We made a run for the other room, Papa’s distance voice drawing closer “...and then the Teraphix-“

“Papa! Don’t tell story without me! I wanna hear too! Theodore cut him off, pouting.

Papa chuckled and gestured for us to sit next to him. While I sat there, Theodore wanted to be even closer, climbing to his lap instead. Papa ruffled his hair before continuing.

“There, there. Now where was I... Ah yes, ahem. Then the Teraphix roared and flapped its winds furiously, creating such wind waves, that the surrounding trees uprooted from the earth.

Still, Twilight and Seth didn’t linger. With a simple glance at one another, they knew what to do.

Taking back their fighting stances, they focused on the raging beast rushing their way, increasing its speed as it did so. When it reached within striking distance, they unleashed their attacks.

In that instant, the two metal swords transformed. Twilight’s turned into a calm purple blaze, neither water nor fire, but something in-between, steam edging as the elements combined and reinforced one another. Seth’s blade shined with a silvery radiance that looked like it was both pushing and pulling the wind around it.”

“How can it push and pull at the same time?”

“Shh!” Theodore hushed without even looking at me.

“In a breathtaking clash, the blades met with the furious onslaught of the Teraphix. Sparks flew as steel clashed against scales, and the air rippled with the force of each blow. Twilight and Seth moved with precision and fury, their attacks finding their mark on the colossal beast’s chest, carving a giant ‘X’ into its thick hide. The Teraphix roared in pain, a howl of pure agony that echoed through the battlefield, sending shivers down the spines of those who heard it.

The beast's massive wings, usually so powerful and majestic, faltered and lost their rhythm. With a final, desperate flap, the Teraphix crashed to the ground, the impact shaking the earth beneath it. Dust and debris flew into the air, creating a cloud that momentarily obscured the fallen creature. As the dust settled, the sight of the mighty Teraphix lay revealed, grounded and wounded. Its breathing was ragged, each exhale a pained rasp of agony. In the span of a few breaths, the beast ceased its struggle, its colossal form succumbing to eternal slumber. The battlefield grew eerily silent, the once fearsome Teraphix now a lifeless monument to Twilight's and Seth's hard-fought victory.

“Wow! Twinlight is the best!”

“It’s Twilight.” I corrected Theodore.

Theodore’s excitement turned into angry shaking fists. “That’s what I—” He suddenly paused and his mouth dropped. He slowly turned to Cain, who looked back in confusion, but a second later, his eyes also widened.

“P-p-p...” Theodore tried to speak, but he was so shocked he couldn’t.

“Father, are you—”

“Dinner is ready!” As Cain was speaking, Mr. Orion’s voice came from the kitchen, interrupting him.

“Ah, let’s go eat,” Papa said a little faster than usual, taking Theodore with him.

‘What was that?’

Stepping into the kitchen, we all looked at the table. Well, what was on top of it...

Crispy onion rings piled high in a golden mountain, next to fluffy potatoes with skins crispy like paper, and slices of meat glistening with savory juices. Bowls of colorful salads peeked out between the plates, each one a garden of greens and bright vegetables. Tiny pots of sauces added splashes of color, their smells making my mouth water. Orange juice, lemon juice, everything was here! And cheese! I love cheese!

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And... most of all... what Mr. Orion was trying to hide earlier... In the middle, a surprise awaited! Nestled among the savory dishes was a dessert, all creamy, going up and up and up, higher than my head in its creamy frosty pink top filled with strawberries. It was a strawberry cake!

When Papa and Mr. Orion were done filling our plates to the full, my plate was, sadly, a little better than my drawings. But only a little! About half the plate was meat, while the other half was potatoes and a few onion rings dressed with lots and lots of cheese. The little space on my plate was left for salads and as for the drink, I got orange juice.

Theodore was similar to me, with a little less salad and more potatoes. Cain cut it in a three-way between the meat, the salad, and the potatoes. Oh, and he got lemon juice instead.

Taking a bite, a little hum of satisfaction escaped me. I would be embarrassed if I were the only one, but Theodore and Cain were the same, giving Mr. Orion a chuckle.

It tasted even better than it looked!

The potatoes were so perfect, not too soft but not too crispy, and the onions too! They were hard on the outside but soft and sweet on the inside, and the melted cheese made it all so creamy and yummy! The meat too! It was so soft and easy to cut into smaller pieces, and had so many yummy juices inside!

‘So good!’

The salad was also very tasty and helped balance the plate. If the plate was all potatoes, onions, and meat, it would be too rich and sweet. The salad added a refreshing contrast, with its crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and cool cucumber slices. Cain always called it ‘refreshing’, and he was right—it was like a fresh breeze on a warm day.

By the time I finished my plate, I was more than full. My tummy felt like it was about to burst! But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t have room for strawberry cake...

“That was so good!” Theodore said with a face full of cream.

Cain huffed and wiped himself. “Thank you for the meal Mr. - hiccup!”

There was a small silence, and we all laughed. All except Cain. He was too embarrassed to do so, choosing to look down instead.

“Haha, you’re welcome, Cain, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Mr. Orion, how are you so good at cooking?”

“Ah, when I was younger I wanted to become a chef. Seeing satisfied expressions such as these meant the world to me.” He answered simply.

“Then why did you become a doctor?” I asked again.

He chuckled before answering. “It’s a big story, but to keep it short, there once was a time when I saved someone. The happiness and joy on their faces convinced me to change career paths.” Saying that he raised a funny eyebrow at Papa who was cleaning, or at least trying to clean, Theodore.

“Mm, Pa-mm- pa.” Theodore tried to speak while Papa was still wiping the rest of his creamy mustache. “Mm, are y-mm- you Twilight?”

‘What...? That doesn’t even make sense.’

Papa paused for a moment, and for a split second, he looked very tired. Then he continued cleaning Theodore but still didn’t say anything.

“Wasn’t your nickname Twinlight?” Mr. Orion broke the silence.

Papa was finally done cleaning Theodore and put the napkin down.

“It was.” He answered gloomily, his voice throaty. Clearing his throat, his smile returned and his voice softened. “And yes, I am Twilight.”

“WHAT!?” I jumped out of the chair.

All this time I said the second coolest person to Papa, was... Papa? That didn’t even make sense

“Then, what about the Legendary Adventurer? And what about its author? Is the story true? Did these things really happen? What about that time when...” I rained question after question after question.

“Easy, Lyon, one at a time, you’re going to get a stomachache like that, calm down.” Papa raised a palm.

Urg

I sat back down.

“I wrote the Legendary Adventurer, yes the story is mostly true, at that time...” Papa answered all my questions in the same order, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have more. Once the shock and excitement calmed down, it was time for more important ones.

“Why write it? And why use a different name?”

“When you were babies and I was reciting my adventurers to you and Theodore, they were the first thing you tried to mimic. I figured it’d be best for me to write them down so you could read them whenever you wanted.”

“But Papa! Read is hard!” Theodore butted in.

Papa chuckled and tapped Theodore’s nose before continuing. “As for the name, I wasn’t planning on changing it. I simply made a mistake when I wrote it and kept it as is, not putting much thought into the matter.

“B-but Papa, why didn’t you finish it?”

Papa, for the first time ever, flinched. “W-what?”

“Why didn’t you finish it? What happened in the end when Twilight was going to that dungeon?

He smiled awkwardly. “Oh, that? Well...” He paused, “I… I just didn’t have the time to finish it.”

“Can you tell us now?”

“Yes, Papa, tell us! Tell us!” Theodore said, jumping on the chair.

Papa stayed silent for a moment, thinking. Then he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he said. “Very well, but the story begins before the dungeon itself…”