A New Chapter Begins... Again

Ere'ana stood in the restroom, staring at the small, rectangular box in her trembling hands. Her heart pounded against her chest, louder than any battle she had ever witnessed in her centuries of existence. She carefully opened the pregnancy test box, her angelic fingers fumbling slightly with the thin plastic as she extracted the test.

"This can't be real," she whispered, her voice quivering with hope and disbelief.

She followed the instructions, then set the test down on the counter. Time seemed to slow as she waited, her mind a whirl of emotions. As an angel, Ere'ana had always been the picture of grace, composure, and control—but now, standing in this small room, she felt completely vulnerable.

The results appeared.

Two lines.

She froze, staring at the indicator as the realization sank in. Her lips quivered, and tears welled up in her eyes. Two lines. She was pregnant.

"Oh... oh, my God," Ere'ana whispered, her hands flying to her mouth as tears streamed down her face. They weren't tears of sadness or fear. No, these were tears of uncontainable joy.

She hadn't thought it was possible. Not after so long, not after everything they had been through. But here it was—proof of life growing within her..... Again.

A small knock on the door startled her, and before she could respond, the door creaked open.

"Mom?" Yumi's voice called out hesitantly as she peeked inside. She had heard the muffled sounds of crying and, naturally, her curiosity had led her here.

Ere'ana turned to face her daughter, her angelic features radiant despite her tear-streaked face. Yumi's sharp, goth aesthetic seemed to clash hilariously with the overly emotional scene before her.

"Mom? Are you okay? What's going on?" Yumi asked, stepping inside cautiously. She wasn't used to seeing her mother cry—it was unsettling in a way she couldn't quite explain.

Ere'ana took a deep breath, her voice shaky but full of joy. "Yumi... I'm pregnant."

Yumi blinked. Then she blinked again.

"What?" she asked, her tone flat. It took her brain a moment to process the words. "You're... *pregnant*?"

Before Ere'ana could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the hall. Kikidori appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. "What's going on in here?" he asked, his tone laid-back as ever, though his crimson eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Ere'ana looked at him, her tears still falling freely, and managed a bright, shaky smile. "Kikidori... we're having another baby."

Kikidori stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he let out a loud laugh—a deep, genuine sound that echoed through the restroom.

"Well, shit," he said, running a hand through his messy hair. "Didn't see that coming."

Ere'ana let out a soft laugh through her tears, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Neither did I."

Yumi, meanwhile, stood in the corner, arms crossed, her face somewhere between shock and disbelief. "Another kid? Really? I mean, I guess it's cool, but... seriously?" She gave Kikidori a pointed look. "Do you even know how to handle babies, Dad?"

Kikidori smirked, his sharp teeth glinting in the light. "I handled you, didn't I?"

Yumi rolled her eyes. "Barely. You didn't even care when I walked in on you two—ugh, never mind!" She threw up her hands. "I'm not reliving that."

Ere'ana, now fully composed, stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Kikidori's chest. "I don't know how this happened, but I'm so grateful. I thought we'd never get another chance." Her voice was soft, filled with an almost divine warmth.

Kikidori placed his hand over hers, his usually cocky demeanor softening. "Yeah, well, I'm guessing the universe thought we could handle another one. Or maybe it's just trying to mess with us."

Yumi let out a snort. "Definitely the second one. The universe has *zero* chill."

The three of them stood there in a rare moment of quiet togetherness, the weight of the news settling in. For all the chaos and absurdity of their lives, this felt like a beacon of hope—a reminder that even in Hell, life could grow and flourish.

"Well," Kikidori said after a moment, breaking the silence, "guess we'd better start getting ready. Cribs, diapers, all that shit. And I am *not* changing diapers, just so we're clear."

Ere'ana raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on her lips. "Oh, you'll be changing plenty of diapers, Kikidori. Don't think for a second you're getting out of that."

Yumi burst out laughing. "Oh, this is gonna be *fun* to watch."

Kikidori groaned dramatically. "Kill me now."

Ere'ana shot him a warning look. "Don't even joke about that."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it. Geez."

As they left the restroom, the air felt lighter, filled with a sense of cautious optimism. For the first time in a long while, they had something to look forward to—something that reminded them that even in the darkest places, there was always room for light.

The End of Chapter 13