'It's because of you.'

'No? You were the one that was just lost in thoughts while looking through my photos.'

'Should I remind you who was lost in this little girl's photos more?'

'...still, you were too busy looking around mom's treasure room.'This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.

'What the hell? Was I the one that took their sweet time observing all the artifacts? Shut up and apologize bastard.'

'Haven't I already done that?! She's just standing there, glaring at us for the last five minutes and not even saying a thing!'

'Calm down, little boy. She doesn't look that angry so it should be alright.'

'But look at her! How can she make such an angry face before me?! It's my birthday too!'

'Yes, yes... calm down. She is just a little grumpy that we are late. It can't be helped anyway, right? We were just too absorbed in those photos that it took a while. Let's wait until she says something. It shouldn't be that great of a deal.'

I sighed internally as she patted my back.

Our faces were just looking forward, at this angry little sister of mine, who just looked at the smiling faces of the two of us with an angry but cuuuuuute expression.

It was already dark outside and we were just waiting at the door of Alf's house, looking down at the little angel who wasn't saying a thing and just glaring at us.

And she was alone too. Maybe everyone is inside?

Anyway... this was catastrophic.

My Anna is angry at me... what will I do now?!!

It was all my fault, all my mistakes, and all of that was my sin. But... who could help to look at those sweet, cute, adorable~ photos of this little girl?

'Even her cute face right now... just like a little angry bird~.'

I was smiling genuinely at her cute expression while Rein had a tense twitching smile while comforting me through our joined hands.

We were just standing at the door and we tried everything, talking, apologizing, bribing (?), and even trying to get in but she blocked us at the door, not even letting us in for the last five minutes.

She wasn't even talking... and I had already counted the sins I have committed to deserve this kind of grave punishment.

This situation was bad. Not that she wasn't letting us in but the fact that she was looking at me angrily like that.

I felt sad~ about this one. My heart couldn't handle that fake anger.

She was a good actor but this anger was something that will definitely just stay in my heart.

This moment... unfortunately sad.

"Anna..."

"Okey Anna~! Everything's ready~!"

We heard mom's voice from inside and the grumpy, stoic, salient little angel glowed up with a cheerful smile.

"Sooorrryyy big brother~! Mommy asked Anna to stop you two for a while. Sawwwwwwry I made you sad~!"

I knew that much but, yes, my darling little sister made me sad...

"Bad Anna. Don't do something like this to your weak dummy brother again, ok?"

Rein patted her cute little head while saying that and picked her up, knowing full well that she was just acting from the start.

It was natural though, I... was just overreacting.

She looked at me apologetically and begged me to take her in my embrace with open arms.

Her gem-like eyes were now sad to make me sad but she was also sorry for her behavior.

Looking at her with an even sad expression, I sighed and took her from Rein, and hugged her little angelic self.

"The as big sister said, please don't do something like that. You know I'm weak against you, right? And I will remember this moment forever, and think how my dear Anna was angry at me."

She nodded after our little hug and kissed my cheeks, washing away all the sadness from my mind and heart.

"Anna won't do anything like this. Promise!"

She promised and... her kiss and this cute look in her amazing eyes were enough to ease my pained heart.

"I said we are ready~! You can come in~!"

Mom shouted again just when I nodded at Anna with a smile and after her voice, I smiled helplessly at her and nodded at the warmly smiling Rein.

"Let's see the 'surprise' they prepared as the last thing."

"It's amazing~!"

Anna was excited and I knew she really meant it.

'I call it Alf's house but this whole house is practically aunt Haze's.'

The whole house was filled with various plants and flowers, there was a big greenhouse with countless flowers of different kinds and types, as well as a few big trees.

She grew all these things herself and she loved every single plant like she loved Alf.

She was amazing when it came to the flowers and the birthday party held in her amazing house would also be just as amazing, right?

We walked in through the door which also had two plants on each side.

Then we just walked in and more in and then walked through the kitchen, then the gardening storage room and at last... reached the garden area on the other side.

This was a good place... a really beautiful one too.

