Lauriam respectfully knelt in front of Elrena's tombstone. She was buried at Scala ad Caelum, formerly known as Daybreak Town. It was their hometown, the place where they had first met. Even though she died at the Keyblade Graveyard, it was unthinkable for Lauriam to bury her there. It was far too gloomy, filled with a lot of bad memories.

Although he had moved to Quadratum with his family, he regularly visited the cemetery to decorate his fiancée's grave. At least once a week, especially on weekends. He wanted it to be the most flowered, colorful, and cheerful. Elrena had a deep fear of abandonment, and the last thing she would have wanted was to be forgotten after her death. For Lauriam, forgetting her was impossible. Taking care of her grave and leaving her as many gifts as possible was a way to prove his loyalty to her.

He was always pleasantly surprised to see that he was not the only one who regularly brought things to her. Since they had returned to the side of Light, they became friends with many people, especially those who were part of Sora's group of friends. Around the flowers, there were dozens of glossy printed photos protected in frames placed on the tombstone. There was also a small box containing letters. Each person recounted their new adventures, the birth of their new children, or simply what they became. It was like having a real-time conversation with her.

This show of solidarity touched Lauriam deeply. Paradoxically, Elrena had never received as much support and love as she did after her death. It seemed that Larxene's bad reputation had stuck with her for a very long time…

"Elrena, I'm lost..." Lauriam took a deep breath as he looked at one of the pictures of his former fiancée. "I feel like I'm not living up to expectations with Camelia... it's so hard without you..."

A tear rolled down his cheek as he continued to gaze at the photo in his hand. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him.

"I think she would have supported Camelia no matter what."

Lauriam turned to the person who spoke to him. It was Strelitzia. She was wearing a long black trench coat and had brought flowers, bird of paradise. He looked down and sighed.

"I know... I took her away from her hometown without much explanation at first. She had all her roots there... Is it selfish of me to do that? It was... just..."

"Too difficult?" Strelitzia finished for him. "No, I think you did what your heart told you to do. You wanted to protect your daughters," she added, looking towards the grave.

"This place brings back both good and painful memories. Even though it's been six years since she passed away, it still feels strange to come here without her..." said the pink-haired man, closing his eyes and clenching his fists.

"I understand..." Strelitzia replied softly, placing her bouquet on the grave. "But your daughter also suffers from this situation. I don't think uprooting her completely is the right solution. She will always have questions about her mother, it's natural!"

She stood up and placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "And besides, you won't always be there to protect her! She's 14 years old, let her have her own experiences." She kissed Lauriam's cheek before wiping off the lipstick mark with her thumb, smiling.

That's crazy... Strelitzia always had the right words to comfort Lauriam. He wasn't sure yet if he was ready to move back to Radiant Garden, but he wanted his daughter to be happy. Strelitzia understood the weight of Lauriam's decision and respected his need to protect Camelia, but she also saw the importance of allowing her to explore and understand her own identity.

"You're right, Strelitzia," Lauriam replied, his shoulders relaxing under her touch. "I've been so focused on protecting Camelia from pain that I may have unintentionally prevented her from discovering a part of herself."

Strelitzia nodded, her eyes filled with empathy. "Lauriam, you're a wonderful father, and I know how much you love your daughter. But sometimes, love means letting go and trusting that she will find her own path, just like Elrena did."

Lauriam looked at the photo in his hand, a mixture of sadness and gratitude in his eyes.

"I'm bringing her tomorrow to the Keyblade Academy's open day," said Strelitzia with self-confidence.

Lauriam's eyes widened. Strelitzia felt judged by his gaze. She shook her hands.

"No! No! Don't panic, it doesn't commit her to anything! It's just to make up your own mind. If it's just a whim, then she'll give up the idea, and if she thinks it's a real calling, then we'll consider it." The woman with long red hair reached out her hand to her older brother. "So, deal?"

Lauriam exhaled from his nose. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No!" Strelitzia replied with a chuckle.

He sighed and shook the hand she had extended. "Deal."

"Tell me, Camelia, what did mom look like?" Rose asked innocently.

Unfortunately, the 6-year-old girl had never had the chance to meet her mother. Elrena had passed away just one week after her birth. She was increasingly curious about her own identity because at school, it was often mothers who came to pick up their children. She wondered what it felt like... to have a mother.

