Chapter 4- what is her power ?

As Alyssa's father approached the imposing gate, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. Sixteen long years had passed since he last set foot in this town. "Time really does fly," he mused to himself with a chuckle. He had never thought he would return, but here he was, spurred on by his daughter's desire to visit her hometown.

Summoning up his courage, he rang the bell. The rich, exotic sound of the bell confirmed what he already knew: the owner of this property was wealthy indeed. A booming voice responded from within the building.

"Do you have an appointment with our Master?" the voice demanded.

Alyssa's father rolled his eyes. "Do I need an appointment to see my father? Come on, old pa."

The security guard on the other end of the intercom was momentarily unsure, but then recognition dawned. "Is that you, little boy?" he asked, his voice trembling with emotion.

"It's me, all right, but I'm no longer little. I'm a man now," Alyssa's father said, flexing his muscles for effect.

Suddenly, the gate swung open with a force that nearly knocked him over. An old man in a security uniform came rushing out, his face alight with joy.

"It really is you! I've missed you, everyone here has missed you," he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

Alyssa's father couldn't help feeling a little bitter. "If he misses me so much, why hasn't he called me all these years?"

The old man looked a little sheepish. "Well...let's just drop the subject. You're here now, and that's what matters. Do you need an appointment to enter?"

"Seriously?" Alyssa's father shook his head in disbelief. "It's my father's house. Of course I don't need an appointment."

The old man gestured for him to enter. "Then come on in. We have a lot of catching up to do after all these years."

As Alyssa's father walked towards the house, memories came flooding back. He couldn't help but think of all the happy and painful times he had spent here as a child. A maid caught sight of him and hurried to inform her master of his arrival.

Walking from the gate to the main building was no mean feat. "I'm going to need a nap after this," Alyssa's father joked to himself as he entered the house. He was greeted warmly by the servants, who addressed him as "young master."

He didn't particularly like being called that, but he couldn't deny the fact that he missed it. "Greetings," he said, returning their salutations with a smile.

As the scene unfolded, a man could be seen sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, his eyes closed as he meditated. He looked to be in his thirties, but his serene expression gave no indication of the years he had lived. He was dressed in a flowing robe that matched his silver hair, and he wore a simple short underneath it. On his feet were a pair of black slippers that looked like they had seen better days.

Just then, a knock interrupted his peaceful reverie. "Come in," he said, his voice calm and even.

The door creaked open, and a maid slipped in, bowing low to the ground. "Greetings to you, master," she said, her eyes downcast.

The man inclined his head in acknowledgement. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to inform you about the arrival of young master," the maid replied, her words coming out in a rush.

"Ah, thank you for letting me know," the man said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He was pleased to hear that one of his sons had come to visit him.

The maid quickly left the room, and as she walked through the house, she spotted the lady of the house, Alyssa's mother, in the garden. She was dressed in a black shorts and a white t-shirt, and she wore a hat to shield her face from the sun.

"Greetings to you, ma'am," the maid said, bowing low.

Alyssa's mother looked up, a small smile on her face. "What can I do for you?"

"I do not seek for anything, ma'am," the maid replied. "I came to inform you about young master's arrival."

"Which one?" Alyssa's mother asked, her interest piqued.

"Third young master," the maid replied.

"Ace?!" Alyssa's mother exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, ma'am," the maid confirmed, still bowing.

Alyssa's mother quickly put down her gardening tools and headed inside to clean up before her son arrived. As she scrubbed away the dirt and grime, she couldn't help but feel a little excited. It had been a while since she had seen Ace, and she was eager to catch up with him and hear about his latest adventures.

Ace's POV (Alyssa's Father)

As I arrived at my childhood home, a wave of memories, both happy and sad, flooded my mind. My father's booming voice shattered my thoughts, "I heard one of my sons is here, I wonder which one."

The man of the house descended the stairs with the swagger of a king until my mother interrupted his descent. "Ace!" my mother cried out, pushing my father, who quickly steadied himself. I couldn't help but wish he had stumbled and tumbled down the stairs. "You're really here, I miss you so much!" She covered my face with kisses, always the drama queen.

"Ace?! Are you really here?" my father asked with a surprised tone.

I didn't say it aloud, but I couldn't resist thinking "No, my second" - though I knew I'd be dead if I did. My dad was that strict. "Hey, Father. Greetings," I bowed and placed my hand on my chest.

"I see you've gotten used to the outside world and forgotten our culture," he eyed me critically.

Culture, culture, culture. It's the reason I left this town - that and protecting my daughter. He wanted all his children to focus on studying this town's culture. I hoped he didn't do the same to my daughter, or he'd have to deal with me.

"Anyway, why are you here?"

"Oh, please don't act like you don't want him here," my mum rolled her eyes.

"I'm not acting," he retorted with a stern voice.

"Lies, when was the last time you slept in your room?"

"I am just coming from there."

"You think I don't know that every night you go to his room and cry yourself to sleep? You and I both know that you miss him," my mother grinned. "And now that he is here, you want to push him away again."

