A Light Amidst the Darkness: A Danmachi Dark World Tale

Chapter 15 City Exploration

As dawn's light seeped through the window, the trio of children stirred. Bell was the first to rouse, his eyes blinking open as he sat up in bed.

"Nrr."

A sound from below caught Bell's attention, halting his movement. Aki had nestled into the bed during the night. On the other side of Bell lay his twin, Alice, who was also beginning to awaken, her eyes fluttering open as she smiled at her brother.

"Good morning, Bell," Alice said softly.

"Good morning," Bell replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Aki mumbled in her sleep; her face scrunched in discomfort.

"Mama... don't... leave me."

Recognizing the signs of a nightmare, Alice and Bell exchanged a knowing glance. Alice gently wrapped her arms around Aki, offering a comforting embrace. Bell took Aki's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's alright, Aki. We're here," Bell whispered.

Slowly, Aki's eyes opened, and she saw Bell holding her hand and felt Alice's comforting arms around her. Tears of relief welled in her eyes.

"Thank you," Aki murmured, her voice barely audible.

"Of course," the twins replied in unison, their voices filled with warmth.

"JINX, Bell. You owe me," Alice declared with a mischievous grin, earning a resigned sigh from Bell.

"Fine, Alice. I'll make sure you get some sweets when we go out today," Bell conceded with a chuckle.

"Hehe, great. You ready to get up, Aki?" Alice asked, her tone gentle.

"Yeah," Aki replied, her voice steadier now with the support of her friends.

A light knock on the doorframe drew their attention. Zald stood there, his presence filling the room with a reassuring calm.

"Well, look who's up already," Zald said with a smile.

"Morning, Uncle Zald," Alice chimed.

"Morning," Bell added.

"Morning, Mr. Zald," Aki said, her voice a little stronger now.

"Haaa. First, breakfast will be ready soon. Make sure you get ready quickly. Second, kid, there's no need for the 'Mr'," Zald chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, okay," Aki murmured, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

"Let's go get changed, Aki," Alice said, extending her hand to her friend, who took it eagerly.

With Alice leading the way, the pair hurried off to change. Bell watched them go, feeling a surge of affection for his sister and their friend. They had been through so much together.

The children quickly donned their clothes and raced downstairs to the dining area, where Celia was setting out a lavish breakfast. The enticing aromas of grilled steak, fragrant soup, braised chicken, and a heaping pile of seafood filled the room, making their mouths water.

"Morning, kiddos. How are you doing today?" Zeus inquired as they sat down.

"We want to go into the city and explore!" Alice exclaimed eagerly, Bell and Aki nodding along in agreement.

"That sounds wonderful. Why don't you go with them, Alfia?" Hera suggested, her tone gentle yet firm.

"Of course, I'll be going with them," Alfia confirmed with a smile.

The group quickly finished their breakfast, the lively chatter and shared laughter setting a hopeful tone for the day. Today was the beginning of new adventures and challenges, and they were ready to face them together.