Brunhilde trembled again, harder this time, and then she smiled genuinely. "My little sister and other siblings would have loved to meet you."

Anasha giggled, the sound lighter now. "My family would have loved to meet you, too."

Marie beamed at the exchange with her expression softening while Joseph chuckled quietly, clearly moved.

Celestia smiled softly as she slightly bounced on her feet.

Anna blinked in confusion, glancing at Klein, who tilted his head with equal puzzlement.

Both children clearly sensed something significant had happened, but didn't understand the context.

Reinhard's expression softened, and he leaned down, whispering to both of them. "It's just something Anasha and Brunhilde had to work through together. It's fine now."

Anna nodded slowly, accepting this explanation, then her smile returned, bright and cheerful. "Well, okay!" She looked around at everyone gathered in the entryway. "Now then, I suppose you're curious what's been going on since you left?"

Joseph chuckled warmly. "We are, but you can tell us later." His tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Right now, we came for something important. It has to do with you, Klein."

Klein blinked in surprise before he pointed at himself with one small finger. "With me? But my birthday isn't until June, though."

Celestia giggled softly, moving forward with graceful steps. She approached Klein and knelt down, bringing herself to his eye level. Her hand reached out, gently caressing his face, a gesture so tender that Klein's eyes widened with surprise.

"Hello, Klein." Celestia said, her voice carrying warmth that seemed to make the very air softer. "My name is Celestia. I'm a doctor at Memento Mori Academy, and I'm here to help fully treat your Dark Tide curse."

The words echoed through the room, leading Klein, Anna, and Anasha to freeze completely.

Their eyes widened simultaneously, expressions shifting from confusion to disbelief to something approaching hope, but they were afraid to fully embrace it.

…

All three of them together, subtle shaking that started small but grew more vivid with each passing second.

Anna's laugh, when it finally came, was a strange and ugly sound. It started low, bubbling in her throat, as if her body wasn't sure how to make it.

"That's..." She swallowed, her hands twisting in the threadbare fabric of her skirt. "That's a funny joke."

"It's a joke, right?" Anna looked around the room, eyes darting between Marie, Joseph, Brunhilde, and then Celestia, who hadn't stopped smiling since she entered.

But no one was laughing.

No one looked amused or smug at having successfully pulled off a prank. Instead, something was frightening in the gentleness of their faces. She saw the care and seriousness on Marie's face, on Joseph's, and on Brunhilde's expressions.

And finally, her gaze landed on Reinhard.

He nodded, his light blue eyes steady and certain.

"I did it," Reinhard says softly with his eyes shining. "I was able to get the Elixir of Life. Klein can finally be cured."

They were words Anna had dreamed about, words she whispered and dreamt about at night.

Anna felt a tremor work its way up from her toes, shaking loose every fear she'd ever tried to wedge down into the darkness behind her ribs. She tried to laugh again, but the sound caught in her chest and turned to a whimper.

She stumbled backwards, colliding with the wall close to her, and pressed herself against it like it might keep her from falling through the floor. Her mouth worked, trying to find words, but none would come.

All the sentences scattered, dissolving on her tongue before they could form.

Then the tears came.

Then the tears came, hot and relentless, blurring the world until even Anasha and Klein were just shapes in the fog.

Anna hated crying, it made her look weak, and worse, it made her feel small. But this time, she couldn't stop. She tried to speak with words tumbling out in a broken, incomprehensible rush between sobs. "He can Klein won't have to—no more screaming at night—the sheets won't be covered in—he can finally sleep—oh gods, he can finally just sleep—"

She pressed her hands to her face, ashamed, but the crying only got louder.

…

Reinhard's expression softened, but he didn't move to Anna as he knew she hated it when people saw her like that. So, his going to comfort her right now would make it worse.

Reinhard's eyes found Anasha next, still motionless as the news sank in. The moment comprehension dawned, her entire body seemed to vibrate with it.

Her blue eyes stretched wide, lips parting in silent astonishment before she erupted into joy. "Klein's going to be okay! Klein's going to be okay!" She repeated it like a mantra, like saying it enough times would make it more real.

Klein himself seemed the most stunned. He stood completely still, staring at Reinhard with an expression that couldn't decide between disbelief, hope, and fear of having that hope crushed.

Then reality sank in once he saw Reinhard's expression never change.

Klein rushed forward, throwing himself into Reinhard's arms with enough force to nearly knock him over.

Small arms wrapped around Reinhard's neck in a desperate grip, and then Klein cried, wrenching sobs that shook his entire frame.

"I won't hurt anymore?" The question came out muffled against Reinhard's shoulder, voice thick with tears and desperate hope. "I won't be screaming through the night? I can just... I can just sleep normally?"

Reinhard was silent for a long moment. His own eyes stung, but he blinked rapidly, refusing to let tears fall. His hand came up, gently caressing Klein's back in slow, soothing circles. "Yes." He finally whispered. "You'll be free and fine."

Klein sobbed harder, his small body shaking with the force of emotions too big for a ten-year-old to properly process.

Anna laughed in a broken, joyful sound mixed with continued crying, smiling, and tears ran freely down her face. Then she stumbled forward, joining the hug and wrapping her arms around both Reinhard and Klein.

Anasha continued cheering, but now she was crying too as tears of joy streamed down her face even as she bounced and celebrated. She rushed over, completing the circle, all four of them tangled together in the entryway.

Marie covered her mouth with both hands, her own eyes wet. Joseph turned away slightly, discreetly wiping at his face. Brunhilde smiled softly, tears tracking down her cheeks without shame. Celestia watched with her expression softening and a faint smile on her face.

Reinhard trembled as once more, the realization that Klein would be free swept through his entire body. The curse that had hung over them for so many years would be broken.

No more hearing his little brother screaming in the night and hating himself for being useless.

No cleaning up those blood-soaked sheets and chains while inwardly loathing himself.

No more desperately trying to find medicines that even help alleviate his little brother's pain a bit.

His little brother can now finally have a normal childhood and sleep softly in the night like everyone else.

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