Even Sylvia — who, compared to the other won, hadn’t been as close to Aziz during the five years he had devoted entirely to his training — felt a pang of jealousy upon hearing the words he spoke to Sofia and Zia.
And Stella too. Though her expression remained composed, inwardly, in her heart, she felt a flicker of envy. The words Aziz had spoken reached her more deeply than she would have liked to admit.
Yet she quickly regained her composure, shifting her gaze to her daughter, who now smiled with parted lips, seemingly intoxicated. It was a dazed and dreamy smile, suspended between enchantnt and shyness — one ant solely for Aziz.
Aziz, who still held Sofia and Zia in a warm embrace, suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. This wasn’t just any sensation — it was familiar, intimate, and unmistakable. He knew exactly what it ant.
He turned his head slowly, as though confronting a long-held premonition — and saw her. His beloved mother.
Astrid was watching him. Her dark eyes locked onto his, unwavering, unapologetic. It wasn’t a maternal gaze. There was no protective tenderness, no warmth that usually accompanied her love.
It was sothing else entirely.
Those eyes looked capable of consuming everything around them — even him. A raw, possessive intensity, as if the very essence of the woman cried out for him, yearning for the exclusivity of his attention.
And yet, despite knowing he might be lost in that abyss if he held her gaze too long, Aziz found it... beautiful.
Beautiful and srizing.
He smiled at his mother — a gentle, affectionate, and deeply sincere smile. The kind shared by soone who knew every nuance of her soul and loved her beyond reason. Even with all her possessiveness, bordering on madness.
But Aziz wanted to make sothing clear — that he, too, felt the sa.
With that, he allowed his own gaze to change, mirroring hers.
It wasn’t imitation.
It wasn’t a hollow mimicry.
It was an expression of his true self — a possessive young man who loved his mother not just as a maternal figure, but as sothing more...
Sothing that, in his previous world, would have been morally forbidden. Judged. Condemned. Despised. He would have been seen as revolting — a disgusting monster.
But in this world — where power dictated the rules — he saw no reason to suppress what he felt.
Without speaking a single word, he declared to her: "You are mine. And mine alone."
Astrid understood. Her eyes instantly recognized the shift in his.
Aziz’s gaze now glead with a deep, silvery luster. And all that intensity — all that focus — was directed at her, and her alone.
No veils. No masks.
A chill ran down her spine. Her heart began to beat erratically, faster than it should. A blush rose to her cheeks, and for a fleeting mont, her breath caught.
She felt it.
She felt every fragnt of her son’s emotions.
Startled by herself, she placed a hand over her chest, as if trying to still the uneven rhythm of her heart.
She couldn’t explain why — but she averted her gaze. Her blush deepened. Her once-intense stare softened, shy and reserved... but undeniably happy.
She was loved. Desired.
And what unsettled her most... was that she liked it.
Aziz noticed it all. And his smile widened just a little more.
’Hahaha... She acts like a possessive goddess, but deep down she’s just a shy woman,’ he thought to himself with quiet amusent.
Turning his attention back to Sofia and Zia, still in his arms, he looked at them with affection, studying their faces.
He wanted to see if there was any hint of uncertainty in their expressions.
But there wasn’t. Both looked at him with bashful eyes, holding him tightly. They were fine — or at least, outwardly, they appeared to be. Even so, he would speak with them later. He wanted to understand exactly what had happened during the battle.
Selene, still standing at the center of the room and visibly impatient, furrowed her brows.
Irritated by the delay and the romantic air lingering around them, she decided to break the mont.
She called out to the guild master.
"Guild master, I think he’s ready for the next test, don’t you?"
Edward, lost in thought about Aziz’s true origins, was jolted from his musings by her voice.
"Ah, yes... You’re right," he replied, nodding before walking over to the mysterious young man.
Aziz had heard Selene’s remark and gently released the two girls. He did so delicately, even as their arms clung tighter to him, as if wanting to keep him for just a mont longer.
He kissed each of them softly on the forehead, smiling, before turning to Edward.
"So, young man... ready to move on to the final test? Honestly, after seeing your battle with Selene, I think you’ve more than proven yourself," the guild master said, unable to hide his admiration.
Aziz paused for a mont. He too felt there was no need for another test. He had already shown more than enough.
Besides, fighting a restrained magical beast didn’t seem nearly as thrilling as his fight with Selene — that had been real.
"If it’s not necessary, then I’ll pass. I don’t think it would be as interesting as my fight with Selene," he replied, casting a quick glance at the warrior, who was still watching him intensely, unable to hide it.
"I see," Edward nodded. "In that case, let’s proceed to the adventurer certification process."
Deep down, he was a little disappointed. He had wanted to see more.
In fact, he even considered lying — claiming the second test was mandatory. His curiosity was burning.
But when he looked at the figures surrounding Aziz — especially the two imposing won beside the city’s ruler — he let go of the idea.
He wasn’t a fool. Nor arrogant enough to believe that his position as guild master would protect him if he tried to force anything.
Especially knowing who he was dealing with.
