Umma brought Toki home.
The cold wind tore past them like invisible blades, snow scattering beneath her powerful wings as she ran into the courtyard.
Toki slid down from her back.
His boots touched the ground without a sound.
For a moment, he simply stood there, hand resting against her warm side, feeling her breathing beneath his palm. Steady. Strong. Alive.
He stroked her feathers slowly.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Umma lowered her head, nudging his shoulder softly.
He smiled faintly.
"You should go to the paddock," he said. "Rest. You've done enough for today."
Umma did not move.
Her eyes watched him closely.
Too closely.
She tilted her head, letting out a low, worried sound from deep in her throat.
Toki exhaled.
"…Hey."
He brushed his hand along her neck.
"I'm fine."
She didn't believe him.
He felt it.
In the way her feathers bristled.
Something is wrong, she knows.
Before he could say anything else, Umma leaned forward and gently licked his face.
Warm.
Rough.
Comforting.
"Hey—!" Toki laughed weakly. "Stop…"
But he didn't pull away.
Instead, he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her.
Tightly.
Burying his face into her feathers.
"…You're too smart for your own good," he murmured.
For a few seconds, he stayed like that.
Just holding her.
Just pretending that nothing was wrong.
"Hey, girl," he whispered softly.
"I'll be okay."
"Go," he added gently. "Please."
Umma hesitated.
Then, reluctantly, she stepped back.
She turned once.
Looked at him.
As if memorizing his face.
Then she walked toward the paddock, her wings dragging slightly against the snow.
Toki watched until she disappeared.
Only then did he turn toward the house.
The door stood before him.
Familiar.
Warm.
Safe.
And somehow… terrifying.
He reached for the handle.
His fingers stopped halfway.
They trembled.
He lowered his hand.
What's wrong with you?
You rushed all the way back here.
You told yourself you needed to see them.
So why can't you move?
He leaned his forehead against the door.
Cold wood pressed against his skin.
It would be pointless to tell them not to go into the city tomorrow.
They wouldn't listen.
For days now, he had forced himself to laugh.
To eat.
To play.
To read stories.
To tease Yuki.
But he wasn't ready.
He closed his eyes.
If I ask for help…
I put them in danger.
If I stay silent…
I die alone.
What kind of choice is that?
His hands curled into fists.
Mathias' words echoed in his mind.
But I'm holding the pencil.
And I'm the only one holding it.
I'm the only one who can start over.
I'm the only one who can rewrite this.
I can't turn back.
I can't run.
I can't hesitate.
I will save them.
Even if it costs me everything.
Slowly, deliberately, he grasped the handle.
And pushed.
Warmth washed over him.
Firelight flickered across wooden walls.
Soft carpets muffled his steps.
Home.
His gaze immediately rose to the wall.
The drawings.
They were still there.
Pinned carefully.
Exactly as before.
Toki stepped closer.
His fingers hovered.
Then gently touched Hana's drawing.
The paper was warm.
Still alive with effort.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"…You really did your best, didn't you?"
His voice barely existed.
For a moment, he imagined them sitting around the table again.
Laughing.
Arguing.
Fighting over crayons.
Safe.
Happy.
Alive.
The image hurt.
He turned away.
"I'm home," he called softly.
No answer.
He frowned.
"Yuki?"
"Hana?"
"Suzume?"
"Tora?"
"Utsuki?"
Silence.
Only the fire crackled.
He walked toward the dining room.
The long table stood empty.
No plates.
No crumbs.
No cups.
No signs of dinner.
That's strange…
He checked the kitchen.
Clean.
Yuki would never leave it like this if she had cooked.
His unease grew.
"Hey," he called again. "Where are you?"
Nothing.
He moved faster.
Bedrooms.
Empty.
Beds untouched.
Windows closed.
No voices.
No laughter.
His pulse quickened.
Sauna.
Steam long gone.
Water perfectly still.
Cold.
Unused.
He stood at the edge, staring at his reflection.
Where are they?
Panic began to crawl up his spine.
No.
Calm down.
Think.
