Sleeping like a baby for an entire day, Iode finally opened his eyes. His face was droopy and lackluster. He sat up and stretched his body.
"Oh man, how many times have I passed out like this?" he muttered to himself.
Then, he noticed he was lying on a large bed in a fancy room. For a second, he looked lost.
"Oh shit, did another celestial take me in? I'm tired of this celestial stuff," he groaned, getting down from the bed.
He noticed a door on the wall adjacent to the bed. Without thinking much of it, he walked toward it to explore what lay beyond. Opening it, he found a bathroom. Inside were a bathtub, a sink, a toilet, and a cabinet filled with toiletries and other items. He was astounded by their glittering glamour.
"Wow... celestials who aren't Valier sure know how to live a comfy life," he said. Though he couldn't sense any celestial energy from the objects, he believed they had to be celestial-made — the equipment was like nothing he had seen before.
He walked over to the sink and examined it. "What is this?" He reached for a water-dispensing device and twisted its handle. Suddenly, water started running.
"A tap?! Incredible. I didn't know a tap could be this small and portable."
Back home on Heaters, running water with taps was a rare luxury only a select few could afford. Their taps were large, and water was drawn directly from the underground water table using a lever mechanism.
Iode splashed water on his face to freshen up, then returned to the bedroom. However, upon entering, he found a maid standing there, stunned to see him awake.
"My god, Master Iode, you're awake! My name is Fanny. I am the maid appointed to care for your needs," she said with an innocent smile. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and a small mole under her right eye.
Iode scanned her from head to toe. Just like the bathroom equipment, he couldn't sense any energy from her—not even mana. That puzzled him.
'Did she hide her energy? I can't sense anything other than the fact that she's alive. I don't think I'm in a celestial abode... even if I were, shouldn't she be exuding some kind of energy?' Iode thought.
In his world, every single person was taught a fundamental lesson: to harness mana — the ambient energy of the universe. A person as young as a day old would have some mana. As they grew, they would learn to contain and wield it.
But this woman had nothing. No magic. No energy. Only the natural biological energy of a living body. It was... strange.
"I shall inform the mistress and your siblings that you are awake," she said.
"Wait—siblings? My little twin siblings are here?" Iode asked, surprised.
"Yes, they carried you when you were asleep, before Madam picked you up," Fanny replied.
Iode's face lit up. He had been so focused on his own children that he nearly forgot about his younger twin sisters. "Lead the way, please. I'll follow you," he said cheerfully.
As they moved through the lobby, Iode was mesmerized by the architecture. It wasn't overly decorative, but the symmetry was impressive. Still, his mind longed to see familiar faces.
'Did Elena and Elenore sign a pact with a celestial just to find me? I don't know if I should be happy... or worried.' he thought.
Fanny led him to a staircase. From the top, he could see everything below—the spacious living room, the extravagant dining area.
But then, Iode's face paled and turned grim. Four people sat at the dining table. Two of them caught his eye immediately.
'Wait... what are they doing here? Where are my sisters? Where's Elena and Elenore?' he thought, frantically scanning the room.
"They're all seated at the dining table. Let's go and join them," Fanny said.
"I think I need to go back to my room," Iode muttered.
"Nonsense. Everyone's been dying to see you—especially Madam and the young mistress," Fanny said, gently grabbing his hand.
Iode furrowed his brows, frowning as he locked eyes on the red-haired twins.
'Twins, alright. Just not my twin sisters'. He clicked his tongue.
"Madam Begonia, Master Iode is awake. He insisted on coming down here to meet his siblings," Fanny said proudly.
'Yeah, that's because I thought they were my real siblings', Iode pouted inwardly.
"Good morning, Methuselah, you sleepyhead," Reggie snickered.
"Oh my god, Nivea, his hair is white! Did he dye it? Or is it natural?" Amica asked, her eyes sparkling.
"His hair is naturally white. Why do you think the runt over there calls him Methuselah?" Nivea replied coolly.
"Oh my, I've heard that people with white hair at a young age are rare. I can't believe I'm seeing one in person. Not only is it rare—he's also handsome! He's a dream guy!" Amica gushed.
Reggie nearly choked on his food, then grinned maliciously. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to date someone like him. He's ancient. Mwahahaha!"
"Where are your manners, you three? And you, Reggie, stop saying nonsense about your brother," Madam Begonia scolded.
"I've heard, Mom. I'm sorry," Reggie muttered.
Iode's eye twitched.
"Good morning, Iode. Please, have a seat. You must be hungry—you didn't eat anything yesterday. I was so worried when you wouldn't wake up. I even considered taking you to the hospital, but your brother assured me you were just sleeping," Madam Begonia said warmly.
"My name is Begonia Raubenheimer. I saw you yesterday on my way home. This beautiful, fragile young lady was carrying you on her back, while this uncouth brat just stood by flexing. For some reason... I just adopted you children on the spot. We're going to finish the paperwork today."
'Adopted?' Iode's eyes darted to the twins, who quickly looked away.
' I'm starting to become skeptical about all of this… No, I've been skeptical since I laid eyes on those two'. he thought.
Suddenly, within a fraction of a second, his pupils shifted—from round to spiral. They rotated briefly, then returned to normal. But what he saw during that moment shocked him.
[Begonia Raubenheimer
Current flaw: Twisted memory…]
Iode's expression blanked.
'What do I even expect from two little demons…' he sighed.