As Nova and Mira walked through the village, the cries and chaos began to fade. The further they went, the quieter everything became, until the roar of the nearby river was louder than the sounds of mourning behind them.
"Home…" Nova murmured as they reached their house.
They stepped inside. The door creaked faintly — the same sound it always made — and for a fleeting moment, it almost felt like nothing had changed. The dining table still stood in the middle, the kitchen untouched, their rooms quiet and still. The floorboard beneath the table lay slightly displaced, revealing the small space where Nova had found the hidden sachet earlier.
Mira's small voice broke the silence. "It's… still the same."
Nova nodded faintly. "Yeah. Everything is."
He took a slow breath and looked at her. "Mira, you should go rest. I'll take care of dinner somehow. The sun's almost set anyway."
"Alright." She nodded weakly. "But… I think I should take a bath first."
"Yeah, you're right." Nova managed a small smirk. "You're all snotty."
"No, I'm not!" she pouted. "I mean—okay… maybe a little."
"Haha. Then go," he said, smiling faintly. As she turned to leave, Nova called again, "Hey, Mira."
She looked back. "Hm?"
"I know you still want to cry. You probably will in the bathroom too. And that's okay. You can cry all you want today." He paused, his voice softening. "But eventually, we need to move on. We need to keep smiling. Father and Mother… they wouldn't want us to spend our lives crying. I'll take care of everything. I swear, as long as I'm alive, you won't have to suffer again."
Mira's eyes trembled. "O-okay…" she whispered. She turned to leave, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped, spun around, and ran back to him — wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
"Thank you… sob… Big brother." she cried, her voice muffled against his chest.
Nova's eyes widened in surprise, then softened. He gently placed a hand on her head. "Hey… it's okay. I'm your big brother, after all."
"Mm…" she mumbled, nodding against him. After a moment, she finally pulled away and went to take her bath.
Nova stood there for a while, staring at the quiet table. His father's laughter, his mother's gentle voice — echoes of dinners that would never happen again — replayed in his head. The silence felt too heavy. He turned and walked toward the lawn where he used to train.
The sky was burning orange, the sun sinking slowly behind the trees. Nova stood in the center of the yard, his fists clenched.
"They're gone…" he muttered. "Riku… sacrificed himself. Dad died protecting others…" His voice broke. "Why? Why the hell would you die for others?!"
His scream tore through the air, raw and angry.
"Ah!" Mira almost slipped, startled by his sudden shout. "Big brother?" She quickly got out.
"You could've lived…" Nova kept talking to himself, voice trembling. "These villagers… to save these weak people, you both died. Why, Riku? Why, Dad? They chose to stay weak. It's their fault! Then why did you—WHY?!"
"Please…"
The small, trembling voice stopped him cold. Nova turned and saw Mira standing at the edge of the lawn, wearing her nightclothes, her eyes wide with fear.
"Please stop, big brother…" she said softly. "You're scaring me…"
Nova froze. His breath hitched. The anger in his chest vanished, replaced by shame. What was he doing? He was shouting at the sky, blaming people he didn't knew for his loss — while the only person he had left stood there, terrified.
"I'm… I'm sorry, Mira," he whispered, walking over to her. "I lost myself. Forgive me."
She nodded. "It's okay now…"
"I'll take a bath," he said, trying to steady his voice. She nodded again, stepping aside quietly.
When Nova came out of bath, he felt a slight relief from the exhaustion. "Ha... that felt better." He wore light clothes and stretched, his body still tense from everything that had happened.
But as he stepped out, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Hello, Nova," said a familiar voice.
It was Maela. She sat at the table with Mira, who was smiling faintly.
"Big brother! Grandma Maela brought us food!"
Nova blinked, surprised. "Why? I didn't ask you to."
"Shut up and be grateful for once," Maela scolded lightly. "The villagers have made a group to cook food and share it with those who can't manage on their own."
"I see…" Nova scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah." She sighed. "You still planning to leave?"
"Nothing's changing my mind. We will leave."
"Sigh…" Maela shook her head. "At least stay at my house till you do. There are others there who lost their families. It's safer."
"No need. We're fine."
"Big brother…" Mira tugged at his sleeve, looking at him pleadingly.
Nova met her eyes — soft, tired eyes that had already seen too much for a six-year-old. He exhaled. "Alright. We'll come."
Maela smiled faintly. "Good. That's a good boy. Now eat, then we'll go."
They ate together quietly. For a short while, it almost felt normal again — the clinking of bowls, Mira's small giggles, Maela's tired but kind smile. The illusion of peace was fragile, but it was something.
After dinner, Nova went to his parents' room. He pulled out the sachet containing gold coins and the ring, then found the old pouch on the shelf — four silvers and about two hundred bronze, six silver value in total. He combined all the coins, then carefully hid the pouch under the loose floorboard again.
Maela noticed the floorboard but said nothing. Hiding valuables wasn't uncommon.
When everything was ready, they left together.
---
Maela's home was larger than most, though not by much. The air inside was warm, lit by dim lanterns. Nova noticed immediately — it wasn't just her and the villagers working there. In one corner, a group of children sat quietly with their mothers, their faces pale and hollow. Some of the kids were alone — no mother, no father — just sitting close together, clinging to each other for comfort.
Mira's gaze softened. She looked around at the room — the trembling hands, the faint sobs — and then at Nova. He met her eyes and nodded slightly.
They didn't need to say it out loud — they weren't the only ones left behind.
Maela guided them to an empty corner. "You two can sleep here. There's not much space, but it's warm enough."
"It's fine," Nova said quietly. "Thank you."
Mira lay down first, curling into the thin blanket. Nova sat beside her, his back against the wall, staring at the flickering lantern light dancing across the floorboards. The air smelled faintly of smoke and herbs — a mix of life and loss.
Mira's breathing slowed, her small hand reaching for his. Nova looked down at it for a while before holding it gently.
Outside, the wind howled softly through the cracks in the walls, carrying the faint echoes of a village that would never sound the same again.
Nova glanced once more at Mira, then at the ceiling. His eyes grew heavy.
After a day of suffering and exhaustion, he finally let himself rest.
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