It took a while for Eiko's excitement about the bikes to die down. She was lightly panting as she went back to sit on her grandpa's lap. The Otani family was certainly amused by her antics, tickling her and petting her hair as she recuperated.
During that time, Mihara had gone to the other room to retrieve the gift she had prepared for her daughter.
As the giggles faded and Eiko wondered where her mother had gone, Amano took this as a cue to speak. Her face held a fond smile. "Your mother and I decided to combine our gifts for you, Eiko. I hope you don't mind."
Eiko looked on with curiosity. She had already expected that they would give her a single gift, but her aunt's tone gave it an exotic edge. What could they have possibly prepared?
Kamuki and the other family members exchanged knowing glances—an action that further fueled Eiko's curiosity. She wondered how her uncle had managed not to spill the secret until now.
Mihara rejoined them a few moments later. The only difference Eiko could spot were her mother's hands hidden behind her frame. Mihara's smile was wider now, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Eiko tried to get a hint by peeking side to side, but it was no use. She at least knew the gift was small enough to fit behind her mother's slender frame.
Mihara knelt in front of her daughter, waiting until she had Eiko's full attention before speaking.
"Your aunt and I have been mulling over what to give you for your first birthday. We didn't know what to get you at first since we weren't sure what you might like, given how fast you've been growing.
Then your quirk manifested, and I agreed to help you be less dangerous. Amano was the one who suggested it, and I agreed—"
"It was a miracle how quickly she agreed," Amano interrupted, earning a glare from Mihara while the rest of the family laughed.
Mihara sighed. There was no denying that when it came to certain matters, she was nearly impossible to convince otherwise—Amano being the only one with an above-average success rate.
"Hold your hand out," Mihara instructed.
Eiko obeyed.
Mihara slowly placed the item in her daughter's hand. The gift was so small that Mihara's palm completely covered it until she finally set it on Eiko's waiting palm.
Eiko was a bit puzzled by what she saw. It was a set of keys tied together with a red ribbon. She tried to smile and be grateful, but confusion clouded her expression.
"Thank you, Mom! Thank you, Auntie! Uhh… what is this for?"
"They're the keys to the apartment unit next door," Mihara replied.
Eiko nodded, still confused as to why they had the keys to that place. She could put two and two together and guess that they had probably bought it, but she didn't understand how that related to her birthday.
Amano chimed in. "We got you a gym! Well, it still lacks a few things, but the whole room's been decorated to look like one of those fancy quirk dojos. The important part is that the walls are reinforced with a metal alloy that can withstand a serious amount of impact.
Your mother made sure to tell me just how powerful your quirk is after those tests. This is to make sure you have the right environment to train safely."
Mihara tilted her head to the side, smiling proudly. "What she said."
Taking in the situation, Eiko was in shock. It was perfect—exactly what she needed.
For training her magic, Eiko had initially wanted to revamp her nursery to give herself more space to practice without destroying her furniture in case she lost control. She no longer needed to do that with this new gift.
The keys in her hand felt heavy with her loved ones' support. They understood her nature and wanted to help cultivate it. It was liberating.
She didn't know what to say. She was frozen, wide-eyed and speechless.
Ahito took the moment as a cue to snap a picture. The loud click of his phone's camera startled Eiko from her haze.
She pointed accusingly at her uncle. "Delete that!"
"Sorry, Eiko. I'm afraid it's permanently set as my phone's wallpaper."
Eiko tried to run at him, but her grandpa held her back with an arm around her waist. Ahito laughed at her futile attempts at revenge.
Mihara stroked her daughter's hair. The girl immediately calmed at her touch, leaning into her.
Looking her mother in the eye, Eiko said with sincerity, "Thank you so much. I love you, Mom."
Mihara teared up. Kaito released Eiko, allowing Mihara to pull her in and hug her with all her strength.
Eiko glanced at her aunt and chuckled inwardly to see Amano already crying. "I love you too, Auntie! I missed you so much. Thank you for the gift."
"Oh, it's nothing, Ei. Nothing at all," Amano said between sniffles.
