This winter break felt like an eternity to Dio.
It was nothing short of a relentless parenting hell that left him mentally drained.
Clark, that big oaf, was nowhere to be seen half the time, probably off gallivanting in some corner of nowhere.
Dad—Locke—meanwhile, was knee-deep in the farm's experimental fields, like he was in a personal showdown with those genetically tweaked crops.
So, to keep Saraphiel from driving him up the wall, Dio had to focus like never before, pushing himself to the absolute limit of multitasking to fine-tune his control over his Stand's power.
He needed The World to move with finesse—
Like building a block castle with the lightest touch, without turning the blocks to sawdust.
Flipping book pages with precise speed, making sure he didn't accidentally set them on fire with a slip of focus.
Or even using The World's massive fingers to delicately pick a sesame crumb off Saraphiel's mouth without so much as a scratch.
This level of multitasking and micro-control over his Stand was like walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss!
Each success hammered Dio's mental strength, stretched his limits, and sharpened his precision.
The sweat beading on his forehead while reading wasn't from tricky book problems—it was from the sheer effort of splitting his focus to make The World hand Saraphiel a water cup without crushing it and soaking the kid.
And so, time passed in this grind of Saraphiel's endless "Muda" babbling and Dio's Stand micromanagement.
But through this daily torture, Dio started to notice something: his control over his Stand had reached a new, almost surgical level of precision.
His mental energy flowed smoother, like an extension of his own arm.
His commands were pinpoint accurate, with barely any wasted effort.
Every joint, every muscle twitch of The World felt like an extension of his own nerves, letting him wield it with unmatched control.
And this growth…
It was proven on an ordinary afternoon!
Buzz buzz buzz!
A stray wasp wandered into the quiet living room.
As soon as it zoomed in, it was like a rogue mini-bomber, making a beeline for Saraphiel, who was happily gnawing on a teething toy on the carpet.
The little guy didn't notice a thing, even reaching out with a drool-covered chubby hand, curious about the buzzing thing.
Dio's eyes were glued to his book, but his superhuman senses had already clocked the tiny threat.
In the split second when the wasp's venomous stinger was less than an inch from Saraphiel's soft little hand—
He didn't even look up. His mind snapped into action like a reflex!
Buzz—!
The time-stop field erupted around him!
0.1 seconds… 0.2 seconds… 0.3 seconds… 0.4 seconds… 0.5 seconds… 0.6 seconds… 0.7 seconds…
In the frozen world, everything went silent.
The wasp hung in midair, its stinger gleaming with menace.
Dio's mind was stretched taut, ready to move The World.
But then…
The frozen river of time, under the push of his mental will, inched forward just a tiny, undeniable bit!
1 second… 1.5 seconds…
Time resumed.
Snap!
With a faint but crisp sound…
The wasp, which had been buzzing aggressively a moment ago, turned to dust just centimeters from Saraphiel's fingers—not a single drop of goo splattered.
Dio froze.
Just now… did time… stop for a little longer?
Beyond his previous limit?!
His heart pounded. He immediately focused every ounce of his mind, shutting out all distractions, and tried to activate The World again.
0.1 seconds… 0.2 seconds… 0.3 seconds… 0.4 seconds… 0.5 seconds… 0.6 seconds… 0.7 seconds…
1.5 seconds!
This time, he felt it clearly!
The frozen field held steady, smooth, as natural as breathing—for a full 1.5 seconds!
It was like he'd carved out a pocket of time that was his to command!
But before Dio could fully savor the thrill of this breakthrough, Saraphiel's face lit up with a mix of awe and admiration.
The baby was waving his little arms excitedly in Dio's direction.
Dio's page-turning hand paused.
He tilted his head slightly, catching Saraphiel's sparkling, worshipful black eyes locked on him, accompanied by the off-key but unmistakable "Muda… Muda…"
A strange, indescribable sense of satisfaction crept into Dio's heart, tugging the corners of his mouth into a faint, uncontrollable smirk.
---
Dusk settled in.
The sunset bathed the farm in a warm, orange glow.
Locke, done with the day's work, pushed open the door, carrying the scent of dirt and sweat.
"Hey, Dad," Dio called out casually, leaning against the doorframe, flipping a coin in his hand, his golden hair glinting in the fading light.
He stopped Locke, who was heading to wash up, his voice carrying a subtle, eager edge typical of a teenager ready to show off.
Locke paused, turning to face him. His eyes held a knowing glint, a half-smile playing on his lips, like he already knew what was coming.
Dio didn't say a word, but his expression sharpened instantly.
All his mental energy surged like rivers to the sea, condensing into a razor-sharp focus!
An invisible aura spread from him.
Buzz—!
The time-stop wave rippled out, silent but steady, stronger than ever before!
The dust floating in the living room, the birds flapping toward their nests outside, even the flames flickering in the fireplace—all froze as if someone hit pause on the world!
An absolute, heart-stopping silence enveloped everything!
Feeling the stable, extended 1.5-second domain, Dio's lips curled into a smug, victorious grin.
But then…
His vision blurred!
It was like a gentle, irresistible force nudged him.
When he snapped back to reality, he wasn't where he'd been standing!
He was now at the foot of the stairs to the second floor.
?!
How?!
He whipped around to see Locke, still standing where he was, a faint smile on his face like he hadn't moved an inch.
"…"
Dio's face flushed, his fists clenched, and he finally spat out, "Old man, you're too much."
Locke just shrugged, like it was no big deal.
He stepped forward smoothly, reached out with a warm, calloused hand—rough from years of Kansas farming—and ruffled Dio's shining blonde hair with unmistakable pride.
"You're growing up, kid."
His low voice carried weight.
Just a few simple words…
But they hit harder than any fancy praise ever could!
Dio instinctively twitched to dodge his dad's rough affection but froze instead.
He let that warm, earthy hand rest on his head.
The golden sunset streamed through the window, stretching the shadows of father and son long across the floor.
So ordinary, like no one would notice…
That the two of them had a few extra seconds of time compared to everyone else.
[Parental Privilege Loading]
[Star Platinum · The World: Time Stop → 8 Seconds]