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[POV - Rito][Yuuki House - Late afternoon]
Click.
The key turned in the lock like a sigh of relief, announcing the return home. Home. Funny how four walls and a roof could mean so much when you knew it might be the last time you'd return as just "Yuuki Rito, ordinary student."
Patter-patter-patter.
Light footsteps echoed through the corridor — Mikan running to greet us, as always. My little sister... damn, how difficult it was going to be to explain this.
— Rito! — she shouted, throwing herself into my arms as if I had returned from a war. — You took so long! Dinner's almost ready and... — she paused, studying me with those perceptive eyes she inherited from mom. — Did something happen?
Smart girl.
Always knew when something was wrong.
— Mikan — I began, placing my hand on her head — I need to talk to you all. All of you.
Lala, who had been clinging to my arm during the entire walk home, finally let go and looked at me with growing curiosity.
— Rito-kun, who were those girls anyway? — she asked, tilting her head like a curious dog.
— That's what I need to talk about — I took a deep breath. — Shall we go to the living room?
Step-step-step.
We headed to the living room, where Asia was already preparing tea with that domestic efficiency that always impressed me. She smiled when she saw us, but soon frowned upon noticing my expression.
— Rito-san? — her voice carried that maternal concern that always melted me. — Is everything alright?
— Sit here, Asia — I said gently, gesturing to the sofa. — All of you.
Thud-thud-thud.
The sound of hearts beating — not just mine, but theirs too. I could feel the anxiety growing in the air like morning mist.
When they all settled down — Lala on my right side, Asia on my left, Mikan in the armchair facing me like a judge — I sighed heavily.
— Well... — I began, searching for the right words. — Those girls today... were representatives of a religious organization. And... they came to invite me to an important meeting.
— Religious meeting? — Mikan repeated, raising an eyebrow. — Rito, since when are you religious?
Ha.
If she only knew...
— It's complicated — I murmured. — But the point is... I'll have to travel. For about a week.
Silence.
The silence that followed was thick as molasses. I could hear the wall clock going tick-tock, each second marking the reality of the situation.
— A WEEK?! — Lala exploded like an erupting volcano. — Rito, you can't stay away from me for a week! What if something happens? What if you get lost? What if...
— Lala — I interrupted her gently, taking her hand. — Everything will be fine. It's just a week.
— But why? — Asia asked, her big eyes shining with unshed tears. — What's so important that you need to go away?
Damn. How to explain that I was going to meet with three supernatural factions to discuss my true cosmic identity?
— It's... — I paused, carefully choosing my words — an opportunity for personal growth. Something that can help resolve some... pending issues.
Mikan studied me for a long moment, those sharp eyes like a scalpel dissecting every word.
— Rito — she said finally — you're lying. Or at least, you're not telling the whole truth.
Busted.
— Mikan...
— No — she raised her hand. — I don't want bogus explanations. Just... — her voice became lower, more vulnerable — you're going to come back, right?
My heart almost broke in my chest. Seeing my little sister like this, worried, reminding me that despite all my cosmic power, I was still her older brother.
— Of course I'm coming back — I said firmly, getting up and going to her. I knelt in front of the armchair and took her small hands. — Mikan, I'll always come back to you all. Always.
Sniffle.
She sniffled, trying not to cry.
— Promise?
— I promise.
Group hug incoming.
Lala and Asia joined the hug, creating a pile of arms and colorful hair that smelled like home, like family, like everything I treasured most in the world.
— When do you leave? — Asia asked, her voice muffled by the hug.
— Tomorrow morning — I replied. — I'll meet the girls at the airport.
— Then — Lala declared with renewed determination — today will be the best day of your life! We'll do everything you like!
And that's exactly what we did.
[Tokyo Airport - Next morning]
Whoooosh.
The sound of planes taking off created a mechanical symphony that vibrated in the bones. Airports always had this frenetic energy, this feeling that a thousand stories began and ended every minute.
Ding-dong.
— JAL Flight 405 to Rome is now calling for priority boarding at gate 15.
There they were. Irina and Xenovia, standing near the boarding gate, wearing civilian clothes but still carrying that unmistakable military posture. When they saw me approaching, both bowed respectfully.
— Father — Irina greeted, her voice low so as not to draw attention. — Ready for the trip?
— As ready as someone can be to explain their cosmic existence to three factions of supernatural beings — I replied with an ironic smile.
Xenovia almost smiled. Almost.
Step-step-step.
We walked to the boarding line, where I discovered that Michael had put us in first class. Of course he had.
— Nervous? — asked Irina as we handed over our passports.
— Curious — I corrected. — It's been a while since I've been to Rome. And I've never been to the Vatican officially.
— Officially? — Xenovia repeated.
— It's a long story — I murmured.
[JAL Flight 405 - Over the Pacific]
Hummmmm.
