Ascendants

Raiden Alaric

The shopping district was busier than I'd expected for a weekday afternoon. People moved between stores with purpose, some carrying bags from successful purchases, others just window shopping. The mix of familiar chain stores and unique local shops gave the area a comfortable, lived-in feeling that was a pleasant change from the overwhelming luxury of the mansion.

"So this burger place," I said, scanning the various restaurant signs as we walked. "How good are we talking? Because after that workout, I could probably eat an entire cow."

Sol laughed, still looking energized despite our intense sparring session. "Trust me, it's worth it. They do this thing with caramelized onions and some kind of special sauce that's basically magic. Plus, the portions are huge, so you might actually get your cow."

"Good," I replied, grinning. "Speaking of eating everything in sight, you should have seen my little sister yesterday morning. She charmed every single maid in the house into bringing her different breakfast foods. By the time I found her, she had pancakes, waffles, French toast, eggs three different ways, and what looked like half a bakery spread out in front of her. When I asked her about it, she just looked at me with this completely innocent face and said, 'I couldn't decide, so I asked for samples.'"

Sol stopped walking mid-step and gave me a long, flat stare.

"What?" I asked, confused by his sudden change in expression.

"This is literally the only valuable thing I own," Sol said, gesturing at his sparring gear. "I'm nowhere near rich, yet here you are casually mentioning you have maids? Did you just become rich overnight or something?"

"Funny you should say that," I started to reply, but was interrupted by a soft sniffling sound coming from nearby.

In a small alcove between two shops, partially hidden by the shadow of an overhang, a little girl sat huddled against the wall. She couldn't have been more than seven or eight, with messy blonde hair and tear-streaked cheeks. Her small shoulders shook as she cried quietly into her knees.

She looks about Iris's age.

Feeling an immediate protective instinct kick in. But before I could even process what I was seeing fully, Sol was already moving.

"Hey there," he said softly, approaching the girl with careful, non-threatening steps. His entire demeanor had shifted from confused interrogator to something gentle and protective. "Are you okay?"

The little girl looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, but something in Sol's voice seemed to calm her slightly. She wiped her nose on her sleeve but didn't answer.

Sol crouched down to her level, making himself less intimidating. "My name's Sol. What's yours?"

"L-Lucy," the girl managed between sniffles.

"Hi Lucy, that's a pretty name! You look pretty upset. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

I watched in amazement as Sol's natural instincts took over. He didn't hesitate, he showed immediate concern for a child in distress. He spoke to her like she was the most important person in the world, giving her his complete attention.

"I can't find my mommy," Lucy said, fresh tears starting to flow. "We were shopping and I saw a pretty dress in the window and when I turned around she was gone and I don't know where she is and I'm scared."

"That's really scary," Sol said, his voice full of understanding. "But you know what? We're going to help you find your mommy, okay? My friend and I are really good at finding people."

He gestured toward me, and I stepped forward, trying to match his calm, reassuring energy.

"That's right," I said, crouching down beside Sol. "I'm Raiden. We're going to make sure you get back to your mom safely."

Lucy looked between us, still scared but seeming to sense that we genuinely wanted to help.

"Do you remember what store you were at when you last saw her?" Sol asked gently. "Or what your mommy was wearing?"

Lucy nodded, wiping her eyes again. "She was wearing a blue dress with flowers. And we were looking at shoes in the store with the big red sign."

Sol and I exchanged glances. The shoe store with the big red sign was probably the athletic footwear shop we'd passed a few blocks back.

"That's really good, Lucy," Sol said. "You're being very brave. How about we walk back to that store and see if we can find her? I bet she's looking for you too."

I was about to stand up and suggest we get moving when a sound cut through the air that was impossible to ignore.

GROOOOOWL

The growl was so loud it actually echoed off the nearby storefronts. Lucy's face turned bright red as she pressed her hands against her stomach, looking mortified.

"I... I haven't eaten yet," she whispered, clearly embarrassed.

Sol and I looked at each other, and without a word, our lunch wager was completely forgotten.

—

"Do you think five is enough?" Sol asked, sliding the overloaded tray across the table to Lucy, who was staring at the mountain of food with eyes so wide they looked like they might fall out of her head.

