Lara Point of View

  "You're kidding, right?" My voice was sharp, barely concealing the storm that raged inside. Thailon sat across from me, his face a calm mask, but the ridiculousness of the situation was too much to handle. My eyes narrowed at the glittering chaos on the table before us—trinkets. Dozens of them, each shining in their own absurd way. Trinkets of all shapes and sizes, like tiny stars someone had plucked from the sky and dropped here, hoping they would make sense. They didn't.

  Thailon remained unfazed, nodding as if it were the most normal thing in the world. His expression unreadable, his platinum blue hair catching the light just so. "You stink," he had once told me, and now this.

  "Are you seriously still obsessed with these things?" My voice trembled with disbelief and frustration. I leaned in, eyes blazing. "You can't be serious, Thailon. Trinkets? Again?"

  He didn't flinch, didn't even blink, as I motioned to the pile in front of us—dozens, hundreds of enchanted knick-knacks.

  One, in particular, caught my eye. A small, round thing with a golden center, gleaming like a beacon of absurdity amidst the chaos. I picked it up, holding it between my fingers like it was a cursed object.

  "What's this one for?" I asked, my tone sharp.

  "To wear," Thailon said, his voice calm and solemn, as if that explanation made everything clear.

  I stared at him, dumbfounded. "To wear?" My incredulity rose like a tide. "Are you joking?"

  His gaze remained steady, his expression serious, and it only made my frustration surge hotter. This child... this spoiled child. My chest tightened, and suddenly the room felt too small. Too thick with the weight of things unsaid.

  I couldn't help it—my emotions burst forth like a tempest. "A trinket of life? Is that what you're calling this?" I scoffed, sweeping up the trinkets in my hands. "This is absurd! I'm going to erase this nonsense right now!"

  Without a second thought, I began casting the spell to erase their enchantments, the magic swirling around my fingers, feeding off my frustration.

  Thailon's reaction was immediate. "Why did you erase it?" His voice cracked, shock lacing his words, as if I had shattered something precious to him.

  "Don't overreact!" I snapped, frustration spilling into my tone like fire. "I'll give you something far better than these trinkets!" The irritation in my voice was impossible to hide. "Did you expect me to wear all of these? Do I look like I'm on the verge of dying again?" My words dripped with sarcasm, but beneath them was a truth I hadn't spoken out loud in years.

  Thailon's face tightened, and the weight of unspoken memories hung heavy between us. I softened, stepping closer to him. "I'm not cursed anymore, Thailon." My voice dropped, becoming almost tender. "If I wore all of these, I'd probably die again. Can you understand how absurd that is?"

  He said nothing, but I could feel the turmoil in him. It was as if the very air around us had thickened, filled with the weight of regret and unspoken fears.

  With a sigh, I stepped forward and pulled him into my arms, wrapping him in the warmth of our bond. It was a simple gesture, but in that moment, it carried the weight of everything we had been through. Everything we had lost. I felt him stiffen, then slowly relax into the embrace.

  "I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I didn't tell you about the curse before I died. I know it burdened you... watching me die without knowing the truth. You thought it was your role to save me, but I never gave you the chance."

  He remained silent, the tension between us thick with shared pain. His small body trembled slightly in my embrace, and for a moment, we were just two souls, trying to navigate the endless sea of regret and lost time.

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  "But it was never your fault," I continued, pulling back just enough to look him in the eye. His usually stoic expression faltered, the pain in his gaze cutting through me like a blade. "You did everything you could, Thailon. You've always protected us."

  He opened his mouth to protest, but I placed a gentle finger against his lips. "No," I whispered, shaking my head. "Don't carry that burden any longer. You were never meant to." My heart ached for him, this child who had carried too much for too long.

  Thailon's voice trembled when he finally spoke. "But what if I fail again?"

  I cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to meet my gaze, my voice fierce with conviction. "Then you will rise again," I said, my words filled with a determination that burned in my chest. "And I will be there to remind you that not everything is within our control. Life is a tempest, Thailon, and we must learn to weather it together."

