‘What is this?’ Draco thought upon iing the ges to his body.

  He felt as though part of his reasoning was being partially suppressed.

  He could feel power c through his body, seeming to feed off his rage.

  He could now see why Dimitra was afraid of him.

  ‘Is it a new ability?’ he questiorying to calm himself down a.

  It looked like an advanced version of his partial transformation skill.

  ‘Bottle ye, now is not the time,’ Draco repeated, taking deep breaths until he felt his body reverting back to normal.

  "Dimitra, don't be scared. It's just me," Draco said softly.

  "Sniff, Nii," Dimitra cried out, running doweps and hugging him.

  ‘Sigh, look what you did to your little sister,’ Draco scolded himself.

  He hugged Dimitra tightly, gently rog her until she calmed down and stopped g.

  ‘What do I do now? How do I break the o them? How will we live from now on?’ Draco couldn't help but ponder.

  All the adults in their lives were now dead, and the rest of the town were likely dead too.

  He didn't know anyone or where he even was in the world of Danmachi.

  He had seven children to take care of, aoo hysically a child, so there was no hope of legitimate work.

  Even if he found one, he khat he would just be exploited.

  There was also another major problem: him, Vasiliki, and Vasileios.

  Their races were rare, meaning they were basically sve trader mags.

  The most likely choice left was to go to Orario and begin the life of an adventurer, gaining the prote of a familia.

  This would be one of the most logical paths he could take after what just happened, but he knew what was currently happening in Orario.

  Going there now would be suicide for him and his siblings.

  The Zeus and Hera familia were going to lose to the one-eyed bck dragon who just destroyed his home.

  They would be almost wiped out, leaving a massive power sink iy.

  A terrible power struggle was going to take pce soon after, and he didn't want to be in the mix of it.

  He himself could probably survive somehow, but the same wasn't true for the children now in his care.

  "Here, rest on my p," Draco offered Dimitra, wiping the tears off her fabsp;

  "Hmm," Dimitra nodded, resting her head on his p, gazing at the glowing va in front of her.

  She could subtly surmise that something bad had happened; she wasn't stupid.

  She could feel pain and rage emanating from her older brother, but she couldn't do anything about it.

  For now, she wao rest and dream of her happy times.

  She could somewhat tell that the ing days weren't going to be easy.

  Draco caressed her hair slowly as he watched her drift into sleep.

  He couldn't do anything for now; the other children were still unscious, and right now he didn't feel like moving.

  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  Four hours ter...

  Everyone had woken up from their unscious state.

  Michalis, Nikoos, Vasileios, Eleni, Dimitra, Vasiliki, and Cir were now seated on the dirt in front of Drabsp;

  The sky had already begun to darken, but the glow of the boiling va illumihe area they were trapped within.

  Draco had mao plete his tuo the surface within that time.

  He partially sealed the entrao prevent any weird monsters from ing inside.

  It was time to tell them that their parents, grandparents, and teacher were dead.

  Draco took a deep breath while carefully posing his thoughts.

  This was going to be one of the hardest things he'd ever have to do. g his fist tightly, he began speaking.

  "Children," he began softly, "I have something very difficult to tell all of you."

  The seven young faces looked up at him expetly, their eyes shining with a mixture of fear and hope.

  Dimitra, still resting in his p, gazed up at him with plete trust.

  Draco's heart ched at the realization of what he was about to shatter.

  "Our parents... grandparents….and our teacher Rize... they're..." Draco paused, his voice catg in his throat.

  "They're gohe words hung heavy in the air, their meaning sinking in slowly.

  Eleni's eyes widened in horror.

  "What do you mean, 'gone'?" she asked shakily. "Where did they go?" she asked.

  Draco swallowed hard. "They... they didn't make it. The attack..." He trailed off, uo finish the sentence.

  Vasileios' face crumpled as the realization dawned on him.

