After lunch ended, Francesca returned to her room while Anathasia and the others settled in the living room.
I, on the other hand, was just about finishing the dishes when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind. Something soft pressed against my back.
I let the silence stretch before turning off the faucet. Porcelain clinked softly as I set the plates aside, the last drops of water falling into the sink.
"Is it about Lena?" I murmured, placing my hands over hers.
Anathasia nodded faintly against my back, still silent.
A minute passed.
Then another.
"...I'm an idiot, aren't I...?" she said quietly.
"Sometimes-"
Her fingers pinched my side instantly, cutting me off.
"...Sorry," I muttered, gently prying her arms off before turning to face her.
She glared at me flatly as I held her wrists.
After a small sigh, she pulled away, her gaze drifting.
"I mean... I know I'm trying my best, but still..." she trailed off, one hand gripping her arm.
"I can't believe I missed the signs."
Slowly, she looked back up at me.
"I don't understand... I want to, but..."
"What if you touch something sensitive... right?" I said softly.
She pressed her lips together, then nodded.
My hand rose, brushing through her hair, watching the strands slip between my fingers.
"You're not alone," I murmured.
"I don't want to hurt Lena either... but waiting won't help."
Her expression flickered, something between guilt and worry.
"Until we actually talk to her... listen to her..."
"...we're just going to keep walking on eggshells."
I pulled her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"It doesn't have to be a confrontation."
She lifted her head slightly, her tension easing as she exhaled.
"...We just have to talk to her. As her parents," she finished softly.
"Right...?"
I smiled and nodded.
"Mhm."
"She's our daughter, after all."
Her shoulders finally relaxed. She buried her face into my chest, and I rested my chin on her head, holding her close.
"...By the way, you smell really nice," I added.
She paused, then pulled back slightly.
"Oh? Wanna know what perfume I used?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Before I could answer, she buried her face into my chest again, her voice muffled.
"It's my husband's natural scent."
I froze for a second, then narrowed my eyes and squeezed her slightly.
"What a gremlin of a wife you are..."
She laughed softly, pulling back just enough for her smile to show. Bright, unguarded.
"That being said..." her gaze shifted toward the neatly stacked plates by the sink.
"We should probably put those away first, right?"
I glanced over my shoulder and nodded.
But the moment I turned back, something soft and warm pressed against my cheek.
White hair filled my vision before she pulled away, grinning.
"Thanks," she said softly. "For staying. Always."
My eyes widened slightly. My hand came up to where she'd kissed me.
"So... sudden..."
She stifled a laugh, clearly amused.
"What? Can't I kiss my husband whenever I want?"
I opened my mouth to argue-
Then stopped.
A hand came up to cover my lips as I looked away, something warm creeping up inside me. Something I couldn't quite place.
And Anathasia-
She was staring at me.
Like she'd just witnessed something impossible.
"You..." she started slowly. "You actually blushed..."
My eyes narrowed.
What is she talking about?
"Blush...? I'm already thirty, almost forty years-"
She didn't even let me finish.
A mirror materialized in her hand and was promptly shoved in front of my face. And for some reason, the person staring back looked exactly like me.
Which was expected.
But his cheeks were-
...a faint pink.
The moment I snatched the mirror from her hand, she immediately pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures.
I took a sharp inhale, composing myself again.
Except-
"This is gold..." Anathasia muttered, staring at her screen, eyes practically sparkling.
I turned to her immediately, glaring.
"Anathasia, if you use that as your profile picture, I swear..."
She flinched, then quickly hid her phone behind her back.
My gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, eyebrow raised-
When my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket.
Without thinking much of it, I pulled it out, opening the notification while still glaring at her.
Then I looked at the screen.
...
My expression flattened.
Slowly, I turned back to her.
"...I just said-"
"Chill, okay? I have a reason for this," she cut in quickly, trying to save herself.
Then she pointed at my phone.
"Like, for example, just look at how cute this looks-"
BONK.
-
After dealing with the dishes, we made our way back to the living room.
A small bump had formed on Anathasia's forehead.
Egrathiel's eyes widened the moment she saw it.
"The First-"
"Please don't say it," Anathasia cut her off immediately, raising a hand while materializing an ice pack and pressing it against her forehead.