Where haven't you checked?
His feet moved before his mind finished the thought.
The library.
He stopped outside the door.
And froze.
Voices.
Soft. murmurs.
Relief flooded him.
"Oh… thank God…"
He opened the door quietly.
Warm candlelight filled the room.
Bookshelves towered around them like silent guardians.
Pillows and blankets were spread across the floor.
And in the center…
They were all there.
Sitting in a loose circle.
A single chair stood in the center of the library.
It had been placed there deliberately.
Like a small stage.
In front of it stood a low wooden table, carefully arranged. A porcelain plate rested on top, filled with neatly stacked cookies. Steam rose faintly from a nearby teapot, curling lazily through the warm candlelight.
Everything had been prepared.
For him.
Toki stopped just inside the doorway.
They really planned this…
Utsuki noticed his hesitation and smiled gently.
"Welcome back, Toki."
Her voice was soft, but firm. Grounding.
Like an anchor thrown into stormy water.
Before he could respond, the triplets burst into motion.
"Finally!"
"We've been waiting forever!"
"Now we can hear the story!"
They bounced on their cushions like restless sparrows.
Leonard stepped forward calmly, carrying a porcelain cup. He placed it carefully on the small table beside the chair.
The tea was perfectly aligned with the saucer.
As always.
Ozvold leaned against a bookshelf, arms crossed, eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Toki.
Not hostile.
Concerned.
Lilith tilted her head, her hair catching the candlelight.
"If you had taken any longer," she said lightly, "I was preparing to come drag you back myself."
A few people laughed.
Toki exhaled.
"I'm… sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to worry you all."
He stepped forward slowly.
Then his gaze landed on Yuki.
She stood near the back, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"…Didn't we agree," Toki said carefully, "that sweets weren't allowed in the library?"
Yuki raised an eyebrow.
Then smiled thinly.
"Oh, don't worry," she replied dryly.
"No one wanted to eat without you."
She gestured at the plate.
"So I canceled dinner."
Several people gasped.
"Yuki!"
"That's cruel!"
"We were starving!"
She ignored them.
"So," she continued calmly, "I put these old cookies here instead."
Toki stared at the plate.
"…Old?"
Utsuki chuckled.
"Liar."
Yuki looked away.
"…Maybe slightly fresh."
Toki smiled.
Utsuki clapped her hands softly.
"Today," she announced, "we decided to do things differently."
She pointed toward the shelves.
"You choose."
Toki blinked.
"Choose?"
"Yes," she nodded. "No more random picks. No more 'whatever is closest.'"
Hana nodded vigorously.
"We want the best one!"
His chest tightened.
They trust me with this too…
Slowly, he stepped forward.
Into the circle.
He walked toward the tall bookshelf labeled:
Stories & Legends
His fingers traced along the spines.
Leather.
Cloth.
Paper.
Each one carried a world inside.
He scanned carefully.
Fairy tales.
Myths.
Old romances.
Heroic epics.
Too light.
Too childish.
Too dark.
Too violent.
He paused.
Then—
His hand stopped.
A slim, dark-bound book.
Faust.
He froze.
…This one?
His mind raced.
A man who sells his soul.
A deal with darkness.
Desperation.
Regret.
Too heavy.
He pulled it out anyway.
Looked at the cover.
Then hesitated.
No.
This isn't for them.
He began to put it back.
"Toki."
Leonard's voice was quiet.
But firm.
Toki turned.
Leonard met his eyes.
"Do not waste," Leonard said calmly, "the chances that fate gives you."
Silence followed.
Toki swallowed.
Slowly, he lowered his hand.
And kept the book.
"…Alright," he whispered.
He returned to the chair.
Sat down between Tora and Kandaki.
The cushions shifted.
Hana crept closer.
Like a cautious kitten.
She climbed into his lap, curled against his chest, and hid her face in his coat.
He wrapped one arm around her automatically.
He reached for a cookie.
Bit into it.
Crisp.
Warm.
Soft inside.
His eyes widened.
"…Yuki."
She looked away.
"…Shut up."
