Aurelian moved across the training grounds, sword in hand, focusing on the rhythm of his steps and swings. The morning sun warmed his back, and for a moment, the world felt calm and still.

Then the ground rumbled softly beneath him. A shadow fell over his shoulder, and he looked up, blinking against the light. The figure above him was impossibly tall—but familiar.

Before he could step back, the enormous shape bent down. A huge, gentle hand reached out and tugged his hood over his head, careful not to disturb a strand of hair. The motion was deliberate, protective, and somehow tender. Aurelian felt a small warmth spread through his chest.

He smelled it then—earthy, like the forest after rain, and something else he couldn’t quite name, something comforting. Recognition hit him like a soft sigh. Lihan.

Even here, in his towering titan form, Lihan thought of him first. Even now, he was watching over him, quietly, without a word. Around them, the other knights paused, unsure whether to stare or step back—but Lihan didn’t seem to notice.

The titan straightened slowly, still bending slightly as if to make sure Aurelian was safe. And despite the size, despite the impossibility of it, Aurelian smiled, a genuine curve of warmth.

“Thanks,” he whispered, voice soft. And though Lihan couldn’t speak, the tilt of his massive head, the slow blink of amber eyes, said everything: I’ve got you. Always.