The storm outside had finally fully broken into a violent lashing force against the heavy glass of the dormitory windows.

Inside Yuna’s room, however, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the storm outside. It was orderly, quiet, and smelling faintly of old parchment and ink.

Yuna moved with her characteristic precision, pulling the thick, quilted blankets up to Hope’s chin and tucking the edges beneath the mattress with efficient tucks.

"Are you comfortable, Hope?"

Hope snuggled deep into the pillow, pulling the sheet close to her face so that only her wide, curious eyes were visible. "It’s perfect, Yuna. It smells like sunshine."

’Sunshine? What does that smell like?’

In any case, Yuna nodded once, a small gesture of approval. "Good. Rest is a maid’s most valuable tool. We shall sleep now."

She walked to the other side of the bed, switched the lamp off and slid beneath the covers, lying perfectly flat on her back. Her hands folded over her stomach as if she were posing for a statue.

The silence of the room was filled only by the muffled roar of the rain. After a few minutes, Hope shifted her head on the pillow to look at Yuna’s profile in the dim light peeking from behind the curtains.

"Yuna? Do you... do you have a family?"

Yuna didn’t move and fixed her gaze on the ceiling. "A strange question to ask at this hour. I heard what Master Rossana told Ms. Valentine. Is this about your grandfather?"

Hope nodded, a small, sad movement.

"On rainy nights like this... Grandpa would make me hot chocolate with extra foam. Then he’d sit by the fire and read me the stories of the King of Heroes, Lucas. He said that even when the sky was crying, the Hero was always watching over the little people." She let out a shaky breath. "Now, he won’t be there to make the hot chocolate. There won’t be any more stories. It makes the rain sound... lonely."

Yuna remained silent for a long time. Just when Hope thought the maid had fallen asleep, Yuna let out a slow breath. She turned her head slightly.

"By the standard definition of the word, Hope... no. I do not have a family."

Hope scoots closer, hesitant at first, until her head came to rest on Yuna’s shoulder. Yuna stiffened for a fraction of a second, then relaxed, allowing the contact.

"I am not from Eldoria," Yuna began gently, her voice losing some of its sharp edge. "I was born in Myria. But many years ago, my family was taken from me. Not by a monster, or a plague... but by my very own brother."

Hope flinched at the revelation. Her small hand reached out under the sheets to grab Yuna’s in a tight grip that felt like an anchor for the older woman. Yuna looked down at the small hand, a ghost of a smile touching her lips, before she returned her gaze to the ceiling.

"I was not always like this, Hope," Yuna admitted. "You see me and call me a cool maid, someone you admire and want to be like. But, five years ago, when I was fifteen, I was a rebellious delinquent. I hated my parents’ expectations. I hated the local academy. I spent more time in detention than in the library."

"You? A delinquent? Did you... get into fights?"

"Often... On the day it happened, I had stayed late at the academy for detention. I had been particularly cruel to my mother that morning, screaming that I wished I lived anywhere but with them. A friend stayed with me, sneaking around and helping me finish my punishment work so we could go home together."

Yuna’s voice grew cold, more hollow. "When I walked through the front door... the house was silent. As I walked further in, I heard noises coming from the dining room. Then, I saw it. My brother had killed them both. He was standing over them, wearing the dark cloaks of the zealots. The same people you just escaped."

Hope let out a small gasp, her grip on Yuna’s hand tightening.

"He was muttering to himself," Yuna continued.

"He said it was the will of the Goddess and that it’s not his fault. He said that to be accepted into the brotherhood, to receive her ’divine love,’ one must sacrifice what they cherish most. He looked at me, and I saw nothing of my brother in his eyes. Just blank, empty void."

"Did he... try to kill you too?" Hope whispered.

"He tried. He raised his black dagger. But he was stopped by another zealot. That stranger’s face was hidden by a deep, tattered hood. So I couldn’t get a proper look at him. He then told my brother that killing me would be a waste of a ’resource.’ He suggested I be sold into slavery for quick coin to fund their next ritual."

"Are slaves... really real?" Hope’s voice trembled.

"They... unfortunately are. The world is much darker than the stories of King Lucas would have you believe. My brother didn’t hesitate. He took a syringe from the hooded man and injected me with a sedative. I pleaded with him, I begged him to tell me why, to tell me he was joking but... but he just watched me fall asleep with a blank stare."

