{Note: Read after Chapter seven)
"Luciannnn!"
Lucian turned, only to see Lisa running toward him, out of breath.
"It was the first day of high school… and it was way more exhausting than I imagined." She lifted her gaze and smiled. "But thanks to your notes, I felt like you understand high school way better than I ever expected."
Lucian chuckled.
"Of course. I secretly mastered high school with my hidden powers."
Lisa puffed her cheeks, looking away with a soft grumble.
"Dummy…"
"I heard that, Miss Cutie!" he teased in an annoyingly sweet tone.
They walked side by side on their way home. The air in Mirwan was serene, almost idyllic. By some miracle, Lucian's father never left them—not for any reason. Was it because of Lisa? Or simply guilt carried from that other timeline?
Lucian's mind drifted, curiosity gnawing at him… until—
"Watch out, you're about to hit the pole—"
Thunk! Too late. Lucian slammed into a lamppost.
He shot Lisa a glare of annoyance.
"Why didn't you warn me… say, fifteen seconds earlier?"
Lisa burst out laughing.
"Because I love seeing you get smacked!"
Lucian sighed, lowering his eyes—only to notice a cockroach crawling toward Lisa.
"Uh… is that a—"
"Eeeek!!!" Lisa shrieked, darting behind him.
"Save me, big brother!" she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear and disgust.
Lucian chuckled, crushed the bug, and the two continued walking. Their path took them through a quiet park. Trees swayed gently in the breeze, the whole world breathing peace and contentment. People strolled with easy smiles, and Mirwan seemed more stable than ever.
Was it because Lucian had saved Lisa?
Or was it because she herself had changed the world simply by existing?
Suddenly, Lisa spotted an ice cream cart. She dashed toward it with childlike excitement and came back holding two cones—one caramel-and-milk swirl, which she handed to Lucian.
Lucian blinked in surprise.
"How did you know this is my favorite flavor?"
Lisa's eyes softened with warmth.
"Because I've been watching you closely for the past seven years. I wanted to understand you… to stay close to you as a sister. You were my very first friend… and my very first brother."
Lucian's face flushed at her words. He accepted the cone, his voice tinged with gratitude.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for annoying you before… I promise I'll treat you more gently from now on."
Lisa puffed her cheeks.
"Nooo! Then you won't be the real Lucian—you'd just be pretending around me!"
Lucian wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.
"You really do understand me better than I thought." He took a bite of the ice cream, only to notice Lisa studying his reaction intently.
"What's with that look?" he asked.
"Nothing!" Lisa quickly turned away, nibbling at her own cone.
…
Later that afternoon, they returned home. Lisa slipped into her room while Lucian's mother quietly prepared dinner in the kitchen. Lucian sat at the table, his gaze drifting to the wall clock. The hands pointed to 3:34 PM.
"This is exhausting… but I never imagined I'd actually end up with a sister," he thought to himself.
"Luuuuuciaaan!!"
"What now?" he called back, glancing toward her room.
Lisa burst out, clutching her teddy bear.
"Come here! I need help with something!"
Lucian stepped inside—and froze. Her room was a battlefield of scattered clothes, messy books, and chaos everywhere.
Lisa grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry… but could you help me clean up?"
Lucian sighed, rolling up his sleeves. He started straightening her bed while Lisa arranged her things on the shelves, stacking her schoolbooks and folding her uniforms. At the end, Lucian swept the floor, panting.
"Ugh… finally done!" he said, exhausted.
But Lisa handed him a small box of chocolates with a bright smile.
"These are mine—but I want you to have them, as thanks for helping me!"
Lucian opened the box, only to find three lonely pieces inside. He gave her a puzzled look.
"Uh… thanks!"
Lisa was overjoyed. After lunch, Lucian stepped outside to breathe in the fresh air, his eyes drifting toward the Clock Tower, still visible between the houses and buildings. He had noticed for some time now that reconstruction had begun—his father had asked the mayor to rebuild the tower to boost the town's global tourism.
Suddenly, Jude and Anya appeared, walking toward him.
"Hey, Lucian. Haven't seen you in a while," Jude said in a strangely calm tone.
"Huh?"
Before Lucian could react, Lisa came running, shoved him aside, and whispered something in Jude and Anya's ears before handing them a folded note. Whatever was written there, Lucian chose to ignore it. She quickly returned, grabbed Lucian's hand, and glanced back at Jude and Anya.
"Don't forget… we'll be back in four hours!"
Then she leaned close, whispering softly into Lucian's ear:
"Don't ask me anything!"
She led him into the "Forest of Light and Shadow," where they spent time together, before heading to Mirwan's hidden lake, tossing stones across the water with laughter echoing in the air.
Afterward, Lisa pulled him along to the Mirwan Museum, which had opened just two years earlier.
"This town keeps getting more amazing every year!" she said with a bright smile.
Lucian murmured to himself:
"These things have always been here… but I never visited. I just preferred studying alone or walking in the public park."
By the end of the day, the skies had darkened, and night had fallen. As they returned home, Lucian's mind still wandered back to what Lisa had whispered to Jude and Anya. Just as they stepped inside—
CRASH!!!
"Happy birthday, Lucian!" everyone shouted in unison.
Lucian froze in shock. "H-huh?"
Uncle Rafed stepped forward, laughing warmly as he patted Lucian's shoulder.
"Today marks your official sixteenth birthday," he said proudly, seeing his nephew grow older and more mature.
Lucian could barely process it—he had never truly celebrated a birthday before. Tears of joy welled in his eyes as he turned to Lisa.
"Was this… your plan?"
Lisa beamed at him.
"Yes!"
After everyone finished singing "Happy Birthday," Lucian's friends stepped forward, each holding a gift wrapped in golden paper.
Jude handed him a pair of sunglasses—because Lucian always complained about the sun being too harsh on his eyes.
Anya's gift was a sleek, black notebook—perfect for jotting down mysterious and important notes.
Then, suddenly, Lisa stepped up with a rather unusual gift: a red scarf.
"This is because winter's coming… and I don't want your voice to freeze!"
Lucian was speechless. Tears of gratitude slid down his cheeks as he opened each present.
He looked at Lisa and said:
"This is… the best birthday of my life."
As the party wound down, Lisa was still munching on a giant slice of cake. But her eyelids began to droop, until her face nearly fell right into the plate!
Lucian chuckled:
"You little sleepyhead! Not even drowsiness can wait for you!"
He gently steadied her and sat her back in her chair, then fetched a damp cloth to wipe her mouth while she mumbled like a cranky child:
"Leave me alone… I wanna sleep…"
Lucian cleaned her with a patient smile.
"Looks like even cleaning up after you has become my responsibility now."
Then he carried her to her room—she was as light as a feather in his arms—and laid her carefully on the bed.
She pulled the blanket tight, cocooning herself in warmth like a tiny chrysalis.
Lucian stood there for a moment, watching her face bathed in the soft glow of moonlight.
He whispered words meant only for the stars to hear:
"Thank you… for giving me a reason to save myself, when I chose to save you."
He switched off the light and closed the door quietly.
The birthday had ended… but the memories would last forever.
{The End.}