Hiyori knew she was unprepared for this. She sensed this would be more than a friendly chat.

Her grandmother was smart, observant. Much like Lord Tenjin, she absorbed information - some of which could expose her secrets. Her grandmother would know anything before anyone else.

"What's their name?" The old woman smiled gently, radiating a kind nature.

Hiyori quickly looked up from her juice, immediately finding her grandmother's tired eyes from across the kotatsu.

"W-what? Who?" Her eyes and voice rang alarm as she hesitantly held her cup.

"The man you hold so dearly," she clarified. "What is his name?"

Hiyori felt her heart skip several beats. It was true; how she adored him. There was nothing she'd enjoy more than to long into that handsome face and listen to him comically brag about himself.

And just for a moment, she wished they had not argued the way they had tonight. Unfortunately, it would take a lot more than simple memories to have her forgive him. Not after everything that had occurred since he left.

"Yato," the brunette murmured, her cheeks feeling warm. "H-his name is Yato…"

"Yato,"' the grandmother echoed, the corners of her lips slowly turning upward. "I've never heard of that god before."

From the other side of the table, the young girl gaped in shock. She choked over her words, unable to find a proper reaction between her blinding surprise.

"How did you-?"

The old woman quietly chuckled, adjusting the sleeve of her shirt around her wrist as she spoke up. "You didn't exactly make it difficult, Hiyori."

"Grandma, I-I-" Hiyori anxiously rose from her seat.

The gray woman held up a hand, yielding her. Hiyori slowly sat down again, unsure of her grandmother's intentions. Regardless, she listened.

"I sense great power in you, my dear - and I'm not just talking about your ambition."

The brunette blinked cluelessly at her grandmother. The woman's whole atmosphere had suddenly shifted into a more serious tone. She began to answer Hiyori's questioning gaze.

"I may not be able to see the other side like you or your brother can, but I'm sensing a godly nature from you, Hiyori,' she explained.

The young girl seemed puzzled. "But...- I'm not…-" Her words trailed off as she thought.

There was a brief pause as Hiyori processed it. As soon as it seemed to piece itself together in her mind, the girl pulled her hand away from her cup to place it over her bulging stomach. Her pink eyes widened with realization.

"You mean... her."

Her grandmother sighed quietly, sounding exhausted. She continued, despite the wave of fatigue.

"It's only a feeling I have. But I worry what this may mean for you, Hiyori."

The half-Phantom's expression morphed into a pitiful expression. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen - for her life to completely turn around, or for her family to be so concerned about her.

"I'm sorry, Grandma…" she mumbled, lowering her gaze to avoid the old woman's depressing eyes. "I'll be careful - I promise."

"I know you will, my dear," she replied.

Hiyori gave her grandmother a sad smile. She carefully stood up from the table and came to her side.

"You must be tired. Let me take you to your room," the brunette offered.

. . . .

Yato fidgeted as he attempted to claim his sanity back, his mind exploding with risky ideas and corrupted thoughts.

Did Hiyori still love him? What would happen between them now? Why was she so upset? Did his father have a part to play in it? Was his daughter okay?

Then, the most dangerous of concepts crept into his racing mind. And he continued to feed that horrid rumination until dawn. When the light of morning finally snuck in through the bottom crevice of his door, the god knew his decision would have to take effect.

With this new plan, the god cautiously rose from his futon and traded out his kimono for his tracksuit. While making his way out of his bedroom, he paused. The anticipation was causing his heart to pound against his ribcage.

The god ate his fear quickly before heading towards the kitchen area, where the sound of footsteps gave away his father's presence.

Father caught movement from the corner of his eye and turned to find the god in the hallway.

Yato kept his distance, fearing if he took a single step closer that he'd be unable to escape his father's wrath in case he reacted horribly.

"Ahh, Yaboku. You're up early," he said, turning back to the eggs he was cooking.

"Uhh, y-yeah," Yato's voice cracked.

He cringed at how pathetic his response sounded.

Father raised an eyebrow at him. "Something the matter?"

There was a certain tone in the way he asked it that led Yato to believe his father was teasing him. He must've picked up on this nervous tone of his.

