“You go ahead and play, I’ll go do my homework first.”
Feeling she had said enough, Miri Dreamwell left the room, leaving Eve Nightburn alone on the bed, holding the stuffed bunny.
Eve sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her little legs, the cowlick on her head now forming an “M” shape.
Unconsciously, she began humming a hymn to describe her current mood.
Holy Mary, full of grace.
Loving Mary, radiant Mary.
Your hymns echo through the ages, your light blesses the world.
When hearing your gentle voice,
Even the lost Demon King sheds tears.
What is the wrong path?
And what is the right one?
Your kindness is like shattered glass, scattering light to illuminate every corner of the world.
Only then do I understand why you exist.
After reciting the hymn, Eve lay down on the bed, rolled to the side, and hugged the giant teddy bear tightly.
Holding the bear for a long time, Eve gradually lost consciousness, closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.
That night, Jade Xiang and Hui Feng finally finished their work and returned home.
Opening the front door, Jade stepped inside and complained, “Hui, waiting for you to pick me up today was so boring~!”
Miri, who had been doing her homework, set down her pen, got up from her chair, and hurried to greet them.
Hui Feng, equally exasperated, hung up Jade’s coat while airing his own grievances. “The Company kept me working overtime till now, and instead of cutting me some slack, you’re scolding me.”
“Dad… Mom… are you okay?” Miri asked as she reached the corner of the hallway, hearing their hushed whispers. Their moods didn’t seem great today.
Noticing their daughter, Hui and Jade immediately perked up.
In unison, they replied, “No worries, we’re fine!”
Jade nudged Hui’s waist with her elbow, signaling him to snap out of it and save face.
She then continued, “It’s so late—does Miri want anything to eat? I’ll make it right away!”
Instead of answering, Miri raised a finger to her lips, gesturing for them to lower their voices.
Jade was puzzled—why couldn’t they speak loudly in their own home?
She whispered, “Miri, is something wrong?”
Miri took a breath and replied softly, “Little sis is sleeping.”
“Eve!” Hui immediately understood. “She was allowed to come out today?”
He hadn’t expected the Country to act so quickly. Though he’d prepared a room, he’d assumed it would take at least another week before Eve could move in.
“Yeah,” Miri nodded, glancing at Jade and keeping her voice low. “Just a glass of warm milk for me, Mom.”
“Got it!” Jade patted Miri’s shoulder before turning to Hui. “Hui, what do you want for dinner?”
Hui had initially wanted roast chicken, but since Miri only asked for warm milk, he didn’t want to trouble Jade further. “Just warm milk for me too.”
With that, he sidestepped the mother and daughter, carrying his work bag to his room.
Miri and Jade watched him go, exchanged a glance, but said nothing, each returning to their own tasks.
Jade prepared the milk, bringing a bowl to Miri at the dining table, along with a box of sugar.
“Miri, take a break. Drink this first, then finish your homework.”
“Mm,” Miri set down her pen, pushed her homework aside, added two spoonfuls of sugar, and began sipping the warm milk.
Jade then took another bowl to Hui’s room, where he was still drafting the Project Brief for The Company.
She placed the milk beside him and quietly left.
Afterward, Jade tiptoed to the room prepared for Eve. Pushing the door open, she found the dim space perfectly still.
Turning on her phone’s flashlight, she barely made out the surroundings.
Following the light, she reached the bed and saw the girl fast asleep, clutching the giant bear.
Jade turned off the light, afraid its brightness might wake her.
“What a sweet child…”
She murmured softly. The Country had already informed her of Eve’s identity.
When they told her Eve was the most powerful Calamity in human history, Jade had been skeptical—until video evidence forced her to accept it.
She remembered the man who’d revealed the truth: Lucian Blue. He’d offered them 20,000 as a condition to take Eve in, even covering the room’s renovation costs.
Jade gently brushed Eve’s cheek, feeling its softness and slight bounce.
She didn’t linger. Lucian had warned her—this child bore too many psychological scars to handle much stimulation.
Recalling their first meeting, Jade could almost hear those two words again.
“Just die.”
Words only spoken by someone who’d abandoned all hope of life.
Before meeting Eve, Jade had never imagined a child could say such a thing.
“If you were just an orphan, you wouldn’t be like this, would you, Eve?”
Jade stroked Eve’s hair, smoothing it before tying it into a side ponytail.
If Eve were merely an orphan, her heart would hold only loneliness.
But that readiness to embrace death—that was the escape of someone terrified of the world.
Jade had seen humanoid Calamities before, but Eve was the first to possess emotions and thoughts so human.
“Eve, why are you so much like us? Your existence is a miracle. If all Calamities were like you, how different would humans and Calamities really be—aside from that terrifying power?”
The war between humans and Calamities had raged for nearly a century. Under their threat, humanity had united for the first time, with every Country educating its people to ensure survival.
Through struggle, humans had meticulously defined what made them unique.
Yet this child before her had turned all those definitions into a joke.
Finally, Jade tucked Eve in and whispered a blessing:
“Welcome, Eve—no, I should say ‘daughter,’ right? From now on, we’re family.”
