The cold January wind bit gently at the edges of Riku's coat as he strode through the bustling city streets, a basket of carefully chosen ingredients swinging from one hand. The shops were alive with the murmur of early morning shoppers preparing for the winter festival, but Riku's mind was only half on the task.
His thoughts were with Yumi and their twins — Kazuki and Kazumi — back home, warm and safe in the Hayashi house, wrapped in blankets and surrounded by love.
Suddenly, his pocket buzzed sharply.
He glanced at the screen. It was Yumi.
"Riku," her voice trembled, excitement barely contained, "Kazuki and Kazumi are walking. They just took their first steps."
Riku froze mid-step, the basket nearly slipping from his grasp.
"What?" he whispered, heart leaping.
"I'm serious! They just stood up and walked—both of them, side by side," Yumi giggled, breathless.
Riku smirked, quickly touching the ring on his finger.
"I'm on my way. Wait there."
With a pulse of essence, a shimmering duplicate of himself materialized beside him—the clone. He handed the shopping basket to it with a casual nod.
"You're shopping now," Riku said, voice calm but eager.
The clone gave a small salute and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Riku's true form to blaze toward home at a blur.
Exactly one minute and four seconds later, Riku stepped through the front door of the Hayashi residence.
Yumi looked up, cheeks flushed, eyes bright.
"That was fast," she teased.
Riku grinned, eyes scanning the living room.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
From the corner, two tiny figures tottered forward—Kazuki and Kazumi, their steps unsteady but determined. Their matching expressions of concentration and delight filled the room.
Riku knelt, heart pounding as he reached out.
As the twins took their first confident steps toward him, he noticed something else — a faint shimmer of energy around them. Not ordinary energy, but essence that felt familiar — a graceful flow of power moving like liquid light beneath their skin.
His breath caught.
"These aren't just any first steps," Riku murmured. "This power... it's coming from me. From Celestial Nexus."
He realized then that the twins' gifts were awakening — their powers already linked directly to the ancient source of his strength.
The family shared a quiet moment, the warmth of new life and legacy filling the room against the sharp chill of winter outside.
And in that moment, Riku knew their journey had truly begun.