He laughed softly.
She lied.
He opened the book.
The first page whispered as it turned.
The room grew quiet.
The Story Begins
"Once," Toki read softly,
"there lived a man who knew everything… yet felt he knew nothing."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
A storyteller's voice.
"One who had mastered books, science, magic, and prayer… but found no joy in any of it."
Kandaki frowned.
"Why would someone be sad if they know everything?"
Toki paused.
"…Because knowing is not the same as living."
He continued.
"Faust sat alone in his tower, surrounded by knowledge… and suffocated by it."
Lilith listened intently.
"So he was trapped by his own mind."
"Yes," Toki nodded.
"He wanted more. Not wisdom. Not fame."
He turned the page.
"He wanted meaning."
Utsuki's fingers tightened around her teacup.
"He made a deal," Toki read.
"With a being from the shadows."
Suzume gasped.
"A demon?!"
"Something like that," Toki smiled faintly.
"For power. For experience. For life."
Ozvold's jaw tightened.
"…And he paid for it."
"Yes."
Toki's voice softened.
"With his soul."
Interventions and Reactions
"But that's stupid!" Hana protested suddenly, peeking up.
"Why would he give his soul away?!"
Toki stroked her hair.
"Because he was afraid of dying without ever feeling alive."
Yuki spoke quietly.
"That sounds… familiar."
Toki flinched.
Leonard closed his eyes.
Tora whispered, "He was lonely."
"Yes," Toki admitted.
"Very."
Kandaki clenched his fists.
"He should've asked for help!"
Several heads turned.
Toki froze.
"…Maybe," he said carefully, "he didn't think anyone would understand."
Utsuki looked at him.
Long.
Meaningfully.
"…Or maybe he was too proud."
He couldn't answer.
"As time passed," Toki continued,
"Faust gained everything he wanted."
"Wealth.
Pleasure.
Adventure.
Power."
"But something was missing."
Lilith murmured, "Peace."
"Yes."
Toki nodded.
"He realized too late… that borrowed dreams never satisfy."
He read slower now.
"He fell in love."
Hana smiled.
"Ooooh…"
"But he could not protect her," Toki whispered.
"And when she suffered…"
His voice shook.
"…he realized the price of his choices."
Silence filled the room.
No one laughed.
No one moved.
"They stood at the edge of ruin," he read.
"And Faust finally asked…"
"For forgiveness."
"For another chance."
"For erasure."
Toki closed the book gently.
"…But ink cannot be erased."
He looked up.
All eyes were on him.
"What do you think the story means?" Utsuki asked softly.
Toki thought.
For a long time.
"I think…" he said slowly,
"…it means that shortcuts steal something important."
"That choosing alone… is dangerous."
"That fear makes us bargain with monsters."
Leonard added, "And that regret arrives too late."
Ozvold spoke quietly.
"Power without people is empty."
Yuki crossed her arms.
"And idiots need someone to slap sense into them."
They laughed weakly.
Toki smiled sadly.
He looked around.
At every face.
Every hope.
Every worry."
"It's courage."
Utsuki reached for his hand.
Squeezed it.
"You're learning," she whispered.
Hana hugged him tighter.
"Don't sell your soul, okay?"
He laughed softly.
"I won't."
Kandaki nodded firmly.
"We won't let you."
The triplets saluted dramatically.
"Never!"
Toki's chest warmed.
He closed the book.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
They remained in the library until the moon had fully climbed into the sky.
Moonlight spilled softly through the tall glass panes, painting the bookshelves in pale blue and white. Dust drifted lazily in the air, glowing like tiny stars.
The candles had burned low.
Only a few remained lit.
Their flames trembled gently, as if exhausted.
Hana was asleep in Toki's arms.
She had curled against his chest sometime during the last chapter, her small hands clutching his coat like anchors. Her breathing was slow and steady, warm against his skin.
The triplets weren't far behind.
Two of them had collapsed against a pile of cushions.
The third leaned against a bookshelf, head drooping forward.
They tried very hard to stay awake.
They failed.
Toki noticed first.
