*Pfffffft* Kanum convulsed and sprayed his drink all over the floor and himself.
Shocked by Kanum's sudden actions, Shelt and Shry turned toward Kanum in surprise and concern for his well-being. As they continued to watch, the mother and son looked at each other, and after seeing Kanum stop, Shelt stood up to check up on him.
"Kanum, are you o-"
Before Shelt could finish, Kanum went for another sip, but this time he didn't spit it out. He let the drink run through his tongue, tasting it thoroughly, and after coming to the realization that it wasn't harmful, he downed it and went to pour himself another cup.
The water tasted slightly citrusy, and when it touched his tongue, it felt like his tongue was being zapped by small electric currents. Producing a sensation similar to carbonated drinks but also different at the same time
"Are you—" Shelt got cut off again by Kanum, as he began chugging his water again.
(Stop cutting me off!) Shelt thought in annoyance.
Shelt gave up on getting an answer from Kanum, and instead she decided to test the source of the problem. Shelt lifted her cup skeptically and cautiously took a small sip.
After tasting it, her face scrunched up as well, and in that moment it looked like she went through all 5 stages of grief. Eventually, she realized it wasn't harmful; in fact, she surprisingly liked it but Instead of chugging it down like her husband, Shelt went back to her seat and slowly savored it.
Shry was observing his parents with the side of his eye, and when he saw Shelt's reaction, he began to get excited, so excited that he actually got off the windowsill to get a cup of water for himself.
Without hesitation, he took a sip, and without taking the cup off his lips, he had the biggest smile on his face as he continued sipping the water until he emptied his cup.
*MFP MFP MFP* Shry sucked on the empty cup to get every last drop.
Pouring himself another cup, Shry went back to his spot happily with the cup in his hands.
*Wuoong wuoooong* sounds of flames crackled and reverberated through the air
Suddenly, the flames that made up the phoenix began to intensify immensely, bursting heat waves in droves, causing everyone who felt it to sweat.
The phoenix flew in loops with it's flames growing stronger each time it looped around. As it's flames grew larger, the phoenix's figure became more and more obscure, like its flames were fusing together.
The phoenix looped and looped, faster and faster until finally, all that was left was a blazing ball of flames.
This ball of flame would've melted the entire parade, but it somehow didn't. That's because the normal performers who were flying around earlier all began surrounding the ball of flame.
The performers using the earth element continuously create stones, dirt, and even metal to absorb the heat, while the performers using the wind element help control the flame whilst also making sure that the red-hot minerals don't fly off and hurt someone.
*Tung tung ung*
Dozens of red-hot minerals orbited the ball of flame, creating a spectacle that no one would forget.
As seconds passed, the ball of flame began to shrink, and the minerals followed, eventually forming a cage made from random minerals around the flames, hiding the phoenix's flames inside the now cooled minerals
For a minute, the air grew silent, but then suddenly, the minerals that had gone back to their original colors began to burn red again, and within a split second, the phoenix burst out of its confines, flinging sparks everywhere in the process and creating a spectacle that looked like fireworks.
During this moment, not a single word was exchanged. The scene was so baffling that everyone's breath was taken away; some even forgot to breathe.
"Wow..." Shelt breathed out in a small voice.
With the silence broken, Kanum and Shry visibly shook as they snapped out of their stupor.
Due to the shock he received when the phoenix reappeared, Kanum unknowingly spilled water all over himself. On the other side, although Shry wasn't as soaking wet as Kanum, some water escaped from his mouth and created two wet lines on his shirt.
Finally realizing this, both of them quickly put down their cups. Shry panicked and began dusting off his shirt even though it didn't do anything to help
*Haaahhh* Kanum sighed in resignation as he dangled both of his arms while water drips from his drenched shirt
*Cwaaaak* the phoenix squawked for the first time after escaping it's confinement, gaining gazes of anticipation from it's audience
Hearing this, Kanum and Shry immediately forgot about their wet clothes and turned their attention back to the parade, watching in anticipation of what would happen next.
(This should do), Shelt thought as she browsed through Shry's wardrobe.
The moment Shelt came to her senses, she noticed the wet stains on Shry's shirt. She also turned to look at Kanum, but when she saw him, she widened her eyes. Kanum was somehow wet from head to toe from just one cup of water. Shelt looked at him questioningly for a minute but decided to just ignore him, even though he looked pretty pitiful.
(How do you even do that!) Shelt quietly lampooned
Shelt went through Shry's wardrobe, aiming to find a t-shirt that he doesn't wear often. After sorting through his wardrobe for a minute, she finally found it.
Shelt brought out a black shirt with a picture of a clock in the middle. Looking at the shirt, Shelt wondered why they bought it in the first place since it doesn't suit their son's taste at all. Shaking her head she Ignored that thought and continued with her original objective.
Going up to Shry, Shelt took his shirt off, shocking Shry with her sudden action. At first, Shry resisted a little bit but after a second, he calmed down and complied
*Fiiiiiiwck* the phoenix. Squawk one last time.
The sparks that flew into the sky before suddenly began to come down, making it look like it was raining fire.
