The house was warm.
Not magically. Not metaphorically.
Just… warm.
Drax stepped inside and felt it immediately—the scent of food, the soft hum of the lights, the low murmur of a television in the background. For all the chaos that clung to him outside, this place remained untouched. Grounded. Human.
"Drax, you're home," his mother called from the kitchen.
Lyra appeared with a ladle in her hand, hair tied back loosely, a faint smile already forming before she even fully turned around. It was the kind of smile that didn't need confirmation—it knew.
"Dinner's ready. Wash your hands."
Mira and Ellis were already at the table.
Mira sat upright, legs swinging slightly, humming to herself as she poked at her food. Ellis was leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking between the TV and the plate in front of him, trying—and failing—to look mature.
Drax stopped for just a second.
He saw it.
Not with his eyes.
With something deeper.
Mira's body was releasing inner world essence in tiny, uncontrolled pulses—soft, green-gold motes that faded the moment they formed. It was instinctual. Natural. Like breathing.
Untrained.
Unstabilized.
He sat down calmly, saying nothing at first.
They ate together.
No alarms. No portals. No monsters.
Just clinking utensils and Ellis complaining about vegetables.
Halfway through, Drax spoke casually, as if commenting on the weather.
"Hey, sis."
Mira looked up. "Yeah?"
"After dinner, I'll teach you how to control your inner world essence."
She blinked.
"…My what?"
Drax smiled.
"You'll know soon enough," he said lightly. "Just know this—you're amazing. And you're going to be strong."
Her eyes widened. Not with fear.
With excitement.
"Oh!" She straightened. "Okay!"
He turned to Ellis.
"And you," Drax added. "Your inner world hasn't manifested yet—but it will. Soon. You'll be just like us."
Ellis froze.
Then—
Stars.
Actual stars seemed to light up in his eyes.
"Really?" he asked, voice cracking. "Like you?"
Drax nodded once. "Yeah."
Ellis clenched his fists under the table. "Okay, brother."
Lyra watched them quietly.
Her smile softened.
"Your father would be so proud of you, Drax."
She turned toward the window as she said it.
Drax noticed.
She'd been doing that more lately.
Looking out. Pausing. Remembering.
He didn't ask.
Some truths needed time.
After dinner, Drax took Mira outside.
The night air was cool, gentle. Streetlights hummed softly, and the world felt… still.
He crouched in front of her.
"Sit cross-legged," he said.
Mira copied him immediately.
Drax lifted his gaze—not upward, but inward.
"Mephilisto," he said quietly.
The air shifted.
A presence unfolded behind reality itself.
A name already? a feminine voice echoed, amused. You really just make these up on the spot, don't you?
Drax smirked. "Yeah. What? You don't like it?"
A soft laugh.
It's fine. I'll allow it.
The spirit of the Abyssal World manifested subtly—no form, no body, just awareness.
And yes, Mephilisto continued, I recognize her inner world.
Drax's expression sharpened. "You do?"
Very clearly, she said. This is the Inner World of Evergreen.
Drax raised a brow. "Evergreen? As in nourishment? Growth? Healing?"
Yes.
Then, a pause.
But it's mixed.
Drax exhaled. "Of course it is. Explain."
Mephilisto's tone turned intrigued.
She possesses Evergreen… and another force. Something rare. Something dangerous.
"Which is?"
Skillapsis.
Drax's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Dual-aspected healing," he muttered.
Correct, Mephilisto said. She heals effortlessly—herself and others. But her healing can also end things. To demons. To demonic beings. What restores life can also become fatal.
Drax chuckled quietly. "That's… broken."
It is, Mephilisto agreed. And rare.
A beat.
It makes me wonder, she added softly, who your father truly was. And what the Magna lineage really carries.
Drax smiled faintly.
"I guess we're just like that."
He inclined his head. "Thanks, Mephilisto."
Anytime, Monarch, she replied—and vanished.
Drax turned back to Mira.
"Close your eyes," he said gently. "Deep breaths. Slow."
She obeyed.
Her consciousness slipped inward.
Into green.
Into warmth.
Into a world that breathed back.
Mira stayed like that for two and a half hours—steady, focused, controlling her essence through instinct and trust.
Then—
She slumped.
Asleep.
Drax laughed softly.
"You did well, sister," he murmured, lifting her easily. "Get some rest."
Inside, Ellis was already full, sprawled on the couch watching TV. Lyra was preparing a bath, humming quietly—she had the market early in the morning.
The house settled.
Morning came quietly.
Lyra woke before dawn, dressed simply, hair tied back again. She grabbed her bag and stepped out, locking the door behind her.
As she walked through Norn City's market district, a strange feeling tugged at her.
Not fear.
A nudge.
She slowed.
Then turned.
"I'll just stop by that store," she murmured, veering off her usual path.
Above her—
On rooftops and shadowed ledges—
Squad Zero watched.
They noticed her immediately.
"Target?" one whispered.
"No," another replied. "But… connected."
Lyra entered the small shop.
Squad Zero descended.
Boots touched pavement.
They took a step—
—and stopped.
A voice spoke from behind them.
Calm.
Cold.
Absolute.
"If you dare walk into that store," the voice said, "I'll kill you all."
The air collapsed.
Abyssal pressure flooded the street.
And Drax Magna stood behind them, hands in his pockets, eyes dark as eternity.