Theyideon stretched as he stepped into the living room. The breakfast was surprisingly already prepared, and when he peeked into the kitchen, he found Freya there, finally out of her workshop, humming happily as she cooked eggs in the pan.

Of course, they were normal eggs, not the blue ones. That reminded him to buy more fresh ingredients like meat and chicken, along with large refrigerators to store them.

Since Summer was pregnant and others would likely follow soon, Gideon decided that aberrant meat was off-limits. He knew Kanna and the other pregnant women could still handle it, but there was nothing better than normal, unmutated meat and fresh vegetables.

He then walked on his toes and hugged Freya from behind. She jumped at the sudden touch and shouted, "Ahh! Gideon! That’s dangerous!"

"What? I kind of missed you. You’ve been gone for too long." He kissed her neck, finally able to take in her scent.

"Wow, you smell nice. Summer once told me you hate bathing. Is that because of the water from aberrants?"

Freya frowned, though a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Well, it hasn’t been that long, not even a week... but I missed you too."

She grinned. "And you’re right. The water from aberrants makes your skin sticky, and it has a weird smell and taste."

"Figures. I tried it once and never again. Anyway, why are you suddenly making breakfast?"

Freya turned off the stove and quickly placed the eggs onto a plate before leaning closer and whispering, "My sister is having a bad morning. She keeps vomiting. The pregnancy must be hitting her hard."

Gideon nodded. "I could buy some candy or something sweet to make her feel better." He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to deal with morning sickness.

"Ugh, I don’t know what to do either. Elaine is busy. She already went to the Climber Rift at five this morning. Should I ask Kanna? But Kilian keeps sticking to her side."

He rubbed his chin. "Alright, I’ll drag Kilian with me. You can ask Kanna. She already knows. And... how should I put this... is it possible to hide her pregnancy from your mom?"

Freya shook her head quickly, her hands forming an X. "It’s impossible! She has the instincts of a witch. She’ll find out sooner or later..."

She rubbed her stomach. "Ugh, seeing my sister like that... What if I’m pregnant too? What should I do? My mom will kill me!"

She looked panicked, and Gideon could only place his hands on her shoulders. "It’s okay. I’ll talk to her later..."

Though his expression showed uncertainty. "For now, just try to keep your mother’s attention on Summer."

"I-I’ll try..." she sighed. "Even though today is supposed to be the day the engine finally arrives at the Climber Rift."

"Oh, really? Just tell Elaine to handle it instead of you." Gideon reached for the plate full of eggs and bread, but Freya was faster.

"I already did. And this food is for Summer and me. I already cooked some, it’s on the dining table. I need to take care of my sister before my mom wakes up."

Freya hurried out, almost running, but she slowed down to glance around, likely trying to avoid running into Delilah.

Gideon ran his fingers through his hair, combing it back. He wanted to check on Summer too, but he had too many projects to supervise, and he still needed to drag Kilian along.

"I’ll meet her tonight," he muttered.

He then found Kanna and Kilian in the living room. Kanna looked annoyed, while Kilian seemed to be enjoying himself, which only made it worse.

’Should I kick him out of the house?’

Honestly, he had only accepted them because the baby needed treatment from Elaine. But now they are fine. He hoped they would move to the Climber Rift or into the apartment once it was ready.

Kanna was useful. Her network and connections with various factions made her a valuable source of information. Even now, the "newspapers" he received were all sent through her.

Kilian, on the other hand...

Gideon cleared his throat. "You. Come with me."

Kilian pointed at himself. "Me? I have a night shift—"

"Just take him away, please. I don’t need two children to take care of," Kanna sighed, pushing her husband forward.

Gideon smiled brightly as he grabbed Kilian and dragged him out of the house.

They went to William, checking on the apartment’s progress. The poles had already been driven firmly into the ground, and the framework of the building was beginning to take shape. It was still skeletal, but the structure was clearly forming.

From a distance, everything looked on track.

Up close, however, the tension between William and Grant was hard to miss. Their exchange remained civil, but there was a stiffness to it, an unspoken friction that lingered in the air.

Gideon chose not to dwell on it. That could wait.

"What’s the current status?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over the site.

