The fourth morning started with shouting.
"THAT IS NOT HOW YOU CUT VEGETABLES."
Kaien blinked awake immediately afterward.
For one brief terrifying second his instincts convinced him Novaris was under attack.
Then Nyra's sleepy voice mumbled beside him,
"…your mother found you in the kitchen again."
Kaien stared at the ceiling silently afterward.
"…I was trying to help."
Lyss buried her face into the pillow trying not to laugh.
"Last time you almost burned water."
"That was one time."
Nyra slowly lifted her head afterward before looking directly at him.
"You managed to ignite steam."
Kaien remained silent.
Because unfortunately that had actually happened somehow.
Years mastering divine weapons apparently did not improve cooking skills.
At all.
Another dramatic sound echoed from downstairs afterward.
"ELIAS, STOP ENCOURAGING HIM."
Nyra immediately started laughing.
"We should probably save your father."
Downstairs looked exactly as chaotic as expected.
Lyra stood near the kitchen counter holding a knife like she was seconds away from declaring war while Elias calmly sat nearby pretending nothing unusual was happening.
Kaien quietly entered afterward.
"I said I was sorry."
Lyra pointed dramatically toward the ruined vegetables afterward.
"That is not chopping."
Nyra leaned over afterward studying the disaster carefully.
"…I think he attacked them."
Lyss nodded solemnly.
"The vegetables lost the battle."
Kaien felt deeply unsupported in this household.
Elias finally folded his newspaper afterward before calmly speaking.
"In his defense…"
Kaien looked hopeful immediately.
"…he destroyed them very efficiently."
Traitor.
Nyra nearly collapsed laughing afterward while even Lyra failed to hold back a smile.
Kaien quietly decided never helping again was reasonable.
Despite the chaos—
the days continued peacefully afterward.
Almost unbelievably peacefully.
Kaien still struggled adjusting to how normal everything felt sometimes.
No combat deployments.
No emergency strategy meetings.
No blood.
Just ordinary life.
Something that somehow felt more foreign to him than war itself.
Later that afternoon Nyra dragged everyone toward the market district despite Kaien clearly not wanting to go.
"You need sunlight."
"I literally control solar resonance."
"That's not the same thing."
Kaien quietly accepted defeat immediately afterward because arguing with Nyra required energy he no longer possessed.
The market streets bustled with life today.
Warm food stalls lined the roads while music echoed softly through the district. Civilians moved through the streets without fear now compared to earlier war years. Solar Guard patrols passed occasionally in the distance, but the atmosphere remained relaxed overall.
Kaien quietly noticed something important walking through the city today.
People smiled more now.
Children played openly again.
Shops stayed open later.
Families gathered outside without constantly glancing toward the sky in fear.
The war still existed.
But humanity no longer looked like it was waiting for extinction every second.
And deep down—
Kaien realized how badly he needed to see that.
Unfortunately peace also meant civilians had more free time to recognize him constantly.
"WAIT THAT'S HIM."
Kaien physically flinched hearing that sentence now.
Nyra noticed immediately afterward.
"You react like manifestations are attacking."
"Crowds are worse."
Lyss laughed softly beside him afterward.
Within moments several civilians carefully approached them.
A young boy nervously held up a small handmade Solar Guard spear afterward.
"Mister Kaien…"
Kaien still visibly struggled whenever people treated him like a hero publicly.
The child continued anyway.
"My sister survived because of the armor you made."
Silence followed briefly afterward.
Then Kaien slowly knelt down afterward.
"I'm glad."
The boy smiled brightly immediately afterward.
Then another person approached.
Then another.
Not asking for autographs or praise.
Just thanking him.
Because the lives he saved had faces now.
Families.
Children.
Ordinary people.
Nyra quietly watched Kaien throughout it all afterward.
The way he still looked uncomfortable receiving gratitude.
The way he listened carefully whenever someone spoke about surviving because of him.
The way he never acted above anyone despite the terrifying power he carried.
Then softly she smiled to herself.
Somehow after multiple lifetimes…
he still remained painfully human underneath everything.
By evening they finally escaped the crowds and returned home carrying far too many unnecessary things Lyra requested from the market.
Kaien ended up carrying most of them naturally.
"Why are these bags so heavy?"
Nyra looked entirely innocent afterward.
"Vegetables."
"These feel like bricks."
Lyss quietly whispered beside him,
"She absolutely packed extra things into your bags."
"I heard that," Nyra replied immediately.
Kaien stared at both of them afterward.
"…you're bullying me."
"Yes," they answered together.
Kaien realized this relationship lacked respect entirely.
Night settled quietly afterward while warm lights filled the house again.
Dinner became another loud family event full of conversation and interruptions while Elias attempted telling old stories only for Lyra to correct every exaggerated detail immediately.
At some point the topic shifted toward Kaien's childhood.
Which instantly became dangerous.
"Oh no," Kaien muttered immediately.
Nyra looked interested already.
Lyss too.
Lyra smiled far too brightly afterward.
"When he was six he tried building a combat drone from kitchen appliances."
Kaien closed his eyes briefly afterward.
Elias nodded proudly.
"It almost worked."
"It exploded."
"A minor issue."
"It destroyed our sink."
Nyra looked absolutely delighted hearing this while Lyss struggled to breathe from laughter.
Kaien quietly covered his face afterward.
"This family shares too much information."
Lyra ignored him completely.
"He also once disappeared for five hours because he wanted to 'study combat positioning' during hide and seek."
Nyra physically leaned against the table laughing afterward.
"You were a tiny war criminal."
Kaien looked toward Elias accusingly afterward.
"This is your fault somehow."
Elias looked calm.
"Probably."
Much later that night after everyone else slept, Kaien quietly stepped outside onto the rooftop terrace alone.
Cool wind moved softly across Novaris while distant city lights stretched endlessly beneath the dark skies.
Peaceful again.
For now.
Kaien leaned against the railing afterward while quietly staring toward the horizon.
Then footsteps approached behind him.
Nyra.
Naturally.
"You disappeared dramatically again."
Kaien glanced toward her afterward.
"I walked upstairs."
"Dramatically."
Kaien decided not arguing was healthier.
Nyra moved beside him afterward before quietly leaning against the railing too.
For several moments neither spoke.
Then softly she asked,
"You're thinking about the war again, aren't you?"
Kaien remained silent briefly.
Then nodded once.
"I can feel it getting closer."
The wind shifted slightly around them afterward.
"The Entity's moving."
Nyra's expression dimmed slightly.
"Kael?"
Kaien's jaw tightened subtly afterward.
"…yes."
Silence followed again.
Heavy this time.
Then Nyra gently reached for his hand afterward.
"You know…"
Kaien looked toward her quietly.
"…it's okay to be afraid of losing this."
The city lights reflected softly within her eyes afterward.
"You don't always have to pretend you're fearless."
Kaien slowly looked away afterward.
Because the truth was—
he was terrified now.
Not of death.
Not of battle.
But of losing peace after finally finding it again.
Nyra softly squeezed his hand afterward.
Then quietly smiled.
"So until the war comes…"
She leaned lightly against him.
"…stay with us a little longer."
Kaien looked toward the glowing city beneath the night sky afterward.
Toward the home waiting below.
Toward the people who somehow became his reason to keep fighting.
Then very quietly—
"…okay."