"Dinner's ready!" Keith's voice carried through the house, reaching Sephy's room where she sat at her computer with her headset on.
"Looks like I have to go, sorry guys," Sephy said into her microphone, leaning back in her gaming chair.
"Aww, can't you wait a bit longer? I mean, you can tell your parents to wait, can't you?" Alice's voice crackled through the speakers.
"Nope," Sephy shot it down immediately. "Mom will kill me. It already took a lot of convincing to let me play games with you tonight."
"Oh well," said another voice,the student vice president. "See you at school tomorrow. Tell your dad to go easy on the homework."
Sephy shut down her computer and headed downstairs, where she found both her parents waiting at the dining table. Keith had set out plates of steaming pasta, the rich aroma filling the room.
"I made your favorite pasta tonight," Keith said with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Dad." A genuine smile bloomed across Sephy's face as she took her seat.
The dinner began pleasantly enough. Keith asked about her gaming session, and Akira mentioned a new recipe she wanted to try tomorrow. They talked about Sephy's upcoming final exams and her responsibilities as student council president. For a while, it felt like any normal family dinner-until Keith's expression grew more serious.
"You're going to finish school soon," Keith said as they were clearing their plates.
Sephy grew quiet for a few seconds, her fork pausing midway to her mouth. Then, setting her shoulders with determination, she said, "I want to go to the tower."
The words hung in the air like a challenge.
"My acceptance letter came through, and Phoenix Academy will take care of me," she continued, her voice steady but her eyes watching her father's face carefully.
Keith felt something cold settle in his chest. He looked at his wife, noting how Akira avoided his gaze, and felt a flicker of irritation. "Why was I not told about this?" His voice carried a slight edge that made both women tense.
Sephy looked down at her plate. "I'm sorry. I told Mom I didn't want to worry you until I knew for sure."
Keith took a deep breath, his red eyes fixing on his daughter with an intensity that seemed to change the very air in the room. When he spoke again, his voice was different—deeper, carrying an authority that made even Akira straighten in her chair.
"Do you think you're ready?" he asked, and suddenly he wasn't just Keith the professor anymore. His posture shifted subtly, becoming that of someone who had weighed countless souls and found most of them wanting. "This won't be like those training simulations, nor will it be a path filled with happiness."
Both Sephy and Akira stared at him as if seeing a stranger. The gentle father and husband seemed to have been replaced by something far more dangerous.
"A path where you seek power is bound to be filled with madness and despair," Keith continued, his voice carrying the weight of eons. "When you enter that tower, you should be ready to lose your life." He leaned forward slightly, and for just a moment, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. "So answer me, Persephone Keith.Do you think you are ready?"
Sephy felt a deep, primal fear wash over her, but beneath it, her resolve only hardened. She thought about all the what-ifs, all the ways people might use her to get to her mother, all the reasons she needed to be strong enough to protect the people she loved.
"YES!" she said, louder than she'd intended, her voice ringing with conviction.
The word seemed to surprise even her, and Akira looked shocked,her daughter had never shouted with such fierce determination before.
Keith studied his daughter's face for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Very well. But you still need to finish school and graduate properly. That's non-negotiable." He glanced at Akira, who looked like she was about to protest, but the look in his eyes made her close her mouth.
"But it's pointless though-" Sephy started.
Keith gave her one look that immediately silenced her. Then his expression softened into something almost playful. "I have to prove to those stinking political bastards that my daughter is brilliant," he said with a chuckle, successfully breaking the tense atmosphere.
Sephy couldn't help but giggle, and the rest of dinner passed more quietly. Sephy seemed happy to have earned her father's approval, and Akira appeared relieved that Keith hadn't tried to forbid their daughter's dreams entirely.
As for Keith, he felt content knowing that Sephy's choice had been truly her own. When he'd asked that final question, he'd allowed just a trace of his true power to wash away any outside influence, leaving only her genuine desires to guide her answer. If she had shown even a sliver of hesitation, he would never have allowed her to enter the tower.
Later, as they cleaned up the dishes, Keith's thoughts turned to darker calculations. He would need to call in a few old favors ,very old favors, to ensure his daughter's safety in that tower. Some debts were about to be collected.