“Jin... what happened here?”

“The vexling took over the village completely, killing and eating everyone who lived there. It took over the shape and form of the last person it killed, which was Petunia...”

Rai’s face shifted between a number of different emotions. Chief among them was his shock. Before he could even consider grieving for Aunt Petunia, Rai couldn’t believe that this whole village was taken over by a vexling. A monster that he’d never even heard about.

From the looks of it, Sin hadn’t either.

Another amongst the chief of his emotions was Rai’s frustration.

“Jin... does the Warden know about this? About any of the monsters? Bort told me that there have been a lot lately...”

“I know that word was sent by a courier about monsters inhabiting our countryside a while back, but it seems like they’ve been attacking more often recently...

Anyway. What’s done is done. We need to go back now.”

A pang of despair pierced Rai’s heart.

“MUM! What about mum?! Is she fine without you on the farm?”

“Yes, Rai. She’s perfectly fine. I had your Aunt set up a stave a while ago. Monsters can’t get anywhere near the farm.”

“Phew... okay... let’s go then.”

Jin rested his hand on the pommel of one of his blades as he walked past Rai and Sin.

“It’s good to see you as well, Sin.”

“... You too, Jin.”

“You and Rai gonna stay for a few nights?” He asked.

“... That’s the plan. If you’ll have me, that is...”

“As much as it’s not up to me, I have no quarrels with the idea.”

“Great!... though...” Sin turned to Rai. “I suppose we’ll have to convince your mum to let me stay...”

“I’m sure she’ll let you stay just fine.” Rai said as they got ready to leave.

But before anything, Rai spent a short while making a memorial for Aunt Petunia, and the rest of the fallen in the village.

Jin kept watch while he did so, and Sin helped Rai gather flowers from a nearby field for it.

Rai felt remorse for some reason. He had to keep reminding himself of Kallad’s words.

He couldn’t save everyone.

After he finished setting up the memorial, Rai returned to Turner.

Sin followed Rai out and back onto Turner, while Jin hopped up on one of the horses from the farm that Rai recognised.

He smiled to himself, morbidly glad that at least some of the old girls he knew still lived.

Still, shock invaded Rai’s system in a way that he couldn’t quite understand or even identify. Rai never imagined that anyone he knew could die. It was something that he’d only just experienced recently with Chak, but this seemingly fresh massacre of a whole village so close to his home was terrifying.

Even though Jin said that they’d set up a protection stave, Rai couldn’t help but worry. He also pushed the memory of Aunt Petunia further down, burying it under his thoughts.

They travelled out of the remains of the village in the direction of Rai’s home.

“Rai. Reiki is worried about you. Since that whole debacle with you nearly dying, she’s been worried sick. Hence, you won’t mention the village to her.”

“... I know. I won’t. I don’t think any explanations are going to help me there. The only thing I can really do is steel against mum’s frustrations.”

“Yep. You can’t do much else, and you definitely shouldn’t try to.”

“I got it.”

After another hour of occasional small talk, they arrived at the farm.

Now, after experiencing life in Aurum’s capital, Rai couldn’t help but feel the house to be relatively quaint. But that’s how it always was. In Zenith, the only place that Rai felt this kind of comfort was here...

At home.

They brought the horses to the farm’s stable and settled them there.

Rai turned to Sin.

“Welcome to my home.” He said.

Sin looked over the house, which looked to her more like a lodge. She felt butterflies in her stomach. But Sin couldn’t exactly identify which emotion they represented between anxiety and excitement. The two were so often so similar.

“Remember, don’t bring up the vexling, or any other kind of monsters. Reiki doesn’t need any more worries.” Jin mentioned.

“Gotcha.” Rai said. “C’mon Sin. Let’s go meet mum.”

Sin nodded as she followed Rai and Jin. They began walking to the house.

“Dad! Was that more than 1 horse I heard?” Reiki shouted from in the house. “Did you bring someone with you?”

*Pitter patter pitter patter*

Jin smirked.

Reiki burst out of the door and looked left first. She found nothing on that side, so she looked right.

Silence.

Rai looked his mother in her jade eyes from where he stood.

After a short while. The silence broke.

“Chicken rice for dinner?” Reiki asked Rai.

“My favourite... well you know the answer to that, don’t you mum?”

“Yeah, just thought I’d ask to be sure. Since I’ll need to make up for this...”

Huh? This? What does... oh she’s walking over to me. It’s been a while since we hugged, mum. I’ve missed you so much!

*SLAP*

Eh...

Sin watched it happen in slow motion. Reiki stomped over to Rai and slapped him, square in the cheek. Though, Sin didn’t blame her one bit.

Reiki took deep breaths, trying to hold strong.

“... Apologise... for breaking my heart, Rai. Apologise!” Her voice cracked.

The sting from his mother’s slap wasn’t nearly as painful as seeing her now.

The incredible woman that raised Rai without the help of a husband or wife, stood before him in unbelievable pain.

Rai began to feel the remorse that he’d felt once before, only this time it was so much stronger. It all came at once, and Rai practically broke down right then and there.

“I’m sorry mum...” Rai said. “I... I really... I didn’t want to... I’m s-sorry! sniffle. I really mean it! I won’t worry you again... I promise!”

Tears flowed freely from Rai’s eyes like a waterfall.

“I really really am.” He said, like a remorseful child.

Reiki reached up to her son’s red cheek.

She gently rubbed it with her hand, and pulled him in for a hug.

“That... That’s all I wanted. I want you s-safe... understand?”

Rai nodded against his mother’s head as he hugged her.

For a short while, Reiki stood hugging her son. She gently squeezed him a bit tighter before letting go.

