Life at Schicksal Headquarters passed slowly, in a state of superficial bustle yet underlying currents.
Kael, like a top pulled by invisible threads, moved between the bridge, piles of documents, and his dormitory.
Under Kael's day-after-day patient care, Sirin became increasingly cheerful, speaking fluently, and smiling more.
But the extreme dependence stemming from trauma did not dissipate; instead, beneath the calm surface, it grew quietly like a vine, coiling tighter and tighter.
She still followed Kael like a small shadow, and in her golden eyes, that possessiveness would sometimes become exceptionally clear.
Bianca, or the former Kiana, presented a different state.
Amnesia made her forget the past, but it also made her like a blank canvas, starting to paint colors anew.
She instinctively drew close to Kael, and her kaslana-style straightforwardness and naivety quickly helped her adapt to the new environment, even starting to follow Kael in some basic physical training.
Her brilliant golden hair was particularly eye-catching on the training ground, running like a ray of sunshine.
Theresa was still battling a sea of documents, always coming to Kael exhausted to "recharge," and seeing Sirin and Bianca around Kael, her jealousy would surge uncontrollably.
But she could also feel that Kael's gentleness when facing these two children was different from when he faced her—it was more like a father's or elder brother's sense of responsibility, which, besides the sourness, also gave her an indescribable sense of reassurance.
However, this fragile balance was soon broken by a new mission.
The Asgard received new orders: to go to a remote area and clear out the last known stronghold established by the remnants of the Third Empire.
Intelligence showed that crucial data and residual facilities regarding their genetic experiments might be hidden there.
This was a mission with a danger level assessed as "high."
Kael's brows did not relax when he received the order. He was worried not only about the mission itself but also about what Sirin and Bianca would do after he left.
The night before departure, the atmosphere in Kael's dormitory was a bit somber.
He carefully instructed Sirin and Bianca:
"Sirin, Big Brother will be on a business trip for a few days. You must listen to Big Sister Theresa, eat on time, and sleep on time, okay?"
Kael rubbed Sirin's purple hair, his tone gentle.
Sirin clutched his clothes tightly, her small face filled with reluctance and unease: "Big Brother... can't you not go? Sirin will miss you..."
"The mission is very important, I must go." Kael patiently explained, squatting down to be at her eye level, "Big Brother promises to come back as soon as possible. Look, Bianca will also stay to keep you company."
Bianca stood by, and although she was also a bit reluctant, she seemed to understand the meaning of "mission" better. She nodded vigorously and promised in a still-childish voice: "Big Brother, don't worry! Bianca will protect Big Sister Sirin!"
Her serious little demeanor, coupled with her short golden hair, made her look exceptionally spirited.
Kael smiled and also patted Bianca's head: "Mm, Bianca is great. You two must take care of each other."
Then, he looked at Theresa, who was standing by with her arms crossed, seemingly pouting, but with worry hidden in her eyes.
"Theresa," Kael's voice softened, "I'll temporarily entrust these two to you."
Theresa snorted and turned her face away: "I know! You're so naggy! You be careful out there! Don't get grazed by a stray bullet again like last time!"
She was referring to an inconspicuous scratch on the cuff of Kael's uniform when he returned once, which she had sharp-eyedly discovered and nagged about for a long time.
Kael chuckled, but his heart warmed.
He reached out, habitually wanting to rub Theresa's head, but his hand paused mid-air, seeing Sirin and Bianca watching with wide eyes, and then awkwardly stopped, finally just lightly patting her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Theresa."
His tone was relaxed, with a cheerful energy that tried to reassure people, a state he occasionally showed after completely handing over a major project, "I am the Captain of the Asgard, I won't die that easily. When I come back, I'll bring you specialties from that star system... Hmm, I heard there's a kind of ore that looks like bitter gourd."
"Who wants that kind of stone!" Theresa stomped her foot and chided, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, and the worry in her heart seemed to have dissipated a little.
However, just as Kael turned to check his luggage, the smile on Theresa's face slowly faded.
She looked at Kael's busy back, then at Sirin and Bianca huddling together, and a strange sense of unease quietly swept over her.
She shook her head, attributing it to the instinctive tension of the mission.
Kael packed his things, walked to the door, and turned back again, giving the three in the room a bright, reassuring smile: "Then I'm off! I'll be back soon!"
"Goodbye, Big Brother!" Bianca waved vigorously.
"Big Brother... come back soon..." Sirin said softly, her eyes a little red.
Theresa, meanwhile, just waved a fist, as if to say, "Try not coming back."
The door closed.
The dormitory instantly became quiet, leaving only two little girls and a complex-minded S-Rank Valkyrie.
Theresa took a deep breath, trying to dispel the ominous premonition in her heart, and told herself: "Alright, Theresa, you're a temporary guardian now! Pull yourself together!"
She took Sirin and Bianca's hands: "Come on! Big Sister is treating tonight, we're going to the cafeteria for special bitter gourd cake!"
Sirin was pulled along, but she couldn't help but look back at the closed door. In the depths of her golden eyes, a faint trace of unease, which even she hadn't noticed, rippled like a stone thrown into a lake.
She always felt that Big Brother's departure this time was different from any other time.
This feeling was vague but persistent.
Bianca, on the other hand, was completely attracted by the "bitter gourd cake," happily following Theresa, temporarily forgetting the sadness of parting.
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