Three days had passed since Kael's return from the dungeon. To the outside world, he was just a temporary guest, a charity case Lyra had picked up. To the staff, he was the boy who stayed in the young miss's room and walked with a slight limp—a souvenir from the "mugging" he claimed to have suffered in the city.
But behind closed doors, the dynamic was different.
Kael sat in the private garden of the estate, a cup of cold tea in his hand. He was clean, dressed in clothes Lyra had bought him, but his eyes remained sharp. The dungeon had changed him. The red scales on his arms had receded, lying dormant under his skin, but the power was there. Coiled. Waiting.
SYSTEM STATUS
LEVEL: 59 (C-RANK)
MANA: 5000/5000 (FULL)
XP TO NEXT LEVEL: 200.
He was close to B-Rank. Close to the threshold where the real power began. But he wasn't strong enough to fight Silas Lockwood head-on. Not yet. Silas was a Warlock, a B-Rank magician with decades of experience and a cache of artifacts. In a straight duel, she would incinerate him before he could blink.
But Kael didn't play fair.
The back door opened. Lyra walked out, carrying a tray with a silver teapot and two cups. She looked radiant, happy. A puppet whose strings were invisible to her.
"Mom is back from the facility," Lyra said softly, sitting opposite him. "She's in her study. She looked... tired. The Hart family visit really stressed her out."
Kael smiled, reaching out to take her hand. "You should go to her."
Lyra hesitated. "She's still angry about... us. About you staying here."
"Then make peace," Kael urged gently. "She is your mother. You love her, right?"
"Of course I do."
"Then show her," Kael said. He reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small, velvet pouch. He had purchased the contents from the System Shop last night for a hefty sum of XP.
ITEM: [BINDING BITTERNESS]
TYPE: CONSUMABLE TOXIN (TIER 3)
EFFECT: COMPLETELY NULLIFIES MANA REGENERATION FOR 6 HOURS. INDUCES PARALYSIS AND SLEEP. UNDETECTABLE BY TASTE OR SMELL.
COST: 1500 XP.
He didn't hand her the pouch. Instead, he had already dissolved the powder into a small, crystalline vial of honey he now held.
"Take this," Kael said, holding up the vial. "It's a special herbal mix I bought from an old healer in the outer district. It helps with stress. Soothes the nerves. Mix it in her tea."
Lyra took the vial, looking at the golden liquid. "It's beautiful."
"It's an apology," Kael lied smoothly. "Tell her you want to make amends. Tell her you want to be a good daughter."
Lyra smiled, tears threatening to spill. "You're so good, Kael. Even after how she treated you."
"She's your family, Lyra. Go."
Lyra stood up, leaned down to kiss his forehead, and hurried inside.
Kael watched her go. The smile vanished from his face.
"Fool," he whispered.
"Cruel," Sylara's voice echoed in his mind. "Using a child's love as a weapon. I approve."
"Well, she deserves whatever is coming," Kael replied coldly.
Silas rubbed her temples, staring at the financial reports on her tablet. The dungeon collapse had been a disaster. The Heart of the Dragon God was gone, taken by Sarae, and the facility's energy output had dropped by 40%. The Whitmore family was breathing down her neck, demanding results.
And that boy... Kael.
His face still haunted her. The resemblance to Elena was uncanny. And his mana signature... it shifted. It felt empty one moment, and overwhelming the next. She had run a background check, but the results were contradictory. A glitch in the system, perhaps.
A knock at the door.
"Enter," Silas commanded, her voice crisp.
Lyra walked in. She looked nervous, holding a tray.
"Mom," Lyra said softly. "I... I brought you some tea."
Silas glanced up, surprised. Since the incident with the stray boy, Lyra had been distant, rebellious. This was unexpected.
"I thought you were avoiding me," Silas said, her tone guarded.
"I wanted to apologize," Lyra said, stepping forward. She placed the tray on the desk. "I know I've been difficult. And I know you just want what's best for me."
She poured the tea. Her hands trembled slightly as she uncorked the small vial of "honey" Kael had given her. She let the golden liquid drizzle into the cup.
"I made this special," Lyra said, her voice earnest, almost childish in her desire to please. "It's supposed to help you relax. Please... drink it? As a sign of peace?"
Silas stared at her daughter. She looked so hopeful. So desperate for approval.
Perhaps I was too hard on her, Silas thought. She is weak, but she is still my daughter.
Silas sighed, picking up the cup. "Very well. Thank you, Lyra."
She took a sip.
It was delicious. Sweet, with a floral aftertaste.
"Is it good?" Lyra asked anxiously.
"It is... acceptable," Silas said, taking another sip. She finished the cup quickly.
Lyra beamed. "I'm so glad."
Silas set the cup down. She felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. That was fast. She hadn't slept in two days. The exhaustion was finally catching up.
"You should go to your room now, Lyra," Silas said, her voice sounding distant to her own ears. "I need to... rest my eyes."
"Okay, Mom. Sweet dreams."
Lyra turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Silas leaned back in her chair. Her eyelids felt heavy. Like lead.
Wait.
Something was wrong. Her mana core... it wasn't circulating. It felt stagnant. Blocked.
She tried to summon a spark of magic to wake herself up.
Nothing.
Panic flared, but her body wouldn't respond. Her limbs turned to jelly.
Poison?
But she had tasted nothing. And her B-Rank constitution should have neutralized any common toxin instantly.
She tried to stand, but her legs gave out.
THUMP.
She slid out of her chair, hitting the carpet. The room spun. Darkness encroached on her vision.
"No..." she whispered, her tongue feeling thick and useless.
The door opened again.
Not Lyra.
Heavy footsteps.
Boots stopped right in front of her face.
She looked up, her vision swimming.
Kael stood over her. His face was not the scared boy from breakfast. It was cold. Predatory. A smirk played on his lips.
"Nighty night, Silas," he whispered.
Silas's eyes widened in sheer terror. The last thing she saw was his hand reaching down toward her face.
Then, the darkness took her.