“Now...” Reiki said as she wiped her face with Jin’s handkerchief. “Who’s this beautiful woman beside you?”

Sin blushed as Reiki looked over at her.

“I’m... Sindyl Raven! P-p-p-pleased to f-f-finally m-m-meet you!” Sin said as she held out her shaky hand.

“Ahahaha! You never told me how shy and cute she was, Rai.”

“Haha...” Rai nervously laughed.

“You know, sometimes I forget that you actually somehow made a friend when you were a kid.”

“Hey now... I was friends with some of the kids from Acies too...”

“Yeah but you couldn’t stop talking about ‘Sin this’, and ‘Sin that’. I would say that you l-”

“Oh-kay mother. C’mon, inside now. You can embarrass me more later.”

Sin giggled. As Rai shoved his mother back into the house, she still felt a bit of apprehension.

“Uh... Miss Reiki?” Sin called out.

Rai stopped pushing Reiki in her tracks.

“Bit odd calling me ‘Miss’ Reiki, ain’t it Rai? I ain’t a teacher... What have you been telling this poor girl?” Reiki said to Rai, who shrugged in return. She turned to Sin. “Yes dear? You can just call me Reiki, if you want.”

“Ah... Reiki... is it okay f-for me to stay here? With you all?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re Rai’s only friend, obviously it’s okay.”

“She’s not my only friend.” Rai said, unheard by anyone else since he muttered it under his breath.

“Oh, okay! Thank you very much for having me!”

“Thanks for being a friend to my donut of a son.”

“Ooo I could do with a donut.” Rai said, a bit louder this time.

“Case. And. Point.” Reiki said with a smirk.

She walked over to Sin, past Rai. Reiki grabbed Sin’s free hand that wasn’t holding the knapsack over her shoulder, and pulled her towards the house.

“C’mon. It’s warmer inside. Oh wow your skin is so soft!”

“... And you’re really strong... what the fuck...” Sin whispered under her breath.

She didn’t expect it, but Reiki’s physical strength impressed her beyond belief. Rai’s mother might have been even stronger than her, which Sin never imagined to be a possibility.

That slap must’ve hurt...

Sin winced as she recalled it.

But now they seemed to be past it. So, with their introductions out of the way, they all went into the house.

As Sin stepped in, she looked around in a kind of awe. The house was very simple. There were a few rooms, and a single shared washroom.

Sin wasn’t sure why, but she’d expected something much more primitive than this. Rai’s childhood home was very clean, and had a vintage feel to it.

They sat down around the indoor fireplace, which was something that Sin sorely missed from living in the Castle.

“Sin... tell me a little about yourself.” Reiki said.

“Hm... I don’t know where to start, really.”

“Then start with how you and Rai came to meet. Forgive me if it sounds rude, but I don’t think an Aspect’s daughter just happens upon a farmboy in the middle of nowhere, befriends him, and stays friends with him for most of her life...”

“Well, it was mostly thanks to Jin. He met with my dad, which meant that I met with Rai. Then we sparred, and he won... I learned a big lesson that day, and Rai befriended me. Since then... we got really close.”

“That’s really cute... I wondered when I would get to meet you to be completely honest. The whole thing about you two not being able to meet made things difficult for Rai, for a while. I think he was really excited about me and you meeting, but that never got to happen back then...”

“Yeah. I remember him wanting to have me over at the farm, but we never got to do that.”

“Well, you’re here now! And there’s a slight problem.”

“Oh? What’s the problem? Is there anything I can do to fix it?”

“There is. You see, we don’t have enough beds. So either you or Rai will have to sleep on the sofa...”

“Oh, that’s not a big problem. I can just sleep with Rai.”

Silence.

Reiki turned and looked at her son. She was slightly confused. Her face also showed that she had an inclination about what Sin meant, but she wanted to hear it from Rai’s mouth.

Rai forgot. He hadn’t told his mother about him and Sin.

“... Surprise...?” Rai said.

“Rai...” Sin said. “You didn’t tell your mum?”

“I... forgot.”

“It’s fine!” Reiki said. “You two can sleep on Rai’s bed then. It’s gonna be a bit small for the both of you together, but you’ll prefer that than one of you on the sofa.”

She took a deep breath.

“Also, if you have sex, please keep it down and use protection!”

“EH?! MUM?!”

Rai and Sin both became red hot.

“What? I’d much prefer for you to be healthy about it and do it in a safe environment than having to sneak around. I’m not an idiot Rai, I’ll know anyway. You don’t have to announce it like a weirdo, just keep it down and don’t be a dumbass.”

“B-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-but-”

“No buts! I don’t care whether you have sex or not, but I ain’t having you do it sneaking around in the stables or way out in a field where you’re in a completely unsafe environment. Infections and diseases are a thing to avoid, you know?”

“Okay, we are NOT talking about this.” Rai declared.

*Pfft*

“Gosh you’re such a prude. Alright, I’ll leave you to your embarrassment, I’ll be in the kitchen sorting dinner if you need me. Go show Sin around the house once you’re over it.”

Reiki got up from the sofa and stretched, before leaving into the kitchen.

Sin’s face somehow became even hotter upon seeing Reiki’s abs peek through the bottom of her top. She couldn’t believe how fit Rai’s mother was, or how open she was to the idea of them having sex. Though, Sin was normally surrounded by people who thought openly about sex so maybe it shouldn’t have been so surprising.

“I’m going to have a nap before dinner, so the rest of the house is yours, Rai.” Jin said.

“Mhmm...” Rai hummed.

He was still shaken by his mother’s words.