Their day came to a close after that heartfelt finale. Everyone went to their respective bedrooms after wishing each other good night. Mihara and Eiko naturally stayed in Amano's childhood room.
***
[ The Gym Apartment — A Day Later ]
Before they could even enter their own home, Eiko dashed into the gym with the keys she had received the night before. It was an adorable sight—Eiko demanding to be carried by her mother so she could be the one to unlock the doors.
The unit was quite different from their own. It was more open, with the only distinct rooms being those near the back, which, in their home, were bedrooms. Here, they had been repurposed into a shower room, comfort room, and storage area.
Eiko ran all over the unit, her small feet thudding softly against the padded floor. The space was mostly empty, with the main attraction being the monkey bars farthest from the wall-mounted mirrors that took up an entire wall.
Eiko was in love.
"Do you like it?" Mihara asked, holding her phone up to record the moment.
"I love it!" Eiko exclaimed, running off again to inspect the monkey bars.
"Can we live here?"
"Baby, we live next door."
"Can we?"
"No."
Eiko didn't mind. The amused twinkle in her mother's eyes was enough to erase her brief disappointment.
The place had potential. She could feel how different the walls were from those in their home—it was much quieter inside. Upon touching one wall, she noticed the softness of the first layer, then a small gap in the soundproofing where she could feel the cold metal beneath. Her aunt had mentioned a metal alloy. While she doubted it could hold up indefinitely, it was better than nothing.
Eiko ran back to her mother. "Thank you so much, Mommy! This is the best gift ever!"
Before she could run off again, Mihara scooped her into her arms. "I'm sure you'll have many more gifts in the future that will be even better than this, my dear. Let's go home for now, okay? You still have plenty of presents that need homes in your room."
Eiko melted into her mother's embrace. "Aww, I want to play here more!"
"Later, sweetheart. You have all the time in the world to come here. We can even work out together once the machines your aunt ordered arrive."
The future plans were enough to erase all of Eiko's disappointment.
And so, over the next few weeks, they fell into a new routine where Eiko spent her afternoons training her quirk under Mihara's supervision.
Eiko primarily focused on meditating and analyzing her mana. Her maximum capacity grew at an alarming rate, making it harder to form and control. Some days, she simply sat and stared at the dark blue fog that engulfed her body.
In all her lifetimes, she had never been given this much freedom from the Gods. Even when her powers were unsealed, it always took time to return to her former strength. This time, however, the only differences were her untrained body and her young age.
Since the doctor's appointment, Eiko estimated that her raw power had increased by roughly one and a half times. It was far from good news. Her worries for the safety of her loved ones—and everyone living peacefully nearby—grew in equal measure.
She felt like a ticking time bomb, the key to which was lost somewhere in the void of space.
Eiko needed to rethink her approach to control.
As if sensing her daughter's turmoil, Mihara approached her. She placed a gentle hand on her back and said, "How about we end training here? The news won't be on for a few hours, but I can start dinner early. We'll be having curry tonight—how does that sound, my dear?"
The one-year-old sighed. She wanted to decline and brute-force her way toward a solution but couldn't find an excuse. She nodded slowly and allowed her mother to lift her from the mat.
Mihara stroked her back as she hummed a soft tune, locking up the gym before heading home.
Eiko rested against her mother's chest, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Dozens of catastrophic scenarios ran through her mind, but whenever they began to overwhelm her, her mother kissed her hair, and she sighed in relief.
She hated her lack of progress. She hated becoming more of a danger to her mother.
Mihara set her down on the couch and gently turned her face toward her. With a soft smile, she said, "I think it's about the time Amano finishes work. Do you want to talk to your aunt?"
Eiko's eyes brightened slightly despite her frustration, which Mihara took as a good sign.
She fetched her laptop and placed it on Eiko's lap. With a few clicks, Amano's profile appeared, and the call began to ring. Mihara also turned on the TV at a low volume, just in case Eiko wanted background noise.
Amano answered after the third ring, her face filling the screen. The sight made Eiko giggle.
Amano wasn't looking directly at the camera, busy with something off-screen. "You missed me already, Mi—Oh! Eiko! Hey, kiddo! How have you been? How's training?"
