The house was quiet in the early hours of the morning. Ere'ana was asleep, her arms wrapped protectively around Kikidori, who snored lightly beside her. Yumi was in her room, sprawled out on her bed, her phone still in her hand as the screen dimmed. Everything was peaceful.
But peace doesn't last forever.
Kael, restless in his crib, had been stirring for the past hour. His tiny hands gripped the wooden bars as he tried to lift himself up. For a Nephilim child, his strength was already impressive, but his balance? Not so much.
The baby babbled softly, his mismatched wings fluttering faintly as he pulled himself higher. He didn't know what he was doing—he just knew he wanted out. The crib felt too small, too restricting, and his curiosity drove him to explore.
With one last push, Kael managed to climb over the railing. For a moment, he teetered on the edge, his tiny halo gleaming faintly in the dim light. And then, gravity won.
Kael tumbled forward, a soft gasp escaping his lips before he hit the ground with a dull *thud.*
The silence shattered as his wails filled the house.
Ere'ana's eyes shot open, her heart dropping at the sound of her baby crying. "Kael!" she gasped, bolting upright. Kikidori groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered, still half-asleep.
Ere'ana didn't answer. She was already out of bed, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor as she ran to Kael's room.
Yumi's door creaked open as she peeked out, her hair a mess. "What happened?" she asked groggily, but Ere'ana was already down the hall.
When Ere'ana reached Kael's room, the sight stopped her heart. Kael was lying on the floor, his tiny hands clutching his head as blood trickled down his forehead. His cries were deafening, each one piercing Ere'ana's chest like a dagger.
"Oh my God," she whispered, dropping to her knees. She scooped him up gently, cradling him against her chest. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here. It's okay."
Kael's cries didn't stop, and his little body trembled in her arms. Kikidori appeared in the doorway, his expression darkening as he saw the blood.
"What the fuck happened?" he demanded, stepping into the room.
"I don't know," Ere'ana said, her voice shaking. "I think he climbed out of the crib and fell."
Kikidori knelt beside her, his sharp eyes scanning Kael's injury. The cut on his head wasn't deep, but the blood made it look worse than it was. Still, seeing his son hurt made something primal stir in Kikidori's chest.
"Shit," he muttered. "We need to stop the bleeding."
Yumi appeared behind them, her face pale. "Is he okay?" she asked, her voice small.
"He'll be fine," Kikidori said firmly, though his jaw was clenched. "But we need to patch him up."
Ere'ana nodded, her mind racing. She carried Kael to the bathroom, her hands trembling as she set him down on the counter. Kael's cries had softened to hiccups, but tears still streamed down his chubby cheeks.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Ere'ana murmured, grabbing a clean cloth. She wet it with warm water and gently dabbed at the cut. Kael flinched, letting out a sharp cry, and Ere'ana's heart broke all over again.
"Hold still, buddy," Kikidori said, his voice surprisingly gentle. He placed a hand on Kael's back, his touch steadying.
Yumi hovered in the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself. She felt useless, standing there while her parents worked to calm Kael down.
Ere'ana finally managed to clean the cut, revealing that it wasn't as bad as she'd feared. Relief washed over her, but the sight of Kael's tear-streaked face still made her chest ache.
"Is he going to be okay?" Yumi asked softly.
"Yeah," Kikidori said, his voice gruff. "He's tough. He'll be fine."
Ere'ana nodded, though her hands were still shaking as she applied a small bandage to Kael's forehead. When she finished, she picked him up and held him close, rocking him gently.
Kael's cries finally subsided, replaced by soft sniffles. His tiny hands clutched at Ere'ana's shirt, and she kissed the top of his head.
"You scared me," she whispered. "Don't ever do that again, okay?"
Kael babbled something incoherent, his mismatched wings twitching.
Kikidori sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "We need to lower the crib," he said. "He's getting too big for it."
Ere'ana nodded, still holding Kael tightly. "I can't believe this happened," she murmured.
"Hey," Kikidori said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He's okay. That's what matters."
Yumi stepped into the room, hesitating before reaching out to touch Kael's little hand. "You scared me too, little guy," she said softly.
Kael looked up at her, his golden and black eyes blinking. He reached for her finger, gripping it tightly.
Ere'ana smiled faintly, her earlier panic beginning to fade. She looked at Kikidori, who gave her a small nod.
"Family meeting," Kikidori announced. "Rule number one: no climbing out of cribs."
Yumi snorted, and even Ere'ana let out a soft laugh.
Kael, oblivious to the stress he'd caused, let out a happy babble. His parents and sister exchanged relieved smiles, grateful that their little Nephilim was safe.
As the family gathered in the living room, Ere'ana couldn't help but glance at Kael every few seconds, her protective instincts on high alert. Kikidori, meanwhile, was already making plans to babyproof the house even further.
It had been a terrifying morning, but as they sat together, they realized how lucky they were. Kael was okay, and their family was still whole.
The End of Chapter 19