"M-Mom," Neraxis muttered. "It's been a while."
"Neraxis, where have you been?" Sophia asked, anger clear in her tone. "Not even a visit? A postcard maybe?"
"I couldn't. I was on important business, and I only revealed myself since it was the perfect ti," Neraxis explained. "I just couldn't risk anyone finding out."
"So you were off the radar for a whole year, and for what? To stick it to the governnt? You think that was a good idea? What will you do if they send a secret strike team after you?" Sophia asked before grabbing him by the hand and dragging him to the living room.
Neraxis didn't object—after all, he was the one responsible for the grieving.
...Or the lack of.
"Mom, did you know?" Neraxis asked.
"We're not stupid—that's why we sent out the search parties in the first place," she replied, not turning to face him. "Dreamspire records are updated within a millisecond. If your na is still up there, then you were alive."
At least they get it. Neraxis nodded inwardly, and as they finally arrived at the living room, a shocking sight greeted his eyes.
"She might also be the reason why we were so sure," Sophia added.
On a massive, comfortable bed lay a girl with long pink hair.
It was none other than Ariella.
However, she wasn't breathing, but he knew for a fact that she wasn't dead either.
She froze herself in ti? Neraxis thought with furrowed brows. "Mom, how long has she been like this?"
"Long enough to beco a headache," Elara said, not taking her eyes away from the TV. "She burst into our ho, told us the entire story of what happened... Then she went on to tell us you would take responsibility."
"...And she froze herself," Neraxis finished with a sigh. Ariella, you really are an idiot.
Despite that, he went toward her, and by simply placing his finger on her forehead, he jolted her awake.
Obviously, he used his {Aura of the Abyss}, which seed to always work, and this ti was no exception.
Slowly, her breathing returned, followed by her eyelids slowly opening.
Soon, her blue eyes gazed into his as she let out a scoff.
"How long did it take you to co back?"
"A year," Neraxis replied stiffly. "Hungry?"
"Starving..." Ariella groggily got up, her entire body shaking.
Therefore, he decided to pick her up instead in a casual princess carry.
Her body was even lighter than he rembered—or perhaps he'd just gotten that much stronger.
Nonetheless, she didn't protest, as it seed like Ariella was a little out of it.
He glanced at his parents, who rely shrugged.
With that, Neraxis took her to the kitchen, prepared a few sandwiches for her, and went back to his parents.
His father didn't talk. His sister wasn't even glancing at him.
The only one who was showing visible anger was his mother.
So he did what any son would do.
"I'm sorry."
"It's a start," Sophia said with a nod. "I want you to promise you won't do that again."
Neraxis stared at her in silence before letting out a sigh.
"I can't do that, Mom. This ti was completely unpredictable, and as for what would happen in the future? I can't assure you anything."
"Neraxis," Roskaris finally spoke, standing up from the sofa and approaching him. "Let's spar."
"Spar...?" Neraxis tilted his head. "Sure?"
He's definitely not strong. A B rank at most, he noted, as they proceeded to the garden.
Nonetheless, his family seed determined to see this spar.
Why?
Finally, they took their stances opposite one another, and soon, Roskaris pulled out a spear from his dinsional ring before pointing it toward Neraxis.
"Are you ready? Son?"
Neraxis narrowed his eyes and picked up a random wooden sword from the yard before shooting his father a nod. "I am."
"Roskaris, go easy on him," Sophia stated flatly.
And he rely nodded. "Gladly."
I guess my constant use of {Aura of the Abyss} masks my presence. They can't tell what rank I am, Neraxis thought with a sigh before pointing his sword forward.
Soon, Roskaris made the first move, thrusting his spear toward Neraxis.
However, instead of dodging, Neraxis swung his wooden sword down at the spear, shattering it in two.
But that was not all, as during the mont of shock on his father's face, Neraxis dashed forward before delivering a sidekick to Roskaris's abdon, sending him flying into what was left of the fence.
Neraxis stabbed the sword into the ground before turning to his mother.
"I'm strong enough to defend myself, Mom. I'm nearly S- ranked now. Only a few more months of training, and I'll be there."
"You're a walking headache..." Sophia said, grabbing hold of her forehead. "I feel like I've grown immune to how many tis you disappear on us... But if you disappear for another year like that, don't bother coming back unless you have a little Neraxis beside you."
She wants grandkids, huh? Neraxis chuckled. "Okay, Mom. Apologize to Father for , I think I knocked him out by accident. I'll go have a chat with Ariella.
"Yep, don't worry about it," Sophia nodded before halting. "Oh, right... you were expelled from the academy."
"I know," Neraxis replied absentmindedly. "Is it worth coming back though? I an, I doubt they would have much to teach now."
Sophia cleared her throat. "Headmaster William told us that if you were to co back, co see him... I also heard there's a new program following the results of the first years."
"A new program...?" he muttered with a tilt of his head. "I see... I'll go there in a bit."
Just as he was prepared to go back into the house, Elara grabbed him by the wrist, a small glare on her face. "Did you get a gift?"
Hearing that, his eyes widened.
Of course he did—he just forgot.
Therefore, Neraxis glanced into his dinsional ring before pulling out a completely white rapier.
It was a copy of his Eclipse persona days, and this was how the sword normally looked when it wasn't infused with Neraxis's blood.
"I'm not an expert, but I believe a normal sword isn't for you. Try a rapier. It's versatile, light, and it can deliver extrely fast attacks," Neraxis explained before reaching over and patting her on the head. "I really have to go now, though. See you later."
Elara stared at him speechlessly as she gripped the sheathed rapier in her hands.
"T-Thanks."
"Hm?" Neraxis halted, turning around. "Did you just thank ?"
"No, idiot. I sneezed." Elara shot back before running toward the dummies in their yard.
He let out a small chuckle and went back inside, just to find Ariella resting comfortably on the sofa.
"So you want to take responsibility, don't you?" Neraxis asked as he sat down beside her. "What do you have in mind?"
"You told that if I still wanted to kill myself in a year, you would do it," Ariella stated before turning to glance straight into his eyes. "I'm extending the deadline by a week."
Right... I suppose it would be stupid if I just led her on like that for a whole year. I need to cheer her up, he thought with a sigh as he grabbed her hand, which was unusually cold.
"Ariella, what do you say we do sothing fun?"
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