The reunion was swift, a blur of emotions that quickly erupted into something brighter than expected.
The moment Alex stepped through the door, the girls froze.
Then, almost in sync, they rushed toward him, tears glimmering in their eyes, some of them already streaming down.
Yet, as soon as they confirmed he was truly there, alive, real, breathing, it all shifted into something else.
Grief turned into joy, panic became laughter.
They celebrated.
"It was insane!" Aurelia beamed, practically bouncing on her feet.
"Y-You did all that cool stuff and won! I thought my heart was going to explode at least ten times!"
"We seriously thought you were going to die," Alice added, hugging him a little tighter, her usual confident grin returning.
"Especially when your soul shattered, I thought that was it! But nope. You pulled through."
She giggled proudly, burying her face into his shoulder for a moment.
"As expected from my husband."
Lilith's voice was quieter, almost hesitant.