We'd found the burger place Sol had been talking about and decided that finding Lucy's mom could wait twenty minutes while we made sure she wasn't going to pass out from hunger. The restaurant was exactly as Sol had described. The smells were immaculate, especially when I sneak a little aura into my senses to further embrace the scent. What Sol hadn't mentioned was how we'd apparently lost our minds when ordering for a seven-year-old.

"This is SO MUCH FOOD!" Lucy practically squealed, her face absolutely beaming as she stared at the pile of burgers and the small mountain of fries that surrounded them. The large strawberry milkshake sitting next to her plate was almost as tall as she was. She looked like she'd just discovered buried treasure.

"We might have gone a little overboard," I admitted, unwrapping my own meal and looking at our ridiculous order. "But you need to eat so you can be big and strong like your big brothers here."

Sol nodded with mock seriousness. "That's right. Big brothers' orders. You have to eat up."

Lucy giggled at being called our little sister, clearly delighted by the newfound protection. "Plus, we can take whatever you don't finish to help find your mom," I added.

Sol nodded seriously. "Strategic food planning. Very important."

Lucy took a tentative bite, and her entire face lit up. "This is really good!"

"Told you," Sol said to me with a grin. "Best burgers in the district."

I took a bite of my own and immediately felt disappointed. The burger was good, but it was missing something.

"Damn," I muttered, looking at my burger. "This doesn't have the house sauce."

Lucy, who had been watching me, immediately perked up. "Oh! I put extra sauce on this one, but this might be too much. Do you want to trade?"

I looked at her in surprise. She was offering to give up her perfectly prepared burger for my sauceless one, just because she'd noticed my disappointment.

"You would do this for me?" I asked, genuinely touched by the gesture.

Lucy nodded earnestly. "Absolutely! Mama always says we should love our neighbors!" She lifted her chin proudly as she beamed.

I stared at this seven-year-old girl who had just offered to trade her meal with a complete stranger because her mother had taught her to be kind to others. Something in my chest tightened.

I paused for a moment, then said in a serious tone, "If you have enemies that need taking care of, you come to me."

Sol nearly choked on his drink.

Lucy looked between us, not entirely sure what we were talking about, but she nodded seriously, as if I'd just made her an important promise.

"Okay!" she said brightly, happily making the burger trade.

—

"Alright Lucy," I said, standing up and stretching. "Ready to find your mom?"

"How are we going to find her?" Lucy asked as Sol effortlessly lifted her onto his shoulders, making sure she was secure.

"Well," I said with a grin, "your big brother here has a few tricks up his sleeve."

I backed up a few steps, then channeled aura into my legs and launched myself upward in a powerful leap. The enhanced jump carried me easily thirty feet into the air, landing me gracefully on the roof of a three-story building overlooking the shopping district.

"WHOA! How did you jump so high?!" Lucy squealed from her perch on Sol's shoulders, clapping her hands and staring up at me in complete amazement. "That was AWESOME!"

Sol adjusted his grip on her legs, making sure she was secure. "Your big brother Rai is pretty special," he called up to me with a grin.

I waved down at them, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Time to put my abilities to good use.

I sent out a stealth pulse of aura, the invisible wave expanding outward in all directions. The technique swept through the shopping district, reading the emotional signatures of everyone within a two-block radius. Most people registered as calm, content, focused on their shopping or daily routines. But I didn't find what I was looking for.

"Nothing here!" I called down. "I need to get closer to the shoe store!"

I leaped to the next building, then the next, moving in the direction Lucy had indicated. Each jump sent me sailing through the air in graceful arcs that made Lucy cheer with delight.

"He's flying!" she shouted, pointing excitedly as I landed on another rooftop. "Sol, he's actually flying!"

"Pretty cool, right?" Sol replied, jogging along the street below to keep up with my building-to-building progress. "Your big brother's got some serious skills."

From the fourth building, I sent out another pulse. This time I caught something, a flicker of worry and anxiety about three blocks further west. Still not close enough to be sure, but definitely in the right direction.

"Getting warmer!" I called down, then launched myself toward the next cluster of buildings.

