Haru paused for a moment before answering.
—Anyone would say I do it out of compassion... or pity.
He shook his head slightly.
—But in my case... it's out of selfishness.
Arika tilted her head slightly.
Haru let out a soft sigh.
—I want to feel like I can still do something good with my life.
His gaze wandered to the floor for a moment.
—There was someone... I couldn't help.
His voice grew quieter.
—The person I loved most.
He closed his eyes for a second.
—Helping you... might not change the past... but at least it would lighten the burden I carry a little.
Arika looked at him for a long time. She seemed to be analyzing every word. Finally, she spoke.
—I don't quite understand everything you're saying.
Haru smiled wearily.
—You don't have to understand.
There was another moment of silence. Then the girl held the necklace in her hands.
—If helping me is what you want...
She looked up at him.
—Then I'll accept it.
She paused briefly.
—That will be my way of repaying you for saving me.
Haru felt something loosen inside his chest.
—You don't have to do it for that reason.
Arika shook her head slightly.
—It's the only thing I can offer right now.
The man looked at her silently.
That unknown girl... found in the middle of the snow... had just changed the course of his life.
—Thank you... —she finally said. — Then... we'll start from here.
She stood up.
—I'll wait outside. I'll take you to your new home, okay?
Arika nodded.
Haru smiled and left, closing the door behind her.
Arika, alone, looked at the necklace again. She held it in both hands... and slowly placed it around her neck.
In the hallway, Haru ran into Rane and Soleia.
—So, did she remember anything? —asked Rane.
Haru shook his head.
Rane squeezed his shoulder.
—Patience.
Soleia looked at him intrigued.
—By the way, Haru. What did you find?
—A necklace. With a name engraved on it... Arika.
Soleia's eyes sparkled slightly.
—Arika... maybe that's her name.
—Maybe —Haru replied—. And with it... maybe we can find her real family.
The door to the room opened with a slight creak.
Arika appeared in the doorway.
The dim light from inside fell behind her, softly tracing her silhouette in the hallway.
—I'm ready —she said in a low, calm voice.
Her hands rested together in front of her, and the small gold necklace glimmered faintly on her chest.
She looked up at Rane and Soleia.
She watched them for a moment, as if trying to memorize their faces.
Then she bowed her head slightly in a respectful gesture.
—Thank you... for taking care of me.
Rane gave her a warm, almost fatherly smile.
—You don't have to thank me, little one.
Arika lowered her gaze.
Her fingers touched the small plate on the necklace, gently tracing the letters engraved in the metal.
She breathed slowly.
—Call me... Arika.
The name hung in the air of the hallway, soft... but firm.
Rane and Soleia exchanged a brief look of surprise.
The name still seemed to echo in the air of the hallway.
—Well... Arika —Rane finally replied, with a somewhat awkward but sincere warmth—. Get well... and I hope we see each other again soon.
Soleia knelt gently in front of the girl and took her hands in hers.
—If you ever need help... or just advice... we'll be here for you.
Her eyes reflected a quiet tenderness.
—This place is your home too.
Arika nodded slowly.
The goodbyes were brief, but charged with silent emotions that none of them expressed aloud.
Haru gently took the girl's hand.
—Let's go.
They walked together toward the truck.
From the doorway of the house, Rane watched them leave as snow fell slowly around them. There was something in his gaze... a concern that was difficult to hide.
Soleia came up beside him.
—You don't have to worry —she said softly—. I haven't seen him so excited since...
She paused.
The words hung in the air.
Rane finished the sentence with an almost imperceptible sigh.
—Since Eleonora.
The name hung between them, heavy and silent, like a memory that still hurt.
Soleia looked outside. Through the window, she saw Haru slowly walking away, little Arika by his side, walking together through the snow toward the truck.
—Maybe... —she said softly— the girl will become his new reason to keep going.
Rane looked up at the gray sky, where the snow continued to fall with infinite calm.
—Maybe... —he murmured.
The dogs waited by the truck, leaving small paw prints in the freshly fallen snow.
When Haru and Arika approached, Rain was the first to react. His tail began to wag excitedly, drawing small arcs in the air. Iris jumped around them curiously, unable to contain her energy.
Kwan, on the other hand, approached with his usual calm, walking slowly and attentively.
Haru stopped beside them and placed a hand on Rain's back.
—Guys... this is the little girl we found in the forest.
He glanced briefly at Arika before continuing.
—The girl who was lying in the snow... but she's fine now.
Then he added:
—Her name is Arika.
The dogs approached immediately.
Kwan was the first to arrive, calmly sniffing the girl's hand.
Haru pointed at him with a small smile.
—Although everyone helped find you. In fact... it was Kwan who first sensed your presence.
Arika looked up at the big dog.
—He... found me?
Haru nodded.
—Yes. He detected your scent in the snow and began to guide me to where you were.
Kwan stood still in front of the girl, watching her with his usual serenity.
Arika looked at him for a few seconds and then reached out, gently stroking his head.
Then she did the same with Rain, who was wagging his tail energetically, and with Iris, who tilted her head curiously.
Her movements were gentle and careful.
But her face remained the same.
No smile.
No fear.
No emotion.
—Thank you... all three of you —he finally said.
The words came out calmly, almost mechanically, as if he knew he had to say them even though he didn't fully understand the feeling behind them.
Haru noticed that small detail.
For a moment, something inside him tensed.
But he decided to ignore it.
He opened the passenger door.
—Get in.
He helped her settle into the seat and then walked around the truck to take his place behind the wheel.
The engine started, breaking the silence of the place.
The ride back was quiet.
Only the sound of the wheels crushing the snow and the murmur of the wind accompanied the journey.
Arika stared out the window.
The trees in the forest passed slowly before her eyes, covered in white.
It was as if she were observing a new world. A world she didn't yet know if she belonged to.
When they finally arrived, snow covered the path and the front yard. The house emerged from among the trees like a memory frozen in time. It was a wooden house painted a soft green, although the color had faded in some places, revealing the aged texture of the planks. The sloping roof supported a thick layer of snow, and a faint warm light filtered through the windows, contrasting with the cold outside.
Haru got out first. Then he walked around the truck and helped Arika out.
He looked at the house for a moment before speaking.
—Welcome... to your home.
Arika looked up and gazed silently at the house.
The large windows.
The smoking fireplace.
The snow-covered porch.
That house seemed to hold many stories.
Laughter.
Silence.
Absences.
Haru walked to the door and opened it.
The interior immediately enveloped them with the warm scent of wood and burning fire, mixed with something else... something deeply human.
There was carefully preserved antique furniture, a hand-woven rug in front of the fireplace, and several framed photographs on a shelf.
And among them...
Eleonora.
Smiling eternally from the past.
Haru gently looked away, as if that memory still weighed too heavily on her.
—Come in, Arika.
The girl crossed the threshold.
And as she did, something invisible seemed to stir among the dormant echoes of that house. As if memories had awakened... or as if fate had just opened a new door.