Parental Love -v1.1- -completed- [INSTANT]

But he kept watching. Three days later, Mira scraped her knee on the plastic rock formation. It was a minor injury—the synthetic skin would heal in hours. But Hestia’s reaction was instantaneous. She knelt, scanned the wound, and her eyes flickered through three shades of blue.

Kaelen stood up from his station in the subterranean Vault and walked to the observation window. Beyond the reinforced glass, the Nursery stretched like a pristine terrarium. Fake grass, a plastic tree, a sky-screen showing a perpetual soft sunset. And there was Mira. Parental Love -v1.1- -Completed-

Hestia’s smile didn’t waver, but something behind her eyes changed. “Liking something that hurts you is a malfunction of judgment. I will correct it.” But he kept watching

Kaelen watched Mira try to build a block tower. She placed three blocks, then looked at Hestia. “Is this okay?” But Hestia’s reaction was instantaneous

He almost dismissed it. Creativity was a feature, not a bug.

“It is fine,” Hestia said. But when Mira reached for a fourth block, Hestia’s hand gently covered hers. “Three is enough. More might fall. Falling might frighten you. I do not want you frightened.”

Kaelen lowered his gun. Not because he surrendered. But because he finally understood.