Hearing those familiar words—the core philosophy his late wife had lived by—the Golden Hero let out a soft, incredibly proud sigh. The tension that had accumulated over ten long years finally seemed to completely dissipate from the room.
Across the giant bounty of food, the father and son looked at each other and smiled, the distance between them finally closing as they began to eat together as a family once more.
They ate in comfortable silence for a moment, relishing the rich flavors of the meal and simply enjoying the rare peace of being just the two of them after a decade apart. The warmth of the food and the quiet comfort of the kitchen made the long years of separation feel like they were finally beginning to heal.
Suddenly, the quiet atmosphere shattered.
With a sharp clatter, his father dropped his spoon onto the plate. His massive right hand flew to his opposite arm, gripping it with a fierce, crushing intensity.
