After a quick shower, I began making a lasagne, while the girls needed more time in the bathrooms. When the food ended up in the oven I turned around and spotted Celestine, who just walked to the kitchen wearing this long loose dull blue dress.

Not always, but at certain moments it would wrap itself around her in a way, that just perfectly outlined the shape of her body, and I almost had to pick up my jaw from the ground. Damn! Damn! She looked just incredible

- Do you need any help? - she asked me and smiled, which made her look even better.

She had her glasses with a thick black frame on, and her hair tied up loosely into a ponytail, which was resting on her shoulder.

- N-no - I squeezed out, barely managing to force my brain to think. - It's basically ready, just need to take it out.

- Ok. Then I'll prepare the plates and utensils - she said and smiled at me again.

- I'll help you! - Tihana's voice reached us.

Soon after she appeared wearing loose grey sweatpants and a hoodie, looking like some punk. Her hair was still wet.

The girls prepared everything, and when the food was ready I joined them by the table. Everybody received a portion, and we began stuffing our bellies.

It took a bit of mustering up the courage, but at some point, Celestine just looked at Tihana, then at me, and dais:

- You both were amazing today. I was very impressed from the beginning, but I just thought that it was me being new to all of that, but when that group pushed so hard forward, and just saved them... And then when you - she turned to Tihana - took the leadership, everything began working so smoothly.

- I've been hunting those rats for a while now - my daughter explained. - My group is quite good actually at that. We usually go to the front lines, because it pays better, but we started at the pincer groups too. I just knew what to do, because I had experience.

Then she passed and looked at me, which made the brunette change her focus too.

- As for him... - she snorted, which turned into a short chuckle. - He has been here from the beginning. He knows how to hunt better than anybody.

I, throughout this whole time, was focusing mostly on my food, because it was sooo damn good, and only briefly peaked at the girls.

I'm not exaggerating. The lasagne was perfect.

- I wanted to ask for a while now - Celestine started, looking at me, but she seemed to be really shy about this. - What is your rank?

I put away my for after hearing that and rolled my eyes, which made Tihana snort again.

- He thinks the ranks are stupid and refuses to get ranked, so he is still unranked - she explained.

- Can we change the topic? - I asked them, which made everybody slightly more serious.

- Then what do you want to talk about? - Tihana confronted me because Celestine seemed to be a little carried about my reaction.historical

She probably thought that I was angry, which made me respond like that, but I was just slightly irritated because this whole 'rank' bullshit was really starting to be annoying. Not everything in life has to be marked, labeled, and have a number attached to it. You don't measure love.

You also don't measure how awesome a hunter is, by attaching a stupid letter. Change my mind if you dare.

- I gonna be away tomorrow. I want to visit Uhms' village - I started.

- Why exactly? - Tihana asked, poking the little bit of the food left on her plate with a fork.

- Ki'rai is there. She went to protect the Uhms because when all the aliens were in Arc, they were harassing them because of their life philosophy. Now, when they are no longer here, there is no need for that - I pointed out, focusing completely on my daughter.

I wanted her to catch the unspoken message to not go too deeply into the topic because the topic was too close to information that couldn't go beyond a very small group of people, who already knew what happened to Ixa.

- Oh, I didn't know - she said. - I just stopped seeing her but was kinda focused on other things...

Celestine reminded silent, but I noticed that she was curious about a few things, just too shy to ask. Especially because of my recent reaction to her question.

- Can I go with you? - Tihana asked after an awkward moment of silence.

- You have school - I pointed out.

- But I really want to go - she insisted.

This made me sigh heavily.

- Ok. I guess skipping one day is not so bad...

She almost jumped, and her eyes got wide since she clearly didn't expect me to agree. Her for dropped on the table, leaving red marks from the lasagna sauce.

She squeaked like a rat, and jumped, looking straight at Celestine.

- You are going to love it! - she shouted.

The brunette didn't expect that the invitation also included her, and looked at me to verify that information.

To be frank, I didn't know how to respond. It was kind of too late to say now, but the trip would expose a lot of my powers. On the other hand, it was a good opportunity to get closer to her.

The picture from before, of her in that blue dress, wrapped around her his tightly for a moment, as she walked, flashed through my mind, and that was the last nail to the coffin.

- Yeah, it might be quite fun - I said. - Then smiled for a second or maybe two.

Not because of the trip, but because of that damn picture, which now was stuck in front of my eyes.

"I need to think everything through", I said to myself, putting more of the lasagne on my plate. "This is an opportunity, but I have to make all the correct moves. Especially if Ki'rai will be involved."

After that last thought, I sighed. The little lizard could really complicate my plans. I guess Celestine read my reaction in a slightly different way, as she smiled at me, then looked away.