After a string of missions that left him with barely any rest, Dayesh finally decided to stay home for a while.
Five hundred thousand gold. An amount large enough to momentarily dull exhaustion, or at the very least, postpone it.
In one corner of the room, Dayesh sat quietly. His back leaned against the wall, one leg stretched out while the other remained slightly bent. Completely at ease.
Resting after missions was nothing new to him. It was routine.
But this time, something felt different.
For once, his rest was not haunted by fragments of the past.
Until...
A faint rustling sound reached his ears from the other side of the room.
Khafa and Ghoth.
They weren't rushing, but there was something unusually serious in the way they moved. No teasing remarks. No playful banter thrown between them like they always did.
"We're heading out for a bit, big brother," Khafa said plainly, without hesitation.
Dayesh didn't respond immediately. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced at them.
"We just found a few easy quests earlier. Thought we'd try them out," Ghoth added casually, as if everything was normal.
A brief silence settled.
Dayesh didn't ask further.
"Be careful," he said at last.
Khafa nodded.
Ghoth let out a soft whistle.
And just like that, they left.
***
In the living room, a neatly arranged bed lay on the floor.
Sapphire was lying there, with Lzith sprawled gently on top of her. The child's small face rested sideways, partially buried against her arm. One tiny hand clutched tightly onto the fabric of her clothing.
Her hand rested on the child's back, gently patting her in a slow, soothing rhythm.
Not far from them, Amon was already asleep, while the owl perched quietly on a chair, eyes closed.
"We're going to sleep now, Lzith… You don't nap enough during the day. How will you grow like that?" Sapphire whispered softly.
The child only nodded faintly, already drifting off as her gentle touch lulled deeper into sleep.
Then, in a low voice, almost a whisper, she began to sing.
"And can you feel the love tonight…
It is where we are…
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer…
That we got this far…"
Her voice was soft. Barely above a breath.
"And can you feel the love tonight?
How it's laid to rest…"
Slowly, Lzith's breathing grew heavier.
Her tight grip loosened.
Her small body finally surrendered to sleep.
Still, Sapphire didn't stop. Her hand continued its gentle rhythm, as if making sure the child remained wrapped in comfort.
Minutes passed and without realizing it, her own eyes grew heavy.
Sleep claimed her as well.
****
Meanwhile…
In the Kingdom of Caelumn.
Khafa and Ghoth's claim about heading to the guild had been nothing more than an excuse.
Their true destination was Caelumn to report on Dayesh's condition.
A portal opened and they stepped through.
Before them stood a vast hall. Towering pillars stretched upward, disappearing into a ceiling too high for the eyes to fully grasp.
But more than the structure itself, it was the presence of those within that made the air feel heavy.
"Madam, we have come to report," Khafa announced.
"How is he?" a calm but authoritative voice asked. "My son… my granddaughter…"
It wasn't loud, yet it echoed clearly across the hall.
"They are both well, madam. We have confirmed that he and Jauna have separated," Khafa answered without hesitation.
Silence followed. A long, heavy silence.
Rinayah let out a quiet sigh, a trace of sorrow crossing her face.
"And the child? Where is she?"
"With Dayesh, madam."
"How is he managing that? Does he even know how to raise a child?"
"He hired someone to care for the child whenever he is away."
"That's good… At least he thought of that," Brahad, Dayesh's father, spoke this time. "I will visit him soon. Continue watching over him."
"I'll come too," Dioh added eagerly. "I want to see big brother again."
A faint tension filled the room.
"My head aches just thinking about how he rebelled against us," Rinayah muttered.
"That's the result of raising him too strictly," Dioh replied without holding back. "Ever since he stepped down as head general, he hasn't visited us. Not even once. And now, we didn't even know his relationship had already fallen apart until they told us."
"I only wanted what was best for him…"
"Did you ever ask if that's what he wanted?"
"I already regret it."
***
Night.
Inside the house, everything was quiet. Sapphire and Lzith were still asleep, unaware of how much time had passed.
From a distance, Dayesh had been watching. Waiting.
Something, something subtle yet persistent pulled him closer.
