Elsewhere…
In a sleek, modern office dimly lit by city lights, a man sat behind a polished desk, glaring at the blank holo-screen before him.
"That bastard cut off mid-call…" he muttered, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair.
The office door creaked open. A young man stepped in, his expression tense, his hands trembling slightly despite trying to appear calm.
"Father… how did it go?" he asked.
It was Alex—and he was visibly shaken.
The man, Lyon, sighed. "It seems we're on our own."
Alex's eyes widened. "What do you an? Are you saying Ethan's still alive? How? He was just a Level 1!"
Lyon looked at his son carefully. He could see the fear behind the boy's eyes, the panic barely held together by pride.
It had started after they rescued the people Alex had sent after Ethan. One of them had confessed so Ethan knew who had sent them.
Since then, Alex had been haunted—by the thought of a boy he once dismissed now rising far beyond expectation.
Lyon's voice grew heavier. "I may have to act… soon."
Alex stepped forward quickly. "What about them? Won't they try to stop you?"
Lyon leaned back in his chair, the weight of decisions pressing on his shoulders.
"We have no choice anymore. If we leave him unchecked, it's only a matter of ti before he shows up at our front door."
A pause.
"And more importantly… he might have sothing I need."
The room fell into a still, suffocating silence as the weight of that statent lingered in the air like a coming storm.
****
Ethan stepped out of his car, the grand Lancaster Estate quiet under the evening sky. The familiar gravel crunch under his feet was oddly comforting after the chaos he'd just been through. He made his way to the front door, exhaustion clinging to his limbs like lead.
As he pushed the door open and stepped inside, the scent of sothing savory wafted through the air.
"Ho," he murmured under his breath.
The mont the door clicked shut behind him, a blur of motion ca from the kitchen.
"Ethan!"
Lisa rushed out, her eyes wide with relief—until she caught herself, her expression hardening instantly. With a dramatic huff, she turned on her heel and stalked back into the kitchen.
"Oh, so you finally rember you have a ho?" she called over her shoulder.
Ethan blinked, stunned by her sudden switch. Honestly… he deserved it. He'd barely been ho, always off entering one problem after the other. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle as he followed her into the kitchen.
"Lisa, I—"
"Don't tell ," she interrupted, stirring a pot. "You're seeing another woman behind Sister Sophia's back?"
Ethan froze at the doorway, utterly blindsided.
"What? Why would you think that? Didn't you see the note I left this morning?"
Lisa didn't even look at him. "Could've been a decoy. A distraction while you went off to see so secret lover."
Ethan stood there, flabbergasted. Was… was his sweet little sister always like this?
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry for being an unreliable brother… but what I had to do today was important."
That got her attention.
Lisa stopped cooking and turned to face him, stepping forward with narrowed eyes. She scanned him from head to toe, inspecting every inch of him.
"What are you doing?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Checking to see if you're hurt anywhere."
When she finished, she crossed her arms and nodded with mock approval.
"Looks good. At least you were careful."
Ethan gave a small smile. "Yeah… I always am."
Lisa shot him a deadpan look.
"Sure. I'll believe you… for now."
Then she waved him off. "Now go clean up. Dinner's almost ready."
Ethan grinned and stepped forward to hug her.
"You're the best, Lisa."
She imdiately pushed him away, scrunching up her nose.
"Ugh! You reek of sweat. Go! Get out of my kitchen before you ruin my food!"
He laughed as he backed away.
"Still the best!"
"I know," she called. "Now hurry up and go shower!"
As Ethan made his way upstairs, a warm feeling settled in his chest. No matter how crazy things got out there, this was still real. Still worth protecting.
After a refreshing shower, Ethan made his way downstairs, the scent of freshly cooked food guiding him to the dining room like a siren's call. Lisa was already at the table, placing the last dish down. She looked up as he entered, raising a brow.
"You're finally clean. Miracles do happen," she teased.
Ethan grinned and took his seat. "Keep talking and I might leave the dishes to you."
"Hah. As if I'd let you off that easy."
They both chuckled, the playful banter a comforting rhythm between them.
As they ate, the conversation turned casual—soft, familiar.
"So," Ethan said between bites, "how was school today?"
Lisa sighed dramatically. "Exhausting. Classes finally resud after that villain incident and I had to resu my duties in the committee I love what I do but It gets exhausting so tis, the only good thing is having heroes posted around the school now. I guess the Lancasters pulled so strings—Sophia's influence, no doubt."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully. "Good. It ans they're taking security seriously I will have to thank Sophia for that."
Lisa poked at her rice. "Yeah, but it's still kind of surreal, you know? Seeing heroes walking the halls while you're trying to focus on algebra."
Ethan smirked. "Trust , I'd pick algebra over getting tossed around by criminals any day."
"Fair enough."
After dinner, Ethan kept to his word and helped her wash the dishes.
Later, they sat in the living room, sharing snacks and laughing over late-night gas until the clock ticked closer to midnight.
When fatigue finally crept in, they parted ways with lazy goodnights.
Ethan collapsed onto his bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. The quiet of the estate pressed in softly around him.
"I still have a lot to do…" he murmured to himself.
The Crownspire Ascension was approaching fast. Just a week and a few days left to prepare. His hand drifted to the drawer beside his bed, pulling out the strange token Natasha had given him.
He held it up, the faint moonlight from his window casting shadows over its intricate markings.
"How am I even supposed to find the location for the event…?" he whispered.
The token remained cold and silent in his hand.
He sighed and placed it back carefully.
"I'll think about it later…"
But just as he settled back into bed, a sudden warmth surged through his chest. A strange sensation—subtle but growing—rippled through his core.
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
"…It's like Gray is about to wake up."
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