The quiet of the store was deceptive. The floors were mostly wiped, the soda towers mostly straight, and the cup noodles—well, most of them—stood upright. Bella leaned against the counter, sharpening her dagger idly, while Nyx arranged Pokémon cards with obsessive precision. The Demon King sipped his Blue Bull, humming softly.
A sudden shimmer appeared near the entrance.
"Oh no," Bella muttered, already tensing.
Through the sparkling light stepped Feria, the Elf Queen—again. But this time, she carried something in her arms. A small bundle wrapped in a violet cloth.
"Queen… again?" Nyx squealed, bouncing on her toes. "What… what is that?"
Feria's expression was solemn. "I apologize for my previous… abrupt departure. But I return, and I bring proof of my intentions." She carefully unwrapped the bundle. Inside was a small, framed picture.
Bella peered over her shoulder—and froze.
It was a photograph… of herself.
Her own sharp green eyes, her dark leather armor, her dagger strapped across her chest—captured perfectly. And beside her, in Feria's elegant handwriting, was a single note: "My daughter. Trained in shadow and skill. The child I could not keep."
Bella's jaw dropped. "Wait… what?!"
Nyx gasped. "Daughter?! Of the Elf Queen?!"
The Demon King nearly choked on his Blue Bull. "Impossible… how…?"
Feria stepped forward, her gaze softening for the first time. "I could not raise her in the Elf Kingdom. But fate has placed her here… in this world. And though she knows it not, Bella, you are my daughter."
Bella stumbled back, gripping the counter for support. "You… what? That's… that's insane. I—wait, I'm your daughter?"
Arthos scratched his head. "This is… a lot to take in… especially before my second cup of coffee."
Bella's eyes narrowed, a mixture of disbelief, anger, and faint curiosity flashing across her face. "So… all this time, I've been living above a convenience store, surviving night shifts, cleaning spilled noodles… and you never said a word?"
Feria's eyes glimmered. "I could not interfere. I could not reveal myself… not until I was certain you would survive the trials of the human world."
Nyx clapped gleefully. "Ohhh, this is amazing! Plot twist! I love family drama!"
The Demon King muttered, "Even I did not expect… parental complications."
Bella turned away, gripping her dagger but trying to process the shock. "So… you're my mother. And… you decided to show up here… with a picture?"
Feria smiled faintly. "I wanted you to know the truth. And perhaps… to guide you, if you are willing to accept it."
Bella exhaled slowly, looking at the chaos of the store around her: soda towers, scattered noodles, Pokémon cards, and a jittery Demon King. "…I don't even know where to start."
Nyx bounced with excitement. "Start with snacks! Family bonding over snacks!"
The Demon King sipped his Blue Bull thoughtfully. "Perhaps… this is a battle even I cannot predict."
Bella looked at the photo again, and then back at Feria. "Fine. But don't expect me to clean up this mess… for you."
Feria's smile widened, a glimmer of warmth in her regal eyes. "I would not ask it of you."
And somewhere, a cup noodle teetered ominously on the edge of a shelf, as if silently approving this new, complicated family reunion.