The deep roar of Fenrir resonated unusually on the silent street of the quiet neighborhood, announcing his arrival.
After stopping the bike in front of the garage, he opened it with a pull and carefully parked the motorcycle, closed the door, and calmly entered the house.
The living room was warmly illuminated, the air charged with familiar comfort.
His father was, as usual, sunken into the largest sofa, drinking a beer while watching an American football game on television.
His mother was sitting next to him, following the game with interest.
Upon hearing the sound of the door opening and closing, both turned their heads at the same time.
"Is the exchange program over already?" John asked with a slight trace of resignation.
"Yes, I finished my business ahead of schedule, so I decided to come back." Lief replied casually as he took off his heavy boots in the entryway and slipped into his slippers.
Sarah scanned him with her gaze, looking for any sign of harm or fatigue. "Are you tired from the trip, honey? Do you want me to warm up some dinner for you?"
"Don't worry, Mom, I already ate something on the way." Lief said with a reassuring smile, and his gaze swept the room toward the other end of the living room.
"Brother!"
Lillith lunged at him with the energy of a missile, hugging his stomach with all her strength.
"Ugh..." Lief staggered slightly under the impact, smiling as he stroked her blonde hair. "I brought you presents."
That magic phrase instantly captured the attention of the three girls, freezing Esther and Emma in their place.
Lief took off the backpack he was carrying and pulled out a box wrapped in shiny blue paper.
He handed it to Lillith, who was still stuck to his hip.
"This one is for you, the Enchanted Forest Princess doll you asked for, limited edition."
"Wow! Thanks, brother!" Lillith shrieked with joy, snatching the box to tear the paper with wild enthusiasm, revealing the doll in a shimmering dress. An angelic smile immediately lit up her face, erasing any trace of mischief.
"..."
John and Sarah observed the scene with smiles.
Next, Lief took out the second gift.
It was a heavy book, bound in dark leather, whose cover design was surprisingly somber, with detailed illustrations in relief.
He handed it to Emma.
"And this is for you. It's a first edition of the 'Atlas of Human Dissection: 360 Comprehensive Views'."
A gleam, something deeper than mere surprise, crossed Emma's eyes. She took the book with the utmost care and caressed the rough texture of the letters engraved on the spine and a subtle curve appeared on her lips.
"Thank you.... It's perfect." She whispered hugging the book against her chest.
Ignoring the dubious subject matter of the book in favor of her daughter's enthusiasm, Sarah smiled from the sofa. "Emma is such a studious girl. It's incredible that she's interested in the structure of the human body being so young; maybe in the future she can become an excellent doctor, just like Maria's dad."
"..."
Without adding comments, Lief just smiled.
Finally he took out an elegant wooden box containing a complete set of premium professional brushes.
He handed them to Esther.
"And these are your new oil painting brushes, the fine-tipped ones you needed."
"Thank you..." She received it with both hands.
With the gift-giving ceremony concluded, Lief allowed himself to relax on the sofa.
However, the peace was ephemeral.
Sarah exchanged a knowing look with John before clearing her throat.
"By the way, Lief, now that you're back healthy and stronger, there's a small matter your father and I need to discuss with you..." she said with an expression of seriousness that made Lief feel that something bad was about to happen.
"It turns out that this Christmas, your father and I have decided to take that second honeymoon we've postponed for years.... We are going to Europe."
"..."
Lief felt a knot in his stomach.
"So..."
"So," continued Sarah with a radiant smile that admitted no arguments, "during these two weeks, you will be in charge of the house and, of course, taking care of your sisters."
!
"Mom, it can't be!" Lief protested immediately, losing his composure.
The idea of having to take care of them and support them was overwhelming and he didn't want to waste his time on stupid things.
John, enjoying his son's panic, laughed and raised his beer bottle in a toast.
"Son, you have to look on the bright side! If you survive this, you'll be prepared for anything life throws at you, even fatherhood."
Having said that, he finished the last sip of his beer, sealing Lief's fate.
…
The next morning, Lief dragged his existence toward high school all depressed.
The sky was clear, but a personal cloud floated over his head.
