before Alter hit 10% Creator Authority. Technically, I was wrong."
"But spiritually," Kaela added, "you were dead-on."
Lira's Heart Amid the Chaos
Despite the laughter, the teasing, and the deeply concerning level of recreational gambling, Lira felt something deeper settle into her chest.
They cared.
Not just about the child. Not just about her. But about this moment—about hope.
The war wasn't over. The world hadn't stopped being dangerous.
But for now… they let it go.
Selene leaned closer, lowering her voice just slightly.
"How do you feel?"
Lira looked down at her stomach—flat, untouched by time, but now filled with something utterly real. She placed a hand gently over it, fingers brushing the soft fabric of her tunic.
"Scared," she admitted. "But… I feel like everything I've fought for suddenly makes sense."
Selene's eyes softened, just slightly. "Then you're already doing better than most parents."
Scene End
Lira smiled, surrounded by warmth, comfort, and just the right amount of chaos.
From somewhere outside, someone shouted,
"Ziri just launched a firework that says 'DAD MODE ACTIVATED!'"
She closed her eyes and laughed.
Part II: The Great Name-Off Begins (Immersive, with Seraphina's input)
The fire in the courtyard crackled warmly as Mythral Dawn's celebration surged into its second—or maybe fourth—wave of joyful chaos. Plates clinked, laughter echoed, and magic shimmered in every corner of the estate grounds.
And then Kaela—the Ashplume Huntress, decorated in phoenix-red silk and mischief—leapt onto a barrel like a queen claiming her throne.
With the kind of confidence only wine and raw personality could brew, she threw a hand to the stars.
"Let it be known across realms and realities! I, Kaela, propose the first and most iconic name for the child of Alter and Lira:
Starlina Dawnburst!"
Silence.
Then:
"That sounds like a stage name for a fire dancer," Mira muttered, stirring her tea without even looking up.
"More like a wand malfunction," Revyn added from his usual spot—half in shadow, entirely unimpressed.
Kaela wasn't fazed. "You two wouldn't know brilliance if it caught your cloaks on fire. Which, by the way, it has. Twice."
"Because of you," Selene said dryly, stepping forward with arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"Look, don't start with me—" Kaela began.
"Selene," Selene cut in, calmly. "That's the name."
"You want the baby named after you?" Kaela asked, jaw agape.
"You want the baby named after your bow," Mira pointed out.
"An Artifact-tier bow, mind you!" Kaela shot back. "Ashplume Requital is the reason we survived the Thornveil incursion!"
"You also set your own tent on fire with it," Sorei chimed from the balcony.
Kaela waved that off. "Artistic combustion!"
Ziri's Declaration & Chaos Magic
A magical wheel suddenly spun into existence above the party, swirling with glowing names and crackling with enchanted sparks. Ziri hovered beneath it, arms outstretched like an announcer at an arcane festival.
"BEHOLD—THE NAME WARS: DAWN EDITION! Let chaos guide destiny!"
She twirled mid-air and proclaimed,
"I submit: Vastbanette! Daughter of Vastbane! Wielder of nap-time doom!"
Alter paused his drink mid-sip.
"…You're naming her after my sword?"
"Absolutely," Ziri beamed. "A blade forged in cosmic shadow, reborn in diapers."
"She'll never get invited to school dances," Lira said, exasperated.
"Who needs school dances when you rule the battlefield?" Ziri retorted.
The Crowd Descends into Nonsense
Sorei landed softly beside the main circle, her cloak catching the moonlight.
"I suggest Zephyra. Light, mysterious, and impossible to pin down."
"She's not an enchanted breeze," Revyn said flatly, carving something into the stone with a finger.
"You already suggested Echo," Kaela called out.
"And I stand by it."
"You would," Riven added. "That's just stealth-baby branding."