The constant hum of the engines created a technological lullaby. First class was... comfortable. Seats that turned into beds, food that didn't look like plastic, and enough privacy to talk without being heard.
— Father — Irina leaned toward my seat — may I ask a personal question?
— You may.
— Why Earth? — she asked, genuinely curious. — Of all the places in the universe, why did you choose to live here as... well... as human?
I looked out the window, seeing clouds pass by like giant cotton candy.
— Because — I replied after a moment — humans are interesting. They have something that most cosmic beings have lost over the millennia.
— What?
— Innocent hope — I said simply. — They believe in better things, even when everything goes wrong. They love deeply, even knowing they'll suffer. They fight for things they don't always fully understand.
Xenovia leaned in to hear better.
— And you wanted to experience that?
— I wanted to understand that — I corrected. — And maybe... maybe I wanted to remember what it's like to be simple. What it's like to worry about small things. School tests. Relationships. What to eat for lunch.
Ding.
The turbulence warning lit up, but the flight continued smoothly.
— Did it work? — Irina asked. — Were you able to be... simple?
I thought about Lala and her crazy inventions. About Asia and her infinite kindness. About Mikan and her little sister's concern. About Haruna and her shy smiles.
— It worked better than I expected — I admitted with a smile.
[Rome Airport - 14 hours later]
Thud.
The plane touched Italian soil with the elegance of a swan landing on water. Rome. The Eternal City. Ironic that I, being technically eternal, was visiting.
Step-step-step.
We got off the plane and were greeted by... well, by a contingent that looked like something out of an action movie. Men in black suits, dark glasses, and that "don't mess with us" aura that screamed "papal security."
— Mr. Yuuki — one of them approached respectfully — I'm Cardinal Morrison. Welcome to Italy.
— Thank you, Cardinal — I replied, noticing how he avoided direct eye contact. Interesting.
Vroom.
A convoy of black cars was waiting for us outside. Typical of the Vatican — never doing anything halfway.
[Road to the Vatican]
Whoosh.
The Italian landscape passed by the window like moving paintings. Green hills, ancient villages, history in every stone. It was beautiful in a way that only places with millennia of history could be.
— Father — Xenovia spoke quietly — Michael is... quite nervous.
— I figured — I laughed. — He's probably having nightmares about how to explain the situation to the other leaders.
— Actually — Irina interjected — he has been. Raphael said Michael hasn't slept properly since he heard about the meeting.
Poor Michael.
— And the other Archangels? — I asked, curious.
— Gabriel is excited to see you again — Irina smiled. — Raphael wants to ask a thousand questions about your... human experience. And Uriel... well, Uriel is being Uriel.
— Meaning?
— He's reorganized the entire celestial security protocol three times this week — Xenovia explained. — "To ensure the Father is received appropriately," according to him.
Sigh.
I sighed. Sometimes I forgot how... intense... angels were when it came to protocol.
Ding.
My phone buzzed. Message from Lala:
"Rito! How's the trip? Have you arrived yet? I miss you! Asia made your favorite dish for dinner, but without you it's not the same. Come back soon! ❤️"
I smiled, typing back:
"Just arrived in Rome. Everything's fine there. Take care. I love you."
— News from home? — Irina asked, noticing my smile.
— Just reminders of what I'm coming back to — I replied, putting the phone away.
[Vatican Gates]
Creak.
The gates opened as if revealing the secrets of the universe. And maybe they were. The Vatican always had this aura of mystery, this feeling that things greater than human understanding happened within these walls.
Step-step-step.
We got out of the cars and were escorted through corridors that seemed made of marble and history. Ancient tapestries, frescoes that were centuries old, and that unmistakable smell of incense and holiness.
— Your Holiness — Cardinal Morrison stopped in front of an ornate door — Archangel Michael is waiting in the Private Audience Hall.
— Thank you, Cardinal — I nodded.
Knock-knock.
We knocked on the door, and Michael's familiar voice echoed from within:
— Enter.
Creak.
The door opened, revealing Michael in all his angelic glory, but... there was something different about him. More tense. More worried.
— Yuuki Rito — he said, and for the first time in eras, I heard uncertainty in his voice. — Welcome back to the Vatican.
— Michael — I replied calmly. — Thank you for the hospitality.
He studied me for a moment, as if trying to read something he couldn't decipher.
— The meeting in Kuou is scheduled for the day after tomorrow — he said finally. — That gives us time to... talk. There's much we need to discuss.
— Yes — I agreed. — There is much indeed.
And as preparations for Kuou began around us, I couldn't help but think that in less than 48 hours, my life as a normal student would come to an end.
At least officially.
After all, how do you go back to pretending to be normal after meeting with three supernatural factions to discuss your role as an incarnate divinity?
Sigh.
It was going to be interesting to find out.