"We missed you a lot. Where have you been?" "I've been away for barely a day and a half, Mom." Solus chuckled, finding it funny to receive the same check-up that Elina gave Lith every time he returned home. "I've been to Zeska to help with the rebuilding. What are you guys doing here?" "Kamila won't go back to work for a few more days so we decided to move into the Mansion and work to make it look like a real home." Elina replied while checking Tista next. "The Warp Gate truly is a wonderful device. "We contacted artisans and upholsterers from all over the Kingdom and they brought their best pieces straight to us so that we could we could see which one suits our taste the best." "I warned you." Lith groaned as Kamila asked him to choose among three different shades of brown that looked identical to him for the couch. "I can see that, Mom. I mean, why right now?" Solus asked. "Because Kamila and I were getting bored staying at home all day doing nothing and because I knew that you would soon come back to recover your strength." Elina replied. "This way, you have Lith and a geyser available at the same time and we can spend a bit of time together before you have to leave again." "Are you doing this for me?" "Of course, dear." Elina embraced Solus. "It's my duty to take care of you just like I take care of Lith. We stayed in the Desert for him and now we are going to stay here for you until you get back." Elina chose her words carefully to not give Dawn any hint about Solus' true nature, but her gesture moved Solus deeply. 'If they had stayed in Lutia, Lith and I would have had to meet in the Trawn woods away from the family and leave Nyka behind. This way, instead, Dawn won't suspect a thing and I need just a few minutes to regain my strength.' Solus felt rejuvenated as Lith's life force nurtured her own while the mana geyser fed both her mana core and the tower core. The world seemed to have become brighter and a burden had been lifted from her chest. It was as if Solus had been underwater for the past day and now she could finally come to the surface and breathe. "Thank you, Mom. What is this delicious smell? She asked with a warm smile. "Since we are going to live here for a while, I'm giving the kitchen a test run as well. Do you want to stay for lunch or do you have to go already?" On the one hand, Solus was eager to leave before the bond with Lith was fully restored and made it painful for her to cut it off again. On the other hand, she had learned enough from Elphyn's memories to not repeat her same mistakes. Elphyn had taken Menadion for granted, losing her before they could mend their relationship. She had loved her mother deeply yet Elphyn had never expressed her feelings until it was too late. Ripha Menadion had been a powerful bright violet-cored Awakened whereas Elina Verhen was just a human woman. Solus had no idea how much time they had left together and decided to enjoy it in full. "I'm starving and there's nothing better than your food, Mom." She replied. While they set up the table for three more people, the Verhens chatted about their respective day. Solus told them everything about the situation in Zeska and how the city was split in two in a similar fashion to the Kingdom. The militia had been replaced by the army and the local nobles stripped of their authority until the investigation on their respective households was over. No one liked having so many foreigners around but also having them in charge was even worse. "Now that I think about it, how come even though the food is still rationed everywhere, we've never had such a problem ever after we got back to Lutia?" Solus asked. "Because we spent most of our time in the Desert and in the Overlord's Palace at that." Raaz replied. "The famine in the Kingdom doesn't affect Mother's turf, let alone her own home. As for Lutia, we produce our own food. "A famine means that a part of the taxes has to be paid in crops instead of money, but we get to keep the rest. Farmers may not have access to fancy cuisine but no ruler is so dumb that they don't leave them enough to feed their families and sow the fields. "Without people like me, even the Royals would starve." Solus, Tista, and Nyka spent a few hours in the Mansion, helping Elina with choosing among the different styles of tapestry and picking the furniture for their respective rooms. Solus gave Elina and her baby a check-up and listened to her mother's obvious but heartfelt travel advice. Before leaving, Solus asked Lith to speak in private and Elina exploited it to have a chat with Nyka with the pretense to show her a guest room. The Vampire was a bit confused since after clearing Elina's initial doubts, Tista's mother had never mistreated her or acted on superstition. Yet it didn't take the supernatural senses of an undead to recognize the coldness in Elina's voice or the stiffness of her posture. "We need to talk." Elina said once they were alone. "Is it something wrong? If I offended you in any way, I apologize." Nyka was still socially awkward, especially in presence of humans. "Gods, no, dear. You did nothing wrong and have been a wonderful friend like always." Elina gave her a motherly smile, returning for an instant to be the warm and kind woman Nyka was used to. "I was talking to the other you. Dawn." The name was more spat than spoken and Elina's face became a stone mask so quickly that it sent a shiver down Nyka's spine. "Do you want me to leave you two alone?" "Thank you but no. I don't trust her one bit and I would feel much safer if you bear witness." Elina shook her head and Nyka's features shapeshifted into Dawn's. The Bright Day's physical appearance was that of a young woman in her twenties, yet there was something in her eyes and expression that made it impossible to guess her age. She was 1.78 meters (5'10") tall, with golden eyes without pupils that painfully reminded Elina of Solus' energy body and made that confrontation even harder and more necessary. Her skin was as white as milk while her waist-long hair was pitch-black. The two conflicting futures together with the luminescence that spread from the crystal in her chest throughout her body, made her a majestic figure that embodied sunrise. "What do you want to talk about, Lady Verhen?" Dawn's voice was calm, her tone polite and proper for a guest addressing her host. Despite that, the aura of power she exuded was enough to freeze Elina in awe, making her feel like she was staring at the sun. "I know who you are and what you did." She had to swallow several times to find the strength to talk and even when she did, her hands and voice kept shaking.