THE UNWELCOME ARRIVAL

LUCIUS 

The moment I stepped inside the house, dragging my tired body behind Arcane, Sia's sharp voice cut through the air like a dagger.

"Lucius! Where the hell—"

Clad in her usual maroon battle-attire, she stormed toward the entrance—then froze. Her mouth fell slightly ajar, and all the anger drained from her expression, replaced by something far rarer: disbelief. Her crimson eyes locked onto Arcane, wide and almost vulnerable, as if she was seeing a ghost.

Arcane's lips curled into a smirk, heavy with mockery.

"It's been a long time, Siri," he said, tone drenched in playful sarcasm. "As for your warm hospitality, the boy was with me. Hope you don't mind."

Before Sia could recover, two more figures hurried into the room. Rebecca, holding what looked like a platter of half-prepared food, stumbled mid-step, almost dropping it. Adrianna trailed close behind, her ice-white dress flowing as she moved. Like Sia, both women stopped dead in their tracks. Their faces paled, eyes wide and unblinking, as they took in the impossible sight standing in the entryway.

It was a sight worth seeing thrice in a row. I almost smirked—almost.

Sia recovered first, falling to her knees in one swift motion. Rebecca and Adrianna followed an instant later, moving with the urgency of soldiers before a king. Only for Arcane to casually wave them off, as if the sight of kneeling warriors bored him, the three of them were easily stopped from falling on their knees. 

"Enough," he said lightly.

There was something—a presence, a weight in the air—when he spoke. A force that nullified resistance, subtle yet absolute. I couldn't sense it, not the way I normally would with mana senses. Whatever he did, it was invisible and untraceable. 

What is that ability? I wondered. No signature, no ripple. Nothing.

Arcane turned slightly, flashing me a grin. "Now now, we don't want my friends and my own sister kneeling before me, do we, Lucius?"

I answered without even turning my exhausted head. "Right as fuck, Master."

He chuckled, the sound deep and strangely soothing. "Plus, the last thing we need is the pregnant ones bowing till they faint. That's an order."

Rebecca, startled, placed a protective hand on her abdomen, while Adrianna remained bowed a few seconds longer than the two before reluctantly standing. She straightened her white dress with stiff, calculated movements, casting a brief glance my way.

Why the preferential treatment? I wondered since his restraint over Adrianna wasn't that strong which clearly meant he didn't mind Adrianna on her knees. Though I don't mind seeing her treated like shit for once, she deserved some hell after the way she'd tried to wedge herself between me and Sia.

Arcane, oblivious or indifferent to my thoughts, clutched his chest dramatically.

"I'm hurt, Siri. No welcome? No hugs? Not even a single word spared for an old comrade? Am I so unwelcome?"

Despite the obvious playfulness, a tremor of real feeling underscored his voice. Sia didn't answer verbally. She crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a rare, unguarded hug. One that spoke of time lost, and loyalties that not even distance could corrode.

They whispered a few words only meant for each other before separating. Arcane moved deeper into the house with an easy stride, leaving me to trail behind. As I passed the staircase leading up to my room, a yawn clawed at my throat. I really need sleep, I thought—but missing this reunion would be a crime.

Inside the hall, Rebecca and Adrianna quickly set about tidying up, though their movements were stiff and formal. Sia, catching my sluggish pace, grabbed my sleeve and pulled me into a hug of her own. No words. None needed. Arcane took priority today.

Rebecca composed herself first, offering a practised, respectful bow.

"My lord, it is an honour beyond words to meet you. I am Rebecca, friend to Lady Sia, and fiancée to Captain Mercy of the Lunar Knights."

She emphasised her connection to names Arcane would recognise, wisely downplaying her own importance. Smart.

Arcane offered her a mild nod before gesturing toward the seats. Only when he had seated himself did the others cautiously follow suit—except Adrianna, who remained standing stiffly, poised to act if Sia so much as twitched.

