The creeping rays of the sun fell on the eyelids of the sleeping Althea, who after some time began to wake up, and Najy's smiling face appeared right in front of her.

"Are you awake?" He chuckled seeing her reaction. "I'm going to the market to buy us fresh rolls!" He waved to her and went towards the door, and on the threshold he came across Warin, who laughed when he saw him and stroked his head.

"Be careful along the way, laddie."

"Mhm!" He nodded and ran cheerfully forward.

Warin looked at Althea, who had fallen asleep on her desk again, surrounded by books. Seeing his worried look and warm smile, the woman immediately straightened up.

"I know what you're going to say..." She scratched her neck. "But..." She stopped as the man sat down next to her and placed a small package in front of her. "What's that?" She was surprised.

"A gift." He chuckled. "Happy birthday, my child." He gently cupped her head in his hand, pulled her closer and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"H-huh...?"

Immediately after, her brothers came in with a small birthday cake and a lit candle on it. Everyone together began to sing happy birthday to her, and she blushed and hid her face in her hands.

"Make a wish." Warin said, amused.

Althea looked at the candle and then thought for a moment. The dark times were finally over and they started their lives anew. Everything started to fall into place and their family became happy. Althea felt like she didn't need anything more. She only wanted it to stay like this forever, so that's what she wished for, and after a while she blew out the candle, and the others started cheering. During this joyful moment, time seemed to slow down. Cheerful applause, laughter and happy faces on the faces of the gathered family.

They spent every day together, including today, without exception.

They sat together at a table in front of the house, ate cake and, as always, listened to Warin's stories. Everyone loved hearing his voice. He often told them about himself if they wanted to know more, and sometimes he even told them stories that they couldn't always hear when they were little. For the first time in years, they felt that they had a real, normal family with a father who loved them.

"Have you opened your gift yet?" Najy was curious.

"Ah, not yet." Athea went to get the package from Warin and opened it carefully.

Inside there was an old but well-kept book about all herbs and plants. Althea felt her heart jump with excitement and her eyes light up with joy at the gift.

"Thank you." She looked at the smiling man. "Thank you..." With tears in her eyes, she walked up to him and hugged him tightly.

A sweet meal eaten together, a family walk and adorable banter between brothers. It was one of the best and happiest memories.

Swaran ran after Najy while the amused Althea crouched down by the stream whose water fascinated her.

"When you disappeared for so long, it broke the hearts of all three of us..." He said with a faint smile. "Seeing the concern of your brothers and the love they have for you..." He glanced at her. "They will always be here for you." He nodded. "Tell me... you mentioned a place and a certain... special person... Who was it?"

Althea hesitated at the mention of him. She stopped her hand above the water, lost in thought.

"He..." She began uncertainly. "He's someone special." She confirmed. "I just... helped him.. a little." She smiled innocently at the elder. "In return, I learned his name..." She rubbed her cheek as if it would help her hide her blush.

"His name..?" He became curious, but seeing that she had drifted off in her thoughts again and focused on the surface of the shining water, he decided to let it go for the moment.

Whoever this man was, he didn't hurt her, much less help her or them. By meeting him, Althea found the courage to speak again.

Warin watched her for a moment as she carefully placed her hand in the water and tried to feel all the emotions. The man crouched down next to her, which caught her attention, and when he met her worried gaze, he immediately smiled.

"It's a gift, not a curse, dear child." He said gently.

"But..." She hesitated. "Why me...?"

The elder looked at her gently, then glanced at the sight before them.

"And why did I become a herbalist, a medic? Why do you love books?" He asked thoughtfully. "Why does Randi play the piano and Hamill sculpts beautiful things? Why is Mr. Zubeen our Ruler?"

He smiled at the memory of his loving master and then looked at Althea again.

"We come into this world for a purpose, dear child. Each of us has a destiny... a destiny that we must fulfill." He sighed heavily. "I've known since I was a child that I wanted to continue learning herbs, not only because I love it, but I also like helping others... And if by doing something I like, I can help others, I definitely want to stick with it. You asked me to teach you..." He glanced at her. "And so I did." He patted her head. "You also have these passions in you. You have a kind, loving heart, Althea."

"Which people can take advantage of..." She sighed sadly. "Sometimes I feel too weak for all this."

"You.. are not weak." He interjected immediately. "And not everyone will want to destroy your heart, dear child. And if anyone ever does... There will be someone who will heal it." He smiled warmly at her. "I'm sure about this."

Warin kept the spirits of each of the three siblings. He helped not only them, but also complete strangers who needed any help. Everyone respected and admired him, even Deron himself treated him more gently than the others. He wasn't only a father to them, but also a loving guardian to every lost soul. Everyone found a kind word and solace from him. Everyone who visited him came back completely changed. Some even believed that the goddess herself had sent him to the Tribe to watch over them at her request.

"I know you're the eldest brother..." He said, approaching Swaran as they returned home. "But let them take care of you too. The family takes care of each other, without exception. Don't forget that you need this care too." He put his hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone, lad."

Swaran was a bit surprised by Warin's words, but he involuntarily smiled when he heard it.

"You needed to hear it, am I right?" The elder guessed, and the blond nodded.

"Yes..." He nodded. "I'm glad I heard it from you." He also placed a hand on his shoulder.

