"Hey, honey. How are you feeling for your big day tomorrow?"
Nico paused, placing the spoon down.
Currently, it was the day after he had encountered the Saintess and her entourage.
The trio of siblings had introduced themselves to his parents after they had arrived, and his mother had profusely thanked them once she had learned of how they had saved him from the clutches of the Stanburg Family.
His father also expressed his sincere gratitude.
During their short stay with each other, Toni somehow redeemed herself a little in Charlotte's eyes, imitating the Saintess's actions. Much to Nico's mild annoyance.
He much preferred his sister viewing the smartly dressed lady in a negative light.
'It's what she gets for beating me so soundly in the Arcade…'
The loss still sent a slightly bitter taste through his mouth. The boy then internally shook his head to dispel any thoughts of the eccentric woman from his mind.
Nico shifted his attention to his surroundings.
He and his family were having their last dinner together before the Awakening Ceremony.
Leon and Beverly were also present. After being unavailable the day before due to some special 'training' courtesy of the Priestess, the half-blood was back. It was nice to be in the presence of his burly friend again.
Most of Leon's injuries from the attack executed by the White Cobras had healed. The rest he could, perhaps, be able to shrug off with his well-defined constitution.
That was not all. A different air surrounded the half-blood. If before he was akin to a meek cub, now he appeared to be a little more assured and confident.
While the brown-haired boy had an inkling of what might have brought about the change, he was ultimately happy that Leon was undergoing some growth.
After all, what was life with no growth?
To achieve his goal of becoming the world's best blacksmith, the half-blood would have to develop both personally and professionally countless times over. The same went for Nico himself as well.
The brown-haired boy cut his musing short and focused his attention back on his mother's words. He didn't know quite what to feel.
There were multiple possibilities, both negative and positive, that could occur during his participation in the attempted Awakening.
One thing was certain, though. No matter what happened during the Ceremony, things would never be the same.
'I need to steel myself in case I fail …'
As much as he abhorred the idea, he couldn't exclude it from the realm of possibility.
Picking up his spoon and playing with the soup in his bowl, the boy released a heavy sigh. "I'm not too sure… I can sense that this is the calm before the storm, but… I wonder if I should be excited. Hopeful? I'm certainly getting more nervous at the thought of it…"
So much rested on one event. An event that defined their future, and subsequent worth.
It seemed cruel to decide everything in one moment. However, since when was the world not a cruel and unforgiving place?
Apart from a short period in his childhood… it was all he had ever known.
"You can do it, Brother! I believe in you…" Charlotte piped up, after inhaling another portion of her food.
Nico turned his head to face his sister as a soft smile appeared on his hollowed visage. Gazing at her sparkling purity not yet desecrated by this world, a portion of his pessimism receded temporarily.
'She really is like a balm to my soul…'
"Thanks, Lottie." he chuckled after a moment of silence.
"Kid, it's alright to be nervous, just don't think about tomorrow too much. Get some good quality rest, then face whatever you must with your head held high. As for being excited or hopeful, that's perfectly normal…" The ginger-haired priestess voiced her opinion with a somber expression.
Her caramel-brown eyes clouded over as if recalling her own distant past.
"You too, Leon. Make sure you don't stay up for too long." The silver-haired woman added, gazing at her son's friend with motherly warmth.
Leon nodded silently, a small smile on his face.
"Just as your Aunt Beverly and my dear wife have said, focus on getting some sleep, and then worry about everything later." Ross winked at the two boys before a violent cough racked his body.
As the coughing fit subsided, Cynthia's hands quickly rested on his back and glowed with an icy hue.
The pained grimace on her husband's face eased a little.
Nico watched as Charlotte tried to wipe a stray tear from the corner of her eye. Seeing her father in so much pain was bound to hurt a five-year-old child.
Unfortunately for her, the ache never got easier. In fact, from personal experience, Nico could say it only grew as Ross's condition worsened.
'That's another thing I need to keep in mind. I must succeed so I can find a cure for Father.'
There was so much at stake.
Hopefully, he could rise to the occasion and triumph.
***
Sitting in the living room alone, Nico gazed at his mother's portrait quietly.
The dread and agitation she must have felt knowing she had to suddenly go off and fight… and not having any clue whether she would make it back out alive, potentially making her children orphans along the way, must have been crushing.
Yet, there she was, surrounded by the members of her own team, a slight smile on her face.
As if… just the presence of her squad could instill a sense of confidence within her. A feeling that she would come out of the battle in one piece.
'Their team synergy must have been very high.'
Nico ruminated over what his mother had said during the day the hulking investigator arrived to question him on his encounter with the White Cobras. She mentioned the importance of increasing his chemistry with the members of his team, especially if it was the first time they had met.
…Just like what he would have to face in the Awakening Ceremony tomorrow.
Nico would find himself placed in a team with random people, and from there have to work with them to survive the dangers of the Ceremony. Then, if fate willed, he could form a Mana Core and step onto the path of the divine.
'One step at a time first…'
The brown-haired boy massaged his eyebrows tiredly. Just as he stood up to head to his room, the sound of a door opening echoed.
Nico shifted his gaze to the egress. There, he witnessed his father hobble into the room, leaning heavily on his cane. A pained expression on his face.
"Father!" the boy rushed to his father's side, hoping to relieve some of the strain from the older man's body.
Ross waved away the help, determined to reach the sofa by himself.
Soon, the duo sat on the couch as Ross exhaled with a wince.
Nico's eyes rippled sadly before he shook his head and turned his attention towards why his father had come.
"Hey there, Son…" Ross tried to catch his breath.
Nico patted his father awkwardly on the shoulder, unsure of what else to do.
"I just wanted to have a private conversation with you before your big day tomorrow, and also…" the older man took a deep breath as a sad smile marred his features, "to tell you how I ended up in such a sorry state."