Kafka then glanced at Vanitas, brow raised. "When are we going, then?"
"Right now, my dear." Vanitas's smile widened. "The festival's about to begin."
"Now? As in this very minute?" He blinked.
"Of course."
Kafka sighed, not expecting it to be so soon, before asking, "Alright, but...what am I supposed to wear?"
"Shouldn't I have something formal? A suit, maybe? A tuxedo? I can't just show up in shorts and a t-shirt in front of a bunch of gods, can I?"
"No, you can't." Vanitas chuckled softly, amused by his practicality. "You do need to wear something that reflects our status and pride."
Then, with a mysterious gleam in her eyes, she added,
"But don't worry about that, my love. I already have something prepared for you in my temple. A divine attire, made only for you. You'll change once we arrive."
Kafka frowned, tilting his head. "You already have something set up? You planned that far ahead?"
"Naturally." She smiled innocently.
He sighed again, knowing there was no point in arguing. "Alright then. Let's go."
Vanitas rose gracefully from the couch, but just as Kafka started to stand—she suddenly paused mid-step and turned back toward him, her expression softening into something oddly shy.
"Kafka." She murmured. "Before we leave...do you not want me to help you with something else first?"
"What do you mean?" He looked at her, puzzled.
"Well..." She fiddled with a lock of her hair. "You seemed to be...dealing with a certain, um, problem earlier. I thought perhaps you might want your mother's—"
He froze mid-step, eyes widening. "Wait—what exactly are you talking about?"
She looked down bashfully, not finishing the sentence.
Kafka followed her gaze, realization dawning on him, and his face instantly drained of all color.
"Oh, for the love of—No, Mom. Absolutely not! I don't want your 'help.' That problem is gone. Completely gone."
Vanitas blinked in surprise. "Gone? That quickly?"
"Yes." Kafka said flatly. "The moment you sat on my lap, it vanished in record time."
Her expression turned wounded. "S-So my presence is that revolting to you?"
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before quickly saying so that she didn't start crying,
"No, Mom, not revolting. It's...soothing. Comforting. You have this...peaceful aura, like a lullaby that kills any inappropriate thought before it can even form. You sitting on me is like instant enlightenment."
Vanitas blinked, unsure if she should feel proud or offended. Then, as Kafka stood, he frowned again.
"Actually—wait, how did you even know I had that problem in the first place?"
Hearing this, she quickly turned away, pretending to adjust her sleeve. "I didn't know, I just—"
"Mom." He said warningly, crossing his arms.
Vanitas froze.
He stared at her, unblinking. She tried to resist, but under his gaze, and his unnervingly sharp instincts, she deflated.
"Fine, fine!" She confessed, throwing her hands up. "I was watching you, alright? From another dimension! Just making sure you were safe!"
"So, stalking me again, huh?" Kafka groaned.
"It's not stalking!" She protested, flustered. "It's a mother's duty to keep an eye on her child! Don't look at me like that!"
A golden shimmer suddenly filled the air behind her as she summoned a radiant, swirling portal.
"Anyway..." She said quickly, trying to change the subject. "The portal to heaven is ready."
Kafka gave her a deadpan look. "Sure, sure—stalker."
Before she could respond—he darted past her and into the portal.
"Kafka! Don't call your mother that!" Vanitas yelped, chasing after him in a fluster. "That's such a weird thing to say!"
And just like that, both of them disappeared into the golden light as the portal sealed shut behind them.
The living room fell silent for several moments.
But then—
The door creaked open.
One by one, every single member of the family and even the usually stoic Seraphina, quietly tiptoed into the room, moving like conspirators who'd just pulled off the greatest heist in history.
Their eyes darted toward the fading shimmer where the golden portal had been moments ago, as though making sure Vanitas and Kafka were truly gone.
Abigaille broke the silence first, whispering. "Are they gone?" Her voice trembled with nervous excitement.
Evangeline closed her eyes for a brief moment, sensing the lingering energy, then nodded serenely.
"Yes. They've entered the heavens."
Everyone let out a collective breath of relief, shoulders relaxing.
"Oh, thank god!" Nina slumped dramatically against the nearest couch. "I thought they'd never leave. My heart's been pounding for ten straight minutes."
"That's it?" Lyra chuckled under her breath, crossing her arms. "Well, I almost sneezed halfway through and ruined the whole thing."
"Yeah, and then we'd all be kneeling on the ground from Daddy's punishment after he finds everything out." Bella elbowed her playfully.
"You two always treat this like a game." Camila smirked, brushing her hair back. "Do you even realize what's at stake here?"
Olivia, who had been pacing nervously, spoke up next, her brow furrowed.
"Camila's right. If this goes wrong, if Kafi figures out what's happening, we're doomed."
"And not in a dramatic, cute way...In a universal-collapse way." June added.
Abigaille fiddled with her fingers, anxiety creeping back in before asking Evangeline,
"Do you think everything will go according to plan, though? Will Vanitas's dream finally...come true?"
All eyes turned to Evangeline, who remained calm and thoughtful as ever. Folding her arms, she replied.
