For an instant, everything seemed to move in slow motion. As Nathan watched the green-haired bandit trying to stab him, he swiftly picked up his mother’s broken sword, skillfully side-stepped the bandit's thrust, and angled his body sideways to build momentum for a counterattack. The bandit’s sword missed Nathan by half an inch and passed by him in front of his chest. In this position, Nathan thrust the sword back at the bandit. However, his broken sword was dull at the tip and it glanced off the bandit’s chest plate. Nathan could not hold onto the sword and it clanged to the ground. With a sword hitting his chest, the green-haired bandit instinctively side-kicked Nathan away and jumped back. Apparently, he had practiced this move until it became second nature to him.

  The green-haired bandit was startled with widened eyes, instinctively touching his chest plate with his left hand, now scratched by Nathan; and thought, "Did a mere 10-year-old boy do that?"

  Nathan was hit by the kick, which sent him flying back several meters and tumbling to the ground. As Nathan groaned in pain, behind him, the adults of other families stood cautiously. The kick was more of a push for the bandit to jump back, therefore, it only gave Nathan a bruise. Otherwise, the bandit could have killed Nathan instantly with his strength.

  An old lady standing behind Nathan warily tried to help Nathan up. As the bandit closed in toward Nathan again, the old lady pulled him back, shielding the boy behind her.

  At that moment, the green-haired bandit could sense two people with strong Divine Power approaching, and fast, from the boy’s direction. Intimidated, he instinctively stepped back. As the villagers and the old lady puzzled at the bandit's sudden reaction, two men in their thirties jumped over the non-combatants behind the boy and charged at the bandit with their shields. The bandit was knocked back several steps, away from Nathan. It was Jonathan and Harold, fathers of Nathan and Thomas. Harold started engaging the bandit in rapid relentless exchanges as Jonathan tried to speak with his son.

  "Nathan, are you okay?" Jonathan spoke with concern. His eyes were wide open and his hands trembled from witnessing what happened to his wife and mother.

  "Mom and Grandma! Mom and Grandma!" Nathan started crying looking at their bodies on the ground.

  "Divine Spell: Sleep." Jonathan cast the spell, putting Nathan to sleep.

  Nathan felt himself, literally, falling into sleep. After falling for a while, he reached the ground and looked around his surroundings.

  "Nathan, can you hear me?" Ana smiled and said to Nathan, standing in a garden in a light yellow short-sleeved, ruffled, long dress.

  "Yes, Mom!" Nathan replied, happy that his mom was alive. He ran toward her with open arms.

  "This isn't your fault. I love you. Take care of Arielle, Ashley and Henry for me. Promise?" Ana said as she hugged Nathan tightly.

  "Yes, I promise." Nathan smiled in his mother's warmth.

  "Such a reliable big brother," Ana said, her eyes filled with love, as she gave Nathan a kiss on both of his cheeks. Behind Ana, Nathan saw his Grandma waving at him. Meanwhile, a man in a black robe approached him.

  Jonathan and Maya exchanged a nod as Maya came running. Jonathan then rushed to join the fray beside Harold. Maya swiftly checked for Ana’s and Emily’s pulse, before carrying Nathan back to Patrick, leaving the dangerous and chaotic battle zone as quickly as she could.

  The warm midday sun glared at Nathan as he woke up in his bedroom a little past noon. Out of habit, he went to the bathroom, washed up, and went to the dining room. There, he saw his Grandpa Patrick cooking in the open kitchen.

  "Grandpa, where are Mom and Grandma?" Nathan asked emotionlessly. He knew what the answer was but still wished for a miracle. "Perhaps their wound could be treated." A faint ray of hope came across his mind. The conflict between hope and hopelessness rendered him trepidating.

  Patrick continued cooking for a moment. Then, he slowly turned off the fire, which was pan-frying tofu. He walked over to Nathan, brought him to the sofa and sat next to him. Patrick gently held on to Nathan's hand and said calmly, "Your grandma and mom both passed away last night in the fight. Do you remember?"

  Nathan wished it had all been a dream, but unfortunately, it was reality. He fell silent.

  "Your dad has avenged them. He defeated the green-hair who killed your grandma and your mom, but he got hurt in the fight. He is resting now." Patrick continued his onslaught of truth. Nathan's face crumpled as he started crying, so Patrick hugged and soothed him gently.

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  Once Nathan calmed down, Patrick went back to cooking lunch, while Nathan rested on the sofa. Arielle woke up and came running out from her bedroom. "Pang, Pang, Pang!" Her lively footsteps somehow brought a glimmer of light into Nathan's eyes. "Where is Grandma?" she asked, looking around the living room and the kitchen and saw Grandpa cooking. "Where is Mom?" she added. Ashley, woken up by her sister’s footsteps, followed Arielle out of the bedroom, holding a teddy bear made by Ana, and tugged on her older sister's sleeve.

  Patrick looked back from the kitchen to the girls as Nathan looked at them from the sofa. Patrick and Nathan weren’t able to utter a word. A second later, Arielle emphasized with urgency, "Grandma told me she was going somewhere far away. We need to go get her back! Hurry!"