The magical scoreboard above the garden flared with entries:
Starlina Dawnburst – 2 votes (Kaela, and… an enchanted squirrel)
Selene – 1 vote (forcefully submitted)
Vastbanette – Currently blinking on and off
Echo – Written in shadow, slowly spreading like a fungus
Zephyra – Elegantly scripted, then promptly stolen by a wind sprite
A Voice from Within
As the chaos raged around him, Alter simply stood at the edge of the firelight, arms folded, expression unreadable. Lira leaned gently against him, her laughter quiet and warm against his chest.
But inside—
A familiar voice stirred.
"Alter."
It was calm. Clear. Soft as starlight on still water.
Seraphina.
"They'll burn the naming ceremony down if left unchecked."
He almost smiled. "You're not wrong."
"Would you like divine suggestions?"
"Go ahead," he replied silently, lifting his gaze toward the moon.
There was a pause.
Then she spoke.
"For a daughter—Aurelya. Born of dawn, radiant with flame and renewal. A name blessed by the old goddess of light."
His breath caught slightly. It felt… right.
"For a son—Caelion. Child of the sky, bearer of silent strength. Chosen of the star-forged winds."
Alter closed his eyes for a moment. The names settled into his heart like echoes of some greater truth.
Seraphina's voice softened.
"Both carry blessings. The child will walk between worlds… just like you."
Then, as always, she vanished into the silence.
The Calm Amid the Storm
Alter opened his eyes.
The party was still spinning into joyful absurdity.
Ziri was halfway through writing "Baby Voidblade McBoomerang" onto the scoreboard.
Kaela and Selene were mock dueling with baguettes.
Revyn was carving "Echo II" into a wine bottle.
But to Alter, it had all faded for a moment—because in his mind, there were now two names… glowing quietly.
Aurelya. Caelion.
Not chosen tonight. Not yet.
But held.
Treasured.
Already loved.
Part III: The Men Chime In – Poorly
The name war raged on.
As the women's arguments grew louder and more theatrical—Kaela was now using a salad fork as a pointer to duel Selene's logic—the men of Mythral Dawn retreated to their own corner of the courtyard like soldiers forming a desperate last line of defense.
A keg had been rolled over for tactical support.
A torch had been jammed into the ground and declared a "naming pyre."
They were taking this very seriously.
Garran's Legacy of Flame
Garran stood with arms folded, beard smoldering slightly from a cooking mishap, his tone one of ancestral reverence.
"Gentlemen. The child should be named after something immortal. Powerful. Charred with glory."
He held up a spatula like a holy relic.
"Grillmaster."
The silence was immediate. And deeply concerned.
"You are not serious," Cidros said, blinking.
"Deadly," Garran replied.
"That's the name of your failed steak seasoning," Caelum muttered.
"And my greatest legacy."
Riven made a strangled sound. "If Alter names his firstborn after a barbecue title, I am defecting to another guild."
"But think of the branding!" Garran bellowed, undeterred. "T-shirts. Spatulas. Family crest—two crossed sausages over flame!"
Spiral of Madness
Revyn, perched backwards on a bench, offered his quiet contribution.
"Echo."
Again.
"Revyn," Thorne rumbled. "If you say Echo one more time, I swear I'll name my next hammer after it."
"I accept this consequence."
Sorei glided over on a gust of wind, having abandoned the women's debate entirely.
"Okay but hear me out—Windigo!"
Everyone stared.
"That's… a blizzard demon," Cidros said slowly.
"Yeah, but reclaimed." She made dramatic air quotes. "Modernized. Cute."
Caelum snapped his fingers. "Ooh! How about Skyling! Sounds elegant. Very airy."
"Sounds like a scented candle," Riven shot back. "Or a snack. 'Now with 20% more mana crisp!'"
The Scoreboard Becomes Sentient
Above them, Ziri's enchanted scoreboard was now flickering erratically. It had grown a second column titled "Wut?" and had begun auto-sorting the more ridiculous suggestions.
