Silence reigned inside the living room.

A quiet stillness that spoke for itself, even though not a single sound was made. That, and the pure look — as if she were staring at someone mentally ill — from Marianne, as she stared at Jonathan.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the girl asked, as if she'd just heard something completely ridiculous. And she wasn't the only one — her expression said plenty without saying a word.

Beside her, Elizabeth gave him a blank look, as if reacting to a bad joke. And next to her, Rachel merely raised an eyebrow silently, apparently treating it more like one of Jonathan's weird jokes.

Feeling the urge to slap himself, Jonathan rubbed his face. "Right... never mind. I should've said that in a better way. Just a second."

Crouching in front of the bag he'd dropped nearby, he opened it and took out the only thing he could use as an immediate and practical example.

Standing up, there was now a bracelet on his left wrist that looked like some sort of mechanical watch — only without hands or numbers.

"What's that?" Marianne asked, pointing with a curious look.

Without saying anything, Jonathan lifted his arm in front of him and, pressing a button on the side, the display briefly lit up with a pale blue glow — and then a shield made of light instantly projected outward.

Letting out a startled exclamation, Marianne leaned back, with Elizabeth sharing her reaction.

"...what is that?" Elizabeth asked, casting a curious look at the light shield before turning back to him.

"This is a holographic shield. Made of hard light."

Saying that, Jonathan grabbed the shield with his other hand and threw it hard over their heads.

The shield flew for a few moments, but right before hitting the wall, it stopped midair — then quickly returned to Jonathan's raised forearm, reconnecting itself to the bracelet. All of this was witnessed by the three girls on the couch in stunned silence.

"What the fuck was that?" Marianne said, being the first to break the silence. Elizabeth, sharing a similar expression, looked back — toward where the shield had flown — before turning her gaze back to Jonathan's arm, still processing what she'd just seen.

On the other hand, to Jonathan's curiosity and interest, Rachel didn't seem particularly surprised. But with her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed, she didn't look like she was questioning whether what she saw was real — she looked more worried than anything else.

"What the hell was that? Where did you get that thing?" Marianne exclaimed loudly, practically jumping off the couch. "Also, more importantly... can I have one too?" she asked excitedly at the end, pointing at herself with a wide, almost childlike grin.

While Elizabeth rolled her eyes on the couch, Jonathan chuckled softly. "Well, this is exactly what it looks like — futuristic technology. As for where I got it, I'm about to explain. And no, you can't have one of these. But I'll see what I can do for you."

Marianne sighed, disappointed. "Too bad... but you better promise me, got it?" She pointed at him, almost pouting before stepping closer and eagerly fiddling with the bracelet, looking at it from every possible angle, her eyes practically sparkling. "Wow, this is so cool!"

Letting out a tired sigh as she leaned back on the couch, Elizabeth rubbed her forehead. "Marianne, focus. That's not the important point here." Then, crossing her arms and frowning slightly, she looked at Jonathan. "Alright, so apparently you have this thing that looks like it came out of a sci-fi movie, I get it. But what does that have to do with you being from another world? Are you an alien or what? From an alternate reality? That doesn't make any sense."

Blinking a few times after hearing Elizabeth, Marianne seemed to recall what he'd said, stepping back and furrowing her brow. Crossing her arms, she looked at him again. "Yeah, she's right. What kind of crazy talk is that? You're not an alien, are you?" she asked, doubtful.

Lowering his arm and deactivating the shield, Jonathan looked between the two of them. Though they seemed to have accepted the revelation he'd just made, he knew very well that it was only an illusion.

Inside, both were racking their brains trying to make sense of what he'd said — but mostly, they were worried about him, completely convinced he was caught up in something dangerous.

And that was clear from the way they tapped their feet softly and repeatedly against the floor.

A shared tic between the two that often showed anxiety. Luckily, he knew they weren't that anxious — if they were, they'd have started biting their nails too.

But aside from the two, what worried Jonathan most was Rachel.

She stayed silent, arms crossed and brow slightly furrowed, doing nothing but staring at him. And from that reaction, Jonathan was sure — she definitely had an idea of what was going on.

Meeting the older woman's gaze for a moment — his brown eyes locking with hers — Jonathan then looked back at the other two, exhaling once more.

"You'd better sit down. The explanation's going to be a bit complicated," he gestured to Marianne, signaling her to sit.

Doing as he said, the girl sat down — though she kept staring at him with crossed arms. And, almost mirroring her older sister, she kept watching him with a half-frowned look.

Casting one last glance at Rachel, Jonathan then began his explanation.

"Well, it all started eighteen years ago..."

...

Hands in his pockets, Jonathan silently watched the three of them after finishing the whole explanation. He had told them everything — about Eva, Adam, Project Restoration, about Maya, the Organization. He'd told them everything.

And now, he was watching their reactions.

Marianne was leaning forward on her knees, elbows propped, her face blank, staring into nothing.

The girl seemed completely lost in her own thoughts.

Beside her, Elizabeth had a similar demeanor.

The difference was, she was leaning back on the couch, her gaze unfocused and fixed on the floor, silently biting her nail.

