Raito stood in the hallway, arms crossed, phone in hand, staring at the contact info for his workplace supervisor. The screen's glow painted faint shadows across his face in the dim lighting of his villa. He really didn't want to make this call—but he also knew that avoiding it would only make things worse later.
With a muttered curse, he hit the call button.
"Yeah. It's me," he said when the line picked up. "Listen, something came up. Family matter. I won't be coming into the office as much for the next… I don't know. Few weeks, maybe more but I will work at home whenever possible".
He kept his tone flat, impersonal. Just enough to get the message across without opening the door for questions.
"No, I'm fine. It's just… complicated," he added, then ended the call before they could ask more.
The lie sat bitter in his mouth, but it was done. He had to make sure no one poked too deep into his life right now. Not with Raika and Emi living here. Not with the quiet chaos that had just entered his home.
He turned away from the hallway and walked back into the living room. Raika was sprawled out on the couch, half-asleep, with Emi tucked against her side. The baby blinked slowly, already drifting into dreamland.
"Alright, you two," Raito said, rubbing his head. "Go to bed. I'm going to sleep."
Raika opened one eye. "Tired already, old man?"
He didn't bother replying. Just pointed toward the guest room. "Now."
Raika grumbled but stood, gently scooping Emi up into her arms. "Its not like your my dad or whatever but fine," she mumbled, disappearing down the hall.
When the house finally quieted, Raito walked to his room, shut the door behind him, and collapsed onto the bed. The mattress felt cold, unfamiliar somehow—as if the space around him had already changed.
He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, arms folded behind his head, trying to ignore the sudden, creeping heaviness in his chest.
"What the hell did I get myself into…"
From the depths of his mind, Kurai stirred, her voice smooth and laced with amusement.
You know, I thought making a pact with a demon was your worst decision… But this might top it.
Raito scoffed softly. "I agreed to watch over them. Not raise a family."
And yet here you are. Tied down by a teenage girl with attitude and a baby who drools on everything. Charming.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "This isn't permanent."
Oh, of course not, she replied, mockingly sweet. Just long enough to ruin what little peace you had left.
He didn't argue. Couldn't. Because part of him knew Kurai was right.
His life had already started to shift in ways he couldn't control—and if there was one thing Raito hated more than anything else, it was losing control.
He turned on his side and pulled the blanket over him, trying to find comfort in routine. But even in the silence of his room, sleep didn't come easy.
"How hard could it be" he mumbled to himself.
But deep down, he knew—
This was just the beginning of something far more complicated than anything he'd faced before.