Kikidori and Kael trudged back to the house, both soaked to the bone. The cold water still clung to their clothes, dripping onto the ground with every step they took. The air was thick with tension, the smell of the damp earth and water mixing with the scent of the surrounding hellscape. Kikidori's skin still burned from the searing pain of the water's shock, but he pushed through it, his focus solely on Kael.
The young boy was quiet, his small body shivering from the cold, his eyes distant. He looked lost, still in shock from what had happened. Kikidori had held him close, keeping him steady as they made their way home, but now that they were approaching the house, the weight of the situation started to sink in.
As they reached the door, it swung open, and Ere'ana stood there, her face a mix of concern and curiosity. Her gaze flickered between Kikidori and Kael, her eyes narrowing when she saw the state they were in.
"What happened?" Ere'ana asked, her voice a mix of worry and confusion. "Why are you two soaked?"
Kikidori hesitated, still trying to catch his breath from the panic and the rush of emotions that had flooded through him only moments ago. He looked down at Kael, who had his head down, his tiny hands still clenched in fists at his sides.
Ere'ana's eyes softened as she looked at her son. She immediately stepped forward, her wings fluttering slightly as she knelt beside Kael. "Kael? What happened, sweetie?" Her voice was gentle, filled with concern, but there was no answer. Kael just stared at the ground, his small body trembling.
Kikidori sighed heavily, running a hand through his wet hair, his eyes never leaving Kael. "He fell into the water," Kikidori said quietly. "I... I was too scared to jump in at first, but I couldn't just leave him. He—he almost drowned."
Ere'ana's face went pale, her hands trembling as she reached out to Kael, brushing the wet strands of hair from his forehead. "What... what do you mean almost drowned?" Her voice shook with disbelief, the weight of the words finally hitting her.
"I couldn't get to him right away," Kikidori continued, his voice raw with emotion. "I froze, I... I was scared." His eyes finally met Ere'ana's, and there was guilt and something darker swirling in them. "But I got him. I pulled him out. He's okay now. He's fine."
Ere'ana didn't say anything at first. She just held Kael in her arms, her eyes brimming with tears. She kissed his forehead, whispering soft reassurances to him, but inside, her heart was breaking. The fear of losing her son had been too close. She had never considered that her baby—her little Kael—might be taken from her like that.
After a moment, she looked back at Kikidori, her face hardening with a sudden, cold anger. "You were scared?" Her voice was a low hiss, barely controlled. "You were scared? What if you hadn't been able to get to him in time?"
Kikidori flinched at the anger in her tone, but he didn't back down. "I told you," he muttered, his voice strained. "I wasn't sure if I could—"
"You should have jumped in the second it happened!" Ere'ana interrupted, standing up and taking a step toward him. "You should have done anything you could! You're his father, Kikidori! How could you freeze like that?"
Kikidori felt the sting of her words like a slap to the face, but he didn't say anything in his defense. He knew she was right. He should've reacted faster. He should've been more. But all of those past fears—the ones he thought he had buried—came flooding back. The suffocating panic of losing someone close, the loss that still haunted him... it was too much for him to bear.
"I'm sorry," Kikidori said quietly, lowering his gaze. "I'm sorry, okay? I won't make that mistake again." His voice cracked with the weight of his guilt.
Ere'ana's gaze softened for a moment, but there was still anger in her eyes. "I... I just need to know that he's okay," she whispered, her voice breaking as she pulled Kael closer to her chest. "I can't... I can't lose him. Not like that. Not like how... how I almost lost you..."
Kikidori closed his eyes at her words, the guilt settling in deeper. He moved closer, kneeling down beside Ere'ana and Kael. "He's okay," he repeated, his voice quiet but firm. "He's alive. That's all that matters. He's okay."
Kael shifted slightly in Ere'ana's arms, his small voice barely above a whisper. "Daddy... I'm okay," he said, his eyes blinking up at Kikidori.
Kikidori's heart squeezed at the sight of Kael looking up at him, his small, innocent face trusting him despite everything. He reached out, brushing Kael's damp hair out of his eyes, his fingers trembling slightly.
"You're okay, kiddo," Kikidori murmured. "I'm so glad you're okay."
Ere'ana held Kael a little tighter, her tears falling freely now as she buried her face in his hair. "I was so scared, Kikidori," she whispered. "I couldn't lose him. I couldn't..."
"I know," Kikidori replied quietly, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. "Neither could I."
And for a long moment, the three of them just sat there—Kikidori, Ere'ana, and Kael—holding onto each other, grateful that the worst hadn't come to pass. The house was silent, save for the soft sound of their breaths, but the weight of what had almost happened lingered in the air.
Kikidori didn't know how long they would be able to keep their family safe, but he promised himself—*he would never let anything happen to them again.*
End of Chapter 10