The sun rose and fell countless times over the mountains.
Seasons changed.
Snow melted.
The forest greened.
And life inside the cave became… normal.
A strange, messy, chaotic version of normal —
but still normal.
Months Turn into a Year
Haruto grew taller first.
Lira's hair grew longer.
Ren finally learned to wake up before noon — barely.
The hideout became a real home.
Sataro built wooden doors, weapon racks, and a training field outside the cave.
Nova added shelves, fabrics, and a cooking area.
Lira decorated the walls with flowers.
Ren added traps (some useful, some stupid).
Haruto had started calling them:
"The Eclipsed Order."
And the name stuck.
The Group Bonding
Every morning, they trained together.
Haruto practiced swordsmanship with Sataro.
Lira learned knives and stealth from Nova.
Ren sparred with Haruto, usually losing.
At night, they all sat around the fire telling stories.
Nova and Lira often teamed up to tease Ren.
Ren and Haruto argued about dumb things.
Lira laughed at all of them.
And Sataro?
He watched over them all like a silent, steady guardian.
Nova & Sataro — The Adults of the Order
Sataro and Nova naturally drifted into being the "parents" of the group.
Nova teased him constantly:
"Careful, Sataro, you're frowning again. Wrinkles are coming."
Or:
"If you keep training like that, I'll mistake you for a statue."
Or her favorite:
"Don't worry — if the kids ever get lost, I can always hold your hand."
Every time she said something flirty, she did it with a smug smirk…
…and Sataro always ignored it.
Or so she thought.
One Warm Afternoon
Sataro was chopping wood outside while Nova repaired his cloak beside him.
The kids were training in the distance.
Nova stretched lazily, leaning back on her hands.
"You know," she said casually,
"You make a pretty good leader. Strong. Smart. Focused."
Sataro raised an eyebrow.
"You're complimenting me? What's the catch?"
"No catch," Nova said, smiling slyly.
"Just stating facts. You're dependable. You're… comforting to be around."
Sataro paused mid-chop.
He actually turned to look at her.
Nova blinked.
"What?"
Then Sataro said calmly:
"You think I'm comforting? Funny.
Because whenever you're around…
nothing feels calm."
Nova froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She opened her mouth—
but no sound came out.
Her entire face went red.
Not pink.
Bright red.
She looked away so fast she nearly fell over.
Sataro smirked slightly — barely noticeable.
Haruto noticed from the field and whispered to Lira:
"Hey… why is Nova red…?"
Lira grinned.
"Sataro must've said something back."
Ren snorted.
"Bro unlocked the final boss."
Nova covered her face with her hands.
"I…I wasn't ready for that," she muttered.
Sataro leaned slightly closer.
"What was that? I didn't hear you."
Nova turned EVEN redder.
"S-SHUT UP! I— I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU!"
She stood up to storm away—
Tripped over a log—
Caught herself on a tree—
And kept walking with her face buried in her cloak.
Sataro watched her go.
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Haruto Notices Everything
That night, while the group ate around the fire, Haruto whispered to Sataro:
"You like her."
Sataro nearly choked on his food.
"I— No."
"She likes you," Haruto whispered.
Sataro glared.
"Haruto."
Haruto grinned.
"It's okay, bro. Everyone knows."
Nova's face turned red AGAIN from across the fire.
"I DO NOT—!" she yelled.
Lira laughed.
Ren nodded like a wise old monk.
It was chaotic.
It was loud.
It was messy.
And for the first time in years…
Sataro felt something strange.
Something warm.
Something like family.
Time Passes Peacefully… for Now
As more months passed:
Haruto's strength grew.
Lira and Ren became inseparable friends.
Nova and Sataro slipped into a quiet, awkward, intimate rhythm.
Everyone grew older — physically and emotionally.
But deep inside Haruto's cursed hand…
The pentagon mark pulsed faintly in the dark.
Whispering.
Calling.
Waiting.
Something was coming.
Something bigger than any of them.
But for now…
They had each other.
And they were happy.
Even if none of them wanted to say it aloud.