Lucy was beside herself with excitement, her earlier tears completely forgotten as she watched what probably looked like a real-life superhero show. "Do it again! Do it again!" she cheered as I bounded from rooftop to rooftop.

"I think she's enjoying the ride," Sol laughed, picking up his pace as I moved further ahead.

After two more buildings, I sent out another pulse and felt it immediately—a signature blazing with anxiety, worry, and desperate panic about a block away, right near where the big red shoe store sign was visible. The emotional fingerprint of a mother who had lost her child.

I opened my eyes and looked down at Lucy, who was still staring up at me in amazement, her face glowing with excitement.

"Found her," I called down, unable to keep the satisfaction out of my voice.

I leaped down from the building, landing softly beside Sol and Lucy with barely a sound.

"Show off," Sol muttered with a grin.

"Can you teach me to do that?" Lucy asked eagerly, her eyes still wide with excitement.

"Maybe when you're older," I replied, ruffling her hair. "Come on, let's go get you back to your mom."

We made our way toward the shoe store, Lucy chattering excitedly about my "flying" while Sol carried her. As we rounded the corner, I could see a woman in a blue dress with flowers pacing frantically in front of the store. Even from a distance, her distress was obvious. She was talking rapidly to a store employee, gesturing wildly, her face streaked with tears.

"MOMMY!" Lucy shrieked the moment she spotted her.

The woman's head snapped up, and when she saw Lucy on Sol's shoulders, her face crumpled with relief. "LUCY!"

Sol quickly lowered Lucy to the ground, and she ran toward her mother as fast as her little legs could carry her. They crashed into each other in the middle of the sidewalk, both crying and hugging so tightly it looked like they'd never let go.

"I was so scared," the woman sobbed, holding Lucy's face in her hands and checking her over for any injuries. "I turned around and you were gone and I didn't know where—"

"I'm okay, Mommy!" Lucy said, wiping her mother's tears. "These are my big brothers! They took care of me and bought me five burgers and Raiden can fly!"

The woman looked up at us with tears in her eyes, her expression shifting from relief to overwhelming gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done if—"

"Hey," Sol said gently, stepping forward. "She's safe. That's all that matters."

"We just happened to be in the right place at the right time," I added, though I couldn't help but smile at Lucy's enthusiastic retelling of our adventure.

Lucy's mother stood up, still holding her daughter close. "How can I ever repay you? You fed her, you kept her safe—"

"Don't worry about it," I said with a smile. "She's a good girl and we just wanted to help."

"Big brothers always protect their little sisters," Sol added with a wink at Lucy, who beamed up at him.

Lucy's mother looked between us, clearly still processing everything. "Five burgers?" she asked weakly.

"And a strawberry milkshake!" Lucy added proudly. "It was as big as my head!"

Her mother laughed through her tears, shaking her head in amazement. "You two are either saints or completely insane."

"I hear the latter pretty often," I admitted with a grin.

We watched as Lucy and her mother walked away, Lucy turning back every few steps to wave enthusiastically at us until they disappeared around the corner.

Sol nudged me with his elbow. "So, you mentioned you have a house and maids or something. What was that about?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "So... you see—"

—

Twenty minutes later, I was slumped back in my chair at a nearby café, staring at the ceiling while Sol laughed so hard he was practically wheezing.

"So basically," Sol gasped between fits of laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. "You went from counting gas money to having billions of dollars and a mansion with forty staff members in the span of like... what, a week?"

"Pretty much," I said weakly, still processing it all myself.

Sol broke into fresh peals of laughter. "And you're complaining about having too much money! Wahhhh my steak is too juicy and my lobster is too buttery!"

"I'm not complaining!" I protested, sitting up straighter. "I'm just... overwhelmed! There's a difference!"

"Oh, poor Rai," Sol said mockingly, still giggling. "However will you cope with your billions of dollars and your mansion full of staff?"

"It's forty people across eight properties!" I said defensively. "It's not like they're all in one place!"

This only made Sol laugh harder. "Eight properties? EIGHT?! Dude, most people are lucky to afford one house and you're over here accidentally collecting them like trading cards!"

"I didn't collect anything!" I protested. "They just... came with the asset transfer!"

