Endless Evolution: Last Star

Bong. Bong. Bong.

The rubber ball bounced off the wall, following the same path over and over again and ending up in Adam's hand.

It had been a long time since Adam had been home. Well, technically, this was his first time in this house.

Immediately after the events at the Twilight Palace, he faced many obstacles. From Erik's mansion to his departure at the Lower Ring and his arrival at the Dark Shore. It was a long road that, in a sense, began on Heaven Island and ended there.

The house at the Third Ring was still owned by his family, but that didn't matter. Now, he was in the mansion in the first wing, which overlooked the city center and the lands of the Alderran Family in the distance.

He received this mansion for his victory against Reinz at the Twilight Palace. The stakes were huge, so it became his reward, although he was surprised that his wish had been granted.

"Well..." Adam lingered, throwing the ball against the wall. "Before I became a Phantom, all I thought about was where to make money, how to make my life better. Once I became a Phantom, I hardly had any time for that, and now... It doesn't matter anymore."

Sure, Adam was glad he could afford anything he wanted, and especially that his family had access to the same. It was a nice feeling, as was having a mansion in the heart of the First Ring.

"Tsk. So you're telling me that in seven years, thanks to the Queen's barrier, this house will still be standing, but my family will be gone? Shit!"

It didn't matter what Adam wanted, if it had a price in credits, he could buy anything. He hadn't checked his account in a long time, but there were probably tens or hundreds of millions in it.

It didn't make sense, as he could easily kill a few Black Threat Level monsters and get huge sums from the government, which, oddly enough, was pointless. At this level, money didn't matter, only power that would allow him and other Phantoms to survive.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

There was a knock at the door as Adam turned around.

Trici entered. She had changed a lot over the past year, as every few months were noticeable at her age. She had grown taller and her hair had grown longer, but most importantly, her eyes shone brightly in anticipation of new discoveries.

This couldn't help but make Adam's gaze darken.

Considering that the World Wipe would happen in seven years, Trici wouldn't even reach adulthood. The thought of it was painful for Adam, but he couldn't let on that anything was wrong.

"Brother! Stop sitting there! Come on, dinner's ready! Mom made so much food! I haven't seen anything like it in a long time!" Trici exclaimed in excitement. Like most children, she would try to eat ten times more than she could handle, as usual.

Adam smiled weakly.

"Alright. Home-cooked meals are the best. Although... Don't forget to remind Mom that she can use delivery services. If she doesn't have the energy or desire, she doesn't have to cook every day."

"Pfffft!" Trici snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't worry, she knows that very well! The last time she cooked so much was a month ago! Brother, come home more often, I'll have more food!"

Adam scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 'So, is that my greatest value in her eyes? More food? Damn, that's both hurtful and funny at the same time.'

Then, they went downstairs, where the smell of various dishes hit Adam's nose. He immediately wanted to eat, even though he wasn't particularly hungry.

Soon, everyone sat down at the table, immersed in family comfort, conversation, and memories.

Adam didn't mind answering questions and participating in conversations. Well, he hid a lot and tried to smooth things over, but overall he didn't lie to Leona and Gary about his path, the monsters he defeated, and the power he gained along the way.

However, Adam always tried to steer the conversation toward the people he had met and the places he had visited, without going into frightening details.

In his free moments, Adam had the opportunity to appreciate how much better his parents looked.

He remembered well how tired they had looked a year ago when they were still living in the slums; now they were two different people.

"Hah, they say money can't buy happiness, then what can? If you don't let money corrupt you, then it's only good for one thing, especially when it comes to health." Adam thought, looking at Leona and then at Gary.

Everything had changed, from their energetic eyes to their smiles and soft skin that made them look younger.

"Hey, Adam..." Leona grinned slyly as she leaned on her hand. "I heard you found yourself a girlfriend. I thought Phantoms weren't supposed to date their Operators."

Despite her words, there was no hint of condemnation in her voice. She just wanted to know all the details, as much as possible.

"Well..." Adam faltered. "It's kind of complicated, but we're fine if that's what you wanted to know."

Before Adam could process this, Leona moved her chair closer to him as her eyes narrowed.

"Of course. I want to know as much as possible about it. Don't you dare hide any details from me!"

Gary and Adam exchanged glances as Gary smiled awkwardly. He had no control over Leona, especially at moments like this. Nothing could stop her, and no one could help Adam.

As a result, Adam was subjected to hours of interrogation. Leona continued to ask questions, sometimes repeating the same question several times to determine whether Adam was lying.

Fortunately for him, he answered directly, without attempting to conceal anything, so Leona was ultimately satisfied.

"Damn..." Adam sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair. 'It feels like I went through a military interrogation. Although, that's not far from the truth.'

Then, he looked at the table; most of the food had been eaten and everyone was full.

A warm smile appeared on Adam's face, as did the determination to do everything in his power.