Light swallowed everything.
Lyra felt herself rise—
pulled upward through layers of white and gold—
her consciousness lifting out of Zerrei's core like a diver breaking the surface of a deep, endless ocean.
Her breath returned.
Her senses sharpened.
The world around her grew clearer—
until her eyes snapped open.
She was back in the forest.
Back inside Oren's glowing resonance circle.
Back in her body.
Her knees were on the ground.
Her hands pressed against the carved chest of the vessel she loved.
Zerrei.
He was still lying where she left him—
limp
silent
cracked.
But—
The faintest glimmer of blue light pulsed beneath her palm.
Lyra gasped.
"Z… Zerrei?"
His core flickered again.
A tremor.
A heartbeat.
A breath that wasn't breath at all—
just the soft expansion of mana.
Oren lunged closer, eyes wide.
"His core—! It's waking!"
Arden shoved everyone aside, stumbling closer.
"He's alive?! He's actually—?!"
"QUIET!" Lyra snapped, tears in her eyes. "Let him wake."
Arden froze mid-sentence.
Even the forest seemed to hush.
Zerrei's fingers twitched.
Slow.
Weak.
Barely noticeable.
But real.
Lyra grabbed his hand with both of hers.
"Come back," she whispered.
"I'm here."
Zerrei's glow stuttered—
as if her voice pulled him upward
through darkness
through cold
through fear.
And then—
His fingers curled around hers.
Lyra let out a broken scream of relief.
"Zerrei—!!"
Arden nearly fell backward.
"Oh gods—he's actually waking—!"
Oren exhaled shakily, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Lyra… you did it."
Zerrei Opens His Eyes
His carved eyelids trembled.
Slowly—
as if fighting through heavy restraints—
they lifted.
Blue light—
soft and unsure—
glowed beneath them.
Lyra pressed her forehead to his, sobbing openly.
"Zerrei… look at me. Please…"
His gaze was unfocused at first.
Then it found her.
And steadied.
His carved lips parted.
No sound came out at first.
Then—
"…Lyra."
She broke completely.
"Yes—! Yes, I'm here—!"
Zerrei's hand rose shakily.
It touched her cheek, wiping her tears in a clumsy gesture.
"…Lyra… warm…"
Lyra laughed through sobs.
"You scared me so badly, you idiot—!"
He blinked slowly.
"…Zerrei…hurt Lyra…?"
She shook her head violently.
"No. No—never. You protected me. You always do."
His glow flickered at her touch.
"…Lyra… found Zerrei…"
Her voice softened to a whisper.
"I told you I would."
He stared at her for a long, fragile moment.
Then—
His arms rose.
Weak.
Trembling.
But intentional.
He wrapped them around her neck
and pulled her into the softest, most desperate embrace he'd ever given.
"…Zerrei… scared," he whispered into her hair.
Lyra's heart shattered all over again.
"I know. But you're here now. You hear me? You're here."
He nodded against her.
"…Lyra… stay…"
She held him tighter.
"Always."
Arden & Oren React (in the only correct way)
Arden wiped his face aggressively.
"I'm not crying. Shut up."
Oren wasn't even looking at him.
"I did not say anything."
"You were THINKING it."
Oren pushed his glasses up.
"I was thinking about tea."
"LIAR."
Lyra ignored both of them, focusing entirely on the trembling vessel in her arms.
The Aftershock
Zerrei tried to sit up.
His chest cracked.
Light leaked from several fractures.
Lyra immediately pushed him back down.
"No—don't move yet! You're still unstable."
Zerrei blinked up at her.
"…Zerrei… weak?"
"Yes," she breathed.
"You burned everything you had to protect me."
His glow dimmed.
"…worth."
Lyra smacked his shoulder lightly.
"Ow—!" she hissed. "I forgot you're made of wood, that hurt!"
Zerrei blinked.
"…sorry?"
"No—I'm sorry! I shouldn't hit you."
Arden pinched the bridge of his nose.
"They're adorable. And insane."
Oren shook his head.
"We have much bigger problems. The Creator knows his projection failed. He'll bring his full consciousness next time."
Lyra's grip on Zerrei tightened.
Zerrei's glow dimmed in worry.
"…Lyra…"
"…danger…"
She met his gaze.
"No. He's the danger. You protected me once. I'll protect you now."
Zerrei stared at her—
stunned
soft
overwhelmed.
"…Lyra…"
His hand rose again, brushing her cheek.
"…my… anchor…"
She leaned against his touch.
"My Zerrei."
His glow brightened faintly.
The Circle Closes
Oren inspected Zerrei's core again.
His voice was grave.
"He's awake… but he's fragile. The soul-core repair didn't finish. He's still in danger of collapsing again."
Lyra looked horrified.
"W-what do we do?!"
"We need to keep him close to you," Oren said.
Arden nodded.
"He's literally powered by affection. Fantastic."
Oren added:
"And we need to repair his body. His evolution stalled when the Creator interfered."
Zerrei leaned against Lyra's shoulder.
"…Lyra… help Zerrei?"
She smiled, brushing his carved hair gently.
"Yes.
We'll do this together."
Zerrei closed his eyes.
"…warm… safe…"
Arden threw his hands up.
"If he gets any cuter, the Creator won't need to kill us—I'll die of emotional overload."
Oren didn't disagree.
A New Resolve
Lyra stroked Zerrei's hand.
"Rest. I'm not leaving you."
Zerrei laid his head against her chest, letting her hold him completely.
"…stay…" he whispered again.
She kissed his forehead—
a soft, tender touch.
"I'm here."
He relaxed—finally—
and whispered one last time before drifting into healing rest:
"…Zerrei… choose Lyra…"
Lyra's eyes softened.
"And I choose you."