(Aeris's POV)

It was over.

Keiran was dead.

His severed head lay on the cold ground, surrounded by blood, but I barely spared it a glance.

I felt light. As if a heavy weight had finally lifted from my shoulders.

But before I could even take a breath-

A pair of strong arms crushed me against a firm chest.

I stiffened, wide-eyed, as the familiar scent of fire and steel surrounded me. Zephirion.

He was holding me so tightly I could barely move.

His arms trembled around me.

My lips parted in shock. Was he... shaking?

For a moment, I just stood there, too stunned to react.

But then I felt it-the unspoken emotions in his embrace.

The relief. The fear. The silent desperation.

I slowly raised my hands and placed them gently on his back. He was warm.

Too warm.

He was never this warm.

"Alright, alright, Black Lizard, you're crushing me."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Zephirion froze.

Then, he slowly pulled back, his golden eyes narrowing as if he hadn't heard me correctly. "What?"

I grinned. "I said, you big, dramatic Black Lizard, you're crushing me."

Silence.

And then-

Laughter.

Loud, shameless, uncontrollable laughter.

I turned my head, only to see Valerian doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"Black Lizard?! Oh, My little sissy is back!" he cackled.

Even Caelum, the ever-stoic one, had a smirk playing on his lips. "Zephirion, you're doomed. She's never letting this go."

Even the knights and servants-after everything that had happened-were snickering behind their hands.

I turned back to Zephirion, only to find him dragging a hand down his face, looking absolutely done with life.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"What?" I asked innocently. "It suits you."

He glared. "You-"

Before he could finish, two other pairs of arms suddenly wrapped around me.

"Aeris!"

I nearly choked.

Valerian and Caelum were hugging me.

Tightly.

I let out a startled laugh. "Alright, alright! One at a time! I only have two arms!"

They didn't listen.

Instead, Valerian muttered, "You're alive."

And Caelum just nodded. "And still yourself."

Something warm bloomed in my chest.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity-

I felt safe.

And in that moment, something else settled inside me.

A realization.

I had spent all this time trying to escape.

Trying to run.

But... why?

Everything I wanted-**security, belonging, a place that felt like home-**I had found it here.

Not in the village that had thrown me away.

Not in the past I had lost.

But here. In this castle, among these ridiculous dragons.

This was my home now.

And Zephirion-

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

A slow smirk formed on my lips.

Yes.

I was staying.

I was no longer escaping.

But my plan to make Black Lizard's life hell?

That was back on.

And I would enjoy every second of it.