"D—Dress me up?" Ava muttered in disbelief. Considering how long she had spent with Michael, a part of her expected his sister to be similar to him. Mostly detached from emotions and desires, always secretly scheming something, seemingly unwilling to let anybody peek into the inner workings of his mind.

Yet as it turned out, Scarlett didn't seem to be as strict as him. While it might have seemed like the siblings acted impulsively, Michael was always focusing on his own plans, while his sister took a more laid-back approach.

'Of course, his sister is just 16. There is no way that she can be some mastermind like her brother… Now that I think about it, I can't remember when the last time Michael acted his age was.' Ava thought, a smile forming on her lips.

"Sure, lead the way!" She agreed.

Taking hold of Ava's hand, Scarlett led the way. "Just you watch! I have the cutest outfit in mind!"

After the two girls climbed the stairs heading towards the second floor, Ava whispered.

"Cute, huh? Do you think that perhaps… Michael will like it?"

"..."

Stopping dead in her tracks, Scarlett stared at Ava in awe.

'No way! She likes my brother!' Scarlett realized a second later.

"In that case we might go for something more bold while still keeping your charm!"

While the two girls began to play their dress-up game, Michael gazed at his mother.

"Would it be possible… to see dad?" He asked.

Isabella nodded. "Yes, since he's no longer in critical condition, the doctors decided it's best for him to rest with us. His personal doctor comes by every day to check on him and make sure everything's on track."

Wordlessly the two closed the coffee shop, going towards his father's quarters.

'Here goes nothing.' Michael thought, opening the door.

The interior resembled that of a hospital. A machine was helping Gabriel breathe, pumping oxygen into his lungs since he was too weak to do it on his own. An IV drip was connected to his right arm, supplying him with the nutrients he needed.

Ironically, someone who wasn't familiar with Michael's father's condition might assume he was on the brink of death. In reality, Michael couldn't remember seeing his father in better health.

Though his face was pale, it wasn't at a worrying level. The bones in his arms were less pronounced than before, now covered by a thin layer of muscle and fat.

"He looks much better, doesn't he?" Isabella said gently, glancing at her son.

"Honestly, I have never been on the front line, so I can't know what you have gone through." She whispered, placing a hand over Michael's shoulder.

"That is why the only thing I can do is thank you. Even though you went against my word and joined the military, your father might live because of it."

Nodding slowly, Michael spoke.

"What is the current situation with Samuel?"

Isabella tensed for a second before answering. "He is still harassing us, demanding that we give him Scarlett… Though for now I have managed to keep him at bay."

Michael heaved a sigh. "That's good then. Can you leave me alone with father? I will deal with Samuel and his family later."

Instantly, Isabella's eyes narrowed. "N—No! What do you mean, 'deal with him'?! Don't you know the influence his family has—"

"Mom." Michael interrupted her.

"I am not the same as before. Place your faith in me."

"..."

For a moment, Isabella's heart ached, knowing that Michael was right. There was no way to fully grasp how much her child had changed due to the war.

"I understand." She muttered, leaving Michael alone with his father.

Silently taking a chair, Michael sat next to him.

'Originally he died long before I managed to become a Master… Now let's see if I can take a peek at his inner soul.' Michael thought, placing a hand over Gabriel's heart.

Instantly, Michael frowned. The spiritual energy within his father was a chaotic mess… Wild and unstable, slowly draining his life force.

'I doubt that there is a doctor alive that will be able to treat his condition.' Michael sighed in dejection. 'The procedure has yet to be created after all. Not to mention that my father appears to be a severely rough case…'

It was clear that the most effective thing Michael could do was let the doctors keep his father stable while he himself attained the cure for the illness.

'The spiritual energy of a Titan should be enough.' Michael calculated. 'By forcefully shoving so much power into my father's soul, it will enable me to get rid of the wild spiritual energy as long as I stay near and guide the power carefully.'

Quite a bizarre quest in reality. After all, currently there was only a single human capable of eliminating a Titan… The Emperor himself.

Unexpectedly, a notification appeared before Michael's eyes a moment later.

[Quest: Curing a Paragon's father]

[Difficulty: Impossible]

[Task: Cursed with an untreatable disease, your father is destined to die, regardless of how much medical help he receives. Achieve the impossible and become the first person in history to defeat the illness!]

[Reward: Mythic cybernetic, 5,000 Skill Points]

Since Michael was far from completing the quest, he shifted his focus back to his father.

"Dad, can you hear me?"

Although the man showed no signs of recovering from his coma, the heart monitor flickered slightly, as if his pulse had quickened in response to his son's words.

"I'm going to take advantage of the fact that you can't talk back, to be honest with you... Even though I don't want to admit it, I've done things I'm not proud of." Michael confessed somberly.

"Regrets of all kinds plague me every day. But I don't plan to whine about my misfortune. I promise you, I will never fail you all again. Until I see you smile on your own, until I've exterminated humanity's enemies, I vow to never stop moving forward."

Not wanting to be a bother, Michael left soon after.

"If memory serves me correctly, this is my room… Though I can't seem to remember what I kept there." He chuckled, getting ready to enter.

Just as he put his hand on the doorknob, his sister's shout caught him off guard.

"Brother! Look here, I want to show you something!"

"Hm?" Intrigued, Michael glanced her way, only to be smitten by the way Ava had been dressed up by his sister.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Scarlett teased, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

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