Rachel didn't say another word. She simply stared at the food on her plate, her appetite gone.
An interdimensional demon.
The words refused to leave her mind.
She had spent years wondering who her real father was, but no matter how many possibilities she'd imagined, none of them came close to what Daniel had just said.
Her breathing gradually turned uneven. The temperature in the dining room dropped without warning. A cold wind swept across the table even though every window was closed.
Rachel lowered her head. Her eyes slowly darkened until they turned completely black.
The darkness around her began leaking into the room. The dining table trembled. The glasses started rattling. Then a wave of black energy burst outward.
Daniel calmly raised his hand. A transparent barrier formed instantly around Rachel — space folding in on itself, sealing her inside a spherical shield just as the shockwave struck.
Boom!
The entire room shook. Curtains fluttered violently, chairs scraped across the floor, and every plate on the table rattled from the impact.
The dark energy crashed against the barrier again and again, but not a single ripple escaped it.
After several seconds, the darkness receded. Rachel's eyes returned to normal. She looked around in confusion, clearly unaware of what had just happened.
Daniel lowered his hand and looked around the table. "I think that answers everyone's questions. There weren't any hidden motives behind bringing her here." He glanced at Rachel.
"She loses control whenever her emotions become unstable. Until she learns to manage those powers, she shouldn't be left on her own."
The women looked toward Rachel. After seeing the outburst firsthand, whatever suspicion they'd had earlier disappeared.
Elizabeth was the first to speak, glancing toward Mera. "So what's your plan for her?"
Daniel answered without thinking. "I have other intentions for her."
The room went completely silent.
Before he realized what he'd just said—
Smack!
A plate of dessert flew across the table and hit him square in the face. Cream slid slowly down his forehead.
Daniel stood there motionless for a second before letting out a sigh. "...I walked right into that one."
Sylvia folded her arms. "You absolutely did."
A few of the women couldn't help smiling. Even Rachel blinked in surprise.
Daniel wiped the cream off with a napkin. "What I meant was — I intend to teach her how to control her powers. That's all." He nodded toward Rachel.
"So. Does anyone still have a problem with her staying here until she can manage them?"
Nobody objected this time. The outburst had made it clear enough that Rachel wasn't dangerous by choice. She just needed help.
***
Daniel stood quietly in the mansion's garden, hands in his pockets, looking up at the overcast sky. Dark clouds covered the horizon, giving the afternoon a dull, lifeless feel.
His gaze eventually drifted down and settled on Rachel. She sat alone on a bench with her head lowered, lost in thought.
Daniel smiled helplessly. "Even the sky doesn't look as gloomy as she does."
Footsteps approached from behind. Mera walked over and stopped beside him, following his gaze until she spotted Rachel. After a moment, she let out a small laugh.
"You really have a habit of bringing trouble into your house."
Daniel glanced at her, shaking his head. "Sorry to disappoint you, Princess, but the surface world has a lot more problems than Atlantis." He looked back at Rachel.
"Sometimes they just happen to land in front of me."
Mera smiled knowingly. "Because you're powerful."
Daniel nodded, not bothering to deny it. "That's part of it. When people don't know what to do, they naturally look toward the strongest person around."
He folded his arms as a cool breeze passed through the garden. "I don't go looking for trouble. It just has a habit of finding me."
Mera glanced at Rachel again. "So you're planning to help her too?"
Daniel sighed. "She's just a kid caught in something much bigger than herself." His gaze stayed on Rachel.
"If I pretend I didn't see it, the problem won't disappear — it'll only get worse. And honestly, I'd feel bad if I just walked away and ignored it."
Mera nodded slowly. That was one of the things she admired about him. His strength was extraordinary, but that wasn't what had drawn her to him.
He never turned away from someone who genuinely needed help, even when it had nothing to do with him. Otherwise, she never would have left Atlantis just to find him.
A smile spread across her face as she slipped her arm through his. "Then how about we go on one of those human dates you've told me about?"
Daniel looked at her, helpless. "You actually remembered that?"
"Of course. I've been curious ever since you mentioned it."
Before he could answer, another voice cut in from behind them.
"I want to come too."
Both of them turned around. Rachel stood a few steps away, looking far less gloomy than before.
"I want to come too."
Daniel studied her for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright." He didn't mind.
Teenagers were emotional by nature — one moment they wanted to be left alone, the next they wanted company.
If going out helped Rachel stop dwelling on everything she'd learned today, he had no reason to say no.
Mera looked at Rachel, then back at Daniel, and sighed with a smile. "So much for our date."
Daniel chuckled. "Let's just call it a group outing."
*****
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