"Oh right, the asset transfer, that makes sooo much more sense," Sol said, wiping his eyes. "The one that fell out of the sky because you turned down some sect leader. How does that even work?"

I buried my face in my hands. "It's complicated political stuff involving the Brightmoor family and sect justice and—"

"Wait, wait," Sol said, holding up a hand. "Back up. What exactly did these Brightmoor people do? You kept referring to them but didn't really elaborate too much. Just bringing up the noble girl."

I sighed. "They made a deal with my mentor, then broke it and tried to hurt me over some woman drama."

"Woman drama?" Sol's eyes lit up with fresh amusement. "Is this the crazy ex?"

I nodded.

"Oh this just gets better and better," Sol said, practically bouncing in his chair.

"It wasn't my fault!" I protested. "I didn't even know there was drama! But apparently they got mad about it and decided to take it out on me, which violated their agreement with Chronos."

"So your mentor had to have a little 'talk' with them?" Sol asked, making air quotes.

"Something like that," I muttered.

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Sol burst into renewed laughter. "Let me get this straight. Some rich family broke a deal with your mentor, tried to mess with you over a girl, so your mentor made them give you their entire fortune as punishment?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous."

"Because it IS ridiculous!" Sol wheezed. "Your life is like some kind of revenge fantasy xianxia novel! 'Local teen accidentally destroys ancient family, inherits billions!' Now you only need to reach the ancient golden heavenly divine realm of the left nut and two queefs. But you're stuck in ancient golden mortal realm of the right nut and one queef or some shit like that."

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm at least at the ancient silver mortal realm of the right nut and one-and-a-half queefs," I said with mock seriousness. "I'm making progress."

"And it was an asset transfer," I corrected, then grinned. "And clearly I'm doing this whole xianxia protagonist thing wrong."

"Oh absolutely," Sol said, wiping tears from his eyes. "You're supposed to collect a harem by now. Where's the mysterious ice-cold beauty who's secretly in love with you? The childhood friend who's been waiting her whole life? The enemy's sister who falls for your charm?"

"Don't forget the mother," I added with mock seriousness. "Gotta seduce the enemy's mother to really establish dominance."

"Right! And then you shame the Brightmoors by publicly executing their son in front of the entire sect while declaring your superiority!" Sol was getting into it now. "But instead you just... got their money and gave everyone raises."

"I know, I'm terrible at this," I said, shaking my head in mock disappointment. "I should have at least crippled someone's cultivation or stolen their fiancée. Instead I helped a lost kid find her mom and bought her five burgers."

"Five burgers," Sol repeated, still grinning. "The most ruthless power move of all. No wonder ancient families fear you."

"Clearly my reputation precedes me," I said with a straight face. "Raiden Alaric, Destroyer of Diets, Feeder of Children."

"You're going to be a terrible villain," Sol concluded cheerfully.

"Truly, someone cancel my anime immediately!" I declared dramatically.

We both burst into laughter, and for a moment it felt like everything was normal again. Just two friends joking around at a café, not discussing my accidentally becoming a billionaire or my failure to live up to xianxia villain standards.

Then I glanced up and my blood turned to ice.

A petite figure stormed across the room, her platinum blonde hair catching the light like polished gold and silver, cascading in loose waves down her back. She stood at an astonishing 5'4", with the pointed ears of a high elf peeking through her tresses and emerald eyes narrowed into slits that could cut glass. She wore a knotted white tank top that hugged her midriff, paired with a high-waisted skirt in bold teal and white stripes, its button-front design and thigh-high slit. In one hand, she clutched a plastic cup of what looked like pink lemonade, but her grip suggested it might as well be a weapon. Her expression could have melted steel, and her stride had that particular rhythm that meant someone was about to get murdered.
It was Ella of course. Who else would give me that look?

I immediately fell out of my chair and scrambled behind Sol, grabbing his shoulders and using him as a human shield.

"Help! It's the chaos demon!" I hissed, crouching behind him. "Protect me, Divine Shield Sol!"

"What the hell—" Sol started, but I cut him off.

"Don't look directly at her! She feeds on eye contact!" I whispered frantically, trying to make myself as small as possible behind his chair.

"Raiden Alaric!" Ella's voice cut through the café like a blade. "What did you DO?"