There were many plants here that used carbon dioxide at night, many that actually increased Mana density all the time, and many that had increased oxygen production during the night.

They decorated the whole place with small magic lamps, there was mostly dark aside from that but the green of the garden looked gorgeous.

The lights were of different colors, and there was a big table filled with delicious-looking things.

My family was just standing in the middle of this amazing place and I... well, what can I do but smile bitterly?

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY EON~!"

They all shouted at once and there were... almost tears at the ends of my eyes.

'Six years? No... it is my first time.'

This was the very first time I was spending my birthday party with every single person in my family.

Every single special person that had longed for my return and hoped for my well-being for all their long time.

Grandpa, grandma Zhen, and grandmother were smiling at me warmly with a warm smile.

Uncle El and aunty Aug watched me with cheerful expressions.

Uncle Theo had his usual dignified air and a warm smile as he looked at us and aunt Haze clapped her hand in a more cheerful manner.

I looked at mom and dad with a bitter smile, especially at mom, asking her where the hell she found such a gift.

And she just winked at me, simply meaning that wasn't something I should think about.

Dad was also smiling warmly at me but he had also looked around this whole thing a while ago, even though he was surprised by all these things.

Carla and Alf and an embarrassed looks on their faces. They knew I would find their gifts and they had done their best to hide those things.

Both of them were cute and even Anna can't help but giggle at the two's behavior.

'Yes...'

I also had my little sisters now.

My dear darling Anna in my hands, the little Zoe watching from the side, and... I also had this little pink panther holding my hand.

I didn't have a special person that was dear to me right now but... that was alright.

'I had all of these now...'

I had a family that I couldn't have in the past.

The dear family that I had lost a few years ago.

Surviving in that hell was definitely not easy but... I survived that.

I survived, got strong, met beings that were impossible to defeat, saw beings that were rare or not present in this outside world, and even met the most special being of my life, my master, my savior... my dear grandma.

She definitely was amazing, but all these people... they are my family.

The family that I long to see. The family that I longed to meet in that hell. And the family that I wanted to celebrate my birthday with during those hellish days of the past.

'And I'm doing it now... finally... I'm here.'

The place I long for, the people I longed to see, and the special experiences that I have had before reaching this point... I won't forget that. I can't forget them even if I want to.

But this moment right now...

"Biiiiiig brother~! Let's go~!"

"Let's cut the cake~! We made your favorite one~!"

"Hmm... chocolate. Just the way you like it."

"Oy Brian! Don't eat it!"

"Huhu. It's alright, Nol. It's so delicious even Brian couldn't help it, right~? Little Eon will love it~!"

"Anna helped make it so it would be the best birthday cake you have ever tried~!"

"Yeiii~!!!"

Anna shouted cheerfully as the atmosphere became lively.

'I know it's uncertain but I want every day to be just this special.'

And yes, if Anna helped in making that cake, I know it would definitely be the best cake of all time~!

Taika, Tuuli, Celes, and Branwen were cheering from the other side, excited to try the delicious-looking delicacies.

Clover was with them and she was just happy if everyone was happy. Her presence alone was amazing for this radiant atmosphere.

'Good...'

Everything felt more than good, more than what I had expected, and there were even more special people around me than I had dreamed of.

The tears in my eyes were visible to them but they didn't come out. Instead of those useless tears, a warm smile appeared on my sad face and I looked at my dear little sister, Rein, and everyone else.

And nodded with that same warm smile...

"Yes~. Let's cut the best cake ever~!"

They knew the depth behind those words and... they just nodded with even more cheerful voices.

The bright mood intensified and a festive atmosphere arrived.

The end of something long, the moment that I had dreamed, and a small end to something that was definitely long...

'Thankfully... the dungeon with that evil spirit won't be as much long, difficult, and full of unexpected variables.'

I was looking forward to the thing we have been preparing for a long time and now that this thing was finished... it will finally be time for that.

She would be the main lead for that thing in most things but I knew it will be fun.

Just like this amazing cake~!