And finally, there was Rachel. She kept a calm face and crossed arms, but her eyes were closed as she leaned back.

Of the three, she was the only one whose thoughts he couldn't quite read.

Though she looked composed on the outside, Jonathan was actually nervous. And not just a little. The longer the silence stretched, the more nervous he got.

Holy shit, this silence is killing me...

Internally growing more frustrated by the second, Jonathan couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence.

"So? Say something," he said, frowning, already mentally preparing himself for the worst possible response.

Catching the attention of all three — and this time, their gazes felt heavier somehow — Jonathan didn't let a hint of his nervousness show as he met their eyes with an expressionless face.

Then it was Marianne, once again, who spoke first. "So you mean you're... like..." she said slowly, rubbing her neck awkwardly. "...an uncle?"

She ended the question with a doubtful look.

Jonathan's inner nervousness died instantly, and he gave her a blank stare. "...What?" he muttered weakly.

"It's like..." — the girl continued, still rubbing her neck awkwardly — "you said you died when you were already an adult, right? And then you've been living here for the last eighteen years... that means you're at least thirty, right? Actually, how old were you when you died?"

Still half in disbelief at Marianne's complete lack of seriousness, Jonathan answered slowly, "Twenty-five. I was twenty-five when I died."

Marianne nodded, resting a hand under her chin and making a thoughtful face. "Alright... so you were twenty-five, and you've lived here for eighteen years. That means you're now... forty-three?..."

Reaching the answer, she fell silent, turning her eyes toward him and staring without saying a word.

And just as Jonathan started to feel nervous again from being stared at like that, Marianne burst out laughing.

"Holy crap, you are an uncle! So, uncle, how's it going? Hope your back doesn't hurt from bending down earlier! Want some tea?"

The girl bent over laughing, holding her stomach, eyes tearing up.

Her reaction immediately broke the tense atmosphere that had been forming, with Elizabeth shaking her head as she laughed along, and Rachel wearing a faint amused smile.

Jonathan just looked at her, half in disbelief for a moment — before his posture visibly relaxed.

Muscles he hadn't even realized were tense loosened, and all his apprehension vanished at once.

"Wow..." he let out a half-relieved chuckle as he covered his face with one hand. "Looks like I worried for nothing."

"Worried? What were you worried about?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Jonathan peered at her through his fingers, meeting her gaze and that genuine expression.

And with that, he understood she was being sincere.

Lowering his hand, he replied, gesturing with the other as if accusing, "What do you mean, what was I worried about? Obviously I'd be worried! I practically revealed I'm not really a teenager — never was — and that I've always been an adult trapped in a kid's body. How could I not be worried about telling you that? What if you all started seeing me as some creep because of it? That'd be the most normal reaction, if you ask me."

"So that's it? You don't have to worry about that." Marianne waved her hand dismissively, brushing off his concern entirely.

Jonathan stared at her blankly. "What do you mean I don't have to worry about it? It's not that simple."

"Actually, it's pretty simple."

Marianne replied, once again downplaying his concern, shaking her head. "You really don't have to worry about that. Look — you're not a creep. I don't see you that way. I mean, you've always been kinda weird, but not in the gross way, you know?" she said with a smile, pointing at him.

"Yeah, I got it," Jonathan said dryly, expression flat.

Marianne went on, shrugging lightly. "Anyway, I know you, Jonathan. We've lived under the same roof for the last five years, and I know you're not gonna hurt me. I also know how much you care about me..."

Pausing for a moment, Marianne averted her gaze, looking a little embarrassed. "...I care about you too. So don't have those stupid thoughts. You being an uncle in a younger body doesn't matter to me. Relax."

She finished by meeting his eyes and smiling softly.

Hearing those words and seeing that expression, Jonathan had to admit his heart skipped a beat. If he wasn't already in love with the girl, that would've sealed the deal.

"That was cute," he said with a smile. "And also pretty mature of you, which is honestly impressive. What, did you read that on the back of a truck? And just to make it clear, I'm not an uncle. Like I said, I was twenty-five when I died."

Huffing at the second half of his sentence, Marianne leaned back on the couch with a teasing smile. "Sure, whatever makes you feel better, uncle." She emphasized the last word, crossing her arms.

Amused by her reaction, Jonathan stepped closer, raising his arms. "Come on, brat, no need to be like that. Come here, give your uncle a hug."

"What?! No, get away from me!" — suddenly flustered, Marianne tried to push him back, keeping him away. But it was a hopeless attempt, given the difference in strength.

Soon enough, she found herself in a tight embrace, her face pressed against Jonathan's chest.

"Now I get why you're so ridiculously strong... this is so unfair..." she muttered, her cheek squished against his chest.

Jonathan gently rubbed her head. "Alright, alright... keep being a good girl and your uncle will buy you lots of candy, okay?"

"Oh, for God's sake, Jonathan, don't make it weirder!" she said almost desperately, trying to pull away.

Finally letting her go, Jonathan looked at her with a grin and, in a quick motion, messed up her hair. She responded by grumbling and pushing his hand away.

