"Understood..." I gave a slight nod, letting out a quiet breath as I lifted my gaze, taking in everything around us.
...This much...?
"Yes, that much, you idiot."
Anathasia cut in immediately, lightly knocking her knuckles against my forehead. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, still glaring.
"I hate you, stupid dumbass..."
I flinched, stumbling back slightly at her words.
Before I could even reach out-
a flash of pink filled my vision.
Then-
thud.
A body crashed into mine, knocking me clean off my feet.
Hands cupped my cheeks.
"Dad! Are you okay? Your hand-!"
Grace's voice shook as she frantically checked me over. Her fingers trembled as she turned my hand, only to freeze when she saw it, uninjured. The panic on her face slowly melted into relief.
And then-
she broke.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she choked, clutching the hand I used earlier. "I shouldn't have provoked her..."
For a moment, I just stared up at the sky.
My hand came up, resting against her back as she trembled on top of me, her tears soaking into my shirt.
"Idiot."
I glanced to the side.
Anathasia stood a short distance away, arms crossed, still glaring.
My gaze drifted back to the sky.
The breeze brushed faintly against my skin, everything around me sounding just a little more distant.
-
Hours later, we sat inside the Emperor's hall.
Grace still clung to me, her arms wrapped tight, while Anathasia sat beside us, silent.
Her eyes were fixed on Roselia and the Emperor, who stood across the hall with Rania nearby.
The Emperor paced slowly, her gaze lowered in thought.
"So... a new Demiurge?" she murmured. "Didn't your archives state that each Image only has one to maintain its structure?"
"Suggests, Emperor," Roselia corrected calmly. "Our archives are a compilation of observed patterns and accumulated knowledge."
She let out a quiet sigh, briefly glancing at Rania. Only to be met with a silent glare.
Roselia turned away, her shoulders drooping slightly.
"What I'm saying is... we cannot guarantee those records as absolute truth. Only the Supreme Being herself could verify that."
Both of them turned toward us. Or more specifically, toward Anathasia, who was resting her cheek against her palm, staring out the window.
She noticed, giving them a brief glance.
"What is it?"
They stiffened.
Roselia immediately waved her hands dismissively, exchanging a quick glance with the Emperor.
"More importantly," she said, straightening slightly, "ensuring Reina's stability should be our priority, shouldn't it?"
"Stop trying to shift the blame onto our records, Euphilla. They are not even relevant to the matter at hand."
The Emperor recoiled slightly, lips parting as if to respond, but nothing came out.
Her hand hovered awkwardly in the air.
"You... I'm the Emperor..."
"Position does not matter in our current situation, Emperor," Roselia replied, her tone edged with quiet sharpness. "What matters is ensuring nothing destabilizes Reina in her current state."
The Emperor raised her hand again-
Her hand hovered mid-air for a moment, then slowly lowered.
Her posture deflated.
"For now..." the Emperor finally spoke. "Classes within the Academy of Elements and History will be suspended."
She exhaled softly.
"The mental well-being of the students, including Reina takes priority. They've gone through quite an experience. That alone should be reason enough."
Her gaze drifted toward Rania, who stood quietly behind Roselia.
"...Right."
A brief pause.
"Head Professor?"
Rania gave a small nod in response before shifting her attention to Roselia.
Roselia, meanwhile, remained where she stood. Arms folded, fingers lightly pressing against her temples as she let out a quiet sigh.
"...This is going to be a headache."
Euphilla tilted her head slightly.
"Why so?"
Roselia paused mid-motion, then glanced at her.
"Because I'll have to invalidate the rest of the causal flow branching off from what just happened."
She lowered her hand.
"If I let those branches persist, it's no different from asking this Image to tear itself apart."
Euphilla's brows furrowed, confusion flickering across her face.
"Branches...?"
"The Causality governs the proper flow of structures," Roselia replied, her tone flattening slightly. "Without that, everything collapses into contradiction."
"What...?"
"That's also why Roselia was able to rip Aegea out of existence four to five hundred years ago," Rania added smoothly, gesturing lightly as if explaining something routine.
Euphilla turned to her this time.
