The air in the kitchen is warm, scented with vanilla and butter. It is 7 AM.
Johan and Jennifer are working in tandem to prepare breakfast. Jennifer expertly grabs 5 small bowls from the highest shelf, measuring equal parts flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into each. Johan is already heating two iron pans on the stove.
Jennifer cracks 15 eggs into the flour mixture, whisking the batter until it is smooth and lump-free. Johan gives oil to the pan.
"Thanks for helping me," Jennifer says, her voice tired but grateful. "Most of the time, Scarlett helps me make breakfast. By the way, where did you get the recipe for this pancake?"
"From Franken," Johan replies, flipping a perfect circle of golden-brown cake. "What recipe did you find from United Ameileo?"
"A pastry they call Apple pie, tasty and easy to make," Jennifer replies, concentrating on cutting strawberries.
"I will try it next to make it", Johan says.
In under 15 minutes, they have produced 35 fluffy pancakes, which they stack and serve on 8 plates at the dining table. The heavy scent of syrup and cooked sugar fills the room.
Having completed their task, they go toward their bedrooms. The night's work to secure the hospital has left them physically and magically drained.
As they reach the hall, Scarlett comes down from the top of the stairs. She is an 8-year-old girl, one of the orphans living with them. She rubs her eyes and yawns. Her smile shines like the morning sun.
"Good morning, Dr. Jennifer and Dr. Johan," she wishes them cheerfully.
"Good morning, Scarlett. Is everyone else awake?" Jennifer returns the greeting, her eyes heavy.
"They will wake up soon. Is the breakfast ready?" Scarlett asks, sniffing the air.
"Yes, it's on the table," Jennifer tells her, giving the usual instructions despite her exhaustion. "First, brush your teeth. Second, have your meal. At last, drink the milk. You all have to follow this."
"Jennifer, do I have any appointments with patients today?" Johan asks.
"The next appointment is at 6 PM. You can rest now, as can I. Aaaaa…" Jennifer replies, finishing with a huge, undeniable yawn.
They head to their bedrooms.
Scarlett can now fully smell the delicious breakfast. "These must be pancakes made by Dr. Johan!" "Hey, wake up, everyone! A delicious breakfast is waiting for us!" She yells excitedly, running down the hallway to rouse the other children.
Meanwhile, Joseph sleeps, lost in a powerful and disturbing dream. A beautiful woman appears before him. Her face is shrouded in sorrow, her eyes filled with pain.
"A new life can change everything," she tells him, looking at him intently.
The world around him shifts into a realm of chaotic magic. The sky is a deep, bruised purple. 6 massive silver pillars stand around them, but two are shattered, their fragments suspended in the air. Flames of different, unnatural colours burn atop the remaining pillars.
Then, the focus shifts to his own body. Blood begins to spread rapidly from his chest. As the blood flows and pools, it coalesces, forming the terrifying symbol of the Dark Lord on the surface.
Joseph suddenly wakes up with a gasp, his chest heaving, his body slick with sweat. He is panting, feeling as though he has just recovered from a deadly, exhausting wound. He is instantly tired, but the sensation of extreme fatigue soon fades, and he returns to a state of uncomfortable normalcy.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Brother Joseph, wake up and come to breakfast," a girl yells cheerfully from outside his door. The girl is brushing her hair.
Joseph rises and opens the door. Standing there is Daisy, a 5-year-old small girl, another lively orphan who lives with them.
"Okay, I'll come to breakfast. Brother and sister woke up?" Joseph asks, his voice still a little tight from the dream.
"They made breakfast and went to sleep," Daisy replies, her focus already drifting back to the dining room. "I think they went to see a patient last night."
"Okay, I am coming," Joseph says.
Daisy runs off. Joseph closes his door gently. The immense relief that Jennifer and Johan risked their lives, successfully saving Anni, is overshadowed by a huge concern for their safety.
He sits back down on his bed. The words he overheard last night echo in his mind, merging with the imagery of his dream. "Am I the reincarnation of the Lord of Knowledge? Do I have a previous life?"
Finally, he calms his racing thoughts. He looks out the window. His room is on the third floor, and since Jardin Paisible is already high on the city's highest point, the entire city spreads out beneath him. "They save people, I have to be proud of them," he concludes, choosing to focus on the present and their actions.
He quickly puts on his school uniform and heads downstairs. In the dining room, all seven children are cheerfully eating their pancakes.
"Good morning, you all," he wishes them warmly.
They return his greeting with various levels of enthusiasm. Joseph sits in a chair, picks up a knife, and cuts a piece of the pancake. He lifts the bite to his mouth with a fork. The delightful, warm taste melts in his mouth. Finally, a sincere smile comes to his face.
After finishing breakfast, the older children scramble to get ready for school. The two youngest, Amili and Armin, both less than five years old, head to the mansion's library. Since they cannot yet attend school, they instead focus on their admission preparation for the prestigious school they hope to join next year.
Joseph finally leaves for his school, walking toward the gate of Jardin Paisible.
Just as he is about to exit, one of the kids, Jack, calls out to him. "Brother Joseph, the doctor told me to give it to you", Jack says with a happy smile.
"What is it?" Joseph asks, puzzled.
Jack runs up to him and hands him a small, carefully wrapped box. "They couldn't give you this themselves because they went to see a patient. Then they came and became tired, so they slept."
Suddenly, Arnold calls out impatiently, "Hey, Jack, we have to go fast because today is our first day in the junior football team. They only allow students of the first to third standard."
Jack quickly nods and runs off to join Arnold.
Joseph continues his way to school, holding the box. He notices the box has been converted into gift wrap. He understands that this gift is one of his birthday presents. He opens it and stops, becoming emotional. Inside is a new set of glasses, the same design that he always uses.
He wears them. Sunlight reflects from the tears welling in his eyes.
"Such a top-level fool I am," he whispers to himself. "Why am I so concerned about that? What I was never matters; what I am now, I can be the happiest person in the world. God gave me this paradise and these two angels to protect me."
The new glasses give him a clear and new scenario of the world, but he feels like he gets a New Life—a fresh start, a renewed perspective.