Althea glanced over her shoulder at them. She couldn't hear the conversation, but seeing her brother's reaction, she knew it made him happy. She was glad that Swaran too had finally found peace. He has always taken everything upon himself and as the oldest of them, he tries to lead them and help them as much as he can. He never thinks about himself, it puts them first. The siblings wanted to repay him, and they knew that with the help of beloved Warin, they would be even more successful.

It was one of Althea's happiest birthdays. She had never known such joy as she did now and for the first time she didn't want this day to end. When they returned, the boys went to their place and Warin sat down on a rocking chair to look at the setting sun, which created a beautiful landscape with the Mother Tree. Althea noticed him and after a while she sat down next to him on the steps, leaning her back against his knees, which made him smile.

Together they watched the sunset in silence, and when its last rays disappeared from the horizon, Althea took a deep breath.

"Thank you for everything... dad." She said with blushes.

However, she received no response or reaction from him. The woman glanced at him and noticed that his eyes were closed. So she got up and covered him with a blanket, smiling involuntarily. But a moment later she hesitated and the smile disappeared from her face.

"Warin..?" She whispered uncertainly, but there was still no answer.

Althea slowly touched his shoulder, then his cheek, and froze.

"S-swaran...?" She called, her voice breaking. "Najy...?"

The brothers approached her, changed after bathing, and when they saw her and Warin, they were speechless.

Swaran ran to the elderly man and tried to revive him again.

"Warin..?" He put his hands on his shoulders. "Please... wake up." His voice broke, but no matter how he asked, he received no answer.

Devastated, he looked at his crying siblings.

"You were the best father..." Najy whispered, placing a hand on his torso.

The death of a wonderful man came on the same day as Althea's birthday. Everyone made sure that his last farewell was dignified in his honor. Coming home, they never felt the same again. Their sudden departure left marks on them that they couldn't get rid of for the rest of their lives. Every piece of furniture, book, medicinal herbs, and even the smell itself... all of it reminded them of Warin. He gave them so much more than he could ever have imagined, and his siblings will always be grateful to him.

Najy looked at the books and slowly took them into his hand. Inside there was a bookmark decorated with wild flowers, which was a gift from the boy. Najy gently stroked the object with his fingers, tears in his eyes, but he stopped when he heard his brother's footsteps.

"Have you seen Althea?" The elder asked and looked at him with concern.

Najy recovered slightly and shook his head.

"She disappeared after the funeral, she only said that she needed to be alone for a while..."

Swaran nodded, resting his hand on his hip.

"I'll go look for her." He said.

"I'll go with you!"

Althea walked ahead, humming the same old tune as Warin as he went about his work. As she walked, her hand gently touched the flowers and bushes nearby. Her eyes were fixed on the landscape in front of her, she wasn't focusing on anything in particular. She didn't like the fact that she was always thinking too much about everything, but in the end she couldn't control it. The image of Warin kept appearing in her head. The mere thought that when she returned home she would no longer find him there depressed her even more.

Only after some time did she notice that she was in her secret place, hidden behind the thickly growing ivy covering the entrance to a small cave. There were still remnants of burnt wood in its right corner, and the smell of herbs spread throughout the room.

"I'll listen, if you need someone to talk to..." She remembered the voice of the man she helped.

Their meeting was sudden, unexpected. But the moment their irises met, Althea felt something she had never known before. She couldn't describe or understand it, but she knew and felt that she was safe with him. She dressed him up and took care of his health, listening to stories about the stars he loved. She spent many hours in this place, listening to his warm voice with great pleasure. He was the first man, apart from her brothers and Warin, with whom she truly felt safe after everything they've had been through. Even though she tried to keep her distance at first, even carefully changing his dressings. With each passing day, she warmed up to him and got to know his nature. After a day of separation, she felt a huge void that no one could fill again.

"I wish you were here now..." She whispered, feeling tears flowing down her cheeks. "Where are you... when I need you..?"

Huddled in the corner, she spent several long minutes there. She remembered her brothers who had to worry about her, so she slowly, unsteadily walked back, glancing once more at the abandoned hiding place.

"There you are!" Swaran exclaimed seeing his relative.

However, his smile dropped from his face when he saw her concerned expression. The elder looked at his equally sad brother, then sighed quietly and placed his hands on his siblings' shoulders.

"I know how you feel..." He started slowly. "I miss him too, very much." He nodded and then looked at each of them again. "But now, the most important thing is that we are still together, hm?" He smiled faintly. "Warin wanted us to always stick together and he would definitely be sad to seeing our tears. Therefore... keep your heads up. One day the day will come when we'll meet him again, but now... we'll show him that we won't waste what he taught us. We will live on, together. No one here leaves this world prematurely." He smiled warmly at them, and his words immediately lifted his siblings' spirits.

The next sunrise brought them no more sadness, that day, they woke up with smiles on their faces.

"Althea!"

The voice echoed in her head.

"Althea!"

She heard Najy's voice, so she squeezed her eyes tighter and only after a while began to slowly open them.

"Althea, it's time..."

The sunlight briefly blinded the view in front of her, and she blinked several times to see her brother, Najy, smiling broadly at her.

"Althea."

She heard, and when she blinked again, the image in front of her changed and she saw Hamill's tired face.

"We have to go now." Brunet said and then stood up to take his things. Right next to him was Swaran, who now knelt down next to her and wanted to say something, but he hesitated when he saw her reaction.

Najy always greeted her happily when she woke up every morning. But this time he wasn't there, he was missing. This time, Najy would never again appear right in front of her with his happily smiling face and sparkling eyes.