The mansion woke with the smell of fresh bread and tea. Sunlight spilled through wide windows, casting soft golden beams across the dining room. Kaelthar had willed the food into existence before the others stirred, and by the time footsteps echoed down the polished hall, the table was already set.
Rias was the first to appear, her crimson hair loose around her shoulders, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She stopped in the doorway, blinking at the spread. "You… cooked?"
Kaelthar raised an eyebrow. "Cooked is a generous word. I called it into being."
Her lips quirked into a small smile. "I suppose that counts." She slid into a chair and reached for a cup of tea. "It feels… normal. Like a family breakfast."
Before Kaelthar could answer, Kunou came barreling in, tail swishing wildly. "He said I could pick my room, and I did!" she announced proudly. "It has the best view. You can see the mountains from the balcony."
Yasaka followed more slowly, graceful as ever, but there was a softness to her gaze as she looked at her daughter. "She hardly slept, she was too excited exploring every corner."
"I had to make sure it was safe," Kunou defended with a grin, snatching a piece of fruit.
Akeno entered next, perfectly put together despite the early hour. She gave Kaelthar a knowing look as she sat down. "You're spoiling us again. If you keep this up, Rias won't want to go back to the underworld at all."
Rias shot her a glare over her teacup. "I never said that."
Koneko appeared last, silent as always, and simply sat down without a word, reaching for bread.
The room filled with the sounds of clinking dishes, soft laughter, and the kind of easy conversation that came only when walls began to fall away.
After breakfast, they wandered through the mansion together. Rias trailed her fingers along the banister of the grand staircase, marveling at how natural everything felt. Akeno examined the library, delighted to find shelves already lined with books.
"These aren't just for show," she said, pulling one free and flipping it open. The text inside was vivid, alive. "You actually wrote these into existence?"
Kaelthar gave a slight nod. "Knowledge is a foundation. A house without it is hollow."
Rias glanced at him, thoughtful. "You always think in terms of foundations."
"Because everything else crumbles without them," he replied.
She fell quiet at that, her expression unreadable.
Kunou, meanwhile, had dragged Koneko upstairs to show her the "best balcony in the world." Their laughter echoed faintly through the halls, a rare, light sound from both of them.
Yasaka lingered near Kaelthar as the others explored. She looked around the mansion, her eyes soft but tinged with something unspoken. "You built them a sanctuary," she said quietly. "Not just walls, but a place where their hearts can rest."
Kaelthar's gaze followed the sound of Kunou's laughter upstairs. "Every warrior needs a place to return to. Even if it's only temporary."
Her smile was gentle, but her voice carried weight. "Temporary or not, it matters."
By evening, the group gathered in the garden. Fireflies drifted through the air, and the scent of jasmine carried on the breeze. Rias leaned back against the stone bench, eyes lifted to the stars.
"I almost forgot what the outside sky looked like," she murmured. "Your dimension was… beautiful, but this feels real."
Akeno chuckled softly. "You were only there a week, Rias. Don't sound like you've been imprisoned."
"Easy for you to say. You slipped out twice."
Koneko, sitting cross-legged on the grass, looked up. "I went with you."
Rias turned to her, eyebrows lifting. "And you didn't say anything?"
Koneko shrugged, deadpan. "You didn't ask."
Akeno laughed, covering her mouth with delicate fingers. "She's not wrong."
Rias groaned, rubbing her temples. "I'm surrounded by traitors."
Even Kunou giggled at that, tail flicking happily as she rested against Yasaka's side.
The laughter faded into a softer quiet, the kind that only comes when everyone feels safe. Rias broke it first, her voice lower now, almost hesitant.
"Kaelthar," she said, turning her crimson eyes toward him. "When are you going to meet my parents? You promised."
The garden seemed to still for a moment. Akeno raised her brows, intrigued, while Yasaka's golden eyes flicked toward Kaelthar, watching his reaction.
Kaelthar didn't answer immediately. He let his gaze rest on the stars above, his silence measured, not dismissive. "Soon," he said finally. His voice carried weight, steady and unshaken. "I gave my word, and I do not break promises."
Rias studied him, her lips pressing into a thin line. Then she nodded once, as if that was enough. "Good. I want them to know you."
Akeno leaned in, teasing. "Oh? Is this you admitting something, Rias?"
Rias's cheeks flushed, and she snapped, "Shut up, Akeno."
The moment broke into quiet chuckles, and even Kaelthar's mouth curved faintly at the corners.
But inside, his thoughts churned.
The meeting must happen. Not just for her sake, but because the underworld itself will reveal what still lingers, what was left behind. And yet… who erased the disturbance last night? That question remains unanswered.
He let the thought fade, masking it behind calm. To the girls, tonight was only laughter and stars. For him, it was another step closer to truths that would not stay buried.
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