Chase barely had time to breathe before the couch beneath him bounced with sudden weight.
"Big Brother~!" Lyra's excited voice rang out like a festive chime, and she launched herself into his lap with a surprising lack of hesitation. Chase stumbled back into the cushions, catching her instinctively, while a soft glow began to filter in from above.
Aurora descended gracefully, floating beside them with shimmering anticipation in her eyes that matched the twinkling lights wrapped around the living room columns. Snowflakes drifted lazily against the enchanted windows, the soft fireplace crackling in the distance.
"Hmm, what do you two want?" Chase asked with tired suspicion, already sensing this would be… complicated.
Lyra pouted instantly, pushing her cheeks out in exaggerated sadness. "You promised us something, remember~?"
Chase blinked. He made promises a lot—especially to his younger siblings—but the exact details? That was harder to recall.
