Roland Arcwell returned home earlier than usual.
The moment he stepped into the living room, he froze for half a second.
Raze.
Luna.
Lily.
Rose.
And Astra Noire sitting among them like she had always belonged.
A slow grin stretched across his face.
"Well, well," he said with mock surprise, "seems I have three daughters now. When did that happen?"
Luna rolled her eyes.
Astra nearly choked on air.
Lily clapped happily.
"You do, Papa!"
Raze sighed. "…Dad, please don't adopt people without warning."
Roland laughed and headed upstairs to change.
◆ ◆ ◆
When he returned, dressed casually and looking far too relaxed for someone holding world-shaking secrets, all eyes turned toward him.
Raze stood first.
"Dad. No running away today. We want answers."
Luna crossed her arms beside him.
"About the name Fray. About what happened twenty years ago. About Nightveil."
Astra sat quietly but attentively.Even she felt the pressure of the moment.
Roland raised his hands defensively.
"No. Absolutely not. You three—and Astra—are far too young to hear the full truth. It is not something to be told lightly."
Raze frowned.Luna scowled.Astra leaned forward.
And Lily…
"Daddy, tell us the storyyy!"
Roland exhaled.
He was defeated.
All of them stared with stubborn determination, even the six-year-old.
"…Fine," he said finally. "But listen carefully."
He sat down.
Everyone leaned in.
"I will tell you who they are," Roland continued. "But you will not—must not—ask what happened to them. Or why Vesper Fray calls himself the last surviving Fray."
Raze exchanged a glance with Luna.
Astra's breath caught.
Even Rose, who already knew parts of the truth, watched quietly.
Roland folded his hands.
"Let us begin… two hundred years ago."
◆ ◆ ◆
The Origin of the Frays
"You all know the story of the Abyss Crater," Roland said."The meteor that changed humanity forever."
They nodded.
"But what few people know," he continued, "is that several large fragments were scattered across Fraxen. Pieces of the meteor that held concentrated radiation far stronger than what the world absorbed."
Astra's listened closely.
Roland's voice deepened.
"One such fragment landed in a remote region. Fifty years after the crater event, a man built a home on that very land… not knowing what lay buried beneath."
Luna's brows furrowed.
Raze's eyes sharpened.
"Generations lived there," Roland went on. "And every child born in that house… awakened Nexas far beyond what normal humans could achieve."
Astra whispered, "So that's why…"
"Their abilities," Roland said, "were unmatched. Unparalleled. Compared to the rest of the world, they were monsters of talent. A dominant bloodline."
"Then… the Frays were that family?" Raze asked quietly.
Roland nodded once.
"They were considered the peak of humanity's potential."
A hush fell across the room.
"But there was a cost," Roland added.
"Abyss radiation affects adults differently. Once they awaken Nexas, their bodies cannot handle the fragment's direct presence. While living in that house, the adults became… weakened. Sickly. Vulnerable."
"But for some reason, they still lived there with their children"
"but they spent most of the time away from home"
Astra blinked. "So, That's why Nightveil is so powerfull?"
"Exactly," Roland replied. "But once the adults left the house's radius…"
Luna leaned forward.
"…they became unstoppable."
Roland nodded again.
"The farther they were from the fragment, the stronger they became.… the Fray adults turned into living natural disasters."
A tense silence followed.
◆ ◆ ◆
The Bloodline That Ruled in Shadows
"Fifty years ago," Roland continued, "the Fray bloodline was considered the apex of all Nexas. Some feared them. Some revered them. Some sought their power."
He paused.
"Until the incident."
Astra's heart tightened.
Raze felt his pulse quicken.
Luna whispered, "Dad… what happened?"
Roland closed his eyes.
"That story…"His voice grew quieter."…is for another time."
Luna groaned. "Dad—!"
"No," Roland said firmly. "You asked who the Frays were. I told you. But what happened to them… is not something I will discuss. Not now."
Astra bit her lip.Raze clenched his jaw.Luna looked frustrated.And Lily… fell asleep on Astra's lap.
Roland stood.
"That is enough truth for today."
◆ ◆ ◆
Dinner and Departure
Even though frustration lingered, Rose smiled warmly.
"Astra dear, stay for dinner. It's been a long day."
Astra blinked.
"Ah—yes! I mean—if it's okay, then I… I'd love to."
Luna muttered something about "stealing her sister" under her breath.
Dinner was warm.Lily clung to Astra the whole time.Raze asked more questions, but Roland dodged all of them.Luna monitored every interaction like a jealous hawk.
When the night grew late, Astra stepped outside.
The wind lifted around her.
She looked back at the Arcwell family—smiling, loud, chaotic.
"…They're strong," she whispered."And yet… this secret scares even them."
She rose into the night sky.
"What really happened to the Frays…?"
Then after that Astra flew upward until her silhouette disappeared into starlight.
And one thought echoed in her mind—
What kind of tragedy creates someone like Nightveil?