Camelia smiled at her little sister and gently stroked her long pink hair. Rose had inherited her father's magnificent mane and her mother's turquoise eyes. Part of her hair was braided back, while the rest of her locks were let down. It gave her a medieval princess look.

"Now that you're older, I'll show you a secret!"

The teenager crouched down to retrieve a dusty shoebox from under her bed. She blew off the dust and opened the box.

"What's that?" the little girl asked.

"That's all I have left of mom," Camelia said.

Over the years, Camelia had collected everything that reminded her of the memories she had shared with Elrena. Drawings she had made for her mother when she was little, pictures they had taken together, Elrena's diary from her youth... She had read and reread her mother's diary countless times, unsure if her father knew of its existence. Elrena had started writing it when she was about Camelia's age, chronicling her adventures as a Keyblade wielder, her arrival in the Dandelions, and, above all, her feelings for a certain Union Leader. Pages and pages dedicated to her love for Lauriam.

Camelia chose to show Rose the only photo that featured the complete family. It was taken just after Rose's birth. Elrena held Rose in her arms, while Lauriam, in profile, rested his head against Elrena's. Eight-year-old Camelia looked at the camera, grinning. Seeing this image again filled Camelia with nostalgia. It was by far the most beautiful photograph she had kept.

"See, Rose? That's you when you were a baby, and Mom was right there!" she pointed with her finger.

"She's so beautiful!" Rose was captivated by the sight of her mother. "Why isn't she here? Did she go away?"

Camelia felt her breath catch, and her voice trembled. She swallowed her tears as she looked up. How could she explain to a 6-year-old girl that her mother had died and that she would never see her again?

"Yes, she went away. She went up to the sky, beyond the birds and the stars," she answered with a sad smile.

"Camelia, are you crying?"

"N-no..." Camelia's voice trembled. She wiped away the tear that had escaped from her left eye with her sleeve. It was too difficult to hold back her emotions, even though she had to stay strong for her little sister. She hugged Rose tightly.

Behind the partially open door, Lauriam listened to the conversation. He closed his eyes with a sad expression and sighed.

While in her sister's arms, Rose spotted a plush animal in the memory box. She reached out to grab it.

"Camelia! Can I have it, please? Pleeease?" Rose asked eagerly.

It was Camelia's childhood cuddly toy, and she found it extremely difficult to part with it. Sometimes she still slept with it when she had nightmares. The plush still had her mother's scent, a soft jasmine fragrance.

She hadn't considered giving it away just yet. But well... maybe it was time to grow up? The girl with blonde and pink hair exhaled and simultaneously displayed a genuine smile on her lips. "Yes, of course, take it! You'll probably make better use of it than I do..."

"I love it! Thank you so much!" her little sister responded cheerfully. She hugged the toy tightly and ran toward the exit.

As Rose left, she didn't notice her father behind the door. Lauriam entered the room quietly, knocking on the door.

"Can I come in?" he politely asked Camelia.

Without saying a word, she nodded and looked at the photo she had just shown Rose. Her father approached slowly and sat next to her on the bed before embracing her. She buried her head in his chest, hiding her tears.

"I... I couldn't say goodbye to her..."

Lauriam tenderly caressed his daughter's hair. He took the photo from her hand and examined it. Unlike Camelia, he found it difficult to keep so many material mementos of his fiancée close to him. This image had been taken a few days before Elrena's death. It was still vivid in his memory. He would have done anything to go back to that moment.

"Camelia, I... I'm sorry..."

"No... it's me who should apologize," Camelia interrupted, shaking her head. "I acted like a spoiled little girl. I understand why you brought us here... it's probably what Mom would have wanted, I guess."

"But she wouldn't have wanted me to prevent you from pursuing your ambitions." Lauriam put his fingers under his daughter's chin, and she looked up to meet his gaze. "Strelitzia talked to me about the school again... you know how I feel about it. However, if it's truly what you want, then I can try to make an effort."

"Thank you," she replied calmly.

"So, do you still hate me?" Lauriam asked teasingly.

"Did I say that? No way!" Camelia replied sarcastically.