Lena, on the other hand...
Just quietly stared at her lap.
Egrathiel sat beside her.
When I sat down, Anathasia followed right after, still pressing the ice pack against her forehead.
Once we were all seated, everything went quiet.
Silence settled between the four of us.
Egrathiel and Lena both avoided our gazes, while Anathasia slowly dissolved the ice pack in her hand and shot me a glance.
I met her eyes and gave a small nod.
Taking a breath, I turned to Lena.
"Speaking of which..." my gaze shifted slightly to Egrathiel.
"What exactly is Apoche like?"
Egrathiel visibly tensed, but straightened and met my eyes with a faint, polite smile.
"I was wondering," I added, "since I've only heard about it from Lena."
She hesitated.
Her lips parted once-
Then she finally spoke.
"It is... quite similar to Earth," Egrathiel began. "In terms of societies and politics."
A pause.
"But geographically... its surface is..." her eyes flickered away.
"...uninhabitable."
"Uninhabitable..." I echoed quietly.
She nodded.
"Due to unending wars, the surface has been littered with harmful substances. Such as hydric acid."
A brief pause.
"Which are... extremely deadly to Apocheans."
Her gaze lowered.
"Most life in Apoche is composed of soluble elements... such as potassium."
She stared at the table.
"Unlike Earthlings... who are carbon-based."
I stayed silent, my eyes narrowing slightly as I listened.
It still felt... weird.
But then again-
Saying it sounds absurd while I'm probably worse myself is definitely hypocritical...
"Apoche has millions of species, much like Earth," Egrathiel continued. "And Apocheans are the equivalent of humans there... which is why I said its surface is uninhabitable."
A brief pause.
"For Apocheans, parts of it became uninhabitable due to the wars."
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"But for Earthlings... the planet as a whole is completely hostile. It is highly radioactive, and oxygen is both scarce... and dangerous."
She let her words hang for a moment before continuing.
"It was utter chaos. Mostly due to clashing political views. No side was willing to yield..."
Her hands slowly clenched.
"...until they began weaponizing hydric acid. Similar to how humans developed nuclear weapons."
Her voice softened further.
"But unlike Earth... Apoche had no rules of war."
Her gaze drifted.
"The use of those weapons became unchecked. Across every front."
A pause.
"Thousands... then millions... died."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"And the environment itself began to collapse. Radiation patterns destabilized... making the planet even more dangerous for everything that lived there."
Silence lingered briefly.
"It wasn't until Lena descended to our planet..."
Egrathiel's voice steadied, just slightly.
"She took on a human form."
A faint breath.
"Which was completely alien to us."
Her eyes lowered again.
"...Because Apocheans are not like humans."
Her words settled.
"We are more akin to flat films."
"...like levitating sheets of silicone."
Silence fell over us once more.
Lena simply glanced at the indoor plant in the corner, avoiding everyone.
Beside me, Anathasia fidgeted, occasionally tugging lightly at my shirt.
With a quiet sigh, I gently stroked her hand before nodding at Egrathiel.
"I see..." I said softly.
Egrathiel let out a breath.
Still hesitant, but she continued.
"Mhm... it wasn't until her arrival that the leaders of Apoche finally realized how much damage they had caused."
Her voice lowered.
"And they... took their own lives."
Silence followed.
"Submerging themselves in lakes of hydric acid-"
"...or simply water, from Earth's perspective."
Her shoulders slumped, gaze dimming.
"Lena was the one who took on that role... guiding our civilization. Unifying it."
A faint breath.
"Though she never declared herself as our ruler."
Her eyes flickered.
"We Apocheans simply... saw her as one." she stopped briefly.
"And so... we came to worship her."
Egrathiel's gaze shifted slightly. Landing on Lena who still refused to look at her.
"It was worship, yes. I followed her out of gratitude... for saving my home."
A quiet breath.
"Although... it must sound strange."
Her voice grew quieter.
"A Cosmic God having a home..." a faint chuckle slipped from her lips.
"When we're meant to be universal parasites... beings that consume entire universes from within."
My thoughts came to a complete stop.
...Egrathiel...
She's a Cosmic God?