"Dad? What happened, why are you staring at me like that?"
Dante crossed the room in two steps and threw his arms around his son with a force that had nothing careful about it, burying his face against the boy's head, shoulders shaking.
"You little bastard," he said, his voice cracked and uneven. "It's been a whole year."
Lucas sat stiff in his father's grip, genuinely confused. "What do you mean by that, father?"
Dante pulled back just enough to look at him. "You were unconscious for a whole year and I wa-"
"What do you remember from the dream you had."
Lucas looked past his father's shoulder. Charles was already there, sitting in his usual spot, arms folded, looking at Lucas with the same unhurried expression he always had, like the reunion happening two feet in front of him was a minor detail in a day that had plenty of them.
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
Dante straightened up and cleared his throat. "This is your new mentor and teacher. Charles Bloom. The Sin of Sloth."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Charles."
Charles tilted his head slightly. "I like him," he said, to no one in particular. "Kid has manners." His eyes stayed on Lucas. "You didn't answer my question."
"Ah, my bad. But I don't remember anything."
Charles held his gaze for a moment. "That's odd," he said simply.
Then it hit Lucas all at once, cutting through everything else.
"His brother." He sat up sharply. "Romeo, where's Romeo?"
"Relax. Your brother is stronger than you. He was awake two weeks after the incident and has been training with the Emperor since."
The breath Lucas let out was long and slow, his whole body settling.
Charles gave him exactly two seconds of it. "You start tomorrow."
Dante turned. "What the hell are you saying. He just woke up."
Charles glanced at him with the quiet patience of someone who has had this conversation before. "With all due respect, Chief Dante, are you blind? The kid is completely healed. I don't know how, but he is."
Dante looked at his son. Really looked. Lucas was sitting upright, color in his face, breathing easy, not a wound on him. He exhaled slowly and let it go.
"Alright." He turned back to Lucas. "You'll be training with Charles for six years. After that you'll still be his student, but you'll enter the Academy." He paused, and something lighter crossed his face. "Your sister is already training too, with the Sin of Lust. Just a heads up, if she beats your ass, kiddo."
Lucas laughed. "Don't worry dad, I'm not gonna piss her off."
Dante smiled, held it for a moment, then looked at Charles. "Let's go."
Charles unfolded himself from the chair and stood. He glanced at Lucas once more on his way out. "Rest well. Tomorrow is your big day."
Lucas gave them a salutation as they moved toward the door. Charles paused for just a fraction of a second, his eyes dropping to the ring sitting on the boy's finger. He said nothing. He turned and walked out.
Lucas closed his eyes and was asleep before the room had fully settled into silence.
Charles whispered into Dante's ear the moment they cleared the doorway.
"No one has to know he's awake yet."
Dante pulled back slightly and looked at him. "What? Why?"
Charles kept walking. "I don't have to explain myself. It's for his best."
Dante fell into step beside him, voice lower now. "Is it the Ashen Killer?"
Charles didn't look at him."Cunt's not the only problem."
Silence stretched between them down the corridor.