The massive doors of the mansion burst open.
"I'm home—"
Someone slammed into him from above like a comet of chaos.
Vastarael grunted as his body collapsed backward with thunderous force, crashing into the velvet carpet. The mansion trembled from the impact. For a second, everything went quiet. Then came the gasps and giggles. Vastarael blinked before he looked up and froze.
Two teenage girls were on top of him, laughing like maniacs and for a moment, he thought some angels had descended from Naranq to prank him. His soul recognized them before his mind did. Shimmer still had her white hair. Her skin had tanned beautifully, kissed by the Spheraphasian sun, and her glacial blue eyes sparkled with a maturity she never had before.. She was beautiful and not a child anymore.
"Dad! You got even more handsome!"
"Seriously, how are you not married to the entire continent yet?"
"I am married, thank you," Vastarael mumbled from the floor.
They both burst into laughter.
He groaned and slowly sat up with both of them still hanging on him. He looked at them and for a second, his throat closed up. His arms moved on instinct, pulling both of them into a tight embrace, locking them against him as if the years apart could be crushed into this one moment.
"It's been four years. And you two... how are you this big already? You're huge."
Shimmer rolled her eyes. "We're not that big."
"You're taller than your mother was at your age," Vastarael shot back.
"You're exaggerating!" Runner laughed, trying to wiggle out of his crushing hug but failing miserably. Even at Third Enlightenment, their father was extremely strong.
Vastarael finally pulled back, looking at them properly now.
"Sixteen years old now. And in a few months, seventeen. That means you'll be celebrating your Second Birthday soon…"
Their smiles softened.
In Spheraphase, the second birthday marker adulthood. They would be part of Richinaria soon.
"We missed you, Dad."
Runner nodded. "So much."
He chuckled gently. "I can't even pat your heads the way I used to…"
"Sure you can. We like it when you do that."
"You're still my little girls," Vastarael whispered as he patted both their heads.
They giggled again, but their eyes glistened with warmth.
"We trained a lot," Runner said softly.
"We made it to the Third Enlightenment," Shimmer added, her voice a touch proud.
"Third? Both of you?"
"And Asenane too," Runner said.
Vastarael shook his head in disbelief.
"You three… already at the Third Enlightenment without the Trials? I'm proud. Seriously, you're the best geniuses ever."
Narisva cleared her throat not to make a scene, but enough for a dramatic pivot. Vastarael turned his head and saw Adelasta, Narisva, Elyonari and Phaenora sitting together in the lounge, just as he left them. Their eyes met his but it was the one standing near that stole his breath.
Erna... no, Asenane.
His pupils dilated as he stared at her. She was not the same woman he had known years ago. Her once entirely shadow black hair now held streaks of shimmering white and black. Her hair still didn't look real. Her sclera were pitch black and the irises were a molten gold. Her bronze skin bore trails of faint white scales along her collarbone and shoulders. And from her head, sweeping gracefully behind her were white, ridged horns.
Vastarael closed the distance between them in a blink. He simply pulled her into his arms and held her tight, lifting her slightly off the ground. She gave a soft gasp, her body melting into his embrace. Her eyes fluttered shut as her arms wound around his neck. Then, with no hesitation and not caring who was watching, he kissed her. The other women blinked. Narisva was the first to let out a surprised whistle.
"Damn, Erna. You glow up, become a dragon and steal our Veneri's lips in public? Bold."
Elyonari giggled softly but with a playful glimmer in her eyes.
"They do look beautiful together."
Phaenora just smirked, arms crossed under her chest.
"Hah. Took her long enough to make a move like that. Veneri's lucky he didn't combust."
Adelasta gave no comment but her expression twitched into the faintest curl of her lips. Her eyes never left Vastarael's back. If one paid close attention, they would see her shoulders relax and her guard drop just for a second. When Vastarael finally pulled away, he kept his arms around Erna's waist. Narisva addressed the elephant in the room.
"You… you really changed. A Divine Dragon? hat happened?"
Erna, flushed but smiling, tucked a strand of her white-black hair behind one of her horns.
"The Primordials… they saved me. Said the Krepsuna form couldn't contain the kind of soul I had. So they offered me another choice. This time, I was not as a serpent but a dragon. And I changed my name to Asenane."
Asenane reached up and ran a claw-tipped finger along his jawline gently, her golden eyes twinkling.
"Can you stop being so painfully good-looking? It's not fair."
He laughed softly. "I swear, it's not even my fault. It just happens."
From the side, a dramatic sigh cut through the moment.
"Ugh, he's right," came Shimmer's voice, playfully exasperated. "He's not even trying and still walks in like some romantic novel lead."
They both turned to see Shimmer, hands on her hips. She shook her head at the two of them, her ice-blue eyes gleaming with mischief.
"You know, Mother missed you so much, she used to mutter your name in her sleep. It was actually embarrassing. Like, Vastarael~" she mimicked in a dreamy voice, "don't gooo~, or, kiss me again~."
"Shimmer!"
Asenane stepped forward and lightly smacked her daughter's head.
"Ow! Hey, it's true! You even mumbled his name once while eating soup! I almost choked from secondhand embarrassment."
Asenane was scarlet. She tried to keep her regal, draconic composure. Shimmer gave a sheepish chuckle.
"Sorry, Mom. Just… you really missed him, you know? We both did."
Runner, who'd appeared quietly behind her, grinned.
"Don't worry. She used to trace his name into the sand with her tail. That was cute."
Asenane let out a long groan and buried her face in Vastarael's shoulder. Vastarael, overwhelmed with joy, just held her again, resting his chin atop her horns.
"It's okay, I missed you too. No need to be embarrassed."
Shimmer and Runner stepped closer, watching their parents reunite with quiet smiles. After a moment, Vastarael looked down at the girls, beaming.
"Okay girls. As much as I'm glad you're back, you need to leave."
"Why?"
"Political stuff. And you need to prepare too."
"Okay."