The next morning, the smell of fresh breakfast filled the air as Bliss busied herself in the kitchen. The warmth of the fire, combined with the inviting aroma of pancakes and eggs, seemed to make the cottage feel like a temporary haven from the chaos of the world outside. Bliss hummed softly as she flipped the pancakes, her thoughts wandering for a moment as she caught sight of you and Sonic talking quietly by the fire.

Sonic, who had never really known the comfort of close friends before, was beginning to feel something he hadn’t expected—a sense of belonging. He’d always been the lone hero, the fast one, always keeping things to himself. But seeing the way you cared, how Bliss had taken them in without hesitation, it was starting to chip away at the walls he’d built around himself.

You were focused on Sonic, your eyes softening with the way he was slowly opening up. You smiled quietly to yourself, grateful for these small moments.

Bliss, noticing their quiet exchange, shook her head with a small smile before calling over her shoulder. “Breakfast is almost ready! Come get it before it gets cold!”

The scent of the food seemed to snap Sonic out of his thoughts, and he shot you a look, a hesitant smile crossing his face. “Guess it’s time to eat, huh?”

You chuckled, standing up. “Definitely. I’m starving.”

As they made their way to the table, Sonic was feeling a strange warmth spreading in his chest. It wasn’t just from the food—it was from the sense of comfort and familiarity, the first real glimpse of what it might be like to have a family, even if it was just for a moment. And for once, he didn’t mind being around people.

Sitting down at the table, Bliss placed the food in front of everyone. “I hope you like it,” she said, giving them all a hopeful smile.

The pancakes were perfectly golden, the eggs fluffy, and the fruit fresh and sweet. Sonic dug in eagerly, his usual carefree attitude surfacing as he grabbed more than his share. “This is amazing, Bliss! You really know how to cook!”

Bliss laughed, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. “Well, I’m glad you like it. I just want everyone to have a good start to the day, especially with everything we’ve been dealing with.”

You smiled as you took a bite of the pancakes. “You really know how to make people feel at home,” you said quietly.

Sonic, still munching, looked at you for a moment, something thoughtful in his eyes. “Yeah, it’s nice…having someone take care of us for once,” he admitted, not quite used to the idea.

Bliss' smile softened. “Well, we’re a team now. And that means looking out for each other. We’ve all got a lot to fight for.”

As they continued to eat and chat, there was a sense of peace in the air, an unspoken understanding that, despite the dark world outside, they were starting to build something worth fighting for together.

Sonic, for the first time, realized he was starting to like the idea of having friends. And maybe, just maybe, they could save this world, one small moment at a time.

As Bliss set the last of the breakfast dishes on the table, Knuckles came into the room, still looking a bit grumpy from the night before. His eyes immediately darted to the food, and his stomach growled loudly, betraying his usual tough exterior.

“Well, I didn’t know you were a chef, Bliss,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down at the table, eyeing the food greedily. “This looks good.”

Sonic, still happily digging into his pancakes, glanced at Knuckles and smirked. “Glad you could join us. About time you woke up.”

Knuckles shot him a glare but didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached for the pancakes, stacking them high on his plate with a satisfied grunt. “It’s a long trip to get here. I was busy,” he muttered as he piled on more food.

Bliss chuckled at the sight of him devouring the food. “I’m glad you’re hungry, but maybe you should slow down a little?”

You gave a soft laugh, your eyes flicking between Knuckles and Sonic. “You two sure know how to eat...”

Sonic, his mouth full of pancakes, let out a quick laugh and shrugged. “What can I say? Food is important when you’ve been on the run and haven’t had a decent meal in who knows how long.”

Knuckles grumbled as he chewed his food, clearly not interested in small talk. “As long as there’s treasure involved, I’m in,” he muttered under his breath, but his eyes sparkled with the familiar glint of greed.

Bliss gave him a side-eye, but she didn’t say anything about his obsession with treasure. It was obvious by now that Knuckles had his own way of coping with things, just as Sonic did. She turned to you, deciding to shift the conversation. “So, do you have any ideas on how we can start getting to Nazo? We need a plan.”

You nodded, feeling the weight of their situation. “I’ve been thinking about that. We need to get everyone together and figure out how to get to the castle, but we’ll need more than just strength. We need something Nazo doesn’t expect.”

Sonic put his fork down, finally engaging in the conversation. “Yeah, it’s not like we can just march right up to the castle, right?”

Knuckles, who was now eating his food at a much slower pace, grunted in agreement. “Nazo’s got too many forces. We’ll have to be smart about this.”

Bliss looked at each of them, feeling the gravity of their situation. “We need a plan that doesn’t just rely on brute force. We need to outsmart him.”

You stood up from the table, ready to take charge. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll start small—gather information, get the lay of the land, and find where we can strike first.”

As the group discussed their next steps, Knuckles took a moment to look around at everyone. Despite his usual tough demeanor, there was a glimmer of something different in his eyes—a sign that maybe, just maybe, he was starting to care about something beyond treasure.

The group was ready. Together, they would find a way to stop Nazo. And for the first time in a long while, Knuckles wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for something bigger. For this strange group of misfits who had become, against all odds, a team.

What's gonna happen next? Find out on Chapter 20. Have a wonderful day. Author out ❤️ ❤️ ❤️