Tyler went to their most favorite place from when Ara was still alive, a cliff where they could have a great view of the forest underneath them. The moments they shared together, the hugs and the kisses, were now impossible to have. He couldn't bear the pain in his heart. He shouted out every sorrow and pain he felt at that time. With just one night, all of a sudden, his beloved disappeared. He cried his heart out and screamed at the top of his lungs, begging for her to come back into his arms.
"ARA!! AAAARRRRRAAAAA!" All he could do was cry. The skies felt his pain and united with his feelings. The rain that suddenly poured comforted him in a way. He stayed there even though he was soaking wet.
Slacovich and Ania took the fastest flight they could get. Even on the plane, Ania refused to talk to anyone. Slacovich just stayed by her side and fed her when it was time to eat. Once in a while, she would just burst into tears without letting out a single sound. Sofie and the others heard about them taking the fastest flight home. They prepared another room for Ania in the Demonfire mansion and locked up Ara's room, just to keep the new family member from getting depressed.
As soon as the plane landed, Ania grabbed Slacovich's shirt and gestured for him to carry her down. The crowd frightened her and made her remember those moments when she was kidnapped along with the other kids, how Blu sucked out their blood in front of her. Sofie and Li waved to them, and Slacovich waved back. Ania just looked at them without blinking at all. She turned to Slacovich as if waiting for him to say something.
"Dear Ania, we are going to be your new family. This is Sofie and Li; they can be your new big sisters." Ania studied their faces and just nodded. Li carried her, and then she burst into tears again.
"Hey, Ania sweetie, what's the matter?" Li worried she might suddenly feel pain or be sick from the long flight.
"Ania, are you feeling unwell?" Sofie asked this time, but she just cried. They then took their car and hurried back to the mansion so that Ania could rest well and also meet the other family members she was going to have.
By the door, they saw Diego and Harry waiting for their arrival. Slacovich got out first, then helped Li step out of the car as Ania fell asleep while she carried her. Sofie was the last one to get out, and in her arms was a golden urn. The feeling of loss struck them again. Before, as soon as Ara stepped out of the car, they could hear her sweet voice greeting them one by one. But now, there was no sign of that sweet voice.
Harry broke the silence and tried to cheer everyone up.
"Hey, she's still with us, in our hearts. She'll remain always and forever inside our hearts. Her laughter, her clumsiness, and her innocence, they are all carved in our hearts. And now, having another family member here will help us all. But before that, we should be strong in front of her; in that way, we can lift her up again."
Harry patted Diego's shoulder and gestured for them to come inside the mansion. Li put Ania down on the sofa as Diego covered her up with a blanket. Even in her sleep, she still screamed for help and called for Ara.
"Poor girl. She's just seven and yet she's been through something traumatic," Sofie said as she fixed Ania's hair out of her face.
"You're right. We should do whatever we can to protect her. She's the only family Ara left for us." Li kissed Ania's cheek as she carried her again towards her new room. They all left Ania's room to give her a good rest.
As they headed down the stairs, they saw Tyler opening the door.
"Tyler, good thing you're back. If you want to see her, she's in her room. As for Ania, she's asleep." Sofie gave him a pat on the shoulder before walking towards the kitchen with Li.
He ran towards Ara's room and found the golden urn on the bed. His heart melted and tears rushed down again. He cried, embracing the urn in his arms, hugging it tightly. He forgot to lock the door, and tiny steps made their way inside the room. He felt a warm caress on his back, comforting him to his very soul.
"It's gonna be okay." The voice seemed so familiar, like how Ara assured him whenever he was in doubt.
"Ara!" He turned around and found the startled little girl take a few steps back.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be Ania?" He wiped off his tears and put the urn safely on the shelf. He gestured for Ania to come to him. Little Ania walked closer and then wiped the remaining tears off his cheek.
"You must be big sis Ara's boyfriend."
"Hah, such a gossiper at a very young age." He fixed her hair and pinned it behind her ears.
"I love big sis Ara. She's so kind and considerate. But now she's gone. She's with my brothers now, isn't she?" Ania's tears flowed down.
"Hush now. From now on, we are your new family. Big sis Sofie and big sis Li will always make you pretty, and us, your big brothers, we will protect you. Your big sis will be very happy in heaven if she knows you're living your life to the fullest."
"I may be just a little girl, but I know big sis will be very happy to know that everyone she loves is happy." Ania smiled again for the first time, even though her tears still ran down her cheeks. Tyler wiped them off and carried her in his arms.
"We should let big sis Ara sleep in peace, don't you think?"
"Okay. Big brother Tyler, I'm hungry."
"Then let's ask them for food. We're not gonna let our princess starve." From the kitchen, Sofie and Li could hear giggles coming towards them. Even Harry, Diego, and Slacovich were glad to see that both helped one another in overcoming the pain. Ania's existence now served as a reminder that they should keep living.