  "Th-they're... dead?" he asked in a small, trembling voibsp;

  Draodded solemnly, his own eyes glistening with uears.

  "I'm so, so sorry." Draco said, not sure why he ologizing. Fate had simply dealt them a horrible hand.

  A deafening silence fell over the group as the children processed the devastating news.

  Dimitra let out a gut-wreng wail, burying her fa Draco's shirt.

  Eleni began to sob untrolbly, Michalis holdiightly as tears streamed down his own fabsp;

  Vasiliki sat stunned, her expression one of pure anguish.

  Cir and Nikoos simply stared into the distaheir eyes hollow.

  Draco felt utterly powerless as he watched his siblings' hearts shatter.

  He loo take their pain away, to somehow make this all better, but he khere was nothing he could say or do to ease their suffering.

  All he could do was be there for them, to grieve with them.

  After what felt like ay, Vasileios spoke up, his voice quivering.

  "Wh-what are we going to do now, Nii-san?" he asked.

  "I... I don't know yet," Draitted.

  "But I promise I will do everything in my power to take care of all of you. We'll figure this out, together." Draco added.

  Vasileios nodded shakily, grasping Draco's hand.

  The simple gesture veyed his trust, and Draco squeezed it gently iurn, silently vowing to protect his siblings no matter what.

  As the children's cries gradually subsided into sniffles, Draew he had to broach the subjebsp;

  "There's something else I o tell you all," he said solemnly.

  Seven pairs of eyes turo him, their expressions a mixture of trepidation and resignation.

  Draco took a deep breath.

  "After the attack happened, something... ged. I'm not sure how to expin it, but I'm different now. Different in a way that might make things even more difficult for us." He expined.

  Nikoos looked up at him, his eyes red-rimmed fr.

  "What do you mean, Nii-san?" he asked in a small voice. Draco hesitated, not wanting to arm them further.

  "I... I'm irely sure myself. But I think it might be a new ability, or power, that I've developed." He paused, weighing his words carefully.

  "And it's... it's not something that's easy to trol." He stated.

  "What do you mean, Nii-san? What kind of power is it?" Vasileios asked, his brows furrowed.

  Draco sighed heavily. "I'm not sure, but it's... it's something that could be dangerous. To you, and to anyone around me." He said to them all with a serious expression.

  "I need you all to promise me that if it happens again, you'll stay away from me. For your own safety. At least until I figure it out" he warned.

  The children exged worried gnces, but ultimately nodded in uanding.

  Dimitra, however, refused to let go of Draco's shirt, her small fingers ging to the fabric.

  "I won't leave you, Nii-san," she said defiantly, her voice trembling.

  "I don't care if it's dangerous. You're my family, and I'm not going anywhere." she stated firmly.

  Draco's heart swelled with both pride and anguish at his sister's loyalty.

  He gently stroked her hair, wishing he could shield her from the harsh realities of their new reality.

  "I know, Dimitra," he murmured.

  "And I love you for that. But I couldn't bear it if something happeo you because of me." He turo the others, his expression somber.

  "That goes for all of you. Your safety has to be my top priority now." he said.

  The children nodded relutly, their eyes downcast.

  Draew this was just the beginning of the difficult versations and decisions they would have to fa the days and weeks to e.

  As the darkness of night approached them, Draco gathered his siblings close, what little fort and warmth he could.

  They huddled together, ging to one another as they grieved the unimaginable loss of their family.

  Draind raced as he tried to formute a pn, to figure out their move.

  But for now, all he could do was hold his family and provide them with the safety and security they so desperately needed.

  "We'll get through this, I promise," he murmured, more to himself than to the children.

  "I'll do whatever it takes to keep us all safe. No matter what." he stated firmly.

  His siblings seemed to take so his words, their bodies slowly rexing.

  Seeing as they were more calm and rexed, Draco decided that he o go to the surface to sge for food before it got any darker than it currently was.

  He was aware that everyone was both physically aally exhausted.