The call connected.
"Hey, dad," Emma said quietly.
Ethan's voice came through calm, steady. "What's wrong?"
Emma didn't waste time. "I saw something on the way to Diana's house. A robot. Not civilian tech."
There was a short pause.
"…I see," Ethan replied.
Not surprise.
Understanding.
Emma's fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
"It moved with artificial precision," she added. "No disguise error. No hesitation."
Another pause. Longer this time.
Then Ethan spoke again, his tone lower.
"Well," he said, "you're grown up now, Emma."
Diana, sitting on the floor nearby, looked up.
"You have to act," Ethan continued. "Not panic. Not run to me immediately."
Emma listened closely.
"You and Diana," he said, "you're not children anymore."
Emma frowned. "Dad—"
"I know Diana is strong," Ethan interrupted calmly. "For some reason."
Diana stiffened.
Ethan went on. "I know about the Demars."
Silence filled the room.
Emma's eyes widened slightly. "…You do?"
"Yes," Ethan said. "That family has always been… different."
Diana slowly stood up.
Emma spoke carefully. "So what do we do?"
Ethan exhaled softly on the other end. "For now? Observe. Stay together. Don't provoke anything."
Diana whispered, "That's boring."
Emma shot her a look.
"If it shows itself again," Ethan added, "remember this—"
His voice sharpened, just a little.
"Not everything that looks mechanical is mindless."
Emma nodded. "Understood."
"And Emma," Ethan said gently now, "trust your instincts. They've never failed you."
The call ended.
The room was silent again.
Diana broke it first.
"…Your dad knows scary stuff."
Emma lowered the phone.
"Yes," she said quietly. "And that means the robot is real."
Diana cracked a grin, red eyes glinting.
"…Good."
Emma looked at her.
"This might not stay normal," Emma said.
Diana shrugged. "Normal's overrated."
The night air was quiet.
Streetlights hummed softly.
-----
Emma walked up to her house and saw Ethan outside, leaning against the fence, a cigarette between his fingers. He wasn't watching his phone.
He was watching the sky.
Silent.
Emma stopped beside him.
"…Dad."
Ethan glanced at her and gave a small smile. A tired one.
"I already need to travel to France," he said calmly, like it was just another errand.
Emma's eyes widened slightly. "France?"
"Yes," Ethan replied. "Something came up."
He took a slow drag, then exhaled.
"Take care of your mom, Emma," he said. "I'm counting on you."
Emma straightened instinctively. "I will."
Ethan turned to face her fully now.
"You're not weak," he said firmly. "Don't ever think that."
Emma held his gaze.
"I know," she answered.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The wind passed between them.
Ethan stubbed out the cigarette.
"I'll be gone for a while," he said. "If anything strange happens… think first. Act second."
Emma nodded. "Like you taught me."
He smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Then he placed a hand on her head, just for a second.
A rare gesture.
"…You've grown," he said.
Emma didn't respond—but she didn't pull away either.
She watched as he picked up his bag and headed inside.
The door closed.
Emma remained outside a little longer, looking up at the same sky he had been watching.
---
The morning came quietly.
No rain.
No chaos.
Just the soft light of early day.
Ethan and Emma stood near the door, bags ready.
Ethan adjusted the strap of his travel bag. "I'll be gone for a bit."
Emma nodded. "I know."
Asuka's voice came from the hallway. "Don't forget to eat properly," she said sleepily. "Both of you."
Ethan smiled. "I won't."
He looked at Emma one last time.
"Stay sharp," he said. "And stay normal."
Emma answered simply. "I'll try."
They stepped outside together.
At the corner, their paths split.
Ethan headed toward the waiting car that would take him to the airport.
Emma headed the other way, school bag on her shoulder.
He stopped once and looked back.
Emma did the same.
No waving.
No dramatic goodbyes.
Just understanding.
Then Ethan turned and walked away.
Emma watched until he disappeared from sight.
Only then did she continue toward school.
The streets were busy again.
Students laughing.
Cars passing.
Everything looked ordinary.
But Emma felt it.
A shift.
She adjusted her grip on her bag and walked on—
toward another "normal" school day.
Unaware that this would be the last truly quiet one.
Diana was waiting near the classroom door when Emma arrived.
"You hear that?" Diana whispered.
"Hear what?" Emma asked.
"Something… behind the building. Metal-ish."
Emma glanced once, then forward again.
"Let's ignore it."
They went in.
---
Class was normal.
Too normal.
The teacher was mid-sentence, chalk tapping the board.
"…as you can see, this formula—"
THUD.
The classroom door buckled inward.
Metal screeched.
Students screamed.
The door tore open and it stepped in.
Humanoid.
Mechanical.
Eyes glowing faintly.
No hesitation.
It lunged.
Before the teacher could even react—
Emma moved.
She vaulted over a desk, foot snapping upward—
KICK.
The robot's head jerked sideways.
Another kick.
And another.
Clean. Precise. Ruthless.
The machine staggered back.
Then—
Diana jumped.
She slammed into it full-force, tackling it to the ground with a crash that shook desks and windows.
The robot tried to rise.
It didn't get the chance.
Diana grabbed its neck.
Twisted.
Pulled.
With one sharp motion, the head separated from the body.
The machine went limp instantly.
Lights dead.
Silence.
Desks were overturned.
Students frozen in shock.
Diana stood up slowly.
One foot planted firmly on the robot's chest.
Red eyes calm.
Breathing steady.
Emma stepped up beside her, completely composed.
She looked down at Diana.
"…You sure took your time to get here."
Diana scoffed. "You started without me."
The teacher dropped the chalk.
No one screamed now.
No one moved.
They had all seen it.
Two students.
No fear.
No panic.
Just control.
Emma turned slightly, eyes scanning the stunned classroom.
"…Class is dismissed," she said calmly.
No one argued.
Somewhere far away—
France suddenly mattered a lot more than it had yesterday.
CHAPTER END