After opening his eyes, Orion felt the weight of someone else on his left arm, and a warm feeling on his right leg.


    He moved a little, which instantly made both of them react. Sirius lifted his head and looked at him, while Stella rubbed her eyes.


    ''Right, I remember something like this happening.''


    With a smile, he placed his hand on the girl''s head and gently patted her.


    "Hello, Stella."


    "H-Hello."


    She immediately jerked at the sudden call, which woke her up instantly. Sleeping next to Orion wasn''t what she had in mind at first.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    "Yes!"


    At first, she was expecting to be yelled at or be punished, but Orion wasn''t like that in her memories. He was always kind, warm, and like a father. Whatever she wanted, she could have it.


    The transition between her terrible ''father'' to this warm ''father'' made her rather lost though. Of course, she was very grateful, and was trusting him more than she probably should, but that''s how important Orion become in her life.


    He gave her a place where she wasn''t constantly beaten up and berated just for being alive. He gave her a friend which she couldn''t imagine being apart nowadays. She also had two mother-like figures.


    Food, clothes, toys, and more than anything, freedom. In her mind, there was no one else that could be her father.


    She hadn''t forgotten that the one who actually saved her wasn''t him, that it was Florian, but she was only brought along. The one who gave her opportunities was Orion, not Florian. Yet, she wouldn''t be here without him. Maybe she was too young to understand yet.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t give you more time recently."


    "Hmm."


    With a soft answer, Stella nodded.


    ''She hasn''t realized yet, that me being alive is only thanks to her own power.''


    ''I need to treat her better than I did before.''


    From the beginning, he had a soft spot for the young girl. He thought of her as his daughter, and even though he was fumbling around trying to learn the ropes of being one, he was doing his best to not treat her badly.


    Stella had already lived through what could be called traumatic experiences for a girl her age, if he wasn''t careful, he could create a rift between him and her that would never heal, definitely destroying any hope of forming a bond.


    While he was thinking that, he failed to realize that that bond was already strong, and that the girl had started to grow stronger mentally.


    Orion turned to Sirius and made a sign with his hand telling him to come closer.


    The big dog stood up on the bed and approached Orion before sitting next to him.


    "Thanks for taking care of her for me. You''re a good dog."


    He patted his head and scratched behind his ears. Sirius looked very happy to finally be petted just by looking at his wagging tail.


    "I''ll buy you good food later. A good toy too, that should make you happy."


    "Of course, you too Stella. I''ll get you anything you want."


    Stella noticed his gentle gaze and smile, and felt that something changed in Orion. He seemed a little distant before, which is something she noticed from the beginning, yet, this was the very first time she noticed such a genuine smile from him.


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    She grabbed her chest, and hesitantly stated her desire.


    "I-I..."


    "Take your time."


    Feeling his hand back on her head, she nodded again.


    "Please, don''t abandon me."


    Orion''s smile died down. Looking at her pleading eyes, he felt like everything he''s done before this very moment only hurt others.


    ''How could I selfishly think that sacrificing myself fighting Elliott would be a good idea? I was close to leave her, leave everyone behind.''


    ''I knew from the beginning, but I had decided to ignore their words. That''s what Amelia kept telling me since we''ve left Auro.''


    He felt his world fall apart, shaping itself into something new.


    ''Why did it have to be like this? Why was I so stubborn? Was it for my parents, even though they asked me not to risk my life for something like revenge?''


    But revenge was still on his mind. If Elliott was only a puppet, then the puppeteer would be his next target. He still wasn''t kind enough to forgive the atrocities that happened in the past.


    He knew none of the angels or demons from long ago, but he had a duty to bring them to rest.


    That feeling haven''t changed, but maybe he could also focus a little more into his ''family''. He wasn''t limited by time anymore, besides a potential attack from Miasma.


    ''I don''t know anymore. I need to think a little more about my next goal.''


