**Chapter 42 – The Everyday Life That Turned Into a Living Circus**
After Elara's dramatic arrival, the orphanage transformed into a permanent circus, even without leaving its place. The building's walls came to life on their own—red and golden stripes that danced like Joker's shadows, and the roof laughed with the wind as if Harley had enchanted it. The daily routine became a perfect blend of the old fluff from Volume 3 with the growing madness of Volume 4, now amplified by Elara's temporal magic. Group hugs remained mandatory at dawn and dusk, but now they lasted longer, with Elara at the center, as if she needed to recover years of lost affection.
Breakfast turned into a spectacle: Graciela cooked mountains of pancakes, cursing in dwarvish dialect when the fruits "escaped" thanks to Harley's illusions. Elara used her magic to speed up the time in the pots, making everything ready in seconds, and murmured: "In my time… there was no hot food like this." Lysithea served every plate with a kiss on the forehead, voice soft: "Good morning, my eternal miracles." Joker and Harley stole pieces from each other, just to exchange complicit laughs and messy hugs.
Morning lessons with Mirella leveled up: archery now with "living" targets—Joker's shadows that dodged, or Sylvara's carnivorous flowers that "attacked" back. Elara taught basic temporal defense, freezing arrows in mid-air for 3 seconds, making the children scream with excitement: "Again, big sis Elara!" The girls practiced their awakened powers: Rina summoned pink fire tails to "hunt" balls, Kuroe drew runes that made objects float like confetti, Lirien sang prophecies that inspired everyone. Astrid broke logs with her claws, Marina created steam fountains for improvised "group baths."
Lunch was a picnic in the garden: Astrid carried the entire table on her back as "official transport," Marina released steam in the shapes of animals that "ran" across the grass. Elara told short stories from her temporal battles, voice still shaky: "I fought thinking of all of you… that kept me alive." Everyone stopped to hug her, Lysithea whispering: "You're home now, my girl." Joker added jokes: "Next time, we freeze the enemy and blow them up with a pink hammer!"
Afternoons of play were pure chaos: "Temporal Treasure Hunt"—Elara froze moments to hide objects in the "recent past," Joker summoned clown shadows to confuse, Harley created illusions of an entire circus. Mandatory hugs every hour, especially for Elara, who still woke up crying from nightmares of the future that never was. The nuns joined in: Mirella shot "magical" pink arrows, Graciela forged "explosive toys" (harmless, but fun).
Nights: storytime with Lysithea now became collective therapy. Elara added "tales from lost time," making everyone cry and laugh. The dormitory turned into a giant tangle of thirteen bodies, Elara in the center, whispering: "This… this is what I dreamed of for years." Lysithea kissed each forehead, voice choked: "Good night, my eternal family."