He smiled faintly.
"…Looks like we've reached the end for today," he said softly.
His voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Kandaki lifted his head.
"…Already?"
Toki nodded.
"We'll close the storybook for tonight," he said gently.
"You have your exam tomorrow. You need your strength."
Groans followed immediately.
"But it's getting good!"
"One more chapter!"
"Just one!"
Suzume and Hana stirred slightly.
Utsuki smiled apologetically.
Before anyone could argue further, Yuki cleared her throat.
Once.
Sharp.
Precise.
Instant silence.
Every child straightened.
.
She crossed her arms.
"Sleep," she ordered.
No debate.
Toki chuckled quietly.
Toki carefully adjusted Hana in his arms.
She murmured something unintelligible and pressed closer.
"…It's okay," he whispered. "We're going."
He carried her slowly through the dim hallway.
Every step was careful.
Every breath measured.
Her room was small.
Warm.
Softly lit by a crystal lamp shaped like a flower.
He laid her down gently.
Pulled the blanket over her shoulders.
Tucked it under her chin.
She sighed in her sleep.
Satisfied.
He brushed her hair from her face.
"…Sleep well," he murmured.
Then he leaned down.
And kissed her forehead.
A simple gesture.
Next was Kandaki's room.
The boy lay sprawled across his bed, arms tangled in blankets.
Toki closed the window quietly.
The night wind stopped whispering.
He placed a small folded note on the desk.
He stared at it for a moment.
Then turned away.
Tora's room was quiet.
Books lay open on her desk.
Notes scattered.
Toki smiled.
"Idiot," he whispered affectionately.
Everything was fine.
Nothing missing.
No danger.
Still…
His chest didn't ease.
Not yet.
He hesitated before the next door.
The triplets.
He knocked once.
No answer.
Slowly, he opened it.
They were asleep.
Twisted together in a chaotic pile of blankets and limbs.
Peaceful.
Innocent.
If Yuki sees me here at night…
He snorted quietly.
…She'll kill me.
He retreated immediately.
Mission accomplished.
Honor intact.
As he turned down the corridor, a door creaked open.
Lilith stepped out.
Barefoot.
Wrapped in a loose robe.
Her hair fell freely down her back.
She smiled faintly.
"Not checking on me, Faust?" she asked teasingly.
Toki flinched.
"…Maybe another time."
"I have a request," he said quietly.
She raised an eyebrow.
"I know I'm… supposed to be followed everywhere," he continued.
"But tomorrow… could you not?"
Her smile faded.
"That puts me in a difficult position with the Church," .
He nodded.
"I know."
They stood in silence.
Finally, she sighed.
"…I'll do what I can."
He bowed slightly.
"Thank you."
She touched his arm briefly.
Ozvold's room was dark.
Only moonlight lit the space.
He lay on his bed, turned toward the wall.
Motionless.
"Tired?" Toki asked quietly.
"…Trying," Ozvold replied.
"But it's hard when I keep wondering what's going on in your head."
Toki leaned against the doorframe.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"For every promise I didn't keep."
Ozvold turned slightly.
Not fully.
"I don't know what's wrong with you," he admitted.
"And I'm done asking."
Toki stiffened.
"But I know it hurts," Ozvold continued.
"So just remember one thing."
He finally looked at him.
"Don't forget who you are."
Silence.
Those words hit harder than any accusation.
"…I won't," Toki whispered.
Ozvold snorted.
"Good. Because I'd hate to punch some stranger wearing your face."
A weak smile formed.
Then faded.
Toki returned to his room.
He didn't light the lamp.
He walked straight to the window.
Opened it.
Cold air rushed in.
He leaned out.
The moon hung high above .
Perfect.
Distant.
Unreachable.
He stretched out his hand.
As if he could touch it.
As if he could steal some courage from it.
"…The happy moments are over," he whispered.
His breath fogged.
"I've done everything I can."
Faces flashed through his mind.
All of them.
"…Now all that's left," he murmured,
"is to find an ending to this story."
He closed his hand.
Around nothing.