William straightened slightly before answering. "Foundation work has been completed ahead of schedule. The load-bearing poles are secured, and the initial framework is approximately forty percent finished."

He gestured toward several sections of the structure. "If we maintain this pace, we can begin reinforcing the upper supports by tomorrow."

He paused briefly, as if organizing his thoughts.

"That said, our current limitation is manpower. We are operating below optimal capacity, which affects both speed and efficiency, especially during material transport and structural alignment."

His eyes shifted back to Gideon. "If possible, I would like to reassign a portion of the men you brought yesterday. Even a small allocation would allow us to stabilize workflow and reduce overall construction time."

"Ah, those men are off-limits for now, but I heard Jade will be coming this afternoon with more people, right?" Gideon turned to Kilian, watching as the man gave a lazy nod in response.

"Yeah, don’t worry. Jade never breaks her agreements. She’ll bring more manpower, that’s for sure. But she’s going to need more seeds and proper soil if you want anything sustainable out of it."

"No problem, but can she even grow anything during winter? The temperature alone might kill everything before it starts."

"Hm... she already prepared a small greenhouse setup before coming here, something insulated. So I think it’ll work, at least for basic crops. Anyway, don’t drag me into this too much."

He clicked his tongue, his expression turning annoyed. "I was planning to spend some proper time with my wife today, you know?"

Gideon let out a quiet scoff and rolled his head slightly before shifting his attention back to William.

"You heard him. If you need materials, just buy them. Don’t wait for my approval every time. And if there’s a problem with Grant, tell me directly. I don’t want it slowing things down."

William cleared his throat. "Understood. I will keep personal matters separate from the project."

He paused briefly before adding, "I will maintain professional boundaries. However, if he keeps getting too headstrong, I will report it immediately."

Gideon gave a small nod, satisfied. "Good. I’ll check on the guard tower and come back later once I’ve seen it myself."

"The guard tower," William repeated, already pulling up a detailed layout on his tablet. He stepped closer, angling the screen so Gideon could see clearly.

"You may want to consider assigning personnel there sooner rather than later. The structure includes basic living quarters, a functional kitchen, and designated storage areas suitable for food reserves and emergency supplies."

He tapped a few sections on the screen. "The upper level provides a clear line of sight across the outer perimeter. It’s designed for observation and early detection. Structurally, it can support continuous occupancy for at least three individuals without strain."

Gideon studied the layout more carefully this time. William was right. The design wasn’t just decorative, it was practical. It resembled a hybrid between a watchtower and a lighthouse, built for both surveillance and survival.

Still, at the moment, it felt unnecessary. The barrier already covered everything. There was no immediate threat that required constant watch.

Maybe in winter. When aberrants started behaving differently.

"Thanks, I still need to check it. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not."

Kilian groaned under his breath but didn’t argue.

As they walked away, Gideon’s attention shifted briefly when they passed Aria and Daphne. The two were busy cooking for the construction workers, moving more efficiently now that they had extra help.

The newly arrived women were adjusting quickly, handling even aberrant meat without much hesitation. Even so, something lingered in his mind.

"What about them?" Gideon asked, slowing his steps slightly.

Aria looked up and nodded. "They’re fine... physically, at least. They actually asked to help earlier, but I told them to keep resting for now. It’s better that way."

She hesitated for a moment before adding, "And about the women you brought, I haven’t talked to them yet, boss. I’ve been focusing on managing food and water supplies first."

"You don’t have to rush," Gideon said, tapping her shoulder lightly, his tone easing a bit. "You’ve got the entire winter ahead of you. Just handle things one step at a time."

Aria let out a small breath, visibly relaxing. "Alright."

Not long after, they reached the guard tower.

It stood alone at the far edge of the Safe Zone, separated from everything else. No nearby structures, no activity, just a single building rising against the open land, exposed and isolated in a way that felt almost intentional.

Kilian tilted his head up, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "Yeah... staying here too long would drive anyone insane."

Gideon followed his gaze, taking in the emptiness surrounding it. The silence out here was different, heavier somehow.

"Agreed," he said quietly.

Even for someone who preferred solitude, a place like this wasn’t peaceful. It was suffocating in its own way.