One quiet night, after a particularly messy magic practice, Clawdine sat beside him. "You know… I'm not really… real," Clawdine said softly, voice almost wistful. Jaiden froze. "What...do you mean?" "I was made to protect you from loneliness," Clawdine continued. "But… maybe you don't need me that way anymore." Jaiden's chest tightened. Clawdine reached out, hand hovering over his shoulder. "You'll still make me laugh, though, won't you?" Jaiden smiled softly, the smallest tear slipping down his cheek. "Yes," he whispered. Clawdine's form began to fade slowly, the mist returning, "You'll be okay," he murmured. "And… Thank you, Jaiden. For letting me exist." And with that, he was gone. Jaiden sat alone in the quiet room, messy cards scattered around him. And for the first time, he felt both loss and a strange, gentle warmth. He wasn't completely alone anymore. He had survived chaos, had survived laughter, and had learned… maybe he could survive himself. The room was quiet. The night still glimmered softly outside the window. And for the first time, Jaiden allowed himself to imagine… a future, messy, chaotic, but entirely his own.
"Even when the chaos fades and the shadows leave, the laughter they brought lingers and sometimes, that's enough to find your way home."
E.V.K