That night, after we ate and enjoyed ourselves once again, I couldn't find it in myself to fall asleep.
I didn't even bother trying to fall asleep.
The thing was, I was just too worried that if I closed my eyes and drifted away, Kat would drift away alongside me, and that I'd wake up to a bed with only two other people, not three.
It was pure paranoia that she would be taken from my again, so I remained up and stroked her silky brown hair, enjoying the little warmth that radiated off of her body compared to Anput and Leone.
She was laying atop my chest, her face nuzzled into my bosom and her ears twitching occasionally as I stroked them.
This was all still so surreal to me, hence why I was so damn worried that I might not actually be seeing her right now, that this might all be a dream or my mind finally crumbling under the pressure and imagining things.
Kat was back with all of us, our Soul Bond restored, and almost as unchanged as ever.
There was a few things that seemed off about her, things that were definitely chalked up to the things she had experienced off on her own; she seemed flighty - like she couldn't remain in once place for too long - she was constantly checking her surroundings, and she had a hard time falling asleep, even after all of what we did.
It took a bit of coaxing from us all to have her drift off into sleep, and even now she seemed ready to wake up at a moments notice...
Seeing it altogether pained me greatly, as her trauma that she tried to hide was evident in those little things, and her worry seemed just as great as mine...
I hated that there was little I could do to fix it right here, right now, but I understood that damage to ones mind could take days, weeks, months, or even years to heal; it all depended on the damages severity and the resilience and will of the person affected.
We could guide her towards healing, but only she could heal herself.
Even though I knew that she was a strong willed, resilient woman, there was just that worry that came along with love that made me wonder just when, or even if she would manage to heal.
Those were the thoughts that plagued my mind all night long, even as I stared down at her now toned body and felt her faint warmth.
I wasn't only worried about her though, even if most of my worry was placed on her; no, I was also worried about Anput and Leone.
Both had things that were worrisome - just like myself, I suppose - and I couldn't help but hope that the lithe Jackalkin cuddling against my side and the voluptuous Vampire sprawled out on my other side could handle their own mental troubles with the help of the rest of us.
Anput was the one to worry me more, her slight inferiority complex that she had at complete odds to her usual arrogance and pride.
Right now, it seemed like all of us had roads of greatness paved out for us, but Anput's just seemed shorter than the rest.
Leone had access to an Arch Fiend, her family were immensely strong, and she herself had some of the most potent magic that I had ever seen.
Add on to that her Vampire lineage, which seemed to be unique due to the Empress' blood, and she has immense potential waiting to be tapped into.
Kat is now bound to an Arch Fiend, has incredible magic on her own, a sharp mind that switches between offensive, defensive, and supportive depending on what we need, good physical abilities... she has everything at an even level, and could very well reach the same heights as us if she spent more time applying herself to her training and came out from under her 'mask' that she wore.
As for me, I had access to an Arch Fiend as well, my Light Magic offers incredible benefits, my own physical prowess is higher than most races, and I apparently had the same potential as Mom, who the Empress had said was someone who could have reached her own strength if she had been born into a time of war instead of peace.
Of course, it's not guaranteed that I reach those same heights as Mom, but I damn sure am willing to put everything forwards to do more than she has done.
That left Anput, who was incredible in her own right, but comparatively... you could see the difference.
Metal Magic is excellent for offense and defense, and her Earth Magic can be used for support.
She has a knack for using real blades, and she can alter them to fit her perfectly, giving her an advantage there.
Her own lineage isn't terrible either, as the Sultana is still one of the most respected and powerful women on this continent, but...
The advantages that we all have make hers pale in comparison, and I fear that that realization is eating away at her slowly but surely.
And that is something only she can overcome on her own; no amount of support or advice from anyone will do anything to help her.
Only Anput can help herself now, and I just hope she realizes that her own strength is more than enough.
Besides, the changes happening to the world are boundless, and those changes will likely offer new opportunities with them, so there is a good chance that Anput finds her own opportunity to grow stronger and surpass her own limits in this new world.
That is all I could ever hope for with any of these three women; that they would want to continue to grow alongside me and climb to the pinnacle so that we could all stand together, side by side, and never need to worry about anyone or anything.
So that we could stake our claim to this world and eventually settle down and enjoy life to its fullest.
But we need to get there first, and right now, that climb to the top is barely even started.
Those were the thoughts that were on my mind as a new morning arose, the sun peeking over the horizon and lighting the room up, causing the three girls to stir awake.
With a new day came new opportunities, and we had our own plans to surpass ourselves from yesterday; plans that will help make that climb all the more bearable going forwards.