You could almost touch the heavy tension inside the vehicle.
Crystal shifted uncomfortably in her seat, acutely aware of the man beside her—Brandon, the father of her children, and the man she had left without a word.
She looked down at Jade, her daughter, who was fast asleep on her lap, then glanced at Baron, their son, nestled in Brandon's arms.
It felt surreal.
Years had passed like a blink of an eye, and yet the silence between them stretched out, filling the space like a haunting melody.
Her fingers itched to reach out, to bridge the gap that yawned so wide and so deep between them.
But she hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest.
'Should I apologize?' she wondered.
'Do I even have the right? Leaving him was one thing, but not telling him about Jade and Baron? What sort of explanation could justify that?'
Brandon on the other hand, while staring out the window, was dealing with the bounty's of his battle.
===========
[ Brandon Void | Eclipse Phase ]
— Divine Awakening Progress : 22% ( Reach 20% to Upgrade )
— Divinity Aspect : Cosmic Devourer ( Tier 1 )
— Divine Skill :
Devour ( Tier 1 ) : Unleashes a consuming force that absorbs the essence of defeated enemies, replenishing the user and granting a temporary boost in power.
Void Manifestation ( Tier 1 ) : Manipulates the very fabric of the void, allowing the user to manifest ethereal constructs and unleash devastating attacks on adversaries.
— Pantheon Rank : Supreme Deity
— Cosmic Vortexes : 10
— Innate Potential : 10,000
— God Artifact : Celestial Pen
===========
As Brandon took a moment to catch his breath after the battle with the Tier 4 Mutated Alpha Wolf, his eyes flickered, revealing the interface that only he could see.
The screen of his divine stats materialized in front of him, and for a fleeting moment, his stoic demeanor wavered, replaced by an expression of awe and introspection.
"[Divine Awakening Progress: 22%],"
He read, the numbers ringing in his mind like an echoing chorus.
'I've passed the threshold. I can upgrade once we get back to the Void Fortress, I wonder what breaking through entails…'
His eyes moved down to his skills.
'There doesn't seem to be much change in anything else besides the addition of the God Artifact, Celestial Pen huh, fitting I guess.'
Lastly, his eyes landed on the newly added line:
"God Artifact: Celestial Pen."
Brandon felt a grin stretch across his face.
The weight of that realization was profound.
Awakening wasn't just about evolving his own capabilities; it was a step closer to saving his realm, or possibly even the entire New Earth.
He turned his gaze to Baron who was sleeping soundly on his lap, then to Jade, both of his three year old twins were smiling as they slept.
As he sat there, staring at the gentle faces of his twins, a torrent of emotions swept through him.
Regret, for the years he'd lost; awe, for the simple yet miraculous existence of these two little beings; and an overwhelming sense of responsibility.
His fingers gently traced the contour of Baron's cheek, then moved to lightly caress the top of his head. His son's soft hair felt like strands of silken promise against his skin
'So this is what it feels like... to have something—someone—to protect that transcends my own existence. These tiny beings... they've given me a purpose far weightier than anything else.'
Brandon glanced at his stats again.
'With the Celestial Pen as my new God Artifact, maybe I can also write a new chapter for myself... and for them,' he thought, looking at endearingly at Baron and Jade.
Crystal suddenly opened her mouth to speak, breaking the awkward silence in the military truck they were in, but her voice faltered.
"Brandon,"
She finally managed to say, the name hanging in the air like a delicate thread.
"I—"
Brandon's eyes shifted from the kids to meet hers, piercing and deep.
For a moment, it seemed as if he were about to say something.
Then he looked back down at Baron, his expression softening as he studied the face of his son.
It was that momentary softening that gave Crystal the courage to press on.
"I owe you an explanation—a lot of explanations, actually. And apologies. I—"
Brandon looked up, cutting her off, but not unkindly.
"Crystal, I've had a lot to process today. New Territories, new powers, Mutants, and,"
He glanced down at Baron and then at Jade,
"discovering I have children. It's not that I don't want to hear it, or that I don't think it's important. But let's save that conversation for when we're not running on fumes, mentally and emotionally."
Crystal nodded, grateful but still uneasy. The words hung suspended, an unfinished chapter in a book that had many pages yet to be filled.
Both returned to their own worlds of contemplation, the silence still awkward but less hostile, each bearing their own invisible burdens.
And so they sat, side by side yet worlds apart, bound by the children sleeping in their arms and a history that was yet to be fully written.
Baph had been struggling to focus on the road,gripping the steering wheel as though it were a lifeline, his knuckles white from the tension.
His eyes had been sporadically darting to the rear-view mirror.
The tension in the vehicle was palpable, and as much as he was accustomed to navigating battlefields, this emotional minefield felt exponentially more daunting.
He couldn't help but feel that this silence was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at the smallest provocation.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Um, Lady Boss... Uhhh... Little Bossling's mom?" He stuttered, catching Crystal's eyes in the rear-view mirror.
It was a clumsy attempt, but an attempt nonetheless, at lightening the heavy atmosphere.
Crystal looked up, meeting his eyes in the mirror.
A small smile broke through, a glimmer of relief that washed over her features like the first rays of dawn breaking through a night of darkness.
The awkward title he'd just coined—'Little Bossling's mom'—hung in the air, ridiculous yet oddly endearing.
"Just call me Crystal," she replied, her voice tinged with a warmth that hadn't been there before.
Meanwhile, Asmo, sitting beside him, simply chuckled softly, clearly entertained.
"You humans and your social complexities,"
He murmured, though the fondness in his tone suggested that he found these complexities more endearing than troublesome.
Baph glanced at Asmo and rolled his eyes, "Weirdo…"
"How much farther to the Void Fortress?"
Brandon suddenly asked, interrupting the brief warm moment.
Baph looked tense. "About two hours Boss"
Brandon gripped Baron a little tighter. "Stay alert. The night might not be over yet."