Dominic Lancaster strode into the living room, barely sparing a glance at his father, Alistair, as he passed by.
"Dominic!" Alistair called, his voice edged with irritation. "Are you blind, or have you erased basic manners from your dictionary?"
Without slowing down, Dominic shot back coldly, "I'm not in the mood for chitchat," before disappearing into his room.
Alistair watched his retreating figure, disappointment settling deep in his chest. Not long after, Isadora, his wife, entered the room. She glanced at the hallway before turning to Alistair.
"Wasn't that Dominic who just walked in? Where is he right now??"
Alistair scoffed. "Isn't it obvious where your son would be right now? Why are you asking pointless questions?"
Isadora frowned. "Ah, he's our son. Why are you always so harsh on him?"
Alistair's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly are you trying to say, woman? Who's being harsh on who? Don't act like you don't know what kind of son you have." He gestured toward Dominic's room. "If you're so curious, go check what he's doing yourself."
Isadora sighed. "At least tell me—what was his mood today?"
Alistair let out a dry chuckle. "As usual," he muttered before walking out of the room.
---
Meanwhile, Elara and Sylvia were on their way home after their tense encounter with the stranger on the road.
Sylvia nudged Elara playfully. "Sister, I never knew you had such fire in you! That was the first time I've seen you speak up like that. Honestly, I'm proud of you."
Elara sighed, her expression troubled. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm not happy with the way I spoke. I never knew I could say something like that…"
Sylvia waved a dismissive hand. "No, you did the right thing. First, that guy was being cruel to that poor boy. Second, you simply put him in his place—end of story."
Elara hesitated. "I guess you're right," she murmured, but her thoughts lingered on Dominic's chilling threat. I'll make you pay. His words echoed in her mind, but she shoved the feeling aside. Right now, all she wanted was to go home and see Elias.
....
Sylvia let out an exaggerated sigh. "I still can't believe we were jinxed today. Nothing went according to plan."
Elara, though physically present, was completely lost in thought. She barely registered Sylvia's complaints.
Sylvia frowned and waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey, Elara! Hey! What are you thinking about, huh? I'm talking about something important, and you're off in another world!"
Snapping out of her daze, Elara blinked. "Oh… I'm sorry, sister. I just can't get today's events out of my mind."
Sylvia huffed. "See? That's exactly what I was talking about! We were cursed today! First, that market vendor was unbelievably annoying—I almost got into a fight with her. Then you actually got into a fight with that stranger." She threw her hands up in frustration. "And after all that, we didn't even get what we needed! So now what are we going to cook when we get home?"
Elara sighed, then offered a small smile. "Whatever we can find, we'll make for Brother. Okay?"
Sylvia crossed her arms but relented. "Hmm… you're right. It wouldn't be fair if he comes back to nothing."
"Exactly," Elara nodded. "So let's hurry."
Elara and Sylvia went into the kitchen, determined to prepare whatever they could find for their brother. Their initial plan had been to cook something special, a real treat—but after the chaotic events of the day, they had to settle for what was available and refused to let the setback dampen their spirits.
Later that evening, Elias finally arrived home. The moment the door opened, Sylvia and Elara rushed to greet him, their excitement spilling over as they threw their arms around him.
"Whoa," Elias chuckled, ruffling their hair. "Today must be my lucky day. My sisters are so excited—what's going on?"
Sylvia, always her playful and talkative self, nudged him. "Nothing much, Brother. Can't we just be happy to see you?" She barely gave him time to respond before launching into a rapid-fire string of questions. "How was your day? I hope everything went well! I hope your day wasn't like ours—ugh, you won't believe what happened!"
Before Elias could even blink, Sylvia had already begun narrating their misadventures—every frustrating, chaotic detail. He listened in amused silence until something caught his attention.
"Wait… Elara got into a fight?" he repeated, blinking in surprise.
Sylvia immediately frowned. "Out of everything I just said, that's what stood out to you?"
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. That's the most surprising thing."
Sylvia huffed. "What do you mean? I still can't decide if I'm shocked or proud."
Before she could go on, Elara cut in quickly. "Let's not get into that," she muttered, clearly uncomfortable.
Elias turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Elara… you of all people? You actually—?"
"No, Brother," she interrupted, sighing. "Please, I don't want to talk about it."
Sensing the shift in mood, Elias gave her a small, understanding nod. "Alright, I won't push it." His tone lightened as he sniffed the air. "But wait a minute… I smell something nice. Is there a special treat today?"
Sylvia smiled sheepishly. "We wanted to make something better, but… we did what we could."
Elias chuckled. "I'm sure it's perfect."
Despite the warmth of his words, a shadow lingered over Elara's heart. What had started as a happy moment now felt strangely heavy, as if the weight of the day refused to let her go.