Home?

The moon shone brightly, and a gentle breeze brushed her face. Sirin stood in front of a brightly lit villa, staring blankly at the sailor uniform she was wearing.

"What is this place, and why am I here? Strange, why... can't I remember anything...?"

With a creak, the front door opened. A handsome white-haired, blue-eyed man walked out. He was Schicksal's S-rank Male Valkyrie, Siegfried.

"Who are you, and what are you doing at my house?"

Faced with Siegfried's stern shout, Sirin lowered her head and stammered for a long while without managing to say a word.

"Hey, dear, what are you doing to your daughter?" Cecilia asked, looking at Siegfried with some irritation.

"Daughter?" Siegfried scratched the back of his head. He and Cecilia both had white hair and blue eyes, but the girl before him clearly had purple hair and golden eyes. This...

"Have you had too much to drink? You can't even recognize your only daughter? Didn't we say this today? Sirin was going to attend her club's training camp, so she'd be back later and told us not to wait for her for dinner." Seeing that neither of them had changed their expressions, Cecilia raised her voice another octave.

"My wife is this angry, so I must really have drunk too much and lost my senses. As for her appearance... maybe it's a recessive gene." Siegfried immediately let Sirin inside, wearing an awkward expression.

"They're... my mom and dad? This is... my... home?"

Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Sirin remained confused.

"Sirin, come here." Cecilia beckoned to the still-confused Sirin.

"Today is November 10th, which means tomorrow is your birthday. It's even written on the calendar. Your father's just been too busy with work lately, and he drank too much. Don't be angry with him. Come on, open your mouth."

Looking at the cake held right by her lips, Sirin hesitated briefly before opening her mouth. After chewing a little, the fluffy texture immediately brought tears to her eyes.

"Strange, I seem to have tasted this flavor a long time ago. It's so delicious, but why... why am I crying?"

Cecilia gently stroked her head and said softly:

"All right, Sirin. It's getting late, so go to bed early. Tomorrow's the weekend. Our whole family will go to the mall, and you can pick whatever gift you want."

Still confused, Sirin entered the room and lay down on the soft bed.

"Is this... what being at home feels like? Why do I feel like I haven't been home in a very long time?"

The next morning, Sirin woke up and realized that she had fallen asleep the night before without even changing her clothes. She vaguely remembered that she had not slept like that in a very long time.

She had just climbed out of bed when Cecilia opened the door.

"Oh, you're up already. Since you're awake, hurry up and get dressed, then come have breakfast."

Sirin opened the wardrobe and looked at the dazzling array of dresses inside. Although she thought they were beautiful, she inexplicably felt a sense of unfamiliarity. After choosing for a while, she changed into a white top with a purple bow tie and a black short skirt with several purple stripes.

As soon as she opened the door, the smell of something burnt wafted out of the kitchen. Inside stood Siegfried, looking extremely disheveled as he held Divine Fire Judgment.

"How many times have I told you? Anyone named Kaslana isn't allowed in the kitchen! If this breakfast were just for me, I could let it go, but how can I serve our daughter something like this... sigh."

Sirin's eyes widened as she stared at the charcoal-like object on the plate. She could hardly believe it was meant to be eaten by a human.

Cecilia shook her head. More than anger, her expression held helplessness. She took fresh ingredients out of the refrigerator, and several dozen minutes later, plates of toast accompanied by steaming milk appeared on the dining table.

Siegfried glanced at the "masterpiece" that had already been dumped into the trash can and wore an awkward expression.

"Don't be angry, dear. Didn't I make Sirin upset yesterday by acting like an idiot? I wanted to show off in front of our daughter, but I didn't adjust Divine Fire Judgment's power properly..."

"While I'm at home, don't even think about using Divine Fire Judgment to bake pizza again." Cecilia chided him.

Siegfried knew that this expression meant Cecilia was not truly angry. He therefore took the initiative to coax her a few times, and, just as expected, Cecilia smiled again.

Sirin quietly took in the atmosphere. Although she did not say a word, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted.

Cecilia watched her face for several more seconds, then quickly looked away before Sirin noticed.

After the meal, the family went to a large department store. A huge promotional poster for Magical Girl TeriTeri hung outside, and Sirin, like everyone else, was drawn to its enormous display.

"Magical Girl TeriTeri's large-scale meet-and-greet... signing event, held at XX on November 12th."

"Sirin, you can't choose a gift while standing there. Come on, let's go inside and take a look."

Cecilia's voice interrupted Sirin's thoughts. She nodded and followed Cecilia and Siegfried into the mall.

As soon as she entered the department store, Sirin was captivated by the magnificent decorations and dazzling array of goods. She was certain she had never been to a place like this before.

Cecilia took Sirin to choose dresses and other things for girls, while Siegfried, seeing that he was not needed for the moment, went to the restroom.

The restroom in the large department store was practically like a maze, and it took Siegfried quite a while to find it. Since this was also his first time there, he spent more than ten minutes looking.

After relieving himself, Siegfried immediately felt much more comfortable. But as soon as he stepped out of the restroom, a hole suddenly appeared in the wall beside him, like a shattered puzzle. Walter Yang, whose eyes reflected the light, walked out of it. It was as if the world had been paused. Aside from the two of them, everything had come to a standstill.

"Siegfried, your life is so happy and fulfilling now, but is this truly a beautiful dream, or a nightmare? Open your eyes and see which side is the reality that needs protecting!"

As Old Yang spoke with force and conviction, Siegfried suddenly felt a headache. He raised his right hand to hold his forehead and looked at the man before him. He found him very familiar, but could not remember who he was.

Seeing that his words had taken effect, Walter was about to continue when another hand reached out from the hole and yanked him back inside. The opening closed, and the world returned to normal.

"What do you mean by this?" Old Yang asked angrily, looking at the Herrscher of Corruption before him.

"Mr. Walter, don't be anxious. There's still time. Your warning to Siegfried has been enough. If you want the Herrscher of Void to become a normal person, or even become a Herrscher who fights for humanity like you, then this dream needs to continue for Sirin."

"The wounds some people suffer at a certain moment may never heal over the course of their entire lives, let alone after just a few years. Although, in reality, Sirin's suffering truly had nothing to do with Cecilia or Siegfried, since she is willing to do this, let her have her way. Giving Sirin the love and care of a family is Schicksal's best form of atonement."