"That depends entirely on Kafka's heart, and how he perceives what's about to happen. If he keeps thinking logically, analyzing everything like he always does, there's a very high chance the plan will fail. He's too sharp, too cautious. You can't trick someone like that with surface-level emotion."
She paused, looking around at each of them.
"But if something manages to reach him on an emotional level, bypassing all his logic and restraint, then maybe...just maybe, it'll work."
Camila let out a soft scoff, smirking. "That's not exactly the confident answer we were hoping for."
Seraphina, standing silently in the back, finally spoke, her voice cool as ever, "Confidence doesn't win wars, Lady Camila. Strategy does. And so far, the plan is proceeding as expected."
"Still..." Lyra tilted her head, half-grinning. "Hearing 'maybe' from Big Sis Evangeline of all people doesn't exactly fill me with cosmic confidence."
"Still, it's better than before, right?" Nina laughed lightly, though it was more out of nerves than amusement. "A chance is still a chance."
"Exactly!" Bella nodded quickly, her eyes bright with hope. "I mean, we've already come this far. Auntie Vanitas actually got him to go to heaven with her, alone! That's progress."
"Or it's the calm before the storm." Olivia crossed her arms, frowning slightly.
"You really think it could go that wrong?" Abigaille gave her a worried look.
"We're dealing with Kafi." Olivia have a wry smile. "When does anything involving him ever go smoothly? He's a little too smart for good. And even though I would prefer he be that way, for this one instant alone I want him to be a little...dumb."
"She's got a point." Camila chuckled lowly.
And just like that, the group fell quiet for a moment, the air heavy with a strange blend of anticipation and unease.
Every sound in the room, the ticking of the clock, the faint creak of the floorboards, seemed amplified in that stillness.
No one dared to speak for a long while.
Then, unexpectedly, Evangeline broke the silence with a small, knowing smile. Her eyes glimmered with the faintest trace of mischief, something rare for her calm, divine demeanor.
"Not to mention..." She said softly. "..if Kafka were to accept everything—if instead of rejecting what's been set up, he simply went along with it, it could lead to a rather...devastating outcome."
Everyone looked at her in confusion, while Evangeline's smile widened slightly as she added, almost too casually.
"The mental turmoil that Lady Vanitas alone could cause enough imbalance in her emotions to potentially end the world."
"WHAT?!" Bella yelped, eyes wide. "W-Why are you joking about that?! That's not funny! That's literally the end of the world!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Lyra threw her hands up, her face pale. "Seriously, Big Sis, you can't just say that kind of thing so calmly! I don't want to lose my life so easily!"
But Evangeline simply raised a delicate hand, her voice as calm as ever as she added,
"It's alright. Even if the world were to collapse entirely, Lady Vanitas would likely retain enough rationale to preserve Kafka and his family. So, we'd still be safe. Probably."
"Probably?!" Abigaille cried, her voice pitching an octave higher.
"You're not helping, Evangeline." Camila groaned, pressing a hand to her temple.
"Yeah, no thanks." June let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "I don't want to live in some broken, empty world. Even if it's just us left...that's no world worth existing in. It'd be quiet, sure, but eventually, it would get lonely. Bleak. Miserable."
"Exactly." Nina nodded firmly, her expression uncharacteristically serious. "I mean, we'd all be together, sure, but...living in a single house surrounded by nothing but abyss?"
"That sounds like the worst horror story ever. Definitely not the ideal ending."
Seraphina, who was trying not to say much, also gave a small, hesitant nod.
"I agree." She said softly. "I've only just started experiencing this new world of light...I don't want it to end so soon."
At that, Evangeline blinked—then suddenly laughed, a quiet, elegant chuckle that caught everyone off guard.
They all turned toward her in disbelief.
"Relax." She said, smiling faintly. "I was only joking. Something like that happening is very unlikely."
"I've been monitoring Kafka for months now, and judging by his behavior, he won't do anything that extreme. You have nothing to fear."
Camila exhaled deeply, placing a hand on her chest.
"Good heavens, Evangeline..." She said, laughing weakly. "Most of the time, you're so cold-faced and composed, I forget you even can make jokes. But when you do..." She shook her head. "...you make ones that make my knees go weak. Maybe...try not to, next time?"
"Agreed." Olivia gave a faint, tired smile. "I nearly felt dizzy for a second there."
"She really has a terrifying sense of humor..." Lyra crossed her arms, still grumbling under her breath.
Abigaille, however, straightened up and smiled faintly, trying to lift the mood again.
"Let's just hope for the best." She said gently. "Whatever happens, we've done all we can. The rest is up to fate, and Kafka."
She paused, glancing at the group, then added decisively,
"Now come on. We should head to the heavens as well, to observe, and to support our Vanitas in her venture."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
At her words, the air shimmered.
A golden portal bloomed before them, humming with celestial energy.
One by one, the family stepped forward, Abigaille first, followed by Camila and Lyra, then the others, until only Seraphina remained.
Evangeline looked back once, her calm smile returning.
"Let's see where destiny leads us."
With that, she stepped through the portal, and it closed behind her in a radiant burst of gold, leaving the room silent once more—the fate of everything now resting entirely on what would unfold in the heavens above.