    -


    "Orion, you should check the north cape of Eogis. I don''t know what fell there when I was sealed, but it might be something related to your parents. I''ll go take a look at the one that fell in the Frigoria Plains for you."


    -


    Suddenly, Elliott''s words resurfaced from the depths of his memories.


    ''The two other fragments that left the sealing magic...''


    Stella was looking at him with worry, as he didn''t look good. Her worried expression forced Orion to come back to reality.


    "O-Oh, sorry. I was thinking for a bit. Don''t worry, I won''t leave you behind, I promise. I''ll do my best not to make you sad anymore."


    "Th-Then, can I a... hug?"


    She timidly lifted her arms toward him.


    "I have no reason to refuse."


    His way of speaking wasn''t very father-like, but she didn''t care. Without waiting, she threw her whole body at him, and buried her face into his chest.


    "..."


    She lovingly snuggled to him, healing her heart each time she did. Orion continued to caress her hair as she enjoyed her time.


    "Thank you. You might not understand everything, but I''m now healthy because of you. You have a very strange yet powerful power within you, something your real mother gave to you."


    "Power from my real mother?"


    "Yes."


    He didn''t care if she couldn''t get it. She was too young to understand her power, but he wanted her to know that she saved him.


    "Your power can be incredibly hard to control, or very simple to master. It will depend on you, and on how you wish to use it. But don''t worry, this is not something you should think about right now. When the time is right, I''ll be there to help you understand it."


    "Hmm."


    Just like he said her to, she put that thought in a corner of her mind. She only retained that he would be helping her.


    "So, is a hug all you wanted?"


    While looking through the window, he asked.


    "No."


    He felt the girl shaking her head on his chest.


    ''Well, of course. I wasn''t much of a father, so she might have a lot to speak about.''


    "Can I... call you ''father''? Please?"


    Looking at him from below, he lost himself in her dark eyes.


    "Is that... really what you want? Are you fine with me?"


    "I don''t want anyone else! Stella won''t be happy with someone else!"


    Like the child she was, she for once acted like one. That looked like a little tantrum to him.


    Orion scratched his cheek, before smiling.


    "Sure, my daughter."


    His words took time to be registered in her brain. At first, she blankly looked at him. Then, a smile formed on her face. And lastly...


    Colors returned to her eyes. The darkness in her heart finally vanished, cleansing her very soul of the pain she endured until now.


    Her pupils were a dark brown, similar to the color of her hair. But Orion could only see them for a split second, because Stella began to cry big and warm tears of happiness.


    "Aaaaaaaa!


    "Let it out. You don''t have to think about anything bad anymore. I''ll always be there for you."


    While she was letting out all of her emotions on him, Orion continued to pet Sirius at the same time.


    ''There are other people I need to discuss with later on. They came all this way because they were worried. I can''t ignore them any longer.''


    With a determined look, Orion made up his mind. He won''t be cutting corners anymore. He won''t ignore others feeling either.


    Just like the girl crying on his chest, they probably had things to say to him, and he would listen to everything with an open mind.


    This was the start for Orion.


    ~


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Yes?"


    Henrietta stood up from her chair and went to open the door.


    "Orion? Did you have something else to speak with us?"


    The moment she opened the door, Orion entered her sight, with Stella in his arms, and Sirius alongside him, proudly sitting.


    "It''s not something important, but I thought it would be best to send you to Horizon now. I have a feeling Elliott is going to leave soon, and he probably won''t be able to protect this place anymore. We can''t risk any traces of you two being caught by Miasma."


    He entered the room, watched by both Henrietta and a rather suspiciously quiet Tetra.


    "That''s true. I still feel skeptical about that space sealing us away from those horrors, but I''ll have to trust his words for now. We don''t really have a choice anyways."


    Orion nodded before lifting his free hand.


    "Then let''s go immediately. We will think about your bedrooms later."


    A portal open. This was the first time they saw it with their own eyes, and not through the all-seeing table.


    "Follow me."


    Tetra stood up and entered the portal, followed by Henrietta moments later.