The three of them slowly rose to their feet, still wary of the mysterious woman sitting before them.
They exchanged glances before leaning closer to whisper among themselves.
"Hey, do you know this woman?" Theo whispered.
"I don't talk to women!" Valt replied.
"Oh, right. I forgot."
"Ace?" Theo turned towards him.
"Hell nah."
Theo couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
Then who the heck is she?
"Your worries are unnecessary... Praise the Gods."
The woman's voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
Before any of them could react, she was already standing beside Valt.
Her movements were astonishingly graceful. Each step was soft and elegant, yet something about her presence made the three boys freeze in place.
It wasn't simply fear.
It was as though their bodies instinctively refused to move in her presence.
The woman gently took Valt's hand and raised it towards her face, examining it closely.
"I see... You've only just Awoken."
Her gaze shifted towards the other two.
"Now I understand why they sent you children to me."
A cold sweat ran down Valt's forehead as the woman continued examining his hand. Her touch was surprisingly gentle, almost motherly.
Then, without warning, she spoke.
"Sit down."
The three instinctively obeyed.
Their bodies moved before their minds could even process the command.
"Wha—What the hell?! It's like my body moved on its own!" Valt exclaimed, staring at his hands in disbelief.
The woman slowly began walking around them.
"If the Gods have sent you here, then it must mean something."
Theo gritted his teeth.
Despite the overwhelming pressure, he gathered his courage and managed to speak.
"W-Who... are you?!"
The woman stopped.
For a brief moment, she stood completely still.
Then she turned her attention towards them.
"Please forgive me for not introducing myself."
She paused.
"I am Helena... The Mother of Catastrophe in this world."
The moment those words escaped her lips, something inexplicable happened.
A thousand voices seemed to whisper simultaneously inside their ears.
The three boys immediately bent forward, clutching their heads as an unbearable pressure overwhelmed them.
Helena's expression changed.
For a brief moment, she looked genuinely concerned. Her hand even reached out towards them.
But she quickly withdrew it.
Turning around, she spoke in a calm voice.
"Follow me."
"Why should we trust you?!" Valt shouted.
Helena stopped once again.
Without turning around, she replied.
"Praise the Gods..."
"I now understand why they sent you here."
She paused before continuing.
"It is to teach you how to use your powers."
"And how exactly do you know that?! For all we know, you could just be trying to trick us!" Valt questioned.
"Believe what you will..."
Her voice remained composed.
"But it is my duty to honour the wishes of my Gods."
She turned her head slightly.
"If you resist... I will have no choice but to resort to extreme measures."
Valt swallowed hard.
He glanced at his friends before making his decision.
"Let's go, guys."
He stood up and began walking in the opposite direction.
"Valt, wait!" Theo called.
Ace also tried to stop him, but Valt continued walking.
Helena remained silent for a moment.
"I see..."
Her expression didn't change.
"Then I have no other choice."
WHOOSH!
In an instant, Helena appeared directly in front of Valt.
Before he could even react—
BOOM!
With a single flick of her hand, she sent him flying across the room and crashing into a wall.
"VALT!"
Theo immediately sprang into action.
Without wasting a second, he launched a powerful hammer kick towards Helena's head.
However, she effortlessly raised her arm and redirected the attack towards the ground.
THUD!
Theo's leg slammed against the floor.
Seizing the opportunity, Ace moved behind her.
He gathered his strength and launched a powerful punch towards her lower body.
But Helena was already prepared.
With a subtle movement, she redirected Ace's punch straight towards Theo.
BAM!
Ace's fist struck Theo instead.
Before either of them could recover, Helena gave Ace a gentle push.
BOOM!
He was sent crashing into the nearby wall.
Silence filled the room.
Helena calmly straightened her posture and placed both hands behind her back.
"The two of you have potential."
Her eyes shifted towards Valt, who was slowly struggling to get back up.
"But you, Valt..."
She paused.
"You must learn to control your Ego."
Her gaze briefly moved towards the other two.
"Because of your decision, your friends ended up getting hurt as well."
Valt struggled to keep his eyes open.
His entire body felt heavy.
Helena watched them for a moment before speaking again.
"I'll let you rest for now."
She turned around and began walking away.
"When you wake up..."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"We'll resume your training."
Valt tried to say something, but the words never made it out.
His vision gradually blurred.
The room grew darker.
And before he knew it...
He had fallen asleep.