Without stepping back from the couch, he shifted his gaze to the side, focusing on Elizabeth. "And you? What do you have to say?"

The girl met his eyes and opened her mouth as if to say something — but for a moment, she just looked at him. Her expression changed almost imperceptibly to... embarrassed?

He didn't have time to think about it, because Elizabeth quickly turned her face away, coughing into her fist before looking back at him with a calm smile. "You don't have to worry about that. My opinion of you hasn't changed."

She said it while meeting his eyes.

But Jonathan could still notice a certain emotion in her gaze... it seemed like uncertainty. He couldn't quite define it, but judging from the rest of her expression, voice, and body language, she didn't seem to be lying.

So he took her answer at face value — at least for now. He'd talk to her alone later, just to make sure everything was really fine.

"I'm glad to hear that, then. So? Want a hug too?" — he asked, opening his arms. Jonathan obviously wouldn't waste the chance for a bit of closeness with her either.

Maybe this could work as a way to get them used to me being physically affectionate, one in front of the other... could be useful for harem management, he thought vaguely. A dumb thought, sure, but logical, considering his goal.

"Alright," she said, laughing softly and shaking her head before opening her arms toward him. Without hesitation, Jonathan pulled her into a firm, tight hug.

After a quiet moment, he pulled back, quickly ruffling her hair.

Elizabeth gave him a blank look in response, which made Marianne burst out laughing beside her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and shoved her. Soon, the two were bickering like any typical pair of sisters.

Jonathan turned his gaze away from them and onto the last of the three women — the only one who had remained silent, not saying a word yet.

When their eyes met, Rachel already knew what he wanted to ask. She smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, my opinion of you hasn't changed. In fact, since the first time I saw you, I knew you were extraordinary... just not this much."

Finishing the sentence, the woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Her confession caught the attention of the other two girls — and Jonathan himself frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath and lowering her hand, Rachel looked at the girls before focusing on him again. "Well, I think you've already figured it out, but I kind of had an idea about all this... or rather, I already knew about this organization — superficially, at least."

"Seriously?" — Marianne asked, surprised. Elizabeth mirrored her reaction, the same silent question written across her face.

Nodding, Rachel kept her eyes on Jonathan.

"As you already know, I was friends with your mother — well, your mother from this world — and we were close enough for her to talk to me about her work. Though she never went into detail, she made it clear it was highly classified. She even gave me a few personal examples."

"So she..." — raising an eyebrow, Jonathan pointed at the bracelet on his wrist.

"Yes. She showed me some of those futuristic technologies. She always told me to keep it a secret, but then one day, she called me sounding urgent. Didn't give me time to ask anything and just said she'd have to disappear for a while. And that if she never contacted me again, I should understand that she was dead."

Rachel explained, her gaze growing distant as she recalled. "You can imagine how I felt when she said that. But that idiot didn't give me time to question her. Before hanging up, she said she'd leave me an email, asking for a favor. In the end, she said goodbye, thanking me for being her friend all those years and saying, 'I love you, my sister.'"

As she finished speaking, a single tear slid from the corner of her right eye, while her face remained still.

Seeing that, Marianne, Elizabeth, and Jonathan all tried to step closer to comfort her, but she waved them off with an indifferent huff.

Wiping the tear away as if it were nothing, she continued, meeting Jonathan's eyes.

"As you've probably figured out, the email contained the favor she wanted — you. Imagine my surprise, years after my friend disappeared — and I already knew she was probably dead — getting an email asking me to take care of her son. A son I'd never even heard existed. I think you remember the look on my face when I first saw you, right?"

Hearing the question, Jonathan smiled. "I remember. You looked genuinely shocked."

Rachel smiled, looking nostalgic. "Yeah. The last thing I expected was for you to already be a grown brat." She gave him a teasing grin.

Scoffing at the childish jab, Jonathan crossed his arms. "Alright then, we're all good. Nothing's changed between us, right?"

Before the other two could respond, Rachel shook her head. "Nothing's changed, but this conversation isn't over. I want to talk to this 'Maya.' Can you contact her?"

"Sure thing."

After answering, Jonathan quickly went upstairs and grabbed what looked like a small black smartphone — no logo, no camera, nothing. He brought the device back down with him.

Placing it on the coffee table after pulling it closer to them, he turned it on. A hologram of a pale blue screen appeared above it, glowing softly.

The screen changed the next instant, showing Maya's face and part of her shoulders, turned toward him.

"Hey. I did what you asked, and now Rachel wants to talk to you," he said quickly, explaining the situation.

Maya looked mildly surprised for a moment before regaining her composure. "Alright. Turn me toward her."

Doing as she asked, Jonathan rotated the phone so it faced Rachel.

Maya smiled politely as she greeted her. "Hello, Rachel. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

In response, Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. "So it really is you."

As the two women stared at each other in a silent standoff, Jonathan just stood there watching, not sure what to expect.

'I smell old drama brewing here...' he thought quietly, observing the interaction between them — alongside the equally silent company of Elizabeth and Marianne.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.