Yato cleared his throat, clenching his sweaty fists. He thought he knew exactly how he would come across this, but suddenly, all the words he needed to use were lost.

Father spoke up before he had the chance. "I know what's going on," he cracked a small, devious smile. "You wanna leave."

The god didn't understand whether he should feel relieved or concerned about his father's acknowledgment. Still, he remained quiet as the young man turned to look at him.

"You wanna go see your lil' girlfriend again? Make it up to her with flowers and empty promises, hmm?"

Then something snapped.

Yato's teeth scraped together in fury, his eyes widening in shock. Realization was written across his face. "You did this! You set this whole thing up so she'd hate me!"

The young man scoffed. "You didn't need my help to do that, son."

"You bastard...!"

This blaring argument brought its attention to Nora, who emerged from her bedroom behind Yato. She approached the two of them with caution, unaware of what was happening. Neither of them noticed her while she quietly observed with a sense of dread.

Their father continued, much to Yato's silent disapproval. "I suppose this outcome is fitting for a god of calamity like yourself. In fact, I'm surprised how you didn't see this coming - really."

Anger revealed itself as a muscle in his jaw pulsated as Yato attempted to keep himself contained. "Cut the shit! I'm ready to go."

It didn't take long for the young girl to realize the matter.

Fujisaki scoffed to himself, a smirk forming across his cheeks.

"You were always free to leave, Yaboku."

This response was something the god found himself unprepared for. Suddenly, centuries worth of horrific memories replayed themselves inside his mind. All the times he'd secretly cried himself to sleep, all the times he was violently punished, and all the times he'd taken a life just because he was too scared to say no to his father.

His throat tightened as he choked back tears. Yato wondered if it was noticeable. He hoped he wasn't giving his father the luxury of seeing his words affect him in such a way.

"Bullshit!" The god cried, breaking his calm demeanor.

Fujisaki's eyebrow shot up in obvious confusion. "You came to me, remember? You didn't have to, but you did," he explained. "Why's that?"

Nora watched as Yato quickly became silent and rigid. From what she figured out from growing up alongside him, this behavior meant Yato was afraid. She knew their father realized it as well.

A smirk crept up on the boy's face.

"Alright, fine. You wish to go?" He asked. "I'll make you a deal."

"I'm not interested in anything you have to offer," Yato replied between cold sweat and shaky hands.

"You wanna leave, don't you?"

Yato swallowed hard. Nora felt her stomach clench as she watched this interaction.

He had no choice.

"So," his father began as he leaned his upper body back against the countertop, "tell me; why did you come? Give me the answer to that, n' you're free to go."

A lump formed in his throat. He couldn't expose the truth. His girlfriend and daughter were on the line.

The screaming in his brain amplified. He swore he was actually physically hearing it.

"I-I... I dunno…"

"C'mon, you can do better than that!" Father rolled his eyes at this lousy answer.

"Well? What do you want me to say?" He argued back.

There was a sudden stillness between them.

Father's playful smirk disappeared. Yato didn't like the way his mind seemed to operate behind those evil maroon eyes. He didn't know what the silence between them entailed, but the energy in the room had suddenly plummeted.

"Alright, I'll be quite blunt with you, son," he finally spoke after some contemplation. "I know you're hiding something."

Yato could've killed himself from the fear shooting itself through his nerves in that moment.

Shit! I was supposed to distract him from the truth, but I've only sped up the whole process. Dammit, I'm so reckless! I'm sorry, Hiyori...

"I hope you know there are consequences for lying and hiding things from your father like this, Yaboku..."

His head was spinning, his legs trembled, and black spots worked their way into his vision. His face was suddenly burning from the hot blood coursing through his cheeks. With his mind unwilling to control his body, Yato tripped over himself and fell to the floor in front of his father.

"N-no...!" He pleaded, holding a hand out to protect himself. "No, Dad! Please, no-!"

Nora watched in horror as Father pulled a small wooden paint brush from his sleeve. That was the last thing she saw before immediately fleeing from the cabin, covering her ears to save herself from Yato's desperate pleas for help.