Darkness. Silence. Then—
Screams.
Aizen stood in a battlefield soaked in crimson. The sky was black, torn by violet lightning. Around him, the corpses of his family lay broken and lifeless. Lyra was on the ground, unmoving—her silver hair stained with blood. Her once proud tail was severed, and her golden eyes stared blankly into the void.
Mikaela and Lina were nowhere to be seen. Just blood. Too much blood.
He screamed. He called their names.
And then he saw the Dragon King—a massive, terrifying figure with obsidian scales and molten eyes. He stood atop a mountain of bones, laughing.
"You were never strong enough, Black Lion. This is what your weakness caused."
Aizen dropped to his knees. His body shook. His lightning wouldn't come. His fists were useless.
All he could do was watch it all burn.
Watch himself lose everything.
Until—
"Papa! Wake up!"
A small hand shook him. A voice like morning light.
Aizen gasped, his eyes snapping open.
"L-Lina…?" he muttered.
She hugged him tightly. "You were sweating and shaking… You scared me…"
Aizen sat up, panting, hand trembling. The early sunlight crept through the curtains. It was all just a nightmare. Just a terrible, cruel dream.
---
Downstairs, the dining table was full of life.
Mikaela was proudly presenting breakfast—steamed rice, golden eggs, sizzling boar meat, fresh fruit, and warm bread. She was glazing herself with pride as she told everyone how perfect her cooking skills were. "I added the exact right amount of herbs! It's divine, right? Divine!"
Lyra rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Don't let your head get too big, Mikaela. I helped."
Amethyst and Crystal, the newest members of the household, were eating with sparkles in their eyes.
"This… this is so good…" Amethyst whispered.
"I've never eaten this much food before…" Crystal added, holding her fork like it was made of gold.
Lina giggled. "You guys are weird. We eat like this every day!"
Theodore added, "But it is amazing. Especially compared to what we used to have…"
Aizen smiled gently, watching them. That nightmare still lingered—but seeing this family, alive and happy, helped chase the darkness away.
Suddenly, Lyra noticed something.
"…Your hair's getting too long, Aizen. You look like some kind of rogue prince."
He blinked. "Rogue prince?"
"Yeah," Mikaela teased. "Like a wild beast who hasn't seen a comb in a year."
Aizen groaned. "Alright, alright… Lyra, could you help me cut it?"
---
In the garden behind their house, Lyra stood behind Aizen, scissors in hand. She combed through his long black mane with a teasing smile.
"You used to be all ragged and scary when we first met," she said softly. "Now you're just… dangerous and handsome."
"…Was that a compliment or a warning?"
She snorted. "A little of both."
Snip. Snip.
Strands of Aizen's thick black hair fell gently to the grass. Lyra's hands were careful but confident. She didn't cut too short—just enough to shape it into something clean, sharp, and fierce. His bangs were trimmed to frame his golden eyes, and his mane was shaped to leave him looking less wild lion and more majestic king.
When he turned around—
Even Lyra blushed.
Mikaela peeked from the door and gasped. "W-Whoa…"
Lina whispered, "Papa looks like… a real prince now."
Theodore added, "No. Like a general. A hero."
Even Crystal and Amethyst looked surprised.
Aizen raised a brow. "Is it really that much of a difference?"
Lyra stepped closer and placed her hand gently on his cheek. "It's not just your face… You've grown. You're not just a Black Lion anymore, Aizen. You're becoming something greater."
He gazed into her eyes, and for a brief second, the nightmare felt like a distant storm. He wasn't weak. He wasn't alone.
He had a family.
He would protect them—no matter what.
End of Chapter 23.
---