The sky was still a deep, waiting blue when they reached the beach, the kind of color that felt suspended between night and morning, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Wanda stopped at the edge of the sand.
She hesitated there, shoes dangling loosely from her fingers, toes brushing against the cool grains. The hem of her simple dress fluttered softly in the cold coastal breeze. The air smelled of salt and distance—clean, sharp, and endless in a way she had never known before.
Back home, mornings were different.
They began with roosters crowing through fog-covered fields, with mist clinging to crops and rooftops.
Or they began with gunfire.
This place—this vast meeting of water and sky—felt unreal. Too wide. Too calm. Like something painted on a canvas rather than something meant to be lived in.
"Is it always this quiet?" she asked softly, almost afraid to break the silence.
Elric smiled faintly, his gaze resting on the horizon.
"Only if you come early enough."
She nodded, absorbing his words, but her eyes never left the ocean.
"It's really incredible," she said after a moment. "Being able to go anywhere you want… anytime you want."
Elric replied casually, as if stating an obvious fact.
"If you train chakra diligently, you'll be able to do it too."
They walked together along the shoreline, leaving two uneven trails in the sand. With every step closer to the ocean, Wanda felt her chest loosen just a little more. The waves whispered as they curled and collapsed, their rhythm slow and patient—so different from the rivers she knew, which always rushed forward as if fleeing something unseen.
They stopped side by side.
The sky began to change.
The deep blue softened, thinning into pale shades, and somewhere far away, a thin line of gold appeared at the very edge of the world. Wanda had seen sunrises before—over hills, over rice fields soaked with dew—but this was different.
Here, the sun didn't rise quietly.
It announced itself.
Color spilled across the ocean—soft pinks first, then warmer oranges, then a burning gold that stretched across the waves like a promise. The water caught the light and shattered it into countless trembling fragments, each one dancing before her eyes.
Wanda inhaled sharply.
"It's… so big," she whispered. "Back home, the sun feels close. Like you could almost reach it if you climbed high enough."
Elric turned toward her.
The rising light brushed against her face, warming her skin, catching in her hair as the breeze lifted it gently. For a brief moment, the ocean and the sky seemed to fade away, leaving only her expression—open, awed.
Without warning, Wanda sat down in the wet sand and tugged Elric down beside her.
"I never thought my life would change this suddenly," she said quietly. "One moment, I thought it would just end in gunfire and war. And the next…"
Her voice trailed off as she stared at the horizon.
"…I was living in a completely different world."
She lowered her gaze, fingers curling slightly in the sand.
"Elric," she continued softly, "you probably don't realize what you've done for us."
For a moment, she said nothing more. Then, almost under her breath—
"I'll do my best to help you in the future."
Not because he saved their lives.
Not because he took them in when they had nowhere to go.
Not because he gave them power without asking for anything in return.
But because she genuinely believed that a future where he existed might not be such a terrible one.
"Thank you," she said, smiling faintly as the waves kissed the shore again and again.
"For bringing me here."
When they returned at night, the house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Except for Pietro.
He was still sitting in the exact same spot as before, unmoving, as if he hadn't shifted even once since they left. His posture was stiff, his face twisted with an emotion that hovered between frustration, anxiety, and disbelief.
The moment he saw them, he sprang to his feet.
"Boss!" he shouted. "What's going on?! I can't sense anything at all!"
He waved his arms wildly.
"Did I really receive chakra, or were you just comforting me?!"
Elric's expression hardened instantly.
"You impatient bastard," he snapped. "Didn't I tell you it would take time?"
He crossed his arms.
"Don't even think about feeling anything before a month passes."
"But—"
"And Wanda—" Elric cut him off sharply. "You talentless bastard, don't compare yourself to her."
Pietro froze mid-protest.
"Her talent is far beyond yours," Elric continued coldly. "At least four times better. Comparing yourself to her is laughable."
Pietro exploded.
"The hell?! That's unfair!" he shouted. "We were born at the same time! Why is her talent so much better than mine?!"
Wanda stepped forward, chin raised proudly.
"Don't forget," she said smugly, "I'm your elder sister. Obviously my talent is better."
Pietro glared at her.
"Three minutes older!"
Wanda smiled sweetly.
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "Talent already proved that you'll always be inferior to me."
Pietro clenched his fists, face turning red.
"You witch!" he yelled. "You must've sucked all my talent away when we were born! Otherwise, how could I end up this inferior?!"
Their voices echoed through the room, sharp and familiar.
Elric rubbed his temples, letting out a tired sigh.
"…Idiots," he muttered.
Yet, despite the noise, despite the bickering—
For the first time in a very long while, the sound felt like home.
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