It now read:
Name Wars: Reasonable Suggestions
Aurelya (0 votes, known only to Alter)
Caelion (0 votes, divine knowledge only)
Selene (1 vote)
Echo (∞ from Revyn)
Name Wars: Questionable At Best
Grillmaster
Windigo
Skyling
Vastbanette™
Baby Daggerflame
Sir Naps-a-Lot
Alter, standing slightly apart with Lira beside him, finally exhaled a long, tired sigh.
Alter Speaks
He stepped forward.
Just one step.
But it was enough.
The crowd stilled. Conversations cut off like a blade through smoke.
Even the scoreboard dimmed its light.
Alter's gaze passed over them—Kaela holding her fork like a sword, Mira pinching her temple, Garran looking almost hopeful, and Ziri writing "Baby Oblivion Crescent" in glittering script across the grass.
"We've heard… many names tonight."
A ripple of laughter tried to escape someone. He let it pass.
"Some of them were creative. Others—deeply concerning."
He glanced at Garran. Garran stood straighter. Possibly prouder.
"But naming isn't a game. It's a promise. A legacy. Something that child will carry long after we're gone."
"It doesn't need to impress. Or intimidate. It just needs to matter."
There was silence. A thoughtful kind. Even Kaela lowered her fork.
Only Lira, standing beside him now, could see the distant gleam in his starlit eyes.
He was thinking of Aurelya. Of Caelion.
He was thinking of two names already etched into his soul by a voice that none of them could hear.
And just for a moment—
The courtyard felt less like a party… and more like a future being built.
Part IV: Lira and the Final Word – Chaos Meets Heart
The courtyard had grown quieter after Alter spoke—not silent, but softened. The kind of hush that follows truth.
There were no more wild outbursts, no more magical name wheels. Even Ziri had paused mid-scroll, biting her lip thoughtfully. Revyn was still carving Echo into a piece of wood, but even he was unusually still.
Alter's words had settled like mist—gentle, but undeniable.
And then—
A chair creaked.
Everyone turned.
Lira rose slowly from the cushioned bench where she had been seated, one hand resting over her stomach. Her hair shimmered under the moonlight, soft golden strands haloed in the ambient glow of floating lanterns.
She walked forward—not commanding, not demanding—just calm, glowing with quiet certainty.
And with a smile that disarmed even Selene's crossed arms, she said,
"Thank you all… truly. For caring this much."
"Even you, Kaela, with your… fiery enthusiasm."
Kaela bowed deeply. "You're welcome, future Saint Lira of Baby Dawnburst."
"No."
"Ashflame Daggerchild?"
"Also no."
Ziri dramatically slumped into a bush.
Lira took a slow breath, then looked to Alter beside her. He gave the faintest nod, already knowing what she was about to say.
"We haven't decided yet," Lira said softly, looking at each of them. "But when the time comes… the name will be a memory of both of us. Of where we came from. Of what we've lost… and what we're building."
The weight of it hit deeper than anyone expected.
And then—
"But just to be clear," she added with a wicked grin, "if any of you try to call my child Grillmaster, I will personally throw you into the Still World for twenty-four hours without food."
The crowd erupted in laughter. Even Garran turned red, sputtering something about "cultural misunderstanding."
Selene gave a rare smile. Mira clinked her teacup against Kaela's mug. Revyn whispered, "Echo II canceled," to himself.
Sorei hovered midair and called out, "Fine, but if it's twins, I want naming rights on the second one!"
Kaela shouted, "Triplets! Let's name them after our weapons!"
"Then I claim Boomblade!" Ziri yelled from the bush.
A Future Yet Unwritten
As the crowd descended once more into chaos—this time warmer, gentler—Alter stood in the center of it all.
Lira leaned into him, her smile relaxed, her eyes bright.
"Aurelya or Caelion?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer with words. He simply held her hand a little tighter.
Because for now, they didn't need to decide.
They only needed to hope.
And as the laughter swirled under the starlit sky, something unspoken shimmered between them.
Not a name.
But a promise.