I peeked over Sol's shoulder, then immediately ducked back down. "I did nothing of the sort! You have no proof I hid your signed poster of Jinwoo behind your bed!"

"Wait it was there the whole ti— W-wait NO! Don't you dare play dumb with me!" Ella snapped, coming to a stop at our table. "The entire Brightmoor family just packed up and left Earth! They went back to their home realm overnight! What. Did. You. DO?"

Sol leaned down slightly and whispered, "Is this the crazy ex?"

I nodded aggressively from behind his chair, my eyes wide with terror.

"C-crazy?! I can hear you whispering!" Ella said, her voice getting more dangerous. "And I can see you hiding behind your friend like a coward! Get out here and explain yourself!"

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, she turned to Sol with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Ella."

"Sol," he replied casually, as if angry elves confronting people in café was perfectly normal. "Nice to meet you too."

"The Divine Shield is failing!" I hissed to Sol. "She's too powerful!"

"Raiden, I swear to God, if you don't come out from behind that chair in the next three seconds, I'm going to make your life very unpleasant!"

"You already did that!"

She just stood there with her arms crossed, tapping her foot. I slowly raised my hands in surrender, still crouched behind Sol. "Okay, okay! Just... don't do anything rash!"

Reluctantly, I stood up from behind the chair, but immediately grabbed onto Sol's sleeve like a scared child seeking comfort from a parent.

Sol looked down at my hand, then slapped it away with an annoyed expression. "Dude."

I chuckled nervously, rubbing my slapped hand. "Right, sorry." I cleared my throat and tried to regain some dignity, even though I knew I was being completely over-dramatic. It was just... Ella brought out the absolute worst in my impulse control. "So, uh, what do you mean by 'left Earth'? Like, left left?"

Ella's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yes, left left, Raiden. As in packed up everything they owned, liquidated their Earth-based assets, and opened a portal back to the High Elf realm at three in the morning. Left left."

She crossed her arms, her pointed ears twitching with irritation. "The entire family just vanished overnight. No explanation, no forwarding address, nothing. And coincidentally, my engagement to their heir has been... cancelled."

There was a brief flicker of relief in her expression before the irritation returned full force. "Not that I'm complaining about that part, mind you, but I still want to know what happened."

Sol was looking back and forth between us like he was watching the world's most confusing tennis match.

"Now," Ella continued, stepping closer and making me instinctively lean back toward Sol, "I know you had something to do with this because you're literally the only variable that changed in their situation recently. So I'm going to ask you one more time, very nicely." Her smile was absolutely terrifying. "What. Did. You. DO?"

I let out a long, weary sigh and began walking to our table, slowly dragging out the chair.

Sol, somehow reading the situation perfectly, also sighed and got up to pull over an empty chair from a nearby table.

Ella looked between us, confused. "What are you—"

Sol and I sat down in perfect unison, then both gestured to the chair Sol had brought over.

"You're going to want to sit down for this," I said, my voice heavy with resignation.

—

Ella was slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the table as if it might hold answers to the universe's cruelest jokes. Her perfectly composed noble demeanor had completely cracked, leaving her looking like someone who'd just been told the laws of physics were more like gentle suggestions.

"So let me make sure I understand this correctly," she said slowly, her voice hollow. "Your mentor threatened the Brightmoors so thoroughly that they not only gave you their entire fortune but also fled to another realm... because they broke a deal and tried to hurt you... over me."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "That's... a very simplified version from your perspective, but essentially yes. Although it had more to do with me than it did you."

"And now you own billions of dollars and eight properties."

"Also yes."

"Including their main estate."

"Unfortunately, yes."

She let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "I used you to avoid a political marriage, and you accidentally destroyed the family I was supposed to marry into."

Sol leaned over to me and whispered, "Ah, so this is the noble girl you mentioned."

"Shut up," I whispered back.

"Didn't know you aimed so high," he continued with a grin. "A high elf noble? Really going for the premium experience, weren't you?"

"I'm getting really tired of people's brains breaking when I explain this situation," I muttered, trying to ignore his teasing. "I'm making a video to show people the next time I have to explain."

Ella suddenly straightened up in her chair, her composure returning somewhat. "Fine. Take me to your place. I want to see it. Also, I wonder if what I want is there."

