The toy stared back, silent yet oddly comforting.

Meanwhile, Auren, Dax, Nyra, and Vivi finally stumbled into Eito Town.

The cold hit them instantly—sharp, bone-cutting, merciless. Their bodies shivered so hard their teeth clattered like a chorus of drums.

"Wh-what should we d-d-d-do…?" Dax stammered, lips frozen stiff.

Nyra hugged herself, voice shaky. "S-stop whining, genius… think!"

Dax's face lit up with a ridiculous idea. "I got it! Grab each other—tightly!"

So, in the height of their stupidity, they formed a perfect circle—shoulder-to-shoulder, arms wrapped around one another like penguins trying to survive an ice age.

Auren squinted. "Okay… but how the hell are we supposed to walk like this?"

Dax, brimming with confidence: "Simple. Vivi and I walk sideways. Auren, you walk backwards. And Nyra… just go straight."

Vivi blinked. "That sounds… horrible."

Auren raised a fist like a commander. "No, it's called teamwork! On my command—ready? ONE, TWO! ONE, TWO!"

They actually managed a few awkward steps… until the ground dipped with a tiny ridge.

Auren's foot tilted. The entire formation lost balance.

And then—BANG!—they rolled like a giant human wheel, spinning across the snow.

"AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!" all four screamed in unison, tumbling like idiots.

As the four spun like a human wheel, fate wasn't done with them yet.

Another ridge appeared.

CRASH! Their circle-vehicle slammed straight into the side of a small wooden house, shaking it to its core.

Inside, Nova—who had been lazily talking to his painted raccoon—jumped in shock. The poor raccoon sketch went flying across the room as Nova yelled, "WHAT NOW?!"

He hurried to the door and swung it open.

Meanwhile, outside, the four heroes lay sprawled on the snow, groaning."Ouuuchhh""Ahhh, my back…"Argh, my head!"

Auren sat up, rubbing the bump on his forehead. Dax jabbed a finger at him. "Buddy, this is all YOUR doing!"

Auren shot back immediately, pointing right back. "No way! You're the idiot who suggested that dumb circle plan!"

They glared at each other, noses almost touching. "HUUHHHHHH!"

Then Nyra coughed dramatically. "Ahem, morons, look…"

For the first time, all four noticed the inside of Nova's house through the open door.

It wasn't a normal home. It looked like a festival of dreams—paintings moving across walls, raccoons and foxes painted in ink but walking around like they were alive, glowing instruments playing themselves, chairs dancing in rhythm, flying miniature vehicles buzzing in the air like fireflies.

And in the middle of it all, a girl painted on a canvas stepped down, her colors shifting as if she were real, swaying to the music.

The group stood frozen.

Auren leaned forward, eyes wide. Dax placed his chin on Auren's shoulder, Nyra placed hers on Dax's, and finally Vivi—too short to fit—jumped and landed on Nyra's back, balancing her chin on top.

Now they were a ridiculous four-level human tower, all with the same wide-eyed glowing face.

"...What kind of party is THIS?" Auren whispered.

Nova peeked from the side of the doorway. Four strangers—kids his age—stood gawking at his house like they had entered another world.

He froze, scratching the back of his head, unsure whether to hide or speak.

But the four were too busy drinking in the sight.

Dax's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Ohhhh Nyra, this… this is BEAUTIFUL!"

Nyra's eyes sparkled. "Yes… Whoever has this kind of magic must be a genius."

Vivi nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! It's so beautiful…"

Those words landed like thunder in Nova's chest.

They… like my magic?

They praised me?

My art… is worth seeing?

For a moment, he stood frozen, his whole body trembling. His lips quivered as though unused to forming a smile. His eyes burned, wetness gathering at the corners.

The black thoughts that had haunted him for years—the loneliness, the self-loathing—suddenly cracked apart.

And from beneath them, something new ignited.

Delight.

Slowly, his lips stretched into a fragile smile, trembling as though it might break at any second. A tear rolled down his cheek, glowing in the candlelight.

For the first time, Nova's art wasn't just his madness. It was… beautiful.

Vivi, still perched on top of Nyra, turned her head to the right. Her eyes widened.

There stood a boy, half-buried in an expression of uncontrollable happiness—yet tears of relief streamed down his cheeks.

"Nyra, look," Vivi whispered, tapping her friend's head.

Nyra tilted her chin toward Dax. Dax nudged Aurén. One by one, their eyes followed—until all four were staring at Nova Makai.

Awkwardly, they slid back into their normal positions, no more stacking heads.

Dax raised a hand in a casual wave. "Hello, buddy! Why are you crying?" His head tilted curiously.

Nova didn't reply.

Dax leaned forward. "Oi, say something!"

Aurén, however, studied him differently—sharp, observant. His voice came low, steady."You're hurt… you're in pain. But you're happy too. This—" he gestured at the living art swirling around them, "—this is yours, isn't it? You felt pleasure seeing us admire it…Butt people out there, they've only discouraged you."

Aurén's tone softened. "Can you share it with us?"

Nova's breath caught. His hands trembled as he quickly wiped the wetness from his eyes. No… I can't talk to them. They'll judge me. They'll call me a weirdo.

His fleeting joy pressed back under years of habit. With one last wipe at his tear-streaked cheeks, Nova shoved his hands deep inside his jacket, turned on his heel, and started walking back toward his house.

Nova went inside his house, slammed the door, and collapsed on the couch. His eyes shut tight, as if sleep could hide his tears.

Vivi turned to the others, worried. Vivi – "What should we do?"

Auren's gaze sharpened, watching the quiet house. Auren – "I can't just walk away. It's the first time I've seen him… he lives all alone, carrying pain every day. I can see it just by looking."

Dax and Nyra nodded together. Dax – "Yeah… you're right."Nyra – "He doesn't deserve to be left like that."

Auren's lips curved into a small smile. He kept his eyes on Nova's window. Auren – "What if he joined Phantom Tideborn? Look at his art… if he became our friend, maybe he could finally be happy."

Vivi's eyes lit up. She clapped her hands, giggling with sparkles in her voice. Vivi – "That would be perfect, Auren!"

She twirled around them, chanting playfully, Vivi – "Ova naro, naro, naro!"

Dax tilted his head, confused. Dax – "Huh? What's she doing now?"

Vivi bonked her own forehead and laughed. Auren chuckled – "She's just… being herself."

Nyra broke into laughter, too. Nyra – "Hahaha, she's fun."

**********

''When life gets cursed, and all hopes get burned, living with an inner demon hell gets fun. But when the sunlight shines, it breaks all the dark, and happiness returns.''

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