During that, The phoenix flew toward the opposite end of the parade. That was when everyone who was watching it without looking at anything else suddenly realized what it was flying to.
At the end of the parade, a medieval-looking tower stood tall as it moved with the parade.
The tower was made out of rough, uneven stones with unlit torches lined all around it like a spiral. Despite its height, the tower managed to glide through the air effortlessly without shaking or even showing any signs of instability.
Sitting atop the tower was a structure that resembled the moon, just like the imitation sun in front. Even though they are similar, the engravings they had varied significantly, and so does the refracted light effect that's caused by them. The moon structure glowed blue, and the refracted light created glowing stars around it.
As the phoenix flew at the tower, it spiraled around it, slowly ascending to the top whilst lighting the torches with its fiery body along the way.
The music also began to change to fit the current events as more and more torches were lit. As the phoenix reached the top, it spread its wings wide, displaying its imposing body for everyone to see.
The flames enhanced one last time, bursting all throughout its body, making it look much bigger and shine brighter.
"Fuuuu fuuuuuuuu" the sound of the flames grew violent
After that, as the phoenix began its descent, it retracted its wings, and steadily, the flames that were once blazing with so much fervor began to die down.
It wrapped its body around the modeled moon, and slowly, almost like it began sleeping, its flames flickered and finally, one last time, the music changed, but this time it sounded somber.
As flames slowly flicked off its body, being carried away by the wind until. The body of the phoenix shrunk and shrunk, until finally, all that remained was a flame as small as a flickering candle and soon, even that was gone
...
For a long time after that, everyone remained silent, still stunned by the performance.
"They really went all out this year, huh?!" Shelt repeated to herself, not expecting an answer.
*Fee fuuuu* Kanum inhaled and exhaled.
"Yeah..." Kanum dazedly replied.
While Shelt and Kanum were in a daze, Shry was still at the window staring at the departing parade, hoping he could see more, but unfortunately for him, that's everything, and he'll just have to wait for next year.
(That was crazy...) Shelt muttered to herself tiredly
Shelt calmed down and slacked onto her chair, staring at the ceiling.
Now that the parade was over, Shelt felt a bit lost, so she began looking around the room, mindlessly, until she reminded of the decorations.
"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask... Why did you choose these decorations?" Shelt gestured at the whole room with her left hand
Kanum thought for a second, but he couldn't find a straight answer, so he decided to give Shelt a witty reply instead.
"Fare Regali is the day of giving, isn't it?"
Kanum smirked coolly as he insinuated that what they did was a gift.
"I personally think we sho-"
Before he could finish, Shelt cut him off and sternly told him otherwise.
"No!"
While they were bickering, Shry finally turned his sight away from the parade. He ran up to his mother and tugged on her shirt, trying to get her attention because he wanted to ask a question.
"Hmm?" Shelt tilted her head and prompted Shry to say something.
"How did the parade begin?" Shry put a finger on his cheek while glancing at the direction of the departing parade.
Hearing this, Shelt pinched her chin as she looked thoughtfully in the same direction, thinking about how to answer her son's question.
Finally coming up with an answer, she turned back and looked at Kanum for a second. She thought she should probably include him in the conversation since he knows more about their world's history than she did, but all those thoughts completely vanished as soon as she laid her eyes on him.
Instead of getting changed out of his drenched clothes, Kanum was just sitting, is stuffing his face with snacks like he hadn't eaten in days.
*Crunch crunch* Kanum bit into a wafer
Noticing Shelt's gaze, Kanum stopped for a second and snagged a blueberry-flavored candy, tossing it at Shelt. Knowing that that's her favorite flavor
As the candy flew, Shelt panicked a little, she even accidentally activated her Node for a second, causing her hand to turn silver for a moment.
"Hoooo..." Shelt breath a sigh of relief as she caught the candy
Clenching the candy in her left hand, Shelt briefly glared at Kanum before resuming her conversation with Shry.
Shelt shook her head from left to right to clear up her thoughts and then began retelling the story.
"A very long time ago, humanity was almost wiped out by the Quartes. We didn't know where they came from, they just appeared one day, not from the sky, ocean or ground"
Stopping for a second, Shelt thoughtfully looked at Shry, making sure he was able to keep up.
"They said that more than half of humanity was wiped in one day, but in their despair, the gods came to them and revealed the world's greatest secret, Node.
Shelt paused again to regain her breath. So she took the opportunity to check on Shry, seeing if he had any questions before she continued, but unexpectedly when she looked, Shry wasn't the only one sitting there anymore.
Kanum had joined in at some point when Shelt was distracted, sitting on his chair backwards, he laid his head on the chair's frame in between his own arms
Kanum gestured for Shelt to continue, and with a defeated sigh, she begrudgingly continued the story.
"When the war against the Quartes reached its climax, a group of scientists created the first resonance hall, giving birth to what we know now as 'new science.' The day after that was a day we all know very well; that day was the first ever Resonance Day."
