Rain stared at her mother in disbelief.
"Why didn't you tell me you were back?"
Noble was startled by the question.
"That's my fault," Fort piped in. "I left my communicator at the office, and by the time I got it back…I should have let you know."
Rain's eyes filled with tears. "Mom."
A sob accompanied her movement across the floor as she embraced her mother.
"Rainy, oh how I missed you!" Noble felt her daughter stiffen in her arms.
Rain squeezed her mother before suddenly letting go. "Welcome home."
"Knock knock!" A pleasant voice called from the doorway. "I hate to intrude, but I didn't want to leave without at least saying hello!"
A man with bushy grey eyebrows peeked in from the entryway.
"Nonsense, Julius. You could never be an intrusion," Lena waved the man into the room with no small amount of delight.
"Teacher Julius!" Noble had heard Rain say his name but had not processed the information.
"Master Noble," the elderly gentleman bowed slightly with a grin. Rain stepped aside, allowing Noble to embrace Julius with a bone-crushing hug. The Awakened teacher was the only one there who could handle her excitement, and even then he groaned under the pressure.
"We are very glad to have you back, my girl. And well done for making it through!" The pride in Julius's voice warmed Noble in a way she could not describe.
"Thank you."
Julius had been through a Nightmare, so he knew of the torture and relief that came from surviving such an experience.
He patted her shoulder lightly. "I was heading your way when your friend Sarai caught me in the hall and asked me to coordinate picking up the kids. I am very sorry I wasn't there when you woke in the hospital bed."
"You woke up in a hospital bed?" Rain scrunched her face.
"Upon Ascending, I crashed through the gate which I entered. It activated my flaw and knocked me out cold." Noble explained quickly. "I was rushed to the Awakened Hospital, but I'm fine now. I guess even as a Master I am as accident-prone as ever," Noble added, hoping to lighten the mood.
The teen took in the information with a small nod.
"I see." Rain took a deep breath. "I am very tired. I think I will take a nap before dinner. Thank you, Grandpa Julius, for bringing me home. We can always count on you."
She kissed the old man on the cheek lightly.
"I'm very glad you are home, Mom." Rain kissed her mother too before grabbing her bag and rushing down the hall.
"Rain!" Fort called after the girl.
"It's fine." Noble stalled his rebuke. "It's a lot to take in. Give her some time."
Noble could feel all the conflicting emotions inside her daughter. Rather than force her to work through that process through magic manipulation, Noble knew the importance of giving her space. Calling her out publicly would not do either of them any good.
So Noble let her daughter leave quietly.
As soon as Rain's door shut, Noble felt the torrent of feeling flood the teen's room and leak into the hall. A tear streamed down Noble's face that she feverishly wiped away under the guise of a cough.
Unable to resist, Noble offered a small bit of calm to her daughter's room. Her range for such things had increased drastically, and the effort took almost no essence.
The offer was resisted for a moment and then embraced wholeheartedly. The teen's emotions, at least for the moment, stabilized.
'I hope you can nap, Rainy.' Noble turned her attention back to the living room.
The twins were questioning Julius about the Dream Realm.
"I've been thinking. Why don't Saints just bring sleepers to the Dream Realm on the solstice to help them Awaken without being dropped randomly in the world?" Blaze pulled out a datapad, possibly to take notes.
Julius looks curiously at the young man. "There are very few Saints, and while they could, the legacy clans believe in strength over anything else. There is nothing strong about taking the easy way out." Julius answered carefully, trying not to affirm or condemn the method. It was a complicated issue.
"If you were a Saint and we were needing to Awaken, you would do the shortcut for us though, wouldn't you?" Blaze pressed. His analytical mind needed to pursue every possibility.
"To get you home safely to your parents, I would do it in a heartbeat." Julius nodded. It was an easy promise.
"Not me! I would fight my way out. I want to be strong!" Brock wielded an imaginary spear as he pretended to skewer a nightmare creature.
"Alright, that is enough about that," Lena clapped her hands. "Julius needs to go finish his work day and we have taken up enough of his time."
Julius cleared his throat lightly. "Uh, of course. I will be on my way. You boys be on your best behavior for your mother. Noble, I look forward to reading your research reports when the time comes. Please come by my office when you have the chance so we can have a proper chat!"
"I'd like that," Noble agreed with a dip of her head. Not only would the man be helpful with her research, but he would also be able to give her more information about her newly acquired runes.
With the added bonus that the wise professor was very easy to talk to.
"It's settled then. I'll see you soon."
Julius smiled warmly and then regarded Lena with a final courteous nod.
"I'll show you out," the grandmother stood and smoothed her skirt.
The gentleman offered his arm affectionately. "I would be honored."
"Mom, did you know that I won the preliminary track meet last week?" Brock pulled Noble's attention from the people leaving.
"How is she supposed to know that?" Blaze scoffed.
"A track meet? Since when are you on the track team?" Noble furrowed her brow.
"Since I tried out this year," Brock brandished an impish grin.
"He's always been good at running, it's just usually running into trouble." Blaze elbowed his brother. "Now he's Brock the Jock."
"You'll have to come watch me, Mom." Brock ignored his twin.
"I would love that! I'll need a schedule as soon as possible." Noble smiled, happy to have been included in the preteen's plans.
She had many plans to make. How different would her life look as a Master?
It was hard to tell just yet, but this little bit of normalcy gave her hope that things might just be alright.
At least Noble hoped so.
With an absent smile, Lena came back into the house and grabbed her handbag. Noble furrowed her brow.
"You are leaving?"
"Turns out my plans are starting a little earlier than I thought. I need to go home and get a few things…unless you want me to cancel them and stay." Lena paused, giving her daughter a second chance to refuse the privacy that was being offered.
"Mother," Noble started, only for Lena to pull her aside.
"I notice that each additional person is draining your emotional reserves. You may be physically strong, but that doesn't mean you need to take on all the world at once. If you need me, I'll be just a message away. I'll be back before morning, so if you are still up, we can talk then."
"I love you," Noble hugged her mom goodbye. She trusted that Lena knew what was best.
Kissing the twins on the head, the grandmother bid them farewell. Fort got a hug as well as a whispered warning. "Be gentle with her!"
With that Lena ducked out of the house for the day, leaving the family to their own devices…
…without a buffer.