Dinner was warm that evening.
The family gathered once more at the long table, the golden lights of the dining hall casting a soft, almost nostalgic glow over everything.
Darian and his wife sat near the head, Lyra across from them with her daughter Mira beside her. Elara sat straight-backed near her grandfather, her every movement controlled and careful.
Selene, serene and composed, glanced toward Aren, who met her gaze with a small nod.
Setting her wine glass down, Selene smiled gently at their children.
"I have something to say," she began, voice clear and calm.
The conversations died down immediately.
Selene's presence commanded as much respect as her husband's — not through fear, but through the deep, unwavering bond she had nurtured with them all.
She looked first to Darian, then to Lyra.
"You both know your father chose Darian to inherit the title," she said. "But he asked me to tell you this, clearly — because sometimes, his presence weighs too heavily for words to feel soft."
Both children sat straighter, attentive.
Selene continued, "It was not because of birth order. Nor because of strength. Nor because of gender. It was simply because he needed to name one."
She paused, letting that sink in.
"But know this — the Vale family is yours both to protect. To guide. What he built, what he fought for, what he bled for... belongs to you both equally."
Her violet eyes softened.
"There is no 'greater' or 'lesser' between you. Only trust. Only unity."
For a moment, silence held the table.
Then Darian — ever the steady one — placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head respectfully.
"I understand, Mother. Father."
Lyra, quieter, looked between them — her eyes glistening just a little — before nodding as well.
Selene smiled warmly, her heart swelling with pride.
Aren simply sat back, watching the peace settle over his family like a balm he hadn't realized he needed.
When the plates were being cleared and conversations turned lighter, Aren shifted his attention toward Elara, who sat prim and proper at his side, her posture impeccable.
"Elara," he said, voice lower, almost playful.
"Why are you working so hard on your training?"
The girl stiffened even further, like a soldier facing inspection.
"I must uphold the honor of the Vale family, Grandfather," she said formally, hands folded neatly in her lap.
Aren blinked slowly.
There was something about her crisp, distant tone that made a faint sadness stir in his chest.
He leaned an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand, smiling faintly.
"I see," he murmured. "Is that all?"
Elara hesitated.
"I also... want to be strong enough to protect the family. Like you did."
Her words were honest — painfully so — but her whole being radiated tension, a wall of formality between them.
Aren reached out, ruffling her hair despite her obvious attempt to maintain dignity.
"You don't have to be so stiff with me, little one," he said, voice warm but tinged with regret.
"I want to dote on you too, you know. Just like Mira."
Elara's cheeks pinked slightly, but she didn't pull away.
A small step — but one that eased the weight in Aren's chest more than he could explain.
It was then that Mira, ever curious, bounced in her seat and blurted:
"Grandpa, tell me! What's the closest you ever came to dying?"
The room stilled slightly, but Aren only chuckled — a low, rough sound.
"Closest, huh?" he mused, glancing around at the eager, waiting faces.
Selene leaned back with a knowing smile.
She, too, was curious — he never spoke much about his worst moments.
Aren took a slow sip of wine, setting his glass down carefully before he began.
"It was... during the Demon Calamity," he said, voice distant.
"You all know the legends. But few know how close we came to losing everything."
Even Elara leaned forward slightly now, and Mira's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Aren continued:
"The demons started a ritual — a forbidden one — to summon their god into the world."
His golden eyes darkened slightly, as if seeing the memories play out before him.
"Even back then, I was already a Transcended being. Strong beyond mortal limits. The Emperor — my closest friend — was still mortal then. Not yet ascended."
He traced the rim of his glass absently.
"When the ritual completed, it wasn't a full descent. Only an Incarnation — a fragment of the Demon God — managed to cross over. But even that... was almost too much."
His voice turned quieter.
"The Emperor and I fought side by side against it. And by some miracle, we killed it."
The family listened, rapt.
"But," Aren said grimly, "the ritual cost was too high. In the middle of our battle against the Demon Lord that followed... the Emperor began to transcend."
Mira gasped quietly.
Selene frowned, remembering how rare — and dangerous — that was.
"When someone transcends, they are vulnerable. Exposed. A single fatal strike can end them before they complete it."
He looked toward the window, remembering.
"And it happened there. In the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by enemies."
His hands clenched slightly.
"The dragons — ancient rulers of the skies — sensed it.
The Dragon Emperor himself deemed two Transcended humans too dangerous for the world's balance."
Aren's voice dropped lower, colder.
"So he came. Teleported right into the battlefield.
And he decided to work with the Demon Lord to kill the Emperor mid-ascension."
Even Darian looked stunned.
Aren's mouth curved into a grim smile.
"I had no choice.
I faced them both."
The table remained silent, the gravity of his words pressing down on all of them.
"I held the line. For days. Against both the Demon Lord and the Dragon Emperor."
His voice was steady, but Selene, knowing him better than anyone, heard the pain he masked.
"I fought, and bled, and broke — just to buy him time.
My body gave out. My soul nearly did too."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"When the Emperor finally finished his ascent... I was half-dead."
He chuckled under his breath, but it was humorless.
"I remember lying there, unable to lift a finger, the world spinning... sure that my end had come."
Aren opened his eyes, golden and gleaming.
"And then... he healed me."
He smiled — a real, soft smile.
"With his new divine power, the first thing he did as a true Transcendent was save me."
Selene's hand found his under the table, squeezing gently.
Mira stared at him in awe.
"You're... you're so cool, Grandpa!" she burst out, eyes wide and shining.
The heaviness lifted, a ripple of laughter running through the family.
Aren leaned back, smiling genuinely now, soaking in the warmth around him.
For once, it wasn't the weight of legend he carried.
It was just the simple, boundless love of a family that finally — finally — he could call his own without fear.