When Edward had seen Lady Stella earlier that day, a chill had run through him. She had advanced another stage in her ascension — sothing few managed in such a short ti.
By his estimation, she had already reached peak Terror level. And he knew that, in comparison, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
As for the other two won?
One was clearly Aziz’s mother. The other, possibly a servant — based on her attire.
But the most disturbing part was... he couldn’t sense their level of power.
And worse, the mont he tried to probe them with his gaze, he felt as though death itself had stared back at him.
A chill sliced through his soul, forcing him to look away.
In truth, both Astrid and Isis had noticed his curious, slightly admiring gaze.
And they despised it.
Disgusted by being watched by another man, they deliberately released a fraction of their killing intent.
It was enough.
The only reason Edward wasn’t reduced to a bloody heap was because they knew he still had so use to Aziz at that mont.
Nothing more.
If he knew how close he’d co to death — and that he’d survived only because he was montarily useful — perhaps he’d be furious... or eternally grateful.
"Alright then. Since you’ve declined the final test, the next step is to prepare your adventurer’s card," Edward declared, turning and heading for the door, unaware of how close he’d co to the abyss.
Astrid approached Aziz, a curious and slightly teasing look in her eyes.
"Darling... why didn’t you want to take the next test? I thought you’d enjoy fighting a magical beast," she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aziz turned his eyes from Edward’s back to et his mother’s gaze.
"I just thought it was unnecessary. And to be honest... I want my first fight against a magical beast to be real. Wild. Not against so chained-up, display dummy," he replied with conviction.
Astrid smiled, looping her arm through his possessively yet tenderly.
The thought of him heading off on adventures gnawed at her. For a mont, she considered stopping him. Or going with him.
But she took a deep breath.
She suppressed that urge.
She smiled, showing nothing.
’He might go alone... But that doesn’t an he’ll be unprotected. And even if he doesn’t want it — sooner or later, I’ll go with him. After all, we’re a family. And families... don’t separate.’
Ahead of them, Selene called out:
"Let’s go. The guild master shouldn’t take long with the paperwork."
Everyone nodded, and one by one, they left the room.
They followed Edward down a broad, well-lit corridor, still on the sa floor where the combat test had taken place.
The light-colored stone walls reflected the glow of the magical orbs hanging from the ceiling, casting a soft luminescence that followed the group’s steps in silence. The polished marble floor offered a faint reflection of their figures, as if the space itself acknowledged the presence of sothing... unusual.
At the front walked Edward and Selene — the latter keeping a discreet, vigilant posture a few steps behind the guild master.
Aziz followed close behind, arm-in-arm with Astrid. Their steps moved in perfect sync, naturally, instinctively. A silent gesture, yet deeply intimate. At Aziz’s side, Isis walked with smooth, graceful strides, her presence seamlessly fused with his, like an extension of their shared bond.
Zia and Sofia trailed behind, walking side by side, their eyes alert, quietly taking in every detail of their surroundings.
Lastly, Stella and Sylvia brought up the rear with elegance. Their strides were firm but deliberate, as if each motion was calculated by instinct — the pace of those who understood that even silence could be strategic.
The group advanced in perfect harmony, even without a word. There was sothing solemn about their walk. Not a solemnity imposed from without, but one born from the mont itself — from an unspoken, heavy anticipation that echoed with every step.
When they reached the end of the corridor, Edward stopped in front of a tall, dark-wooden door, reinforced with magical inscriptions that shimred faintly.
He opened it with a simple gesture and turned briefly to the group.
"Please, wait here. I’ll return in a few minutes with the card to start your adventures," he said, casting a direct look at Aziz before continuing down the hallway.
Selene entered the room first. Aziz and Astrid followed side by side, then Isis with her usual calm grace. Zia and Sofia stepped in silently, their focus still sharp. Lastly, Stella and Sylvia closed the entrance.
The room was spacious and refined. The white marble floor glead softly. Sheer curtains swayed gently before a partially opened window, letting in a cool breeze. The walls, adorned with muted tapestries, created an atmosphere of balance — quiet luxury without ostentation.
At the center stood a dark wooden table surrounded by cushioned armchairs. On it rested a silver tray with crystal glasses and a bottle of magical water, its liquid shimring as though absorbing the light of the room.
As soon as everyone had entered, the door closed automatically behind them with a soft magical click.
The group settled naturally, as if the room were rely a pause in an inevitable flow.
Aziz sat with ease in one of the armchairs. Astrid took her place beside him just as naturally, her gestures calm, intimate, and restrained. Isis sat next to Aziz as if that seat had always been hers.
Zia and Sofia chose nearby spots, composed and watchful.
Stella sat with elegance, crossing her legs with an effortless grace that radiated authority. Sylvia, as always, positioned herself close to her — a reflection of loyalty and affinity that needed no words.
Even after entering first, Selene remained standing for a mont, as if still processing the space. Only then did she quietly take a seat near the wall.
The silence that settled wasn’t empty.
It was the kind of silence woven from glances, from thoughts left unspoken, from bonds still in the making. It was the prelude to sothing greater.
And everyone there knew — even without speaking — that none of it was by chance.
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