Mihara silently moved to the kitchen to start dinner.
Eiko's smile faded at the question. She began fidgeting with the arrow keys. In a soft voice, she said, "Bad. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere… and I'm only growing stronger."
There was a loud clatter on Amano's end as she set aside her tools. Eiko watched her aunt prop up the phone, revealing her tired face and work uniform. Amano adjusted the angle so Eiko could see what she had been working on.
"Is that so? Maybe you're pushing yourself too hard, Ei," Amano said, tinkering again with the small device in her hands.
Eiko didn't believe her. In her world, she wasn't pushing herself enough. She had fought dragons, toppled kingdoms, slain powerful reincarnations—yet here she was, powerless to control herself.
Seeing her niece's expression darken, Amano put her tools down and looked directly into the camera. "Hey." When Eiko didn't respond, she repeated, "Ei, look at me."
Eiko finally did, her frustration plain as day.
"Maybe you should take a break. Reflect and figure out what's going wrong. We don't want to limit you, but you need to find a balance between training and obsession. You're young, kiddo. You've got time." She smiled gently. "Your mother and I will always be here to support you. Never forget that, yeah?"
With a sigh, Eiko's tension finally eased. Her problems weren't over—she knew they'd only grow harder—but she was reminded that she could rely on those she loved.
"Thank you, Auntie. I miss you," Eiko said softly.
"I miss you too, baby."
They chatted casually about their day. Amano continued tinkering with her project until it suddenly exploded in her face, making Eiko laugh. Their light conversation helped Eiko shed the weight of her worries.
Their call was interrupted by the TV's breaking-news jingle. Eiko immediately looked up, turning the laptop so Amano could watch as well.
The newscaster's face was grim, his hands gripping his papers tightly. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"We interrupt this program with breaking news. Following the recent scandal involving the CEO of Takai Industries, his death has now been confirmed after a notorious villain destroyed the upper levels of the company's headquarters.
After taking over from his late father, Hashiki Takai has now also perished in a villain attack. Police investigations reveal both incidents are connected through a single individual. More information to come."
The broadcast ended abruptly.
Eiko recognized the company. It was large and influential, known for controlling vast oil reserves. She had seen their faces in the news many times, yet every appearance had filled her with the same dread she once felt toward the old council's worst advisers.
She wasn't sad about their deaths, nor was she happy. It felt strange to hear of such influential people dying and feel nothing.
Then came a sharp clatter from the kitchen.
Eiko turned the laptop toward herself and said urgently, "Sorry, Auntie. I think something happened with Mom in the kitchen!"
"Eiko, wai—"
Eiko ended the call and sprinted off. Broken glass littered the floor. Her mother stood frozen, staring blankly at the shards.
Fear surged in Eiko's chest. "Mom..?"
Mihara turned slowly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Seeing her daughter snapped her back to reality. She took a step forward but flinched as glass crunched beneath her feet.
"Mom!"
In a moment of panic, Eiko reached out instinctively. With sheer will, she lifted the shards from the ground, each fragment levitating precisely before floating into the trash bin.
Once it was safe, she ran to her mother, clutching her skirt. Her golden eyes shimmered with worry. "Mom? Are you alright?"
The faint ringing of the laptop echoed from the living room.
Mihara picked Eiko up and answered the call. Amano's equally horrified face appeared on-screen. She exhaled in relief when she saw they were unharmed.
A sob caught in Mihara's throat. "I think he knows..."
***
a/n: aye I uploaded :D (it's currently 10:31 PM as I finish editing this)
I just want to personally acknowledge and thank some readers:
- Harmonie_Lady (Your consistency in commenting allows me to be reminded that I have people that want to read more of my story)
- Racist_King (I honestly did not expect anybody to be sending power stones, and yet they have sent a total of 21 powerstones since this story's creation!)
- 1una4_White_D4ag0n (Had sent a total of 15 powerstones! Even when I didn't upload, so I'm extremely grateful for that)
We've also reached 20k+ views! We're close to 200 collections! Yippie! Nice guys :D I would upload a new chapter to celebrate this achievement but uni is kicking me in the balls