Both Sol and I gasped dramatically.

I immediately covered my mouth with both hands. "Were my lips not enough, now my chastity?! You lecherous woman!"

"Wow, Ella," Sol said with mock surprise. "That was pretty forward. I mean, I know you two have history, but in public?"

Ella blinked at us, completely confused. "What are you— I just want to see the— Oh." Her face turned bright red as she realized how her words sounded. Her pointed ears started twitching rapidly.

"You were right," Sol said to me with a grin, "they do twitch when she—"

"ENOUGH!" Ella cut him off, her blush deepening. "Just— take me to see the estate! I want to confirm what you're telling me!"

"Can I tag along?" Sol asked, looking genuinely curious. "I mean, after everything I've heard today, I kind of want to see this billionaire mansion for myself."

I sighed heavily. "Sure, why not. Let's make this even more of a circus."

—

Standing in front of the mansion, I watched as our little group took in the sight. Ella seemed completely unphased by the sprawling estate and perfectly manicured grounds. Probably because she was used to this level of wealth from her own noble background.

Sol, on the other hand, was absolutely flabbergasted. He kept looking at his beat-up car parked in the circular driveway, then back at the mansion, then at his car again like he was trying to process how such different worlds could exist in the same universe.

"This is insane," he muttered under his breath.

Ella was already striding toward the front entrance with the confidence of someone who belonged in places like this. She reached the ornate double doors and turned back, clearly expecting me to open them for her.

Before I could even reach for the handle, one of the doors swung open from the inside.

"Welcome home, Master Alaric," Seraphina said in her perfectly composed manner. Then her violet eyes landed on Ella, and recognition flickered across her features. "Lady Ella. What a pleasant surprise."

"Seraphina," Ella replied with a polite nod, as if running into each other was perfectly normal. "It's good to see you again."

"Are the artifacts in the vault still there?" Ella asked without preamble.

Seraphina nodded. "Everything remains exactly as it was, Lady Ella."

Without another word, Ella began walking deeper into the mansion with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where she was going. I followed behind her, while Sol remained frozen in the doorway, still staring at the crystal chandelier above us.

I had to go back and physically drag him along, his feet barely cooperating as he continued to gape at everything around us.

"This place has a vault?" I heard him mutter as I pulled him through corridors lined with expensive artwork and furniture that probably cost more than most people's houses.

We stopped in front of what looked like a reinforced steel door built into the wall. Ella turned to face me, pointing her thumb at the vault entrance.

"Open it," she said simply.

I scratched the back of my head, looking sheepish. "Uh... I actually haven't opened it yet."

Ella gave me the most incredulous, flat stare I'd ever seen. "You... what? Raiden, this should be the first thing you were excited to see! There's an entire collection of rare aura-forged artifacts in there! How have you not opened it yet?"

"I've been... avoiding it," I admitted reluctantly. "It's like the garage. I only just built up the courage to look in there recently. I know there's probably millions of dollars worth of stuff in here, and honestly? I'm not ready to deal with that level of overwhelming wealth yet."

Ella blinked at me. "You're avoiding... a treasure vault... because you don't want to be overwhelmed by how much money you have."

"When you say it like that, it sounds crazy."

"Because it IS crazy!" Ella said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Seraphina approached us. "Master Alaric, would you like me to open the vault for you?"

"Yes, please," I said gratefully, earning another disbelieving look from Ella as Seraphina stepped forward and began inputting a complex code into the vault's interface.

The heavy steel door clicked and slowly swung open with a soft hiss, revealing a spacious room lined with display cases, weapon racks, and carefully organized shelves. The lighting automatically activated, casting everything in a warm, reverent glow.

I stepped inside and immediately felt my jaw drop. Weapons of every conceivable type lined the walls. Swords with blades that seemed to shimmer with inner light, staffs topped with crystals that pulsed with contained energy, armor pieces that looked like they belonged on legendary heroes. Display cases held smaller artifacts: rings, amulets, and items I couldn't even begin to identify, all radiating faint auras that made my skin tingle.

"Holy shit," I breathed, slowly walking around and trying to take it all in. Each piece looked like it could be worth a fortune on its own.