"It is an honour to welcome the Mighty One into our humble residence," Adrianna added, voice formal and slightly breathless.

The Mighty One.

Of course, they'd call him that. Arcane wasn't just strong—he was mythic. Entire warfronts would shift if he appeared. Even the Emperor would offer him the courtesy of an equal's seat, should he step into the Imperial Palace.

Still, something in Adrianna's phrasing grated on me.

Our residence?

Last I checked, you weren't adopted by the Machangels, I thought darkly.

Arcane, for his part, smiled as if unaware of the almost painful reverence in the room.

"Please," he said lightly, "think of me as a fellow human. A fellow knight, if that comforts you. I'm simply here to visit my apprentice, my sister—"

He spared a warm glance toward Sia,

"—and to take care of another... important task."

The simplicity of his words didn't match the sheer gravity of his presence. Arcane existed like a hurricane contained within human skin—his very presence distorted the atmosphere, made mana threads in the room shiver. That's how strong his raw presence wass, which I'm sure was already suppressed to his absolute limits... Although by the looks of it, it wasn't easy for others to breathe or remain calm in his very presence. For some reason, I never faced this problem, no matter how strong the mana presence of an individual is, it never bothered, affected me... somehow. 

Gradually, the room began to thaw. Conversation picked up in small, cautious doses. Sia, quick on her feet as ever, returned to the kitchen to finish whatever she and Rebecca had been preparing. She worked briskly, hands steady despite the unspoken tremor in the air.

I settled against the wall, half-slumped, eyes barely open.

Moments later, fresh arrivals poured in. Mercy, the mentioned 'Captain of the Lunar Knights', entered first, his face shadowed with shock, the moment he saw Arcane, they both knew each other. Edward followed close behind, all formal grace and composure—though even he was visibly rattled... correction, he was very much rattled. 

Then came Lav and Sara, side by side. Lav's sharp eyes flicked immediately to me, taking in my exhaustion with a frown. Sara gave me a small, worried glance that warmed my chest despite the storm brewing.

Chaos was about to break loose. I could feel it.

This, I thought grimly as my vision blurred at the edges, is going to be one hell of a day... and it did.

My body reacted before my mind could catch up. My eyes snapped open, sharp and alert, as a surge of instinct flooded through me. Someone was approaching — someone who had no reason, no right, to be anywhere near this place, especially not now, especially not with Arcane under this roof.

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. I wasn't alone in feeling it. Sia's crimson eyes sharpened into a dangerous glint, her posture stiffening. Mercy's casual stance turned tense, subtle but unmistakable. Edward, composed as ever, set his teacup down with an audible click, his body angling toward the door with a quiet readiness.

Arcane remained where he was, lounging on the far sofa, unmoved. He was calm — too calm, just like a relaxed apex predator — but his head tilted slightly, his brow lifting just enough to acknowledge what we all sensed. His message was silent but clear: Go, handle it, I'm here should the need arise. 

Our eyes met briefly. I caught the faintest nod from him — permission, trust.

I rose smoothly, feeling Mercy and Edward fall in step behind me without a word. The three of us moved like parts of a single formation, silent, synchronised, prepared. The living room behind us held its breath.

As we neared the door, tension coiled tight in my chest. My senses stretched outward, brushing against the presence lingering just beyond the threshold. No aggressive mana, no overt hostility — but a heavy, undeniable weight. A familiarity that made my skin crawl.

I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, the cool metal grounding me for a split second.

Then, with a firm pull, I opened the door.

Goodman.

Dust clung to his worn coat, and the deep lines carved into his face told stories I didn't care to hear. His hair was tied back hastily, his eyes — sharp, assessing — locked onto mine with an unsettling familiarity.

For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke.

Behind me, I felt Mercy's body tighten, Edward's quiet shift — the silent preparation for violence if needed.

"Goodman..." The word rasped out of me, thick with disbelief, caution, and a barely leashed anger. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Goodman didn't flinch. His gaze remained steady, as if he had expected this exact moment.