Aethercrest // FayeYoko, LingOrm, MilkLove

Chapter 9

Seiryu's POV

My eyelids fluttered open, disoriented at first by the unfamiliar ceiling of the infirmary. The soft hum of magic–infused air surrounded me, soothing and oddly warm. Slowly, I became aware of the people around me. Yume was curled up on one of the nearby chairs, her head leaning against Kaminari's shoulder, both sleeping peacefully. Across from them, Hikari and Sonata were slouched awkwardly on the sofas, their expressions peaceful yet weary, as though they'd been fighting their own battles even in sleep.

And then, there was Hana. Her head rested on the bed beside me, one hand loosely clutching the sheets near my arm, as if guarding me even in sleep. I couldn't help but smile—kahit ang sakit ng katawan ko, the sight of them all here was enough to ease the weight I'd felt since we returned from the mission. I took a shaky breath, careful not to disturb anyone, though it was hard to ignore the aching throb in my limbs from using too much mana. But compared to what could have happened... well, I was grateful. We were all still here, and that was enough.

As I shifted slightly, Hana stirred. Her eyes opened slowly, hazy with sleep, until they landed on me. Instantly, they softened, and relief washed over her features. "Sei... gising ka na," she murmured, her voice tinged with exhaustion and something else—something warmer.

"Obvious ba?" I chuckled, "good morning," I whispered, offering her a gentle smile. "I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for staying."

Her eyes widened, and before I could say anything more, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. For a moment, I was stunned, heart pounding wildly, but then I found myself hugging her back, feeling the steadiness of her heartbeat against mine.

"I'm glad you're okay now," she whispered, her words catching slightly as though she'd been holding back so much. "God, I was so worried."

A small, grateful smile found its way to my lips. "Thank you, Hana."

"Don't ever do that again, okay?"

I chuckled softly, even as I felt something inside me twist with guilt. "I didn't mean to worry you, Hana. Sorry."

She pulled back, still holding onto my shoulders, and gave me a soft glare. "Just... don't scare us like that. Okay?"

Just as the warmth of the moment began to settle in, a teasing voice cut through the quiet. "Ohh, would you look at them," Yume drawled, a playful grin already spreading across her face. Apparently, she had woken up—and of course, pati na rin ang iba.

Oh, great. Issue nanaman.

We both froze, Hana quickly pulling away, though a faint blush dusted her cheeks. I could feel my own face warming, unsure how to react under their knowing stares.

"Aw, don't mind us, you two," Sonata chimed in, barely able to hold back her laughter. "Go ahead. Continue."

Hana quickly shook her head, a bit flustered, "Hindi... I was just relieved Sei is finally awake." She crossed her arms, feigning nonchalance, but the slight blush betrayed her calm tone.

"Uh-huh," Hikari drawled, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smile. "Sure, sure, 'relieved.'"

"Hindi ka na nagbago, all of you," I muttered, shaking my head. But I couldn't stop the smile tugging at my lips, even as everyone's teasing continued.

It was strange but nice, being here with all of them. It felt like... a home, one I hadn't even realized I'd been missing.

Even as they continued to tease us, I found myself oddly at peace. There was a comfort in their laughter, in the lightness we could share even after everything that had happened. But that peaceful moment couldn't last forever—especially with everything lurking on the horizon.