It was chaos in the Hospital. Yumi had gone into labor, and everyone was in a frenzy. Akuma paced back and forth outside the delivery room, his wings twitching nervously as he muttered to himself. Ere'ana was inside with Yumi, holding her hand and whispering soothing words, while Kikidori was... nowhere to be found.
"Where the hell is Kikidori?" Akuma hissed under his breath, looking around.
Kael, sitting cross-legged on the floor, shrugged nonchalantly. "Probably doesn't want to hear Yumi screaming like a banshee," he said, picking at his nails.
"Kael," Akuma snapped, glaring at him.
"What? I'm just saying!" Kael defended, his small wings flapping as he raised his hands.
Meanwhile, inside the delivery room, Yumi was gripping Ere'ana's hand so tightly that Ere'ana's knuckles were turning white.
"Breathe, Yumi," Ere'ana said softly, trying to hide the pain in her hand.
"I AM BREATHING!" Yumi shouted, her voice echoing through the hospital. "THIS IS HELL, LITERALLY!"
Ere'ana bit back a laugh. "You're doing great, sweetheart."
After four hours of screaming, cursing, and more than a few threats directed at Akuma for "doing this to her," the sound of a baby's first cry filled the room. Yumi collapsed back onto the bed, panting heavily as Ere'ana carefully wrapped the tiny baby girl in a soft, white blanket.
"She's beautiful," Ere'ana whispered, handing the baby to Yumi.
Yumi's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her daughter. Her tiny wings were soft and feathered, glowing faintly with an angelic light that contrasted sharply with the fiery tones of Hell.
"She's… an angel," Yumi whispered, her voice filled with awe.
A couple of days later, Yumi and Akuma returned to the castle with their newborn. The entire family gathered in the main hall to greet them. Kael, perched on the edge of the couch, looked over with mild curiosity as they walked in.
"So, that's the kid, huh?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Her name is not 'the kid,'" Akuma said, glaring at him.
"Well, what is her name?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yumi and Akuma exchanged a look before Yumi stepped forward, her expression soft. "We've decided to name her Aralyn," she said, her voice filled with pride.
"Aralyn?" Kael repeated, wrinkling his nose. "Sounds… angel-y."
"She is an angel, you little brat," Akuma shot back, ruffling Kael's hair as he walked past.
Kikidori, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, finally spoke up. "Aralyn, huh? Sounds fancy." He gave Yumi a smirk. "Guess you're following in your mom's footsteps, huh?"
Yumi rolled her eyes. "It's a beautiful name, and Mom helped us pick it out."
Ere'ana beamed from her spot by the fireplace. "It suits her perfectly. She's such a sweet little angel."
As if on cue, Aralyn let out a tiny coo, her little wings fluttering as she squirmed in Yumi's arms.
Kael hopped off the couch, walking over to get a closer look. He peered down at the baby, his expression unreadable. "She's so… small."
"She's a baby, Kael," Yumi said, rolling her eyes.
Kael looked up at her. "I don't want to be an uncle. That makes me sound old."
"You're five," Akuma deadpanned.
"And still cooler than you," Kael shot back, sticking out his tongue.
"Enough," Ere'ana said, her tone firm but gentle. "This is a happy occasion. Let's not ruin it with bickering."
—
Over the next few days, the castle settled into a new routine. Yumi and Akuma were busy taking care of Aralyn, who seemed to charm everyone she met. Even Kikidori, who usually stayed out of baby-related things, found himself watching over her while Yumi took a quick break.
One evening, as the family sat together in the main hall, Aralyn let out a soft giggle, her tiny wings glowing faintly.
"She's laughing already?" Kael asked, tilting his head.
"She's an angel," Ere'ana said with a smile. "They develop differently."
"Figures," Kikidori muttered, though there was a hint of affection in his tone as he looked at his granddaughter.
Despite the chaos that always seemed to surround the family, in that moment, everything felt peaceful.
End of Chapter 26