Step by step, he approached. He knelt beside them.
Carefully, he reached out and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen across Sapphire's face. His gaze lingered. Her peaceful expression. The softness of her features. His eyes drifted… down to her lips. Before he could stop himself, his thumb moved. Lightly grazing her lower lip. Slow. Careful. As if testing something he wasn't ready to understand.
A dangerous thought flickered. What would it feel like...
Sapphire stirred.
Dayesh pulled away instantly, his heart tightening.
"Hmmm… big brother… what time is it?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Ah... uh… it's already dark outside," he replied, his voice betraying a slight nervousness.
"What?! I still have to prepare dinner!"
She suddenly realized Lzith was still sleeping on her chest.
"Big brother, can you take her for a bit? I need to get up."
"S-Sure."
Dayesh carefully lifted the child and brought him to her room. When Lzith stirred and whimpered, he stayed beside her for a moment until the child settled again.
Only then did he return downstairs.
In the kitchen.
"Go sit over there, big brother. You're just getting in the way," Sapphire scolded lightly when he tried to help.
Dayesh obeyed without argument.
But his thoughts…
They lingered elsewhere.
Dinner passed. The night deepened.
Inside her room, Sapphire lay beneath her blanket.
"…Ah, sheesh… I remember this feeling again… When was the last time?" she muttered softly.
Her imagination wandered. One scenario after another filled her mind. Her breathing shifted. Soft. Uneven. A quiet sound escaped her lips.
"Hmmmph…"
She bit her lip slightly, lost in the sensation she was chasing, her body responding to her own touch beneath the covers.
The movements became quicker. More urgent.
"Hmmm… ahh…"
Unbeknownst to her, the door was slightly open.
And outside, Dayesh stood frozen. He hadn't meant to come. Or maybe he had. But now he couldn't move. The soft sounds reached him clearly. Too clearly. Something stirred inside him. Heat spread through his body, starting low, coiling upward. His hand clenched instinctively. His breath grew shallow. He shouldn't stay. He knew that. But his body refused to listen.
His hand moved, almost unconsciously to his manhood. Mirroring the rhythm he heard, suppressing any sound that threatened to escape him.
His jaw tightened. His control… thinning.
Then... Silence.
Sapphire had finished.
Moments later, Dayesh followed, barely managing to keep himself composed.
"I should go outside for a bit," Sapphire murmured to herself.
The moment he heard that, Dayesh disappeared. Back to his room. As if nothing had happened.
Sapphire stepped into the kitchen, made herself a cup of coffee, then walked out into the yard.
She lit a cigarette.
"He's probably not showing up today," she whispered to herself.
She stayed there quietly. Drinking. Smoking.
Unaware, that from the window above Dayesh was watching her.
Night settled deeper around the house.
The air felt heavier now. Quieter. As if something unspoken had begun to take shape within those walls.
From his window, Dayesh remained still.
Below, Sapphire leaned lightly against the wooden railing, the faint glow of her cigarette flickering in the dark. Smoke curled upward, dissolving into the night air. She looked calm.
As if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't just stirred something inside him that he could no longer ignore.
Dayesh's hand rested against the frame of the window, his fingers tightening slightly. "What was that? That feeling."
It wasn't unfamiliar… but it wasn't something he allowed himself to dwell on either. Not after everything. Not after Jauna. His jaw clenched.
For years, he had mastered control. Discipline. Restraint.
Yet tonight, all it took was one moment.
One sound. One glimpse of her in a state so unguarded… so unaware. And suddenly, that control felt thinner than ever.
Below, Sapphire exhaled slowly, watching the last bit of her cigarette burn away.
"Weird," she murmured under her breath.
There was a slight crease between her brows. She wasn't completely unaware. Something felt off.
Earlier… there was this strange feeling, like she wasn't alone. Like someone had been there. Watching. But when she checked, nothing.
She shook her head lightly. "Overthinking again…"
Still, her hand instinctively brushed against her arm, as if trying to shake off a lingering sensation.
Up above, Dayesh stepped back from the window.
Careful. Quiet.
He turned away, running a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly.
"This is ridiculous…" he muttered to himself.