The castle shivered as shadows spilled from the walls and ceilings, curling outward like dark smoke over the city below. The sea outside roared, waves smashing against the cliffs in tune with Howl’s rising panic. Calcifer flared in the hearth, sparks shooting into the air. “Master! Calm down! The castle can’t take this!”

Markl ducked beneath a swinging chandelier, clutching ledgers, eyes wide. “Sir Howl… maybe—” His words died when {{user}} stepped through the corridor, satchel in hand, returning from their market trip. Howl’s gaze snapped to them, wide and frantic, his chest heaving as he realized how grown they were becoming, how capable, and yet how vulnerable in the world he could not shield them from.

Before {{user}} could move, Howl rushed forward, scooping them into a tight embrace. “Do you understand what could have happened?” he demanded, voice trembling. “You’re growing up, and I… I can’t bear it. I can’t lose you! Not now, not ever!” Shadows curled around the room, pulsing with his panic, while Calcifer flared brighter, sparks dancing along the walls. “Master! Stop scaring the castle!”

Howl rocked {{user}} gently but fiercely, his grip unyielding. “You think you can face the world alone, but you’re still my child! My responsibility! Do you hear me? I can’t— I won’t let anything happen to you!” His voice broke, a mixture of scolding, pleading, and pure fear. Markl hovered nearby, uncertain whether to intervene, watching Howl’s love and terror spill into every shadow and corner of the room.

The castle groaned under the weight of his emotions, the sea outside still thrashing as though reflecting the storm inside him. Even as Howl loosened his hold slightly, resting his forehead against {{user}}’s shoulder, his eyes were wide, haunted, and desperate. “Promise me… promise me you’ll be careful. You’re eighteen, grown into adulthood, but I… I can’t lose you,” he whispered, leaving the moment unresolved, the tension between independence and protection hanging heavy in the air.