— Age Six —
Spring came to Halewood in full bloom.
The cherry trees scattered pale pink petals over the winding paths of the hilltop park, and bees buzzed lazily through the sun-warmed air.
It was the perfect day for a class picnic.
The students of Class 1-A gathered at the grassy hill with backpacks full of lunchboxes and excitement.
Lysia held Caelum's hand the entire way.
Arrival at the Park
"Caelum, over here!"
One of the girls from class — Aria, the energetic one — waved him over to where a few others were laying out a picnic cloth.
He blinked. "Why?"
"We're playing name tag!" she grinned. "It'll be fun!"
More girls joined in, their voices bubbling with laughter.
"Caelum's good at running!""Come on, he should be team leader!""Caelum, sit by us later!"
Lysia's grip on his hand didn't loosen.
The Glare
She stepped forward calmly and spoke in the sweetest voice imaginable.
"He's sitting with me."
Aria tilted her head. "We're all friends, right?"
Lysia smiled.
"Yes. And I'm his closest friend."
Caelum looked sideways at her.
Her expression was polite.
But her fingers curled slightly tighter around his.
It wasn't a request.It was a quiet declaration.
Lunch Beneath the Cherry Tree
They found a quiet patch of grass beneath a blooming tree.
Caelum spread the cloth.
Lysia unpacked the lunchbox she and his mother had made together: egg rolls, flower-shaped sandwiches, and tiny strawberries.
He opened his juice quietly.
"Jealous?"
She pouted as she picked up her sandwich.
"A little."
He looked at her, his tone even.
"You're being obvious."
"I want to be."
He blinked once, then passed her his extra pudding cup without a word.
Name Tag Game
When the class split into teams for the tag game, Caelum was, predictably, made captain of one group.
Lysia stuck close behind him the entire time.
Whenever someone tagged him, she tagged them right back and ran off with a smug grin.
"Hey! That's cheating!"
"I'm just protecting him."
Caelum jogged behind her, not even trying hard.
She circled him like a silent guardian with messy pigtails and untied shoelaces.
He didn't mind.
After the Games
As the sun began to dip low, the children gathered to rest.
Caelum sat against the trunk of the cherry tree, eyes half-lidded.
Lysia leaned against his side, head resting on his shoulder.
"Do you get tired of me?" she asked softly.
"No."
"Even when I glare at girls?"
"No."
"Even when I say I'm yours all the time?"
He finally turned his head toward her.
"You are."
She blinked.
His voice was calm.
His eyes were clear.
"You are mine too, Lysia."
System Log – Mutual Claim Registered
[GENESIS CORE SYSTEM – OBSERVER MODE]— Emotional Claim Acknowledged: Both Subjects— Possessiveness: Stable / Mutual / Non-verbal— Synchronization: 68.3%— Comment: "In every world, they find each other. In this one, they're learning to keep each other close — not with power, but with presence."