"A year after that, the anniversary of that day was coming near. Although most people ignored that fact, some like-minded individuals had something planned"
"Even in those trying times, these people didn't lose sight of the light, and on that day, a small and shabby-looking parade wandered around everywhere and anywhere it could. Despite its shabbiness, though, it meant a lot to the people; it was almost like a ray of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel for them"
"So from that day onwards, the parade began to spread, and till today, even after a myriad of years, it still brings insurmountable joy to the people of today."
*Hoof* As she finished her story, Shelt closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Feeling content after finishing her story, she fell back onto her chair, but as she was just getting comfortable, someone's clapping suddenly got her attention.
*Clap, clap, clap*
"Amazing, splendid, spectacular!" Kanum cheered as he wiped a tear from his eye.
(Of course) Shelt sighed internally but couldn't hide her smile.
*Clap, clap, clap, clap* Shry joined in the clapping.
As Shry joined in, Kanum's claps gradually began to slow. After the story, Kanum wanted to add on to it. Mainly because the real reason for the parade has changed over the years. Due to peaceful times, the light that came with the parade back then now shines for a different reason.
Poking the back of Shry's head, Kanum thought about how he should formulate his words. When he finally found the right words to describe what he was thinking, he opened his mouth and began to expand on Shelt's story.
"The parade is not just about celebrating the day new science was created; it is also a celebration for the kids who'll be undergoing Resonance Day tomorrow."
Shry looked at Kanum in surprise, and he then looked back at his mother to gauge her reaction since she was the one who told the story.
Shelt, who was listening in, couldn't agree more with Kanum, so after noticing Shry's expectant gaze, she nodded, confirming Kanum's conjectures.
"So it's like a celebration for me and my friends!" Shry raised his voice in excitement.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah."
Kanum and Shelt replied at the same time, with one being louder than the other, but both just as supportive and enthusiastic
"Really! Then can we go see it again?" Shry responded excitedly.
As Shry finished his sentence, he sprinted toward the door, hoping to catch the parade to watch it a second time.
*Woo-ang*
Before Shry could exit his room, Kanum casually pulled out a black petal and flung it at the door, creating a barrier.
*Paaaang!*
After hitting the barrier, Shry stumbled backwards and fell on his butt.
"Ah!" Shry exclaimed.
When Shry hit the barrier, he instantly knew who was responsible. Shry looked back and pouted. He was annoyed, but he knew that no matter what he did or used, it was pointless to try to break his father's barriers.
"Hey! we can't have just you running out alone, especially during the parade." Kanum defended
Shry didn't say anything in response; he just slumped over, back to his seat, without looking at Kanum.
Shelt, who was watching, patted Kanum on the back in consolation.
If Kanum had not taken action, Shelt would've had to take matters into her own hands, so she was grateful that Kanum had taken the initiative to do it in her stead.
"C'mon, it'll be fine." Shelt comforted Kanum.
Kanum was disappointed in himself. He was supposed to be the fun dad that spoils his children, but his parental instincts kept preventing him from becoming that.
(I know, but it has to be done) Shelt spoke internally
Almost like Shelt knew what Kanum was thinking, she smiled warmly in support. But the She was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea
"Do you two think they could top this year's parade performance?"
Kanum raised his right eyebrow and realized what Shelt was trying to do, so he naturally played along and continued the conversation.
"Maybe they'll bring a real phoenix next time." Kanum answered cheekily.
After Kanum said that, both of them looked at Shry to gauge his response. But when they saw him, it was like he didn't hear them at all.
"What about you Shry?" Shelt asked in a unusually peppy voice but her words fell on deaf ears
Feeling slightly disappointed, they continued chatting, occasionally trying to include Shry in their conversation, but every time they did, they were only met with silence, and even after trying again and again for a while, Shry still hadn't said a single word back, which made his parents worry.
Unknown to them, Shry hadn't been ignoring them on purpose. Well, it was on purpose at the start, but currently, he wasn't; he was thinking of something more important.
Shry wanted to keep the decorations in his room. He thought of ideas on how he could convince his parents. But even after running through numerous scenarios in his head, Shry still couldn't come up with a surefire answer to success. So he decided to take a shot in the dark instead, hoping that it'll land.
(Screw it) Shry stated in his heart
Shry tugged on Shelt's shirt, causing her to be surprised. Shelt raised her right hand, gesturing for Kanum to hold their conversation for now.
Since Shelt thought they'd never get through to Shry, she decided to give him some space and began genuinely chatting with Kanum.
"What's up?" Shelt asked
Even after getting their attention, Shry didn't know what to say. He was sure he could convince his father, but when it came to his mother, he knew he would have to choose his words wisely. So he fell into thought again without answering his mother, tilting his head downwards and pinching his lips, Shry tried his best to formulate his words
Shelt watched Shry with a complicated face; she was mostly worried for him, but she also felt extremely confused. Shry went up to her and tugged on her shirt, making it seem like he wanted to ask her about something, but instead of doing that, he just stood there and periodically made some random gestures like swinging his knees and pinching his lip.
Getting tired of this, Shelt was about to speak up, but before she could, she noticed Shry raising his lips, ready to finally speak.
"Can I... um... keep the decorations in my room?"