Sol had finally snapped out of his stupor and was gaping at everything around us. "This is like a fantasy museum," he whispered.

But Ella seemed completely uninterested in the incredible collection surrounding us. She walked purposefully toward a specific section of the vault, ignoring priceless artifacts as if they were common decorations.

I watched her make her way to a particular display case and stop in front of it. Inside was a spear of intricate design, its shaft appeared to be made of some kind of silvery metal that caught the light beautifully, and the spearhead was decorated with elaborate engravings that seemed to move slightly in the light.

Ella let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as she stared at the weapon. "It's still here," she said softly, almost to herself, with genuine happiness in her voice.

"What's so special about that spear?" I asked, walking over to stand beside her.

Ella's expression grew somewhat bitter. "This was crafted by the Vel'aeris family back in our home realm. It was supposed to be given to me when I reached Violet Rank, a traditional coming-of-age gift." She paused, her green eyes still fixed on the weapon. "But my family gave it to the Brightmoors as a political gesture to strengthen the marriage alliance."

Her fingers reached out toward the display case, hovering just above the glass as she gazed at the ornate flowing patterns and artistic engravings that decorated the spearhead with obvious longing. The weapon was clearly a masterwork, not just functional, but a true piece of art with every curve and flourish speaking to the skill of its creators.

"I was hoping they didn't take it back with them when they fled to their realm."

I watched her for a moment, seeing the mix of hurt and relief in her expression. The casual way she'd been dismissed from receiving what should have been hers, all for political maneuvering.

"You can have it back if you want," I said simply.

Ella's hand froze against the glass, and she slowly turned to look at me with wide eyes. Even Seraphina, who had remained professionally composed throughout everything, looked genuinely shocked.

I gave them both a confused look. "What?"

Ella started, stumbling over her words. "Raiden, I can't just… that's an incredibly valuable artifact—"

"It was supposed to be yours to begin with," I cut her off with a shrug. "So there's no reason why you shouldn't take it. It's not like I need it."

"But Raiden, this is worth—I mean, the political implications—" Ella continued protesting, but even as she spoke, her hand was unconsciously reaching toward the display case.

I walked over, opened the case, and carefully lifted out the ornate spear. The weapon was lighter than I'd expected but perfectly balanced, and I could feel the subtle thrum of aura flowing through the metal.

"Just take it," I said, holding it out to her.

Ella stared at the spear for a moment, then looked up at me with a warm smile that was completely different from any expression I'd ever seen on her face. Without warning, she threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered against my shoulder, her voice thick with emotion. "You have no idea what this means to me."

From somewhere behind us, Sol let out a low whistle and gave me a thumbs up when I glanced over.

I flipped him off without letting go of Ella.

After Ella had carefully examined her spear and we'd spent some more time looking around the vault, we made our way back through the mansion. I was once again dragging Sol along the floor, who kept stopping to stare at everything from the crystal chandeliers to the marble statues.

We were passing through one of the main corridors when Iris came running around the corner, laughing about something. She skidded to a halt when she saw our group, her eyes immediately focusing on the ornate spear in Ella's hands.

"Whoa!" Iris exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement. "That's so pretty! Are you a warrior? You look like a pretty warrior princess!"

Ella blinked, clearly not expecting to be ambushed by an enthusiastic eight-year-old. "I... well, I suppose I am trained in combat..."

"That's SO COOL!" Iris bounced on her toes. "Are you an Ascendant too? Does it glow with aura? Are you really strong? How tall are you? You're really pretty!"

I watched in amazement as Ella's entire demeanor softened. She crouched down to Iris's level and began gently patting her head. "You're quite adorable yourself. What's your name, little one?"

"I'm Iris! I'm Rai's sister!" Iris beamed up at her. "What's your name?"

"My name is Ella," she replied with a warm smile.

Iris's eyes went wide, and she froze for a moment. Then she turned and sprinted away at full speed, shouting at the top of her lungs: "MOM! DAD! RAI BROUGHT HIS GIRLFRIEND HOME!"

Ella's face turned bright red, her ears twitching rapidly. I felt my soul leave my body in sheer horror.

