"What are you doing here?" Evee asked her father, "You shouldn’t be here after…you know."
"After my partner decided to leave me, you mean?" Eren responded to his daughter with a sad smile.
Evee was uncomfortable. She had been very close to her Curse, but the relationship between Eren and his Curse was different. And, to make things worse, Evee’s Curse decided to stay with her. The Rainbow Dragon might not be a Curse anymore but she stayed with Evee for research purposes. The Rainbow Dragon wasn’t present right now. It was out visiting some of her distant family – those who were still alive – but Evee didn’t mind. She was busy either way.
"I feel useless," Eren grumbled, "I still don’t understand why the Curses left us or how some of them stayed with Curse Users. Even Selena’s Hydra didn’t separate its full Essence. Some of it stayed behind with the Nest Leader. So why did my friend and lifelong partner leave?"
Eren’s life had been a mess, specifically because of the Silver Dragon. If not for the Curse manifesting within him, Eren would never have an outfall with his family. Nothing bad would have happened, and he would still be with his family. Maybe their family would have struggled in recent years since the Supreme Human Alliance was having issues, but Eren wouldn’t have minded.
But for the Silver Dragon to abandon him just like that. It was unfair.
"You feel inadequate and as if something important is missing, but that is fine. It makes sense. I would feel like you as well. Unfortunately, you cannot change what happened. The Silver Dragon is not with you anymore. It chose to leave you. It didn’t even leave behind means to contact you or vice versa. That is a fact," Evee didn’t like talking to her father like that, but someone had to do it. If not for her, the Nest Leader would crush her father’s spirit instead.
If she did the talking, Evee could pick what to say. Though it wasn’t like she was a born chatterbox. Talking was never her fort.
"Do you think I should do it?" Eren asked his daughter.
"You want to take Selena’s offer? Do you like her proposal?" Evee asked, but Eren could only shrug.
"I don’t know. I think it’s an interesting proposal. Becoming the Guardian of a planetary system with humans from a backwater galaxy seems like a noble task."
"It’s dangerous—..."
"I know, but I am not afraid of danger. Everyone views humans so negatively after the outfall with the Supreme Human Alliance, but that doesn’t mean everyone is at fault. There is not enough Anti-Blood-I Serum, and it might take decades before every Hyuman is freed. Michael is doing his best, and you are, too, but I want to be helpful as well. Protecting innocent humans in backwater galaxies from hostile races doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Someone has to protect them; otherwise, some races will take revenge on Lesser Humans even though they have never been in contact with the Supreme Human Alliance."
"You are right…but I don’t like it. I…won’t be able to see you often once you are off to take care of an entire planetary system. I know you, so I also know that you will do more than be a silent guardian. You cannot be silent or have a low profile. That’s not in your blood. Sometimes, I’m wondering if you kept that portion of your personality when I was born. I still don’t know why I am like that while you are…anything but low profile."
Eren chuckled, the strain on his features lifting for the first time in years, "You are more like your mother. But then again, you inherited enough of my features to make me worry. I’m more worried about you worrying about me than anything else."
"If you didn’t give me so many opportunities to worry about you, we wouldn’t have this problem," Evee commented bluntly.
"Probably," Eren nodded, "I’m still thinking about taking the post. The other former Curse Users are thinking of doing something similar. Everyone knows the Nest is connected to the Supreme Lord, so they will have to think about it multiple times before they attack one of the Curse Users. Not that most of us have a Curse left, but whatever."
"You’re still calling him Supreme Lord? I don’t think Michael likes that name," Evee asked, but Eren shook his head.
"I think Michael loves it. The name fits perfectly with Michael. He is the Supreme Lord of the Origin Expanse. The one and only proper owner, though the Guardians are also connected, but we can ignore that, I guess."
"Either way," Eren cleared his throat, "Thanks for talking to me. You helped me with my decision. I will take Selena’s offer and help with the Zelgon Stellar System’s issues."
Evee groaned, "They already have issues?"
"Oh, nothing major," Eren responded with a smile, "Only a plague of Insectoids, probably a race born from the survivors of the Tekur race. They’re mutating much faster than the Tekur but look quite similar. They’ve been haunting the Zelgon Stellar System for a few years now."
Evee had a lot to say to her father, but she could tell Eren was about to leave. That being said, she hugged her father tightly.
"Good luck," She whispered, tightening her embrace until Eren groaned, "If you keep embracing me like that, I will need some good luck finding a healer to break a few broken ribs."
Evee released her father but punched him in the sides, tears welling in her eyes, "You better use my communication devices. If not, I’ll come for you in the Zelgon Stellar Systems. Not even your connection to Michael will help you then!"
"Yes, yes, I love you too," Eren said before leaving Evee alone in her laboratory.
Evee sighed deeply, looking at the massive entrance to her laboratory, only to hear a voice behind her. Evee turned to see Hesta.
"Looks like everyone is leaving to take care of the Lesser Humans spread across the cosmos," Hesta said, organizing some of the documents sprawled all over the tables.
"It makes sense, it really does," Evee mumbles, "Michael doesn’t want others to suffer just becaues the Supreme Human Alliance messed up everyone’s view of the human races."
"Yeah…Michael has high hopes," Hesta mumbles, "I think I will help him a little."
"You too?" Evee asked, cursing softly, "Is everyone I love leaving?"
Hesta snickered but didn’t say anything aloud. She embraced Evee tightly and whispered into her ear.
"I would never leave you. How about coming with me? A lovely vacation in a small backwater galaxy. Bashing a few Higher Lifeforms and helping the humans there, and other races if they want some help, to get right back on the tracks."
Evee sighed deeply, "I would love to, but Rebecca asked me if I could finish analyzing this until next week. I’m taking longer than expected.
"That’s because you’re stressed. You’re pressuring yourself too much. You should relax a little and get back to work after that."
"Or…" Evee added, "I will take work with me."
"That works, too, but you should relax a little bit."
"Work is relaxing," Evee commented with a smug smile, "Don’t worry about that, honey!"