Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 630: Different Worlds

Kaiden seized the opportunity to sneak in a question he hoped would get through the great wall of mental resistance, using the amicable mood in the room. Well, amicable...

Vespera might’ve looked anything but amicable. However, Kaiden knew how his mother truly looked like when she was actually furious and let’s just say that sipping tea aggressively was not it.

Thus, he made his move.

”Mother, do you have any idea why New Dawn is only a few points ahead in the competition? Logic dictates they should be far ahead.”

Vespera looked at him with calm, measured eyes and clearly wasn’t caught up in the moment at all.

”If you need such help, then you don’t deserve to win.”

Kaiden smirked and shrugged shamelessly. ”Thought so. It was worth an attempt, though.”

The door opened, and Aria entered the room. Her face lit up when she saw Vespera, and she crossed the distance quickly to hug Julia. ”Mom! How are you feeling?”

Julia smiled warmly and returned the embrace. ”Wonderful. I feel strong as ever. Those doctors and nutritionists are worth their weight in gold.”

”They are worth more than that,” Vespera chimed in nonchalantly while she returned to sipping her tea.

Julia broke out in sweat.

Truly living in different worlds.

Aria giggled and pulled back to look at her mother with genuine happiness. ”I’m so happy to see you in top shape!” Then she looked around the room with bright, curious eyes. ”Where’s Lux and Damian?”

”Lux is probably in her room while Damian is out with his friends,” Julia said.

”Okay!” Aria chirped and turned to Kaiden. ”Will you accompany me?”

Kaiden stood with Alice still clinging to him like a baby monkey. The girl showed no signs of letting go anytime soon.

They made their way through the manor hallways until they reached Lux’s room. Aria knocked twice before pushing the door open.

Lux looked up from her bed where she’d been reading, and her face immediately brightened. She jumped up and ran toward Kaiden with her arms outstretched for a hug.

Then she saw Alice occupying the prime hugging space.

Alice’s mismatched eyes locked onto Lux with territorial intensity as she hissed, ”Mine!”

Lux gasped and stopped short. Her gaze went from Alice’s face to her split-colored hair and back again. ”What happened to you? Your hair color is so pretty!”

”I became one with big brother...” Alice murmured while tightening her grip around Kaiden’s neck.

Lux looked wryly toward Kaiden.

Aria closed her eyelids for a moment.

Kaiden coughed.

Then he coughed again and cleared his throat. ”Well, let’s get going soon, Aria. Have a chat with your mother and sister, then we go. I only intended to sneak in the question to my mother about New Dawn’s strategy, which I failed to do so miserably, and of course, to have Alexandra progress in her trauma recovery.”

Aria’s expression turned sad at the latter part. ”Alexandra didn’t manage to speak to her parents...”

Kaiden smiled, and his voice carried a quiet pride. ”Maybe so, but today was a big day, I feel. This kind of confrontation is what leads to recovery. Real progression happened on this day.”

Aria didn’t need much more convincing, instantly beaming. ”I hope you’re right.” Then she nodded with renewed energy. ”Okay, I’ll speak with mom for a few minutes, and then we can go. Come, Lux, let’s spend some time together. If only Damian were here...”

However, suddenly, Lux stomped her feet. ”Five minutes?! No... I want longer! I barely see my sister! I see you less than when you worked two jobs to make enough money!”

Aria’s face fell, and guilt flickered across her features. She’d been so focused on the competition, growing stronger as both an individual and a group, that she hadn’t realized how much distance had formed between them. ”I know, but we have to visit the dungeon to spend Kai’s points and also get some much-needed rest in... I’m sorry. After the competition, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Lux saw that her big sister wasn’t going to give in, so she turned toward Kaiden instead. She hopped a few times and looked up at him with wide pleading eyes. ”Do you remember how you once rewarded me with a McDonald’s meal when I helped you clean the dirty apartment? Can you take me there again?”

”Lux!” Aria hissed. ”Don’t try to bribe my boyfriend like this!”

But Kaiden was already won over.

He reached for his girlfriend’s shoulder and squeezed gently. ”You know what? Lux is right. We should spend some quality time together. We spent more than a week hunting monsters and facing those trials... let’s get a family night out.”

Lux jumped with joy, and her eyes went wide with disbelief. ”We’re getting McDonald’s?!”

Kaiden grinned. ”Something much better.”

”Better than McDonald’s?” The girl stared at him as if he’d just claimed the sky was green. Her voice carried the kind of skepticism only a teenager could muster when faced with the impossible.

Kaiden laughed and ruffled her hair. ”If you hate it, then we’ll get you a takeout meal afterwards.”

”Okay!!!” Lux cheered and threw her arms up. ”You’re the best!”

Aria’s eyebrows trembled. ”The best...? I worked hard almost my whole life to take care of you... And your allegiances switch with the promise of a warm dinner? I-I-”

She opened her mouth and closed it again without saying anything more. Instead, she just smiled and watched the exchange with warmth spreading through her chest. Her sister and her boyfriend had formed a bond like this rapidly, in just a few exchanges. Seeing it play out in front of her made her happier than she expected.

Kaiden turned and made his way back toward the sitting room with Alice still clinging to him and Aria and Lux trailing behind. When he reached Vespera, he stopped and looked at her directly.

”We’re going to a restaurant. You should come with.”

Vespera didn’t even look up from her tea. ”I have chefs on call who make better meals. You can eat here if you’re hungry.”

Kaiden shook his head. ”It’s not about that. You spend all your time at home or on the battlefield. You could use some normalcy for once.”

”My home is normal...” Vespera grumbled under her breath.

Kaiden ignored her and turned toward Julia instead. The woman’s eyes lit up before he even finished forming the question in his mind.

”If I won’t be a bother!” she said quickly.

”Of course not,” Kaiden replied with a reassuring smile.

Next, he moved toward the hall where Naira and her mother were still deep in conversation about fashion with Bastet, Calypso, and Luna. The group looked up when he approached, and he extended the same invitation without hesitation.

None of them had any reservations.

Naira’s mother beamed and said she’d love to join, while Naira herself was just as enthusiastic as Lux. After all, the Native American girl had never been outside in the wide world, having gone from her tribal camp straight to the Ashborn mansion and never taking a step out once.

Kaiden glanced back at the growing group and felt a strange warmth settle in his chest. This wasn’t a dungeon raid nor a strategy meeting. There was no life-or-death battle against overwhelming odds looming over the horizon.

This was just people.

His people.

His family.

And just like this, it was time for a night out with the family.

However, it would not go as peacefully as Kaiden expected!