Sol, still sprawled out on the floor, began laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

—

In the living room, we had arranged ourselves into what could generously be called a family meeting. Ella and I sat on one of the large couches, while my parents occupied the couch across from us. Sol was sprawled on the floor next to our couch, and Iris had squatted down beside him, apparently deciding that playing patty-cake with him was more interesting than the adult conversation.

"So let me make this absolutely clear," I said, rubbing my temples. "Ella and I were never actually dating. We just had a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"We've explained this to you," Ella added, trying to maintain her composure.

Dad shook his head with a knowing smile. "Son, you don't have to be shy about it. We understand—"

"I literally told you this before!" I interrupted. "Multiple times! But you just kept thinking I was too embarrassed to admit I had a girlfriend!"

Mom nodded sagely. "We just thought you were being modest. You never brought girls home, so when you mentioned Ella..."

"Same thing," I said, gesturing helplessly. "Both of you just assumed I was lying about it being fake."

Ella stifled a laugh behind her hand, clearly finding my family's assumptions amusing.

I turned to her with a pointed look. "Oh, you think this is funny? You're always the one trying to make a spectacle when we're together."

"I do not make spectacles," Ella protested, though she was still trying not to smile.

"Well, regardless," Dad said with a warm smile, "it's nice to finally meet you properly, Ella. I'm Leo, and this is my wife Regina."

"The pleasure is mine," Ella replied politely, her noble upbringing showing. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home."

"Oh, this isn't our home," Mom laughed. "This is Rai's ridiculously fancy mansion. We're just visiting."

I had just taken a sip of water when Mom's expression turned curious and she leaned forward slightly. "So Ella, what is it that you like about Rai?"

I immediately choked on my water, spraying it everywhere as I started coughing violently.

Ella's face turned bright red, her ears twitching as she stammered, "I— that's— we're not— I mean—"

Sol looked up from his patty-cake game with Iris. "Oh, this is getting good."

"Mom!" I wheezed, still coughing. "We literally just explained—"

"Oh honey, I know what you explained," Mom said with that knowing maternal tone, "but I can see how she looks at you."

"How I look at him?" Ella's voice pitched higher. "I don't look at him any particular way!"

"You're looking at him right now," Dad pointed out helpfully.

"Because he's choking!" Ella protested.

Iris paused her patty-cake game to look up innocently. "Ella, do you think my brother is handsome?"

Both Ella and I made strangled noises.

"Iris!" I managed.

"What? Mama always says I should ask direct questions," Iris replied with eight-year-old logic.

Sol was now outright cackling. "I love your family, Rai."

"She's very pretty," Iris continued, apparently on a roll. "And she's an elf so she has those cool pointy ears! Are you two gonna get married and have pointy-eared babies?"

"IRIS!" both Ella and I shouted in unison.

Mom and Dad were trying very hard not to laugh, but doing a terrible job of it.

"I think that's enough questions for now, sweetheart," Mom said, though she was clearly enjoying every second of this.

"But I have so many more!" Iris whined.

I shot to my feet, desperate to escape. "Sol! I should show you the training chambers! You'd love to see them!"

Before he could protest, I grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him toward the door.

"No, wait!" Sol called out, trying to resist. "I'm having fun! I want to spend more time with your family! This is better than any entertainment I've ever—"

"Nope!" I said, pulling harder. "Training chambers! Very important! Must see immediately!"

Ella also stood up quickly. "I should probably head home. Thank you for the hospitality, but—"

"NO!" Iris jumped up from her patty-cake position, her bottom lip trembling as she turned the full power of eight-year-old puppy dog eyes on Ella. "Please stay and play with me! I never get to play with pretty warrior princesses!"

Ella froze, staring down at Iris's devastating expression. I could actually see the exact moment her heart shattered.

"I... well... maybe I could stay just a little longer," Ella said weakly, completely unable to resist.

"YAY!" Iris cheered, immediately grabbing Ella's hand. "Come on! I want to show you my room and all my toys and we can play dress up!"

As Iris began dragging a resigned but secretly pleased Ella away, I heard Mom call after us: "Dinner will be ready in a few hours, sweetheart!"

I dragged Sol faster.

Sol spoke as I was dragging him, "I really like it here, Rai."