My father's face softened, and he looked like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The thought of my dad missing me brought joy to my heart. I'd always wanted his attention and care, as had my siblings. "Anyway, I'm not here to stay. I only came to drop off my daughter."

"Alyssa is here?" my father asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"My granddaughter is here, and you didn't inform us about her arrival," my mum pouted, her arms crossed on her chest.

"Well, I just did," I shrugged.

"Oh my god, I did not prepare anything. Hey, you and you, follow me," she said, pointing at the two maids cleaning the pantry before walking away with them.

"So, where is she?" my father asked.

"I left her outside."

"You left her outside?!" he screeched. That was new. "Don't you know that anything can happen?" He walked away, and I followed him. I'd never seen him so happy. Maybe it was really a good thing that I brought Alyssa here.

We found my wife and daughter hugging each other. Thank goodness they'd sorted things out before meeting my parents. Father cleared his throat to gain their attention, and it worked.

"I'm sorry, did I disturb your lovey-dovey?"

"Grand Pops!" Alyssa screamed as she ran to hug him.

"You didn't inform me that you were coming today. I could have prepared for you," he pouted. Oh dear Zeus, my father was pouting.

"I'm sorry," she said with a guilty tone.

"Anyway, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she smiled.

"Greetings to you, Father," my wife greeted, bowing and placing her right hand on her forehead.

"Greetings," Grandpa responded, raising his hand in acknowledgement.

My daughter looked on with curiosity. "Is that how people greet each other here?" she asked.

"I see you didn't teach my granddaughter our culture, Tonia," Grandpa said, adjusting his glasses with disdain.

I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I didn't trust anyone, especially not when it came to my daughter.

"I didn't see the reason, dear father-in-law. I never thought she would ever come to this place," my wife explained, rolling her eyes.

Before Grandpa could respond, my daughter stepped in. "Mom, do tell me about this town. That's what made me eager to come here. Also, I'm eager to get inside. It's been a long day," she said, stretching her body and letting out a yawn.

Grandpa gestured to her bags. "Can I help with those?"

My daughter declined, waving her hands. "There's no need. They're kind of heavy."

"Well, this old man is strong enough to carry heavy things," Grandpa boasted, showing off his muscles before taking the bags. I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. He hadn't changed one bit.

As they left, I turned to my wife. Her eyes were already watery. "Hey, it's going to be okay. She'll be safe," I reassured her, patting her back.

She wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "Yes, and I'll see her again?" she asked.

"Yes, you will. I promise."

Soon, my parents came out to say goodbye. "Greetings, Mother," my wife greeted my mom.

"Greetings, Tonia," my mom responded with a smile. Unlike my dad, she adored my wife.

"Mum, we'll be taking our leave now," I said.

"Can't you stay a bit longer?" my mom asked.

"No, Mom. The journey is far, and I'm running a project. I can't afford to lose a day," I explained.

"Okay, bye," my mom said, giving us a hug. I missed this.

"Before you go, I want to say something," my dad interrupted.

"What is it?" I asked, urging him to continue.

"Well, the thing is...I swear I'm feeling hot. There's heat here," he said, fanning himself with his hands.

"Dad, we're in winter," I pointed out.

"Right. So, what is your daughter's power?" he asked.

"My daughter's power?" I looked at my wife, hoping she would know. But she had no idea.

"What? Are you not her father? Don't you know her power?" my wife glared at me.

"I don't know," I admitted.

"Well, I don't know either," my wife added.

"So, what you're telling me is that neither of you knows her power. I'm very sure she doesn't know about this world," my dad screeched.

"Well, she doesn't," my wife said flatly.

" What ?!" My dad screamed.

Suddenly, my mom hit my dad on the head. "Is that what you wanted to say?" she asked him, glaring.

My dad sighed and nervously rubbed the spot where my mom hit him. "What I wanted to say was that I'm sorry. Sorry for being a bad father and forcing you to do things you didn't like. I hope you can forgive me ?" he said apologetically, looking down.

For the first time in a long while, I saw a glimmer of hope in my father's eyes, like he was relieved to finally let go of his past and move on. It was a small victory, but it meant a lot to me.

As we drove away from my parents' house, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me.

“Dad, I have to admit, seeing you nervous is a rare treat. Did you practice that apology speech in front of the mirror?” I teased.

My dad chuckled, “Maybe I did, just a little bit.”

“Well, I forgive you,” I said with a grin, feeling the tension in the room dissipate.

“Thank you, son,” he said, his relief palpable. He hugged me, but quickly let go, as if he didn't want to push his luck.

Tonia spoke up, “I'm sorry too, sir. I can be a bit hot-headed sometimes.”

My dad raised an eyebrow, “Oh, I noticed.”

Tonia rolled her eyes, “Well, apology accepted.” My dad beamed, “Thank you both for coming. And don't worry, I'll take good care of my grand daughter.”

I gave my dad a nod, “I know you will.”

As we left, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. It was nice to clear the air with my dad and move forward. Plus, seeing him squirm a little bit was a bonus.