Time without Tiana

Today was Tiana's death anniversary, meaning that they had been living a year without Tiana by their sides.

"Mom, I hope you're happy there! Look, I can pronounce words clearly now! Even those with 'r' in it!" Tanya cutely spoke to the urn as she smiled proudly.

Her words made Leo and Jin smile. Leo was specially moved because since his wife's death, their children had not missed a day and had always visited their mother in the prayer room everyday.

"Mom, please guide me in the Awakening Ceremony tomorrow. I promise that I'll awaken a supernatural power!" Jin spoked with determination with his eyes closed.

When Leo saw how determined his son was, he couldn't help but be proud of him.

He had also looked into medicines and other ways for a person without an energy core and energy circuits to have them.

Alas, he unfortunately didn't find anything. He did find those that could repair broken energy cores and connect energy circuits. But as for something that could give them to a person, such a thing was non-existent.

When the siblings finished talking to their mother, they stood up and bowed slightly before leaving the room.

They had always did things this way because they knew that it was necessary to give their father some time alone.

Grooo~

"Brother, I'm hungry." Tanya pouted with a pitiful expression on her face.

Pinching his little sister on the cheek, Jin laughed and said, "Alright, alright. I'll cook for you."

Then, as Jin cooked their meals, Tanya watched from the side. She had always done so since their mother's death.

Over the time they spent without Tiana, both Jin and Tanya had been maturing and growing faster mentally.

Jin had also been in charge of cooking and other house chores since their father always worked to hunt demon beasts.

Tanya also helped, but Jin wanted her to live her youth happily and keep playing outside with her friends.

In just under an hour, Jin was able to cook a veggie stew, fried pork cutlet, fried chopped potatoes (fries) and steamed rice.

Tanya's eyes shone brightly as she drooled from the side of her mouth.

However, the siblings patiently waited for their father.

Creak~

"Hmm! What a nice smell!" Leo, who had just exited their prayer room, was enthralled by the smeal of the dishes Jin cooked.

"Let's eat, Dad!" Tanya cutely urged their father to sit with them so they could eat already.

Leo smiled and sat down at the table with his children.

He looked at the dishes on the table and was shocked by his son's capabilities. Jin had been cooking for them for a year, but Leo still got amazed every time he ate the meal cooked by his son.

It was also because it tasted just like his wife's dishes. It was so similar to the point where both Leo and Tanya could still feel Tiana's presence through the taste of the dishes.

Jin looked at his happy father and sister, and was enamored as he decided to keep doing his best for them.

They chatted happily and talked about random things. Laughing and having fun as they ate.

* * *

After an hour or so…

"I'm sorry son I won't be able to help with the dishes. I plan to double my work today so I can make up for my absence tomorrow." Leo had an apologetic expression on his face as he was packing the things he needed for hunting.

"Don't worry about it, Dad." Jin reassured his father.

"Brother's right, Dad! Leave the rest to us!" Tanya also chimed in from the side.

Leo smiled as he put daggers, pocket knives and other essentials in his bag. He also didn't forget the beef jerkys that his son prepared for him as a snack, as well as his trusty greatsword.

"I'll be living now." Leo bid farewell to his children.

"Take care, Dad!" Jin and Tanya said loudly.

After Leo left, Jin started to get the plates and bowls from the table to wash them.

To his surprise, his little sister was helping him.

"Aren't you going to play outside today?" Jin asked. It was only about 2 in the afternoon so it was the perfect time to play.

Tanya answered in a serious voice, "I will, Brother. After washing the dishes with you."

Jin smiled at his sister and teased, "Well that's good since you ate the most out of all of us."

Tanya pouted in dissatisfaction as she washed the dishes with her brother.

Jin laughed heartily and said, "I'm joking, I'm joking!"

He was, in fact, not joking at all.

The quantity of food his little sister managed to eat could be called tremendous. And as she grew up, her appetite grew as well.

However, it also made sense since his sister had a strong physical body and a seemingly inexhaustible stamina.

Jin didn't think that it was strange since he was also as strange as his sister, if not a lot more strange.

'Maybe it's her talent.' He thought.

Then he turned to look at his sister and asked, "By the way, tomorrow is our Awakening Ceremony. Aren't you nervous?"

Tanya tilted her head and replied, "Huh? Why would I be? Is it something amazing? Besides, what exactly is that Awakening Ceremony? I've heard Emma and the others talk about it alot lately. It was because of it that our playtime became shorter." She pouted as she said the latter of her sentence.

Faced by his little sister's words, Jin's expression froze. He had been a nervous wreck all this time because of the Awakening Ceremony. His sister, on the other hand, didn't even know what it was!

Shaking his head with a smile, Jin explained patiently, "The Awakening Ceremony is where we'll know what our talents are. Whether it be aura, mana or holy energy. We'll also know if we have affinity to any of the elements. And finally, there's a chance to awaken strange abilities known as supernatural powers when we take worly energies to our bodies for the first time!"