(Noah's POV)
I woke slowly.
The kind of slow where the world doesn't rush back all at once—but floats gently in, like sunbeams behind drifting clouds.
The room was warm. The blankets smelled of lavender, mana herbs… and something sweeter.
Faint vanilla.
Crushed flowers.
Them.
A soft weight rested against my chest.
Another curled by my side.
A third—sprawled across my legs, clinging to my thigh like I was her personal pillow.
I blinked.
Scarlett's red hair brushed my neck, her cheek resting lightly over my heart. She breathed slow, her lips barely parted, one hand splayed across my ribs like she never wanted to let go.
Layla's face was pressed into the crook of my shoulder, soft black hair pooling against my skin. Her leg had slipped across my waist during the night, her arm casually hugging my side like it belonged there.
And Lyra…
Lyra was sprawled horizontally across the bottom half of the bed, head nestled on my thigh, one pale hand gripping the hem of my shirt.
Gods…
My voice caught in my throat.
They were all still here.
Still holding me.
Still breathing next to me.
The sun streamed in gently through the curtains, casting golden light across the room—and suddenly, the pain of the last five days felt like a distant dream.
I couldn't even move without touching one of them.
I didn't want to move.
Scarlett stirred first.
Her eyes fluttered open, ruby red in the sunlight.
She blinked sleepily, then looked up at me.
And smiled.
"You're awake…"
Her voice was soft, dreamy. She leaned up just enough to kiss the edge of my jaw.
"You slept like the dead."
Layla groaned. "We were up all night making sure you didn't die, thank you very much…"
She stretched—causing her shirt to ride up slightly—then grinned lazily at me.
"Not gonna lie though… you look hot like this. Barely conscious. Shirt half open. Surrounded by girls."
"…Remind me to never train again if this is the reward," I muttered.
"Not funny," Lyra said suddenly.
She didn't lift her head. Just opened her eyes, still half-lidded, her cheek pressed against my thigh.
"You're not allowed to scare us like that again."
Scarlett gently ran her fingers along my chest.
"I thought… when I saw you walk out of that chamber…"
She stopped. Her voice trembled.
I caught her hand and squeezed it.
"I'm sorry."
"No," she whispered. "Just promise us. No more doing it alone."
Layla moved closer, lips brushing my neck as she whispered teasingly,
"If you want to suffer in pain and sweat, at least let us join you next time."
Lyra blinked slowly. "You're not allowed to bleed without permission."
I snorted. "You girls are scary when you care."
Scarlett smiled softly. "We'll show you just how scary if you try that again."
Layla's fingers trailed down my arm.
"Let's check your body," she said, almost too innocently.
"I'm fine now—"
Three sets of narrowed eyes.
I shut up instantly.
Scarlett gently lifted the blanket.
Her fingers pressed along my abdomen, checking for any swelling or internal injury. "Still a little stiff… but the heat therapy helped."
Layla's fingers trailed down to my waist. "Scars are fading… mostly healed."
Lyra ran her palm over my chest, her mana brushing over me like cold mist. "No trace of mana imbalance."
And then—
Layla leaned down suddenly.
Kissed my ribs. Right where one of the deepest bruises had been.
"There," she said. "Much better."
Scarlett blinked. "Layla—!"
"What? It's healing therapy," she winked.
Lyra sighed, but then she too leaned in—pressed her forehead gently to my chest.
"You're… warm again."
My heart ached.
I didn't deserve this.
But gods, did I want it.
"I really missed you all," I whispered.
Scarlett leaned up, her face close to mine. "Then don't leave us behind again."
"I won't."
They smiled.
And for a moment… the world felt perfect.
The Girls Get Up
Eventually—reluctantly—they began to move.
Scarlett sat up, stretching with a quiet yawn. Her shirt slipped slightly off her shoulder, exposing soft skin and the edge of a mana crystal necklace.
"We should go clean up," she said.
Layla groaned. "Can't we stay a little longer? He's warm."
"I'm not a blanket."
"Yes, you are," she replied, nuzzling into my side.
Lyra stood and stretched, brushing her hair back with that effortless grace she always had.
She looked down at me.
And her lips curved.
"You look better now."
Scarlett walked over and fixed the pillow behind my head.
"Rest today. No magic. No training. No leaving the bed."
Layla leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"If you even think about stepping outside this room—"
"We'll tie you to the bed," Lyra said, completely straight-faced.
"…Should I be scared or excited?"
All three of them glared.
Scarlett giggled.
Layla smirked. "You'll find out if you try."
At the Door
They paused before leaving.
Scarlett turned back one last time.
"I love you, Noah."
Layla winked. "Sleep tight, our little hero."
Lyra lingered the longest.
She walked back to the bed, leaned down—
—and whispered, her breath ghosting against my ear:
"Don't break again. Because if you do… we'll put you back together, piece by piece. With love. And with punishment."
She kissed my cheek and left without another word.
I lay there in silence, heart thudding in my chest.
Covered in warmth. Wrapped in memory.
The bed smelled like them now.
And for the first time since I walked into that chamber… I felt whole.
To be continued…