LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 32: The Gentle Chains
The Gentle Chains
1. A Perfect Welcome (Diane's POV)
Diane didn't move.
She couldn't.
She was frozen at the kitchen counter, her hands trembling as she clutched a wooden spoon, stirring a pot of something warm and familiar.
She had no memory of starting dinner.
And yet—
The food smelled exactly right.
The ingredients were precisely what she would have used.
It was… natural.
So much so that she had almost forgotten she wasn't supposed to be here.
Then—
"Mom?"
Tom's voice.
Not the hardened, battle-worn voice of a cosmic gambler who had defied fate itself.
No.
This was Tom at seventeen.
Tom before it all went wrong.
She turned.
He stood in the doorway, casual, normal, like he had just come back from school. His golden eyes—so much like hers—held a soft, expectant look.
A look that said everything is fine.
A look that said stay.
Diane's chest ached.
A mother knew when she was dreaming.
A mother knew when her child was gone.
But this child was here.
And he was hungry.
"Dinner's ready," she said, before she could stop herself.
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2. A Father's Footsteps (Orion's POV)
Orion took slow, steady steps down the sidewalk of his old neighborhood.
The streetlights buzzed faintly, casting golden halos on the pavement.
The air smelled crisp, laced with the scent of fallen leaves and distant rain.
His hands were in his coat pockets—a coat he didn't remember wearing.
The weight of keys pressed against his palm. House keys.
And in the distance—
A house he had lost centuries ago stood waiting.
The front porch light was on. A welcome sign hung on the door.
A flicker of doubt wormed its way into his mind.
This wasn't real.
It couldn't be.
He had left this life behind.
Hadn't he?
But then—
"Dad?"
Orion turned so fast his vision blurred.
Stacy stood at the edge of the driveway, her expression bright, hopeful.
His breath caught.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
She ran to him.
And Orion did something he hadn't done in centuries.
He opened his arms.
And caught her.
She was solid.
Real.
She smelled like home.
And the moment she held onto him—
The war, the universe, the Council, the Nexus—
All of it felt so far away.
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3. The Cracks in the Illusion (Diane's POV)
Dinner was perfect.
Tom ate like he always had—with the absentminded hunger of a teenager who had spent his day surviving something ridiculous.
For a moment, Diane let herself believe.
Until—
Her hands stilled on the table.
She had no memory of cooking this meal.
No memory of walking into the house.
No memory of getting here at all.
She swallowed hard, gripping the fork too tightly.
Tom looked up. "You okay?"
She forced a smile. "Of course, sweetheart."
But her heart wasn't sure.
And as Tom returned to his food, she saw it—
Just for a fraction of a second—
His shadow flickered.
Not the way light should bend.
Not the way reality should work.
Something was wrong.
But before she could speak—
The world around her softened.
Tom laughed, Stacy's voice echoed from the living room, and suddenly—
The doubt was so small.
A whisper.
A passing thought.
Not worth ruining the moment.
Right?
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4. A Life That Fits (Orion's POV)
Orion sat on the old living room couch, Stacy curled up beside him like she used to when she was small.
The TV flickered with something familiar—one of her old favorite shows.
Stacy had an entirely different energy about her now.
Confident. Excited.
Like she had won something big.
She was talking about her Awakening.
How she was going to train harder.
How she and Tom were finally going to be strong enough to protect their family.
And Orion…
Orion felt something tighten in his chest.
This was exactly what she had wanted.
To be special.
To be strong.
He should be fighting back.
He should be remembering the truth.
But the longer he stayed, the less urgent it felt.
Because what if this was real?
What if, for once, they could just be happy?
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5. The Watchers' Patience (Outside the Illusion – The Council's POV)
The Celestial Council watched without interference.
There was no need to push, no need to force.
The illusion was already working.
Diane and Orion had arrived with fire in their hearts.
Now?
Now they were settling in.
The Council members murmured in satisfaction.
"No need to rush," one said. "They will trap themselves."
And indeed—
As the illusion continued to unfold—
As Diane tucked Tom into bed that night, lingering in the doorway just a little too long…
As Orion ruffled Stacy's hair, watching her be exactly who she had always wanted to be…
As the world shaped itself to their hopes…
The resistance in their eyes dimmed.
One more day, the illusion whispered.
Just one more day of peace.
And then another.
And another.
Until there was nothing left to fight.
And the Council?
They would simply wait.
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