<h4>Chapter 204 Chapter 204- Christmas Eve (Part 2)</h4>


    The three then decided to y some games before dinner. The games included chess, some fun quizzes, and even some challenges.


    Laughs and talks could be heard inside the house as the hours moved. Eventually, they had dinner which was probably the best they''ve ever tasted. All in all, it was an unforgettable night for them.


    Finally, after dinner, Kai sat them down before he went to the tree and pulled beautiful gift boxes from behind them.


    "Oooh, is it time for gifts?!" Eva eximed as she felt rather excited and anxious. She had bought a gift for Kai and she was waiting to give it to him. However, seeing how everything happened, she was rather anxious as to what could happen if he didn''t like it.


    The same was true for Kaya but she had more confidence since she knew Kai didn''t mind the gift itself but the sentiment is what mattered to him. He was never an individual who sought money, after all.


    "I didn''t have the time to buy something better," Kai said as he put down the gifts on the table. His tone didn''t sound different but they could hear the subtle change in his voice. He was certainly not confident about his choice since he never gifted nor taken a gift from someone… Except maybe once before and it was a bad memory either way.


    "I''m sure they''re great, my love!" Eva shook her head with a smile. The fact he''s giving her a gift is already something that fills her with endless happiness.


    "OK, so how should we open first? I want you to see the gift I bought for you." Kaya turned around and pulled a box out of her bag.


    Kai took the box before he looked up at Kaya again for a second. Then, he looked down again.


    "Can I open it?"


    "Of course."


    Nodding his head, Kai got rid of the gift wrapping before he found himself holding a high-quality wooden box. Tracing his hand on the lid, he opened it, revealing a beautiful, ck ne that had a small skull at the end of it.


    The ne was shiny even with its dark color, giving off a calm yet also eerie aura.


    "The skull itself wasn''t a part of the ne but I integrated it myself," Kaya said with a rather nervous look. She didn''t know what was Kai''s taste so she just went with her gut feeling. At first, she was confident, but now when it was in his hands, her heart rate increased.


    Kai remained silent for a long while as he looked at the ne before he finally moved and put the ne around his neck.


    "It''s good." He finally spoke.


    The moment Kaya heard that she exhaled a long sigh of relief before she smiled warmly. "I''m d you liked it, darling, and… Merry Christmas."


    "Now, it''s my turn!" Eva finally barged in as she put down a gift of her own.


    Kai nodded his head at her before he opened the box too. What he found inside was something he didn''t expect.


    Inside was a pair of stylish optical sses.


    "These are special sses that help with long hours in front of a screen or when you''re reading something. I noticed that you read a lot, my love so I made them especially for you." Eva smiled.


    ''Damn, that''s a good gift.'' Kaya nodded with a sigh. She could only admit that it was a great gift with how useful it was.


    Kai seemed to see that too as he opened the sses and wore them. Immediately, the two girls froze.


    *Gulp*


    Not even in their wildest dreams would they expect that a Santa us with sses and a ck ne would look anything other than goofy. Yet, somehow, by some godly decision, Kai appeared really attractive in that goofy attire.


    ''What the hell is wrong with this situation?!'' The two girls screamed in their heads. ''Why does he look good in anything? Is this a punishment?''


    Meanwhile, Kai seemed to enjoy these sses. Since they were probably imbued with some Origin, they were certainly veryfortable for the eyes. Even though he doesn''t need them persay, wearing them seemed to help him rx more so the benefit was present.


    "Thanks for the gift."


    "Don''t mention it and also, Merry Christmas, hohohoho!" Eva jokingly imitated a hearty, deepugh.


    However, she was met with awkward silence.


    "You''re embarrassing," Kaya said.


    "S-Shut up! I just wanted to sound funny!" Eva blushed.


    "It''s ok to be awkward, Kiddo. You were never a good talker, anyway."


    "I said shut up!!" Eva hid her face behind her hands as she cursed her stupidity.


    "Now, it''s the time for my gifts," Kai said.


    Then, Kai pulled two of the gifts and handed them to Eva and Kaya.


    The two gulped as they looked at the gifts with anticipation in their eyes. What could their first gifts ever from their beloved be?


    That was the one-million-dor question. No, the priceless question.


    ***


    Meanwhile, in a faraway ce in the world, in a hotel room. Aria was spending her time in front of her piano.


    Her hands descended on the piano, drawing a beautiful melody that resonated across the room and reverberated like a beautiful dancer, swaying left and right with each second passing. Her eyes didn''t look at the piano, but she could feel each key, each note, and each tone that the piano created.


    At that moment, it was as if the piano and Aria were one, their souls entwined in a passionate duet. The music wrapped around her like a warm embrace, carrying her and anyone fortunate enough to listen on a journey of emotions like no other.


    The melody reached the rooms near hers and the people who wanted toin immediately forgot that idea as they enjoyed the magical feeling they were experiencing.


    As she was ying, her fingers suddenly halted as she felt a small gush of wind rustle her hair. Her stoic face didn''t change as she spoke.


    "I expected you to appear sooner." She said.


    Her tone seemed to be talking to someone behind her.


    "I heard a quote from a book before ''A wizard never arriveste, nor early, he arrives precisely when he means to''. In this case, I''m that wizard. A twisted one that is." A yful tone replied as a shadow emerged from within the pond of darkness behind her.


    The same shadow figure that Kaya met, was now looking at Aria with a rxed expression.


    "Can I assume that this is an order from him?" She asked.


    "Hey, a job is a job, Aria. He seems to have noticed your abnormal behavior and he wants answers. But, more than answers, he is now feeling like you''re a threat that is going to betray him sooner orter. me it on your sudden concert and then kidnapping."


    "I did nothing."


    "Well, would it matter much if you told me that? He doesn''t trust you. You know him, Aria. Trust was never one of his traits, anyway." Shrugging, the man continued. "In any case, when you meet him again, you can negotiate how you would die with him."


    "Die?"


    "What did you expect? He would meet you with a pat on the shoulder and a ''good job''? Come on, Aria. You''re smarter than that. You''re the sole person who tricked the ck Phantom, after all. That achievement speaks volumes about your clever mind."


    "Sigh… I''m not going." Aria replied as she stood up and held her cane before she turned around.


    "Ohoh? Color me surprised. I didn''t expect that."


    "Me neither."


    "Hmm, now that would make it troublesome, wouldn''t it? Can''t you juste with me willingly? I''m feeling sluggish these days and I don''t want to move too much. Being a shadow man is a hassle."


    However, Aria didn''t reply and simply stood there.


    "Ugh, fine. Whatever." The shadow figure rolled his eyes before suddenly, a huge lump of darkness burst out of his hand and flew toward Aria at a horrifying speed. The lump of darkness slowly shifted as it formed a weird, distorted mouth mid-air before hitting its target.


    "Hm?" However, what the shadow figure expected to happen didn''t happen.


    The lump of darkness was blocked by a shiny de that appeared out of nowhere. Or not, looking at the handle of the sword, it was wooden, of the same shade as the cane Aria had.


    ''She stopped it with one hand? Now that''s something.'' He thought to himself when he saw the girl easily deflecting his attack with no apparent effort.


    "Well, let''s try this." Crouching down, the man put his hands on the ground as an endless amount of shadows flooded out of his arms and spread on the ground. The darkness quickly spread to the walls and the ceiling.


    "Shadow Spikes." He murmured as countless spikes rose from the darkness and flew toward Aria from all angles.


    ''Dodge th-''


    Before he could even finish his thought, Aria suddenly vanished under his eyes. When she appeared again, her de was already slicing through the air, aiming for his neck.


    ''Shit!''