225. Caos has talk with his maids and women

Sunday, 3 March 2034 : 06:12 CET

Mansion Garden & Master Bedroom, Madrid

Caos was getting stronger and more nimble than ever.

He knew what he deserved.

The first light of dawn was beginning to reach the mansion.

The garden was still.

The grass was wet with dew. The trees moved slightly in the morning wind. The fountains continued their quiet rhythm beneath the pale sky.

Then Caos returned.

He came through the garden entrance after an entire night of training.

Sweat covered his body.

Dirt marked his arms, shoulders, chest, and legs. His hair was damp. His breathing was heavy but controlled.

Around him, violet energy moved in thin currents.

It no longer erupted from his body without direction.

It stayed close.

Contained.

His training had pushed the new power again.

And again.

And again.

Once again.

But the hardest part of the night had not been the physical training.

It had been learning when to stop.

Caos looked toward the mansion.

The windows of the master bedroom were still illuminated.

He knew they were awake.

He slowed.

For several seconds he simply stood there.

Then he walked inside.

The room was quiet.

Zeraphina sat on the edge of the bed, one hand resting over her growing belly.

Keyla sat beside her, wrapped in a robe, her eyes heavy from exhaustion.

Michaela was on the other side of the bed, sitting quietly with a cup of tea that had already gone cold.

None of them had slept.

They had been waiting.

The door opened.

Caos stepped inside.

The three women looked toward him.

For once, he did not speak immediately.

He stood in the doorway.

His shoulders were still carrying the tension of the night.

The violet light around him flickered once.

Then faded.

Caos lowered his eyes.

His voice was quiet.

Sincere.

Caos:

“I’m sorry.”

The words were simple.

There was no explanation attached to them.

No attempt to defend himself.

He walked toward the bed.

Then lowered himself onto one knee.

His enormous frame looked almost strangely vulnerable in that position.

He looked at each of them.

Caos:

“I scared you.”

He swallowed.

“I know I did.”

Zeraphina's expression softened, but she said nothing yet.

Caos continued.

“I pulled away when I should have come to you.”

He looked down at his hands.

“The power from the Triassic is still settling inside me. I can feel it changing the way my body reacts. The way my instincts react.”

His fingers tightened.

“Sometimes it feels like it wants everything.”

He looked back at them.

“More speed. More strength. More control. More.”

A pause.

“And when I feel that happening, my first instinct is to train until I can force it into submission.”

His voice became quieter.

“I thought I had to handle that alone.”

He shook his head.

“I was wrong.”

Zeraphina reached toward him.

Her fingers touched his cheek.

Her expression carried worry, but there was also relief.

Zeraphina:

“We were scared.”

Her thumb moved slowly across his face, wiping away a small streak of dirt.

“You looked different when you left.”

Caos remained still.

“Not stronger.”

She paused.

“Distant.”

Her hand remained against his cheek.

“Like you were somewhere we couldn't reach.”

Caos lowered his head slightly.

Zeraphina continued.

“We know what you're becoming.”

Her other hand rested over her belly.

“We know the power inside you is changing.”

Then she looked directly into his eyes.

“But don't make the mistake of believing that strength means carrying everything alone.”

Her voice remained gentle.

“We are here.”

She touched his chest.

“We can carry some of it with you.”

Keyla had been quiet.

She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.

Then she looked at Caos.

A small smile appeared through the tears.

Keyla:

“You big idiot.”

Caos actually smiled.

Keyla shook her head.

“We thought you were going to disappear into that garden forever.”

She leaned forward.

“If you need to train, train.”

She pointed at him.

“If you need to fight dinosaurs, apparently that's your thing now.”

Caos gave a quiet laugh.

“But don't disappear without telling us.”

Keyla's voice became more serious.

“You don't have to protect us by keeping us away from everything.”

She reached forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“You can bring us into the storm.”

Her voice became muffled against his shoulder.

“We can handle you.”

A small pause.

“Most days.”

Caos laughed again.

Keyla pulled back.

“Don't get arrogant.”

Michaela had been watching them.

She finally moved closer.

She touched Caos's forehead gently.