As soon as he crossed the campus gates, immersing himself in the usual chaos, a familiar force assaulted him from behind.
"Lief, you old bastard!"
An arm circled his neck in a friendly but suffocating wrestling hold.
It was Frank, who shook him with enthusiasm.
"Let me go, animal, I just got back!" protested Lief, breaking free from the grip with a shove and being without strength.
"What's wrong with you, man? You look terrible," observed Frank, looking at him with curiosity while they walked down the hall. "It looks like the life was squeezed out of you. Too much pressure in that exchange program? Or is it that the girls in Washington are too much for you?"
"Let's just say I dealt with some bloodsucking parasites..." Lief murmured listlessly. "But no, what has me like this is the terror of the upcoming holidays. My parents left me in charge of my sisters."
Frank was about to reply when the flow of students in the hallway seemed to part, like the Red Sea.
Jennifer was approaching.
She was wearing her blue cheerleader uniform, which fit her figure with a dangerousness that defied school dress codes, attracting the hungry gazes of every male specimen within a twenty-meter radius.
However, her blue eyes ignored the crowd; they only had one target.
She walked directly toward Lief, invading his space with a predatory confidence, and wrapped him in a possessive hug, not caring about the audience.
She stood on tiptoe and, brushing his ear with her lips, whispered with a voice of dark devotion, "Master~... I've missed you so much it hurts."
Feeling a chill run down his spine, Lief felt the need to vent his frustration on her, but he controlled himself, they were in public.
Patting her on the lower back, he told her to restrain herself.
A few meters away, Maria and Carrie witnessed the scene.
Maria's face lit up with genuine surprise upon seeing Lief and she took an instinctive step toward him, but stopped dead upon noticing Jennifer's aggressive intimacy.
Doubt clouded her expression for a second.
Carrie supported her by elbowing her gently, encouraging her in a low voice.
With so much interaction with people, Maria's confidence had grown exponentially in the last weeks.
"Hello, Maria. Hello, Carrie," Taking the initiative and raising his hand to invite them closer, Lief breaks their indecision.
Maria took a deep breath, walked toward him with a shy smile.
"Lief... we didn't know when you would return."
"Yes, the bad weather brought me back early. How have you guys been doing lately?" asked Lief, directing his smile toward Carrie.
Carrie blushed slightly at the attention, nodding with enthusiasm.
"Mmm, yes, everything has been great. In fact... your little sister has been coming over to play and helps me often."
!
Lief arched an eyebrow, feeling an internal alarm.
Carrie still believed that Lillith was just an adorable girl.
He was about to inquire about what kind of help Lillith was giving her when the first class bell rang, saving him from the explanation but leaving him with a new worry.
…
The rest of the school day passed in a haze of boredom. The classes were a succession of monotonous voices and blackboards full of data that Lief didn't care about.
He spent most of the time spinning his pen on the desk, drawing up strategic plans to survive the impending "Doomsday Christmas" with his sisters.
When the dismissal bell finally rang, he rejected Frank's invitations to go play video games and Jennifer's insinuations to "study" in private. He just wanted to get home and lock himself in.
He walked alone toward the parking lot and went straight with his head down toward his motorcycle.
However, just when he was a few steps away from Fenrir, his path was blocked.
It wasn't a physical obstacle, but a presence that involuntarily attracted his gaze.
A woman was leaning against the car next to him, a figure of a beauty so aggressive that she looked like a sharp weapon.
Her hair was a cascade of curls white as snow, falling over a black Gothic-style dress, intricate and full of dark lace that contrasted violently with her skin, pale like paper or death itself.
Her lips were painted a deep scarlet, looking extraordinarily bewitching under the sunlight.
It was Dorothy.
She didn't move when he approached; she simply stayed there, emanating a mysterious and absolutely lethal allure.
Her totally dark eyes with scarlet pupils locked onto Lief with an intense scrutiny that she didn't bother to hide.
"Lief Connor."
"You have been very busy, little traveler," she continued, taking a slow step toward him, clicking her heels. "Why haven't you looked for me in so long? I was starting to think you had forgotten about the woman who kissed you best~."
________
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