  For the first time in what felt like ages, I saw a flicker of understanding cross his face. His lips twitched, a sad smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. The weight between us seemed to lift just a little.

  I exhaled softly, my heart feeling lighter. "Promise me, no more trinkets." I tried to sound Sstern, though a smile tugged at my lips. "Or at least, not hundreds of them."

  Thailon chuckled, though his laughter was laced with melancholy. "I'll try... but no promises."

  I sighed dramatically, leaning back and shaking my head. "What am I going to do with you, child?"

  His gaze softened, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "You could always give me better ones."

  I couldn't help but smile, despite the heaviness in my heart. "Always the ambitious one," I murmured, ruffling his hair affectionately. In that moment, it was just us—two souls intertwined by the past, trying to find solace in the present.

  A Few Minutes Later

  "Clean this and this—oh my god, Thailon! What on earth are you doing?" I exclaimed, my voice echoing off the grimy walls of his hidden bedroom. Using my synthesis earlier, I had detected this disaster zone, and it looked like a rat's nest had taken up permanent residence. "This child takes care of his looks but not his surroundings," I muttered under my breath.

  "Also there!" I pointed dramatically at a corner overflowing with clothes that looked like they had been in a wrestling match and lost.

  Just as I was about to dive into the chaos, someone appeared in the room. "Uhm, excuse me, what is going on here?" It was Julen, the elf I had met earlier.

  "Oh, the colleague of Thailon! I'm sorry for the noise. It's just that this child doesn't know how to clean his own room," I replied, gesturing towards the mountains of clutter. I caught a glimpse of Thailon's expression—shock mingled with embarrassment, which was surprisingly adorable considering the circumstances.

  But how dare he act cute with this mess? Isn't he basically a grown up?

  "Lara, I can't do this anymore! This is my room! Why bother cleaning it? You won't even rest here!" he protested, crossing his arms defiantly, but I could see a flicker of humor in his eyes.

  "This is the reason why I didn't want you in my tent before ,clean it!" I shot back, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why do you have so many clothes? Gather them up!"

  I bent down, picked up a shirt, and smelled it—instantly regretting my life choices. "This is laundry that's been sitting for at least three weeks! You could start a whole new civilization with the smell coming from this pile!"

  Thailon grimaced, his cheeks turning a shade of crimson. "I... I didn't think it was that bad!" he protested, but I could see the defeat in his eyes.

  "Clean this like you clean your face!" I ordered, pointing at him dramatically. "You know, with actual soap!"

  Julen, still standing there with wide eyes, finally found his voice. "Oh, I really apologize for seeing this. It must be hard for you to work with him. He must be a child with no sense of cleanliness, but you know, he's still a nice child. I hope you understand him, sometimes he might be self delud and sometimes he might be annoying I hope you bear with him" I said to him. "Thailon"

  "Y-yes!" Thailon chimed in, looking utterly helpless.

  "Put it in a laundry basket, not on your bed!" I demanded, tossing some of his clothes at him like confetti.

  "Okay, okay! I'll clean it!" Thailon exclaimed, throwing his hands up in surrender, but not before dramatically catching a rogue sock that had somehow landed on his head. "This is the last time I let you in my room!"

  "Sure, sure. Next time, I expect a five-star room," I teased, shooting him a smirk as I plucked more clothes from the floor, pretending to have an imaginary fashion show.

  "Look at this! Fashion from three weeks ago, in its natural habitat!" I twirled, holding up a particularly questionable shirt, and Julen burst out laughing, finally cracking under the ridiculousness of the situation.

  "Just remember, if I have to come back here again, I'm charging you for cleaning services!" I winked at Thailon, who was now struggling to maintain a straight face while also trying to pick up his clothes.

  "Can I at least charge you for emotional damage?" he replied, rolling his eyes but unable to suppress a grin.