DemiDemonDarla

Chapter 3: A Growing Distance

>>>>> Darla stood at the doorway of her childhood home, her hand hesitating over the knob. The small, two-story house nestled in the quiet suburbs of Celestia looked the same as always. Neat garden, warm porch light, and the faint smell of her mother's cooking wafting through the windows. It should have felt like a safe haven, a place to find peace after a long, gruelling day on the streets as a police officer. But to Darla, the house felt more alien every time she came back.

The tension between her and her parents had been growing, slowly but surely, and she didn't know how much longer she could pretend things were fine.

Darla took a deep breath, twisted the knob, and stepped inside. The familiar warmth of the home wrapped around her, but it felt suffocating rather than comforting. Her short, wavy black hair fell messily around her face as she kicked off her boots. She could hear the soft hum of her parents' voices from the living room. Martin and Eloisa Arcania, professors of philosophy and literature, were the very embodiment of calm, kind-hearted intellectuals. They were gentle, always choosing their words with care, always offering understanding rather than anger.

They were everything Darla wasn't.

She was rough around the edges, quick to action, and fiercely protective. Her 5-foot frame had never stopped her from taking down criminals twice her size, and her callous exterior made her a force to be reckoned with in the Celestia Police Department. Yet, standing here in this quiet house, she felt small and out of place.

As Darla made her way down the hallway, the sound of tiny, excited footsteps caught her attention.

"Darla!"

A small, high-pitched voice cut through her thoughts, and a blur of energy collided with her legs. She looked down to see her younger brother, Elyse, clinging to her. He was five years old, with wide brown eyes that mirrored their mother's and a head full of messy dark curls. His bubbly, infectious personality had always been a stark contrast to Darla's fierce independence.

"Hey, kiddo," Darla said with a soft smile, ruffling his hair.

Elyse looked up at her with pure adoration in his eyes. "I missed you! You weren't here yesterday. Or the day before!"

"Yeah, I've been busy with work," Darla replied, crouching down to his level. She could never bring herself to be distant with Elyse. He was the only person in this house who didn't make her feel like she had to fit into a mold. "How've you been?"

"Good! I built a new castle with my blocks. Wanna see it?" His face lit up with excitement, and his small hands gestured wildly as he spoke.

"I'll check it out in a bit, okay? I need to say hi to Mom and Dad first."

Elyse's face fell just a little, but he nodded. "Okay. Promise?"

"Promise," Darla said, tapping her pinky finger against his, sealing their deal.

She straightened up and headed toward the living room, where her parents sat, talking softly as they always did. They both looked up as Darla entered the room. Martin, her father, was a tall, lanky man with thinning hair and round glasses perched on the edge of his nose. He was reading a book, his ever-present companion. Eloisa, her mother, was seated on the couch, knitting something delicate and intricate. Her graying hair was tied back in a loose bun, and her soft brown eyes—so much like Elyse's—were filled with warmth when they landed on Darla.

"Darla, sweetheart, you're home," Eloisa said, her voice as soothing as always. "We weren't expecting you tonight."

"I figured I'd stop by," Darla replied, her tone casual, though her stomach twisted with the familiar unease she always felt here.