Then kissed it.

Her voice was soft.

Michaela:

“You're changing.”

Caos looked at her.

“Physically. Mentally. Everything.”

She smiled faintly.

“And sometimes change makes people forget what stayed the same.”

Her hand moved down to his shoulder.

“You still have a home.”

She looked toward Zeraphina.

Then Keyla.

Then back to him.

“You still have us.”

Her voice lowered.

“You still have Leonor.”

She paused.

“And you have the children.”

Caos's expression changed.

Michaela noticed.

“You don't have to become smaller for us.”

She touched his chest.

“But you don't have to become unreachable either.”

Caos remained on his knees.

For a few seconds, nobody spoke.

Then he looked at all three women.

Caos:

“I don't want to become unreachable.”

His voice was deeper now.

“I don't want the power to decide who I become.”

He looked toward Zeraphina's belly.

“And I don't want my children to remember their father as someone who was always somewhere else.”

Zeraphina's eyes softened.

Caos continued.

“I know what power can take from a person.”

His expression became darker.

“I know what isolation can do.”

He breathed slowly.

“I won't repeat that.”

Zeraphina reached down and took his hand.

Zeraphina:

“Then don't.”

Simple.

Direct.

“Come back.”

Caos looked at her.

“Every time.”

She squeezed his hand.

“Even when you're angry.”

Another squeeze.

“Even when you're afraid.”

She looked directly into his eyes.

“Even when the power becomes difficult.”

Her voice became almost a whisper.

“Come back.”

Caos nodded.

“I will.”

Keyla moved closer and placed her hand over his.

Keyla:

“And if you forget?”

Caos looked at her.

She smiled.

“We'll remind you.”

Michaela placed her hand over theirs.

“And if you try to carry everything yourself?”

She smiled.

“We'll take some of the weight.”

Zeraphina placed her hand over theirs.

“And if the storm becomes too loud?”

She looked at Caos.

“We'll stay.”

Caos looked at the three hands resting over his.

Something inside him loosened.

The violet energy around his body began to change.

It moved slowly across his shoulders.

Then down his arms.

The light touched the bed.

Touched the floor.

Touched the hands resting over his.

But there was no explosion.

No violent pressure.

No uncontrolled surge.

The energy simply remained there.

Warm.

Quiet.

Controlled.

Caos noticed it.

So did Zeraphina.

She smiled.

“You see?”

Caos looked at the violet light.

“What?”

“You don't always have to fight it.”

Caos stared at the energy.

Then nodded.

“Maybe.”

He looked at them.

“Maybe I can teach it something else.”

He stood.

Then carefully pulled all three women into his arms.

Zeraphina rested against his chest.

Keyla wrapped her arms around his side.

Michaela leaned into his shoulder.

Caos held them tightly.

The violet energy surrounded the four of them.

Not as a weapon.

Not as an attack.

As warmth.

As protection.

As something that finally understood where it belonged.

Caos closed his eyes.

His voice was low.

Caos:

“I won't shut you out again.”

He tightened his arms around them.

“You three.”

A pause.

“Leonor.”

His voice softened.

“The children.”

Another breath.

“You are what keeps me connected to myself.”

Zeraphina closed her eyes.

Caos continued.

“I will master this power.”

His hand rested gently against Zeraphina's belly.

“But not because I want to become stronger than everyone else.”

He looked down at her.

“I want to master it so I can choose what I do with it.”

Zeraphina smiled.

“That is different.”

Caos nodded.

“Yes.”

Outside, the sun finally rose above Madrid.

Golden light entered through the windows.

It touched the garden.

The bed.

The four figures standing together.

Caos looked toward the window.

He had trained through the entire night.

His body was exhausted.

His mind was clearer.

The power inside him was still enormous.

Still dangerous.

Still growing.

But now he understood something that no training simulation could teach him.

Mastery was not only the ability to control power.

It was knowing what the power was for.

He looked at the three women.

Then at Zeraphina's belly.

His expression softened.

The storm had returned home.

And this time—

it had brought its heart with it.

COME ON! CAOS. CAOS. YOU ARE THE BEST. Keep going

To be continued…