After cleaning up, Ethan emerged from his room, now freshly showered and dressed in a plain shirt and sweatpants. The tension from earlier had melted from his shoulders, replaced by a rare calm as he joined Lisa at the dinner table.
The aroma of home-cooked food filled the air—roasted meat, seasoned vegetables, and warm bread. Simple, hearty. The kind of meal that anchored Ethan in reality.
"Smells amazing," Ethan said, sitting down.
"Of course it does," Lisa replied with a smirk. "I made it."
They ate together in comfortable silence at first, the kind only shared by people who didn't need to fill every second with words. Afterward, Ethan got up to help wash the dishes, sleeves rolled up as he worked beside his sister, their movements falling into an easy rhythm while discussing talking about how they spent their days. With Ethan telling Lisa about the Crownspire Ascension but not in full details to prevent her from getting a panic attack.
