After I proposed the idea of healing, silence filled the room. The girls' faces turned pale, as if they suddenly remembered all the pain, all the fear, all the memories buried beneath their skin that never truly vanished. I sensed a heavy hesitation in their eyes, like my heart was still knocking on the doors of theirs. How could I reach them? How do you unlock hearts that have learned to bolt themselves shut from the inside?
I began with Aisha. I approached her gently and smiled: "Let me heal the body of this beautiful moon..."
She looked up at me silently, a mixture of surprise and fear gleaming in her eyes, but she didn't move. I carefully took her arm and said: "Don't worry... I don't have magic, but I know a lot about medicine, ancient alchemy, and potions that can heal both body and soul."
I reached into the void, summoning one of my unique skills: the Void Box, a space where I can store tools and ingredients, and call upon them whenever needed. I pulled out a rare healing potion and began pouring it quietly over the wounds on her arms and legs. Strangely enough, she didn't flinch. She only watched me with amazement, as if what I did was pure magic—the kind that doesn't hurt, the kind that soothes.
When the treatment was nearly done, I asked: "Is there another wound?"
Suddenly, without saying a word, she took off her shirt. And I froze.
Her back... It looked like a tortured canvas carved by swords. A deep scar, stretching endlessly, as if she had been stabbed countless times—each time by a different weapon, each time by a new betrayal.
My soul screamed inside: Who dared to do this to my daughter?!
I knelt behind her, using my most powerful potions, but to no avail. All I could do was wash away the blood. The scar remained, etched deep and permanent. It wasn't just physical—it was spiritual, a wound carved in the heart. Still... Aisha said nothing. But she felt something else... as if she were a burden, as if she were ugly. Her voice trembled: "Leave it... just leave it."
I lifted my head to her, and without hesitation, wrapped her in my arms. I placed her head against my chest and whispered with warmth: "You are beautiful... so very beautiful. And this scar? It doesn't lessen you—it makes you stronger, even more radiant. Don't be afraid. I will find a way to heal it, someday."
The words flowed not from my mouth, but straight from my heart. As I held her trembling hands: "Seems like it doesn't hurt you anymore, right? But I feel like your heart still bleeds... Please, from today onward, share your pain with me. I am your father now, and my place is right here, feeling what you feel."
She smiled... A weak smile through her tears, like a pearl falling into a river of sorrow. I helped her put her shirt back on and said: "Rest now... You've been brave."
I sat near the fireplace after tending to Aisha's wounds. The air was thick with something invisible, yet it pressed deep into the soul. The girls' tension was clear, as if the past still echoed within the quiet walls of the cabin.
I looked to Stazia and said gently: "Come now, sweetheart... I only wish to heal your wounds."
She hesitated, but something in my voice washed away part of her fear. Slowly, she rolled up her sleeve, revealing cuts and burns—marks of unbearable torment. I was reminded of the scars on my own back, when I too was a prisoner of pain.
I asked myself: "What crime could a child commit to deserve such cruelty?"
I brought my ointments and potions, applying them with care, my other hand softly stroking her hair. She calmed down a little... but the burns clung to her body, refusing to leave.
I knew she was half vampire, and their wounds don't fully heal without drinking living blood. I looked at her and asked: "Do you need my blood?"
Her face trembled, eyes full of fear. She whispered: "Will you burn me too... like they did?"
I placed my hand on her cheek and smiled warmly: "If I were going to burn you, I'd burn myself first. I'm... not like them. Besides, I have tiny fangs too, just like you. Some of your blood flows through me, you know?"
Then I revealed my neck with a playful tone: "Come on, breakfast is served, little one."
She came closer... gently placed her fangs in my neck and began to drink, like a baby tasting milk for the first time. I felt no pain... only a peace I'd never known.
A minute... two... her wounds healed, the burns vanished, but a mark remained on her neck—like a slave's brand or a cursed seal. I stroked her hair and said: "I'll find a way to remove it... don't worry."
She asked me, tears choking her voice: "Aren't you afraid of me?" I hugged her close and replied: "No, I'll love you... and let you drink my blood morning and night if you want. I'm your father now, and you're my favorite little vampire!"
She laughed shyly, then went to sit beside Aisha, who started to smile as if to say: "Maybe... I can trust this stranger."
Next came Donna, my little dragon.
She stepped forward slowly, nervous, as if bracing for rejection. I asked her to show me her wounds. She lifted the shirt she was wearing—my shirt—revealing her back, covered in chain and burn scars.
I poured more potions. Most of the wounds disappeared... but her burned wings remained unchanged.
I looked closely and noticed something odd at the tips of her wings... signs of decay, as if a curse had halted their healing.
She spoke in a cold voice, like a final judgment: "I deserve this... I shouldn't have been born."
I placed my hand on her scorched wing, then kissed it gently and said: "I'm grateful you were born, Donna... You're the most beautiful dragon in the world. And I'll be everything for you, if you let me."
Her lips quivered, then she whispered: "Will you accept me... as I am?" I held her tightly and said: "Not only do I accept you... I'm proud of you. You won't fly just with your wings... but with my soul as your shield, forever."
Finally... only Cathy remained, my little cat.
She giggled as she watched it all unfold.
I chuckled and whispered to myself: "Now... how do I deal with this mischievous kitten?"