The next morning felt quieter than usual.
Not because the city itself had calmed—Novaris never truly slept anymore during wartime—but because Kaien himself finally allowed his mind to slow down.
For years every morning began with reports.
Casualty numbers.
Battlefront updates.
Manifestation outbreaks.
Now though—
he stood beside Nyra and Lyss waiting outside a familiar house in the center district of Novaris while holding a small bag his mother had specifically demanded he bring back months ago and somehow never did.
The twins quietly watched him from beside the front gate afterward.
Kaien looked strangely tense.
Nyra immediately noticed.
"You're nervous."
Kaien frowned instantly.
"I fought manifestation titans."
"And?"
"I'm not nervous."
Lyss smiled knowingly afterward.
"You've been standing outside the gate for three whole minutes."
Kaien glanced toward the house again afterward.
Then quietly sighed.
"…that's different."
Nyra immediately smirked.
"Terrified of your mother. Understood."
Kaien actually looked mildly offended afterward.
"I'm not terrified."
Then after a pause—
"…I'm cautious."
Both twins burst into laughter immediately afterward.
And before Kaien could defend himself further—
the front door opened.
"Kaien?"
His mother stood there frozen for exactly one second before immediately rushing toward him.
"YOU FINALLY REMEMBERED YOU HAVE PARENTS."
Kaien barely had time to react before Lyra pulled him into a crushing hug.
Nyra quietly whispered beside him afterward,
"She's stronger than you."
Kaien unfortunately couldn't disagree right now.
Lyra pulled away just enough to grab his face dramatically afterward.
"You disappeared for almost two months."
"I was deployed."
"You can call."
"There was a war."
"There is always a war."
Kaien lost immediately.
Again.
Nyra and Lyss were trying very hard not to laugh openly now.
Lyra finally noticed them afterward and instantly brightened.
"Oh, my daughters are here too."
Kaien blinked slowly.
"…your daughters?"
Lyra looked completely serious afterward.
"I adopted them emotionally after the wedding."
Nyra immediately nodded solemnly.
"Reasonable."
Lyss smiled warmly too.
Kaien realized betrayal surrounded him completely.
The house itself had barely changed over the years.
Simple wooden walls mixed with modern reinforced materials.
Warm lighting.
Old family photographs beside military commendations Elias never displayed publicly anywhere else.
Despite Elias Veyr holding one of the highest positions within Dominion High Command—
their home remained painfully ordinary.
Because Elias himself was painfully ordinary.
Not weak.
Not unimportant.
Simply grounded.
He hated luxury.
Avoided politics whenever possible.
Preferred repairing things personally instead of ordering servants or machines to do it.
Lyra was exactly the same.
Neither of them ever cared much about status despite the influence surrounding their family now.
And honestly—
Kaien quietly appreciated that more with age.
The world treated him like a divine weapon constantly outside this house.
Here though—
he was still just their son.
The smell of food filled the home almost immediately once they entered.
Lyra refused to let any of them help. Naturally.
Which meant Kaien ended up sitting awkwardly in the living room while Nyra and Lyss somehow got dragged into kitchen conversations within minutes.
Elias quietly entered from another room shortly afterward carrying a stack of old reports.
The older man stopped briefly seeing Kaien before a small smile appeared across his face.
"You actually listened to the council for once."
Kaien leaned back slightly afterward.
"They forced me."
"Good."
That response came far too quickly.
Kaien looked mildly betrayed immediately.
Elias simply sat down across from him afterward while calmly setting the reports aside.
For several moments neither spoke.
Not awkwardly.
Comfortably.
Then Elias quietly asked,
"How are you really doing?"
That question immediately felt heavier than normal.
Because Elias never asked casually.
Kaien looked toward the kitchen briefly where laughter echoed softly between Lyra, Nyra, and Lyss.
Then finally answered honestly.
"…better."
Elias studied him carefully afterward.
The red mark between Kaien's eyes remained faintly visible even now.
The older man noticed it immediately of course.
"You changed again."
Kaien nodded once.
"I know."
Elias remained silent briefly afterward before calmly asking,
"Dangerous?"
Kaien considered the question carefully.
Then quietly answered,
"…probably."
Elias sighed softly afterward.
"That's becoming a pattern."
Kaien almost smiled faintly hearing that.
Almost.
Then Elias leaned back slightly afterward.
"The war's stabilizing."
Kaien nodded.
"I saw the reports."
"Solar Guard changed everything."
Pride existed within Elias's voice now. Quiet but unmistakable.
"You gave humanity a future again."
Kaien looked away slightly afterward.
"I just gave them time."
Elias immediately shook his head.
"Time is the most important thing during war."
That answer lingered quietly afterward.
Because Kaien understood it deeply.
More time meant more lives saved.
More preparation.
More chances.
More moments like this one.
Lunch quickly turned chaotic afterward.
Mostly because Lyra apparently decided years of missed family interaction needed compensation immediately.
Kaien barely sat down before questions started flying across the table.
"Are you eating properly?"
"Yes."
"Sleeping?"
"…sometimes."
"That means no."
Nyra immediately joined the attack afterward.
"He stays awake staring dramatically out windows."
Kaien stared at her in betrayal.
Lyss nodded helpfully too.
"And overthinks everything."
Lyra looked horrified instantly afterward.
"He got that from Elias."
Elias looked offended.
"I absolutely did not—"
"You once spent four hours staring at a broken lamp because you were 'thinking strategically.'"
Nyra almost choked laughing immediately afterward while Kaien slowly turned toward his father.
"…seriously?"
Elias remained dignified for exactly three seconds.
Then quietly muttered,
"It was complicated."
The entire table erupted laughing afterward.
And strangely enough—
Kaien found himself laughing too.
Actually laughing.
Not forced.
Not polite.
Real.
Lyra noticed immediately afterward.
Her expression softened quietly seeing it.
Because she honestly could not remember the last time her son looked this relaxed.
War had stolen too much from him already.
Yet today—
for just a little while—
he looked young again.
Not humanity's protector.
Not the Sunmarked warrior.
Just Kaien.
Evening slowly settled outside afterward while warm lights filled the house.
Nyra and Lyss eventually ended up helping Lyra clean the kitchen despite her endless protests while Elias stepped outside briefly onto the porch.
Kaien followed him quietly afterward.
The streets outside remained peaceful tonight.
Children still played nearby despite the distant military patrols.
Elias crossed his arms quietly while watching the town.
Then softly said,
"You know your mother worries constantly."
Kaien leaned against the porch railing afterward.
"I know."
"She still checks military casualty lists herself every morning."
Kaien's expression dimmed slightly afterward.
Because he could imagine it perfectly.
Elias glanced toward him quietly afterward.
"You don't have to carry everything alone anymore."
Kaien remained silent.
Then finally spoke honestly.
"…I don't know how not to."
Elias nodded slowly afterward.
"I figured."
The older man looked toward the sky quietly afterward before continuing.
"But you have people now who'll carry part of it with you."
Kaien looked through the house window afterward where Nyra and Lyss laughed together with Lyra in the kitchen.
Warm light surrounded them softly.
Home.
A feeling he lost too many times across too many lives.
Then Elias quietly smiled beside him.
"And honestly…"
Kaien glanced toward him again.
"…seeing you this happy is enough for us."
Kaien froze slightly afterward.
Because somehow—
that simple sentence hit harder than battlefield wounds ever could.