Roselia, on the other hand, went completely silent. Looking away as she absentmindedly fiddled with her fingers.
...
Listening to them, a yawn slipped past my lips before I could fully suppress it.
Anathasia glanced at me.
"Tired already?"
"More like..." I muttered, gently running my fingers through Grace's pink hair as she slept soundly on my lap.
"...bored."
A small pause.
"Insanely bored."
She glanced at the three women standing in front of us, then back at me. At Grace asleep on my lap, breathing softly with her arms wrapped around my waist.
Anathasia let out a long sigh before reaching for my hand.
Our forms frayed at the edges-
-and in the next instant, we were gone.
-
The world snapped back into place.
A familiar wall stood in front of me. One that looked far too similar to our house back on Earth.
I barely had time to process it-
-before a hand grabbed my cheek and pulled.
"Ow-what did I do-"
"You're really asking me that?" she cut in, tugging harder before finally letting go.
Anathasia stepped back, arms crossed, staring at me flatly.
"I want to beat you up so bad right now..."
"Please don't," I muttered, rubbing my cheek as Grace shifted slightly on my lap. "I prefer my face intact..."
"You care more about your face than your life?" she shot back immediately, brow raised.
"...That dagger didn't even-"
"You're still making excuses?"
I shut my mouth.
Silence settled between us.
My hand hovered over Grace's head as she slowly stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She rubbed them weakly with the back of her hand
"Dad..."
"Hm?"
She groaned softly before collapsing back onto my lap, burying her face against me. Her voice came out muffled.
"I'm sorry..."
My body stilled.
My hand rested gently on her hair as my gaze lowered, the weight of everything from earlier settling back in.
"...Hey," I said quietly, forcing a small smile as I lifted her chin. "I'm fine, right?"
Our eyes met.
"Dad's fine."
A hand rested on my shoulder.
Firm.
Fingers pressing just enough to make me glance back.
Anathasia stood behind me, a thin, dangerous smile tugging at her lips.
"Say that again?"
"...Maybe we should check on Reina first?"
Her smile faltered, then slowly turned into a frown as she pulled her hand back.
"Changing the subject won't save you."
"I'm not." I turned to her, opening my palm slightly as I gestured. "I'm just saying... she's probably confused. Scared."
A brief pause.
"Especially after what just happened."
My gaze dipped slightly as I thought it through, while Grace slowly pushed herself up from the couch.
"I think she might've caught a glimpse of the Stillness earlier. You know I don't exactly control that thing."
Grace moved to stand beside Anathasia as I looked back at them. The two exchanged a glance, Anathasia's expression shifting reluctantly into something more thoughtful.
"If she did..." she murmured, "...then her consciousness probably blanked out for a moment."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"That would explain why she collapsed the second she looked at you earlier."
Grace's eyes widened as she turned to me.
"Dad... are you really that strong...?"
"That's not the right word," Anathasia corrected gently. "Foundational fits better."
Her gaze flicked back to me.
"That's why getting too close to him is..." she paused, then exhaled softly. "...not something most people can handle."
Then her expression hardened again.
"But that doesn't mean you get to throw yourself into danger just because you can't be hurt."
My hand hovered mid-air as I tried to respond, only for the words to die halfway through.
A sigh slipped out as I shook my head.
"...Yeah. I won't do that again."
Our eyes met.
"Well... I can't promise I'll never do anything stupid-"
Her brows immediately knitted together.
"-but I'll try not to make it a habit."
A small pause.
"...Especially grabbing random daggers."
Anathasia hummed, giving a slight nod before leaning back into the couch. Her gaze drifted up to the ceiling as she folded her arms over her chest.
"As for Reina..."
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a soft breath before opening them again.
"I guess we should check on her."
Her words hung briefly.
"Just to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid-"
"I'll do it."
Grace chimed in, placing a hand over her chest. Both of us turned to her.
"I'll help guide her," she added. "I know how everything works inside this Image anyway."
Anathasia and I paused, exchanging a glance.
"That's not a bad idea, but..." I trailed off, my gaze shifting slightly.
"...don't you think she might be a little hostile toward you right now?"
...
"Eh?"