  Patrick turned off the stove again. "Did she tell you where she's going?" Patrick asked judiciously.

  "No, she didn’t." Arielle answered as she furrowed her eyebrows, realizing that they had no idea where to find Grandma.

  "Did she tell you anything else?" Patrick asked again.

  "She asked me to look after Nathan, Ashley and Henry while she is gone, because I am the big sister!" Arielle grinned, looking proud.

  "Yes, you’re a great and reliable big sister!" Patrick smiled as he fondled Arielle’s cheeks. Arielle laughed happily. "Did she mention anything about Grandpa?" Patrick asked again.

  "Nope!" Arielle answered firmly.

  "Anything about Patrick?" Patrick inquired once more.

  "Nothing!" Arielle, again, answered firmly.

  "…" Patrick looked down at the ground.

  "You’re silly Grandpa. I know you’re Patrick! Hehe," said Arielle as she laughed.

  Seeing Arielle’s happy face, Patrick cheered up. "Grandma and Mom went to a place that is far and fun. They won’t be back for a while. By the way, why don’t you go play with Henry?" Patrick pointed to the toddler playing alone in the play yard.

  "And I am not going to come after you anytime soon Emily." Patrick thought.

  "Go, I'll call when lunch is ready." Patrick said to the girls.

  "But I want Mom! I want hug!" said Ashley. Nathan walked to Ashley, hugged her, and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Here you go! You said you were able to stack the blocks as tall as you? Show me." said Nathan.

  "Not just as tall as me, they were taller than me." said Ashley as she went to take out the playing blocks. Patrick went back and turned on the stove again.

  Patrick continued cooking. However, as soon as the pan started boiling again, Jonathan walked out from his room. His upper body was covered in bloody bandage. There was a wound on his stomach and left chest.

  "John, don’t move." Patrick quickly turned off the stove again and ran toward his son. "You are in no condition to move. What do you need?"

  "I need water." Jonathan uttered weakly.

  "Dad! Are you okay?" Arielle ran to her father and asked in concern, Nathan and Ashley followed.

  "I'll be alright. Go play. Let me rest." Jonathan answered in pain.

  "Okay!" the children nodded in unison and went back to playing.

  Patrick helped Jonathan back to his bed and handed him two cups of water. Jonathan drank them both. "Thanks," he said and went back to sleep.

  Patrick returned to the kitchen and lit up the stove once more. However, just as the pan started steaming, Henry began to cry.

  "When am I going to finish cooking lunch today?" Patrick thought to himself smiling bitterly. He turned off the fire, again. Despite being exhausted from the escape, Patrick had stayed up all night to treat Jonathan, and was devastated from his family's loss. However, he was the Grandpa. His son and grandchildren needed him now more than ever. He must pull himself together.

  "Grandpa, I've got Henry. Please keep on cooking lunch." Nathan said as he tended to Henry, with his voice sounding like Gospels to Patrick's ears.

  The children's mother used to utter, "Okay, Mommy's here. It’s okay. Mommy's here." Nathan imitated her and said to Henry, "Okay, big brother's here. It’s okay. Big brother's here," it reminded Nathan of her.

  "Let me help too." Arielle said, with Ashley following behind her.

  "Okay, please prepare the high chair, a banana and a bottle of milk." Nathan replied just like how Ana would. Arielle noticed it as a faint sign of sadness flashed in her eyes.

  Henry was standing on the side of the gate of his play yard, urging Nathan to let him out as Nathan opened the gate. Then, Henry stopped crying and looked at Nathan as if he was question why wasn’t Mom the one doing all these. "I know that you’re hungry. Your food is on the dining table, let’s go get your banana." Nathan said gently as he walked backward while holding Henry's hands, leading the toddler to the dining table.

  When Henry arrived at the table, Arielle had already peeled the banana and prepared the milk for him. Ashley was eating a banana herself, watching her siblings. Patrick finally finished pan-frying the tofu and placed it onto a plate. In a few moments, the family started having lunch. Nathan and Patrick fed Henry some rice and vegetable. Jonathan’s right arm could still move fine, so he had tofu congee by himself inside the bedroom.

  After lunch, Patrick cleaned and dressed Jonathan's wounds, and then he left to represent the family in the village meeting. The village’s leadership was arranging the burials, taking care of orphaned children, and planning the aftermath.

  Nathan and Arielle cleaned up and washed the dishes. After that, Arielle and Ashley babysat Henry while Nathan brought a bowl of herbal medicine and glass of water for his father.

  "You should drink some water and take a break." Jonathan said to Nathan in pain, as he saw Nathan working nonstop outside the opened bedroom door.

  "I'm fine, Dad." Nathan replied with concern. "You're the one who need to rest."

  Jonathan patted Nathan with his right hand before lying down on the bed again.

  "Thanks, Dad." Nathan said before leaving the room.

  "Thanks for being alive." Nathan thought to himself in gratitude and relief as he closed the door behind him.