The door burst open with more force than necessary. Marie entered first with her platinum hair bouncing with each energetic step. Light-gold eyes locked onto Reinhard immediately, and her face split into a massive grin.

"Sleeping Beauty is finally up!"

Joseph followed behind her with more reservation, but his bright green eyes carried the same relief. He closed the door with care, the soft click a stark contrast to Marie's dramatic entrance.

Reinhard laughed as he nodded as Marie crossed the room to sit beside his bed. "Sorry for worrying you guys."

Joseph shook his head with his short blond hair swaying. "Whatever you did, I'm sure it needed a big price. I'm glad that price was just you sleeping."

Reinhard's smile softened. "Let me explain what happened."

He launched into explanation with the words coming easier this time, having already told Klaus, Rosaria, and Celestia. He started with Martha's fantasy world, then Mimir's plan, then the descent of Odin. The battle in the Imaginary Sea. Fenrir's defeat. The resurrection of Phane City.

Marie and Joseph's expressions cycled through emotions rapidly. Shock appeared first with their mouths falling open, eyes widening. Then disbelief as their heads shook slightly as if denying what they heard. Relief followed when he mentioned Odin listened to his request to restore Phane City, and then shock returned stronger when he revealed the second Beast Spirit.

"Show, show, show me!" Marie's hands shot out, grabbing Reinhard's right hand with excitement as her eyes shine with childlike excitement.

Reinhard chuckled before focusing inward on thinking of Fenrir. The Beast Symbol on the back of his hand shifted.

The horned helmet with the spear and two swords dissolved before being replaced with a wolf's head.

Its jaws were wide open, paws pointing with claws, and golden chains wrapped around the mark in intricate patterns.

Joseph leaned forward, his green eyes staring in awe before a sigh escaped him. "I'm not sure what's more shocking. Odin descending or you having another Beast Spirit."

Marie's grin widened. "There's no point ranking them when they're all so great. But still, Rein..."

Marie's tone became serious in a way that made Reinhard's visible eye widen with surprise before two hands lashed out. They clasped his face, fingers pressing against his cheeks with surprising firmness.

Marie pulled him forward, bringing their faces close enough that he could see flecks of gold in her light-gold eyes and feel her breath on his skin.

"Don't ever try that again!" Marie said with a glare. "You could have really died or worse become one of those golden cocoons like the workers, guards, and Mehko researchers."

Joseph sighed heavily, but his head nodded in agreement. "Even if it was to help us and Phane City, we still wouldn't want you to push yourself that far."

Reinhard blinked in surprise before his mind conjured Rosaria's words from earlier about how the people he cared for also cared about his well-being.

How it hurt them to see him suffer just as much as it hurt him to see them suffer.

Right… Of course, she would be mad and Joseph wouldn't like it… It doesn't matter if it worked out or if it was to save them, just me almost dying is painful to them… Just as it would be painful to me to see them like that.

Reinhard's expression softens. "You guys are right... I'm sorry. And thank you for worrying about me."

Marie beamed with the intensity that had vanished, replaced by her usual bright warmth. She released his face, allowing him to lean back against the pillows.

"We should keep this from Anna and Klein, though." Marie said with a grin. "Or I'm sure they won't let you off as easily as us."

Reinhard's lips twitched as he nodded his head, knowing his siblings well. Anna would try to force him to leave the Academy entirely, with Klein supporting her despite his usual support of what he did.

Together, they'd be impossible to resist.

"I heard you guys stayed with them while I was sleeping." Reinhard furrowed his brows. "You didn't have to do that... But you did. Thank you so much for making them not be alone-"

Joseph shook his head, cutting off the gratitude. "No problem, Rein. I worry about my older sister spending December and the New Year by herself in the past."

Reinhard's eyes widened slightly. "So that means you..."

"It's a bit more complicated than that, but my family didn't mind me missing this winter and the New Year with them." Joseph's smile was genuine despite the complexity implied.

Marie nodded with a grin. "Dad was a bit down, but he cheered up when he knew the reason. Besides, we had lots of fun with Anna and Klein. It felt really good..." Her smile grew impossibly wider. "It was like having my own little sister and brother!"

Reinhard's faint smile returned before his expression shifted, becoming more serious. "What happened to Anasha?"

Marie's eyes lit up. "Well, through Dad's and Rosaria's help, the school was able to become Anasha's guardian by treating her as Dad's disciple and the school's student."

Reinhard trembled as his smile grew. "So she's in the school now?"

Joseph shook his head. "She's staying with Klein and Anna right now."

Reinhard blinked rapidly, surprise flooding through him. "They met?"

"Well, I took Anasha with me when we visited Klein and Anna." Marie said with a chuckle. "After they met, all three of them hit it off and became as close as can be."

Reinhard's eyes softened before his gaze dropped to the blanket covering his lap. "That's great. I'm glad..." He paused and then blinked. "But wait… Is she sleeping with Anna or in my bed?"

He knew his house well and the rooms inside. Klein had the biggest room, which was necessary during nights when the Dark Tide curse activated and he needed to be tied up. Anna had the room on the opposite end, far enough to not hear Klein's screams too clearly. While Reinhard had taken the small bedroom in the middle, which was cramped, barely fitting his bed and a small desk.

Joseph and Marie blinked simultaneously before glancing at each other with a raised brow.

Marie then turned back and tilted her head. "Dad didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Marie's smile shifted into something almost nervous. "We already moved your siblings out of Lily Town. Right now they're staying in a good apartment in Nuevo City."

Silence descended into the room.

Reinhard stared at her for a couple of seconds before he blinked once and then blinked one more time. Then his expression went completely blank as his mind struggled to process the information.

"What?"

Joseph awkwardly chuckled while shifting in his chair, hands fidgeting slightly. "Well, it took us a bit to find your small house in Lily Town and then to get Klein and Anna to realize we knew you. But there were some issues with the house, as there were holes in it and some rat problems, which led to a big opening at the back. With the weather getting colder, we didn't want Klein, Anna, and Anasha to suffer, so we..." He paused, swallowing. "Kind of used all our points to get enough money to buy an apartment in Nuevo and then had Klein and Anna move out."

Marie nodded rapidly, her smile becoming more nervous, which wasn't like her at all. "I know it's wrong of us to move your siblings without permission. And also to abandon your house, but we wanted them to be safe and fine. Oh! You don't need to worry about the sound, Klein's room was reinforced with silencers, so his screams won't disturb the neighbors. Oh! Anasha is also living there, so she can keep Anna company and help out with Klein. Apparently, Anasha's illusions can help."

"They both have their own rooms, so there's nothing wrong." Joseph's words came quickly, almost tripping over themselves. "And you don't need to worry about thinking of an excuse to tell them where you've been or what's been going on. We told them you were constantly doing missions for the Elixir of Life while also saying you were the one who'd been buying the better medicine we got to help with Klein's pain during the nights."

Marie jumped in immediately. "We even made some letters! We tried to copy how you write, but Anna complained it wasn't like you. Then she believed you'd changed a bit and complained, but she had a smile."

Both of them spoke rapidly now, words overlapping slightly in their rush to explain everything.

Their nervousness was obvious with their fast speaking, slightly hunched shoulders, and talking over each other.

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