The three of them had spoken for hours, with Caldor doing most of the talking.
Atticus had barely asked one question, and it had unleashed a flood of stories that he wasn't prepared for. Ember had shot him a subtle glance, trying to warn him, but Atticus had foolishly shrugged it off.
Caldor spared no details, recounting every moment of his time in the military—the parts he was authorized to share, at least. Every fight, every victory, every near-death experience was described thoroughly.
Caldor was especially proud of what he called his "conquests," his romantic escapades during his time away.
"Caldor the Conqueror, that's what they call me!" he declared with a broad grin. "The first time… ah, let me tell you, Atticus, they'll be singing songs about me soon. I was like a force of nature!"
Ember, who had been sitting silently beside them, kept throwing dirty looks at Caldor with each exaggerated sentence, her irritation obvious. Atticus, however, couldn't stop laughing.
Every wild story, every exaggerated gesture from Caldor brought out another fit of laughter. It had been so long since he'd laughed like this. Since leaving the academy, he doubted if he had laughed at all.
Atticus smiled, watching Caldor's energetic gestures and Ember's icy, irritated expression. 'I've missed this,' he thought to himself, feeling a warmth spread through his chest.
In this moment, surrounded by family, it felt like everything was right again. He wished he could live in this moment forever—no battles, no responsibilities, just spending time with the people he cared about.
But deep down, he knew how the world worked. These moments were temporary.
As they continued to talk, the door suddenly swung open. Anastasia entered, followed by two elderly figures—people Atticus recognized immediately.
His grandparents, the Crawfords. It had been years since he'd last seen them, and the sight of them brought a smile to his face.
Zelda, his grandmother, looked just like Anastasia. Her long blonde hair, gentle eyes, and warm demeanor took one look at him and rushed over, enveloping him in a tight, loving embrace.
"Oh, you poor soul," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "My dear boy, you've been through so much."
Atticus hugged her back, feeling a sense of comfort that he hadn't realized he needed. She turned and saw Ember and Caldor standing off to the side, and without hesitation, she pulled them both into a hug as well, despite them not being her blood relatives.
"You poor things," she said softly, holding them close. "You've all lost so much. But you're strong. So strong."
Ember didn't pull away, and Caldor gave a playful squeeze back, making Zelda chuckle.
Ethan, Atticus's grandfather, stood a little behind Zelda. He soon stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Atticus's shoulder.
"Don't let it keep you down, boy," Ethan said, his voice deep and full of warmth. "You've faced harder things before. You'll get through this."
Atticus smiled at his grandfather's words. It was good to see them again. He hadn't seen his grandparents in years, but growing up, they had always visited the estate.
And if there was one thing Atticus always associated with their visits, it was the sheer number of gifts they brought with them.
True to form, he suddenly felt something press into his hand. Looking down, Atticus saw a small, ornate space storage ring. He glanced over and saw Caldor and Ember inspecting similar items.
As Atticus channeled his mana into the ring, his eyes widened in surprise. Inside was a wealth of treasures—gold, weapons, artifacts, and rare items that would make even a seasoned adventurer jealous.
Caldor's eyes practically bulged out of his head. He leaned in toward Atticus and Ember, whispering with a massive grin on his face. "Score! Having rich grandparents is the best thing ever."
Atticus chuckled, and even Ember's usual stoic expression softened into a faint smile.
Zelda smiled at the three of them. "We thought you might need something to lift your spirits," she said warmly. "Don't let all of this weigh you down. Life is hard, but you'll find strength in each other."
They spent a few more moments catching up, sharing light conversation. Ethan cracked a few jokes, trying to lighten the mood, while Zelda fussed over them, making sure they were alright. But eventually, they had to leave, giving each of them one final hug before stepping out of the room.
As they left, Anastasia stayed behind, her gaze soft as she looked at Atticus. She smiled, seeing him laughing with Caldor and Ember, happy to see some light in his eyes again.
"How are you feeling?" she asked gently, moving toward him.
"I'm… better," Atticus said, glancing at his cousins. "It's been good to catch up."
Anastasia smiled, her relief evident. "I'm glad. You need to relax now more than ever."
Atticus nodded, his heart felt lighter than before.
Afterward, Atticus spoke with Ember and Caldor briefly, only to be shocked by the revelation that 12 days had passed since the war and seven days since Freya had died.
He had been asleep for that long.
After they parted ways, Atticus had dinner with Anastasia in his room before resting again. The next morning, dressed in something comfortable, he left his room—only to find Avalon standing just outside his door.
'He's a mess,'
Atticus thought instantly, noticing how erratic the fire molecules around his father were.
Avalon gave him a smile, which Atticus returned, before Avalon reached out to ruffle his hair.
It was the third day since Atticus had woken up, and this was the first time he was seeing Avalon. His father's arms were wrapped in bandages, something that immediately stood out to Atticus.
'If he had an injury, he could just use a mana potion to heal it,' Atticus thought. 'He bandaged it instead. He wants to feel pain.'
They descended into an awkward silence, both unsure of how to begin or what to say. The weight of everything lingered between them.
Finally, Atticus decided to break the silence, choosing to be blunt.
"You must think it's your fault."