Rei returned home as the sun was setting, exhausted in ways that went beyond physical. The manifests were complete, cross-referenced, analyzed, discrepancies flagged with notes on supplier reliability. He'd delivered them to Mira an hour before her deadline, and she'd actually looked impressed.
Small victory. But a victory nonetheless.
He opened the apartment door to find his entire family waiting in the living room, his father reading but clearly not absorbing anything, his mother pretending to knit, and Mira sprawled on the couch with homework she definitely wasn't doing.
All three looked up when he entered.
"There he is," Mira announced cheerfully. "The mysterious employed brother who disappears at odd hours and comes home looking like he fought a war."
"Mira," Liora chided gently, but her honey-brown eyes were fixed on Rei with concern. "Sweetheart, come sit. We want to talk."
Oh no. The family intervention talk.
Rei set down his satchel and took a seat, very aware of three sets of eyes assessing him.
Elias folded his newspaper with deliberate precision. "You mentioned you started a job. Yesterday morning, you ran out saying you were late for work. Today you left before dawn and came back after dark. Your mother and I think it's time you told us exactly what you're doing."
"And whether it's legal," Liora added, trying to make it sound like a joke but clearly worried.
Rei took a breath. "It's legal. I'm working as a junior analyst for Castell Trading Company. It's merchant work—logistics, supply chain management, inventory analysis."
Silence.
Then Mira burst out laughing. "You? Merchant work? Mr. 'I'm too anxious to order food at restaurants' is working in trade?"
"Mira," Elias said sharply.
"What? I'm just saying, three days ago he could barely look people in the eye, and now he's apparently running around with merchants?" She grinned at Rei. "Not that I'm complaining. It's nice to know my brother finally decided unemployment wasn't a viable career path."
"I was never unemployed," Rei protested. "I was"
"Existing in a state of purposeful inactivity?" Mira supplied helpfully.
"That's enough," Liora interrupted, but her lips were twitching with suppressed amusement. She turned back to Rei. "Castell Trading Company, that's a legitimate business. Respected. How did you even get that position?"
"Networking," Rei said, which was technically true. "I met someone who knew someone. Proved I could handle the work. They gave me a trial period."
Elias studied him with those sharp gray eyes. "And the training you've been doing in the mornings? The one you think we don't notice?"
Damn. Of course he noticed.
"Physical conditioning," Rei replied carefully. "Merchant work can be demanding. Loading docks, warehouse inventory checks. I wanted to be prepared."
Another half-truth. The best lies were built on foundations of reality.
"So our anxious, quiet son suddenly has a job, is physically training, and has been acting different for the past week," Elias summarized. "You can understand why we're concerned."
"I'm trying to prepare for the future," Rei said, meeting his father's gaze. "The Awakening Ceremony is in two weeks. Whether I manifest powers or not, I need to have a plan. A career path. Something more than just... drifting."
That, at least, was completely honest.
Liora's expression softened. "We're proud of you for taking initiative. Really. We just want to make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard. You've been looking exhausted. Stressed."
Because I killed someone two days ago and I'm trying not to break down while juggling time travel, merchant work, and planning to become a Count.
"I'm fine, Mom. Just adjusting to new responsibilities."
Mira kicked his foot from across the room. "So does this mean you'll finally have money? Because I've got a list of things you owe me."
"I don't owe you anything."
"Emotional support payments for dealing with your brooding presence all these years," she countered, grinning. "That's worth at least twenty silver."
Despite everything, the guilt, the exhaustion, the weight of secrets, Rei felt his lips twitch into an almost-smile. "You're impossible."
"And you're employed! Character development for everyone!" Mira returned to her homework, clearly satisfied with her teasing quota for the evening.
Elias exchanged a glance with Liora, one of those wordless parental communications that said we're not done watching him, but we'll give him space for now.
"Alright," Elias said. "But if this job becomes too much, or if you need help with anything, you tell us. Understood?"
"Understood."
"And eat something," Liora added, already heading to the kitchen. "You look like you haven't had a proper meal in days."
As his parents dispersed, Mira caught his eye and mouthed: You're being weird.
He mouthed back: I know.
She studied him for a moment, then shrugged and went back to her homework, apparently deciding that weird-but-employed was better than weird-and-directionless.
If only you knew how weird things really were.