Stepping inside, the first thing that stands out wasn’t the gold... it’s how little you notice it after a second.

The walls carried that same soft, muted gold from outside, but inside it was toned down even more, almost blending into the warm lighting. It was paired with darker wood along the floors and parts of the walls, breaking things up so the space felt balanced instead of overwhelming.

The living room opened up wide, but it was far from empty. Everything was placed in a way that felt used, not staged.

A large couch sat at the center, deep and comfortable, the kind you sink into without thinking, hell, I could already feel myself getting drowsy just by staring at it for too long. It was paired with a couple of armchairs around a low wooden table, slightly worn at the edges like they’d been used quite often. A soft rug spreads beneath them, made from the fur of something I was too mesmerized to care about, it dulled our footsteps, making the space quieter.

To one side, a bookshelf stood on its lonesome, no one having deemed it necessary to arrange whatever books were there. Some were stacked, others were leaning, a few were lying flat like they were picked up and put back without a care in the world. It all felt natural.

Near the far wall, a wide window stretched almost from floor to ceiling, letting in plenty of light. The gold around it framed the view in a more subtle, less distracting manner. There was a chair placed nearby, angled just enough to face the outside, like someone sat there often, just taking in nature at her most beautiful.

A small table sat comfortably beside it, holding a cup and a few scattered items. Nothing fancy. Just everyday things left where they were last used.

The lighting felt warm, coming from simple fixtures built into the ceiling and a couple of standing lamps placed around the room. No harsh brightness, just enough to make everything feel calm.

There was no echo in the space. The rugs, the furniture, the way everything was placed... it all absorbed sound, making the room feel quiet in a comfortable way..

Even the gold didn’t feel cold here.

It was just part of the house.

Something solid, something constant... wrapped around a space that felt too suspiciously like...HOME...

"What...what is this place?" I couldn’t help asking, the comfort I was feeling, just stepping foot into this mansion made me not want to leave, it felt like returning to the embrace of my..

"Mom?" My attention was snatched by a photograph hung at the space above the fireplace..

I stepped closer, believing it to be an issue with the light, or my eyes, or probably both...

"It’s...mom..and...dad.. and...me?" I couldn’t understand what I was seeing..

It was a photograph of a young couple, the man, with his golden blonde hair, bright golden eyes and carefree smile, stood behind a woman with soft and gentle features, her beautiful face bearing a smile so beautiful it seemed to light up the room around me, her eyes held nothing but pure warmth as she snuggled softly against the bundle within her arms..

White hair, tiny hands poking out of the wrapped cloth, golden eyes just like those of the man’s..

It was a family portrait..

It was MY family’s portrait..

"Ho...How?" My voice wasn’t sounding so excited anymore, it had become shaky, trembling..

"Here, I think you’ll need this" a small blue crystal cube was passed to me from behind, I turned.

"Aunt V, where’d you go?" I couldn’t help asking, only now realizing that she’d suddenly vanished the moment we got inside..

"Just play it, I think you need to see what’s inside" she replied instead of answering..

I looked at the small cube within my palm, I knew what it was, a recording device..

I looked up, my gaze searching my aunt’s for confirmation..

Seeing my parents portrait here had shaken me, considering all the signs of life within this place, it wasn’t difficult to guess that someone had been living here, but for that to have been my parents?

I tapped on the cube, playing whatever was recorded on it...

Bzzzz....."hey, is this thing on" a man’s voice came through as a projection appeared..

"Dad..." a single tear fell down my face before I could stop it..

"Hey... how do I know if this thing is recording" he was shaking the camera around..

"Give me that, you want to break my camera? You know how expensive this is?" A woman’s voice chided softly..

"Mom..."

"Hehehe... these things are just a bit to difficult too use" he laughed, scratching his cheek sheepishly..

"They’re not, your head’s only filled with battle and destruction that’s why you’re dumb with everything else" the woman, my mother, razed him ruthlessly..

"Hey, sera, you can’t say that, I’m plenty smart, it’s just a selective type of smartness, don’t worry, little Dante will definitely inherit my smarts, that way you’ll see" he puffed out his chest with full pride...

"I reject such a bleak future for my child, never say such curses again or I’ll make sure you sleep in the streets for a few days" mom’s instant rebuke sent his shoulders slumping in defeat immediately...

"What are you doing? I don’t have infinite space on here and I’ve got packing to do, so better get your message out so I can get busy, afterall I’m not expecting your lazy self to help out" mom’s voice sounded once more..

"Damn... a man can’t catch a break"

"Damn... a man can’t catch a break"

In weird synchronicity, both me and the projected image of my father ended up saying the same thing..

"Hehehe.." I chuckled softly..

"Alright then, hello little D, don’t mind your mother,(whispers) it’s probably that time of the month"

"I heard that.."

"If you’re watching this, it means you’ve finally come across valen, that stuck up guy and you’ve finally made you way towards the central continent"..

I paused, "dad knew valen?"

"You’re probably wondering "dad knew that stuck up guy?" Well sorry bud, but that stuck up guy not only is my best brother, but he’s also your godfather, so yea, you’re kinda stuck with him, don’t blame me though, blame your luck.. hahahahahahaha"...

"Fuck...this stinky old man"

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A/N: the robot is your godfather, the death metals are your god-grandfathers, just what kind of fucked up family is this??

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Thanks for reading...

(2/3)