Kael sat cross-legged on the living room floor, his small wings twitching in curiosity as he flipped through a book Ere'ana had given him. It was supposed to be about celestial history, but honestly, it was boring, and Kael's young mind couldn't focus for long.
He looked up at his parents, who were sitting on opposite ends of the couch. Ere'ana was reading a glowing scroll from Heaven, her face serene. Kikidori, meanwhile, was carving something out of a chunk of obsidian with his knife, muttering curses when the blade slipped.
"Hey," Kael said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Ere'ana glanced up from her scroll. "Yes, sweetheart?"
"Who's older? You or Dad?"
Kikidori froze mid-carve, his knife hovering above the obsidian. Ere'ana blinked, clearly not expecting the question.
"Well…" Ere'ana began, trying to gather her thoughts.
"It's me," Kikidori said, smirking as he resumed carving.
Kael tilted his head. "But how? Mom said you're 41 and she's 40. That makes her almost as old as you."
Kikidori laughed, the sound deep and cocky. "Kid, age is more complicated when you're celestial. I've been around longer, so technically, I'm older."
"That's not entirely true," Ere'ana cut in, setting her scroll aside. Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of challenge in her tone. "If we're talking about how long we were alive on Earth before we died, then I'm older."
Kael furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
Ere'ana leaned forward slightly, her golden wings folding neatly behind her. "I lived to be 19 and a half before I died and became an angel. Your father, on the other hand, died when he was only 7 years old. So, if you count time spent alive on Earth, I had more experience before I became celestial."
Kikidori rolled his eyes. "Experience, schmerience. I've been dead longer, so I've technically been around longer."
Kael's face scrunched up in confusion. "But wait, if you're both in your forties now, why do you look so young?"
Ere'ana smiled. "That's because celestial beings don't age the way humans do. Our physical forms stay younger than our actual years. By celestial standards, I'm about 30, and your father is as well."
"Thirty-ish," Kikidori corrected with a smirk. "I'm still older, though."
Kael looked even more puzzled. "But you said you've been dead longer. Doesn't that mean you're, like, really old?"
Kikidori grinned. "By human years, I'm 179, kid."
Kael's jaw dropped. "179?! That's old!"
"Not really," Kikidori said, shrugging. "In Hell, time works differently. I've been around long enough to know more than most demons, but I'm not ancient or anything. Just seasoned."
Ere'ana cleared her throat. "And by human years, I'm 150. So yes, your father has been dead longer, but I lived longer before I died. Technically, that makes me older by logic."
Kael rubbed his temples, clearly overwhelmed. "So, wait. You're older because you were alive longer, but Dad's older because he's been dead longer? And you're both 30-ish because of celestial time?"
Kikidori laughed. "Pretty much, kid."
"That's so confusing," Kael groaned, throwing his hands in the air.
"It is," Ere'ana admitted, her tone soft. "But that's the nature of celestial beings. Time doesn't work for us the way it does for humans."
Kael flopped back onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. "You guys are weird."
Kikidori snorted. "Weird, huh? You're one to talk, Mr. Yappichino"
Kael stuck his tongue out at his dad. "At least I'm not old."
Ere'ana chuckled, and Kikidori rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile.
Kael sat up again, his curiosity not quite satisfied. "Wait, what about Yumi? How old is she?"
Kikidori shrugged. "By celestial age, Yumi's about 18. By human years, she's 20. So, she's younger than both of us."
Kael frowned. "That's still weird. You all look so young."
Ere'ana smiled gently. "It's something you'll understand more as you grow up, Kael. For now, just know that age doesn't mean much when it comes to celestial beings. What matters is the life we've lived."
Kael nodded slowly, though he still looked a little confused. "Okay, but I'm still telling everyone that Mom's older."
Kikidori raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And why's that?"
"Because she said so, and Mom's always right," Kael declared confidently.
Ere'ana laughed softly, and Kikidori shook his head, a smirk on his face. "Smart kid."
End of Chapter 22