Yuna closed her eyes. "When I woke up, I was in the hold of a black-sailed ship, chained to a dozen other children. I thought my life was over. But then, a commotion started above deck. It sounded like the sky was falling. Thunder, screams, and the sound of steel shearing through wood. When the hatch opened, a savior appeared."

"A savior? Who?"

"Someone that I will forever be grateful to. My hero, my light in the darkness and our master. The "Crimson Flash", Diana Valentine."

"Ms. Valentine," Hope breathed.

"I remember being stunned." Yuna continued. "She was so young then, yet she moved like a goddess of war. She defeated the slavers effortlessly. She told us we were lucky; she had intercepted the ship just hours before we were to be ’branded’ and lost to the markets forever."

Yuna’s hand squeezed Hope’s back. "Ms. Valentine organised a way for all the children to return to their homes. But I had no home. My parents were dead, and my brother was a murderer. So, I fell to my knees and begged her to take me in. I told her I wanted to be strong. I told her I wanted revenge."

"What did she say?"

"She told me... "No." That she was not looking to take in or teach murderers. She said that if my only goal was blood, I would eventually become exactly like my brother. It deflated me. I felt like I had been rejected by the sun itself.

But then, her expression softened. She told me her Head Maid was looking for a capable apprentice. She said the two she already had–Sadie and Isabel–were ’hopeless at times’ and needed someone to balance them out. She asked if I would work for my keep. I said yes immediately."

Yuna’s face finally fully softened as she looked down at Hope.

"At first, I hated it. Scrubbing floors and polishing marble felt like a distraction. But Wendy... she must have seen through me. She taught us how to fight properly. She taught us how to weave our mana into our work. For years, I told myself I was only staying to get stronger, to find my brother and end him."

"And now?" Hope asked.

"Now... Over time, Wendy, Sadie, and Isabel grew on me. They forced their way into my heart. They became a real family. I haven’t forgotten my parents, and I will never forget what my brother did... but my priority is the people of this mansion and Ms. Valentine. They are my world."

She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Hope’s ear. "And tonight, Hope, you have become a part of that family. I know you still need time to properly heal after the passing of your grandfather, but I sincerely hope that one day, you will feel the same."

Hope didn’t say anything; she simply hugged Yuna’s arm, a bright, tearful smile on her face.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Yuna’s eyes snapped toward the door. She clicked her tongue. "Who could possibly be loitering at this hour?"

She climbed out of bed and swung the door open, only to be met with a wall of fabric. Sadie and Isabel were standing there, each clutching a mountain of pillows and rolled-up futons.

"Sleepover time!" Sadie shouted, her voice booming in the quiet hallway. She didn’t wait for an invitation; she ducked under Yuna’s arm and plopped her bedding right in the center of the floor.

"Hiya, Hope! Ready for the best night of your life?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Isabel followed, chuckling nervously. "Ahaha... I’m sorry, Yuna. She wouldn’t listen. She said it was ’mandatory bonding’ for the new recruit."

Yuna stood with her hands on her hips, looking utterly scandalised. "What do you think you are doing? This is a place of rest! Hope needs sleep!"

"Oh, come on. There’s no need to get your panties in a twist." Sadie smirked, reaching into her futon roll and pulling out a box of honey-glazed crackers, board games and a deck of cards.

"You can’t have all the fun with the junior maid. I brought some games, snacks, and the good cider! Don’t be a party pooper."

Yuna opened her mouth to deliver a scathing lecture on discipline, but then she saw Hope. The girl had jumped off the bed and was already sitting cross-legged next to Sadie, her eyes shining with excitement at the sight of the snacks.

Yuna let out a long, theatrical sigh, the kind that signaled total defeat. She walked to her cupboard, pulled out her own spare pillows and a futon, and sat down next to Isabel.

"Fine," Yuna muttered, though she didn’t look angry anymore. "But if I see a single cracker crumb on this rug tomorrow, Sadie, I will make you toothbrush the entire hallway. Now... what are we playing first?"

Isabel and Sadie froze, staring at Yuna in absolute shock.

"Did... did Yuna just agree to play a game?" Sadie whispered. "Is the world ending? Is there a doppelganger in the room?"

The room erupted into laughter, a warm, bright sound that drowned out the storm outside. Hope laughed the loudest, feeling for the first time that the rain didn’t sound lonely at all. And as the four of them settled in for the night, even Yuna couldn’t hide the genuine smile that stayed on her lips until the early hours of the morning.