The restaurant had finally fallen silent.
Just an hour earlier, the place had been full of life—customers chatting loudly over their meals, workers moving back and forth between tables, plates clinking, and the rich smell of food filling the air. Now all of that had faded. The last customers had left, the workers had finished cleaning up, and the once lively room had grown quiet.
Only three people remained inside the restaurant.
Seraphine, Jade, and Nora.
The lights above cast a warm glow across the empty tables and neatly arranged chairs. The smell of spices and freshly cooked meals still lingered faintly in the air, reminding them of the busy day they had just finished.
Seraphine stretched her arms slightly, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the exhaustion of the long day. She had spent hours working alongside the staff, making sure everything in the restaurant ran smoothly.
She turned toward her two children.
"Let's get going. We are done for the day. Besides, I need to start cooking again at home."
Nora immediately brightened the moment she heard those words. Her tired expression disappeared, replaced with excitement.
"Finally, we can go home. I can now continue my project."
Jade glanced at his younger sister and shook his head with an amused expression.
"Smartypants, stop getting ahead of yourself."
Nora frowned slightly, clearly not appreciating the teasing.
Before she could argue back, Seraphine spoke again, her tone firm but calm.
"Mom said we can only go home, not you continuing your project."
Nora crossed her arms for a moment, though it was obvious she wasn't truly upset. Her mind was always full of ideas, inventions, and experiments. Whenever she wasn't helping at the restaurant or doing schoolwork, she spent most of her time working on one project or another.
Seraphine then extended both of her hands toward her children.
"Hold my hands. You know the drill."
Jade and Nora immediately stepped closer.
They had done this countless times before.
Without hesitation, they each grabbed one of their mother's hands.
For a brief moment, everything became quiet.
Then, in the blink of an eye, they disappeared.
There was no loud sound, no flash of light—just a subtle distortion in the air, like a ripple passing through space.
An instant later, they reappeared inside their home.
The transition was so smooth that it felt almost natural to them.
Their home was warm and comfortable, with soft lighting and a familiar atmosphere that immediately made them feel relaxed after a long day.
As soon as they appeared, a voice greeted them.
"Wow, my family is back from their daily work."
Rylan was standing nearby, leaning casually against the kitchen counter.
He looked amused as he watched them arrive.
Seraphine immediately blushed slightly and looked at him with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
"Why do you say that every time me and the kids come home?"
Rylan chuckled softly before straightening up.
"Today is different, though. Guess what I've done."
It was quite obvious something unusual had happened.
Rylan's clothes were stained with dough and flour, and he was currently wearing an apron.
Nora quickly noticed the details and tilted her head curiously.
"You cooked for us, right?"
Rylan shook his head.
"No, but good guess, but actually your granddad did that."
Jade and Nora both blinked in surprise.
Before they could ask anything else, someone else stepped forward from the kitchen area.
A middle-aged man slowly came into view.
He stood tall and calm, with a confident posture that immediately commanded attention.
This man was Jade's grandfather.
His name was Asterion.
Even though he was technically old enough to be a grandfather, his appearance told a different story. His black hair showed no signs of gray, and his body looked strong and well-built, almost like someone much younger.
His skin looked incredibly firm and resilient.
In fact, it was often said that his skin was as strong as that of the real jade stone.
Asterion possessed a unique ability.
He could use his will.
With his willpower alone, he could control objects and even influence the environment around him without using his hands.
He looked somewhat similar to his son, Rylan. However, there was a deeper sense of power surrounding him, something difficult to describe but impossible to ignore.
Even though he had lived for many years, he could make himself appear younger through the control of his will.
Without saying a word, Asterion demonstrated a small portion of his ability.
With a simple thought, the chairs around the dining table gently lifted off the ground.
The furniture floated through the air as if guided by invisible hands.
The seats positioned themselves perfectly around the table.
The floating chairs stopped beside each family member, quietly inviting them to sit.
Jade, Nora, Seraphine, and Rylan watched calmly.
They were used to seeing Asterion's abilities.
Still, it was always impressive.
Once everyone sat down, the chairs slowly floated back toward the table and settled softly onto the floor.
Asterion then used his will again.
The dishes on the counter began to move.
Bowls of food lifted into the air and gently glided across the room, placing themselves neatly on the dining table.
Utensils followed shortly after, arranging themselves beside each plate.
It was as if the air itself was serving dinner.
Everything moved with perfect precision.
Once the food was ready, Jade looked toward his grandfather and spoke.
"Grandpa, why did you decide to come home today?"
Asterion smiled calmly.
"I heard your 16th birthday is coming up, so have you received a notification from the system that you are infected?"
Jade immediately shook his head.
"No, I have no plans of even being infected."
Asterion leaned back slightly in his chair, clearly amused by the response.
"I am sure my bloodline can never be abandoned by the system. But here, one question, how do you like my food?"
Nora quickly raised her hand slightly with a playful smile.
"As sweet as your intelligence."
Asterion chuckled warmly.
"Oh, how did I forget about my beautiful granddaughter?"
Nora smirked proudly.
"Even if you did, don't forget again. Besides, I inherited your smart genes."
Asterion nodded thoughtfully.
"I think you mentioned about your project, so after dinner, you can show me."
Nora's eyes lit up immediately.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
Seraphine and Rylan exchanged glances.
They both looked slightly jealous.
Asterion was giving most of his attention to his grandchildren, especially Nora.
Still, they didn't interrupt.
The family began eating together.
The food was delicious, filled with rich flavor and carefully prepared ingredients.
Even Jade had to admit that his grandfather's cooking was impressive.
After dinner, Nora excitedly brought out her project.
It was a complex device she had been working on for quite some time.
Asterion studied the device carefully.
He examined each component, asking questions about how it worked and what Nora had been trying to achieve.
After a few minutes of observation, he gently pointed out several small problems within the project.
He explained them patiently, helping Nora understand where her design could be improved.
Nora listened carefully to every word.
She was extremely thankful for the advice.
With Asterion's guidance, she could already imagine how much better her project would become.
After their discussion finished, Nora carefully packed away her work.
Meanwhile, Asterion stood up from the table.
He looked toward Seraphine and Rylan.
There were still important matters to discuss.
The atmosphere in the room slowly shifted.
The earlier warmth and laughter remained, but something more serious now lingered beneath the surface.
Asterion had not come home without a reason.
And soon, that reason would become clear.