Ere'ana and Yumi sat across from Kikidori in the dining hall. The air was thick with disbelief and tension, the reality of Kikidori's return still sinking in. Ere'ana, despite her usual serene demeanor, couldn't stop staring at him, her hands trembling slightly as they rested on the table.
Yumi, on the other hand, had her arms crossed and was glaring at her father like he owed her an explanation—because he damn well did.
"So…" Yumi began, her tone sharp. "Are you gonna explain how the fuck you're alive, or are we supposed to just accept that you popped back into existence like it's normal?"
Kikidori leaned back in his chair, lazily swirling the drink in his hand. "I already told you, kid. I don't know."
"That's bullshit!" Yumi snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "You don't just come back from the dead without a damn good reason."
"Yumi," Ere'ana said softly, trying to calm her daughter. But even she couldn't keep the edge out of her voice. "Kikidori, please. Tell us everything you remember."
Kikidori sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, fine. Here's what happened: I died. Shit went dark. Then some glowing asshole decided I wasn't done yet, yanked me out of the void, and said, 'Go back, you've got shit to do.' And boom—here I am."
Ere'ana blinked. "A glowing… person?"
"Yeah," Kikidori said, shrugging. "Big, shiny, annoying voice. Real dramatic."
"And you have no idea who they were?" Yumi asked, her tone skeptical.
"Nope," Kikidori said. "Didn't exactly get a name tag. For all I know, it could've been some random cosmic janitor who got bored and decided to mess with me."
Yumi rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
Ere'ana frowned, her angelic aura flickering faintly as she processed his words. "This… doesn't make sense. If you were brought back by divine intervention, there has to be a reason. No one—no *god*—would do this without purpose."
Kikidori smirked. "Well, I guess I'm just that special, huh?"
"Don't joke about this," Ere'ana said, her voice firm. "Your resurrection could have consequences. It might not even be permanent."
Yumi's heart sank at the thought, but she quickly masked it with a scowl. "So what you're saying is, he could just drop dead again at any moment?"
"Pretty much," Kikidori said nonchalantly, taking another sip of his drink.
"Dad, this isn't funny!" Yumi shouted, standing up. "You can't just come back and act like everything's normal. You *died*! We thought we lost you! Mom cried for days! I—" Her voice cracked, and she looked away, her fists clenched. "I can't lose you again."
The room fell silent, Yumi's words hanging in the air like a heavy weight.
Kikidori set his drink down and stood, walking over to his daughter. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression softening. "Hey. I'm not planning on going anywhere, alright? I don't know how or why I'm back, but I'm here now. And I'm gonna do everything I can to stick around."
Yumi looked up at him, her eyes watery but fierce. "You better."
Ere'ana watched them quietly, her heart aching with both relief and worry. "Kikidori," she said after a moment, "if you're truly back for a reason, we need to find out what it is. We can't afford to ignore this."
Kikidori sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. But for now, can we just take a goddamn breather? I've been dead for, like, five minutes. Let me enjoy being alive again before we start the next big crisis."
Ere'ana hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But this isn't over."
"It never is," Kikidori muttered, sitting back down.
Yumi sat as well, still glaring at him but with a hint of a smirk. "You're lucky I like you, old man."
Kikidori chuckled. "Damn right I am."
The End of Chapter 2