My Soul card is a Reaper

"Not really. If anything, she upset me," Orion grumbled. "She said I'm basically a plainfolk. Borderline insult. Does she have a personality issue or something? One time, she acted all nice. Other times, she act like a proud person?"

Azzy chuckled softly, then stopped when he saw Orion wasn't joking. The boy looked genuinely troubled.

"Come," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get some air."

He guided him out of the banquet hall and onto the open balcony. The wind was cool and crisp, a welcome contrast to the warmth inside. Stars scattered across the sky like silver dust.

Azzy leaned against the railing. "Talk to me. What's the problem?"

Orion nodded. "How should I start? Okay, I'm your son. You're this, this-this celestial-level demigod thing. So why am I…"

"Why were you born without soul energy?" Azzy finished quietly. He looked up at the stars for a moment. "Because... before you were conceived, I had already evolved. I look like this, but in reality, I'm not a human anymore."

Orion stared at him, stunned. "Wait—what?"

"No one knows this," Azzy continued. "Not even the clan elders. When Zion was born, I was still human. So he inherited soul energy. But when you were conceived… I was already something far beyond that."

He glanced at Orion with a faint smile. "That's why you don't have soul energy. You were born as a half-celestial. If you think longevity depends on soul energy, you are wrong. The Elves don't have soul energy. The Angels don't have soul energy. Heck, even those gods don't have soul energy. It's their race that grants them long life. You don't need to become a demigod to have a long life. Your lifespan's already in the hundreds of thousands of years. Don't compare yourself to humans. Of course, you cannot say this to others. They can't do anything to me, but scientists would love to see why you have such a long span. In the name of research, some of them will go to any extent."

Orion shuddered at the thought of being captured and experimented on. Azzy then placed a hand on his shoulder again, gently. "Right now, what you need to do is to learn to control your emotions. That part matters the most. You know what losing one's emotions can do to them. You personally experienced it a few weeks ago."

Orion exhaled slowly, trying to let it all sink in. In the end, he said. "Dad, I wanted to join Egrein Academy. But Selene says I can't because of the absence of soul energy and Arcana spirit, nothing. Can you do something about that? I mean... you're kind of a big deal around here."

Azzy smirked at that. "I can help, yes. Though truth be told, I probably don't need to do anything."

Orion raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Azzy looked back out toward the starry horizon, his voice calm but confident. "In the upcoming tournament, you just have to prove your talent and strength. The results from your battles alone should be enough to get you into Arvandor Academy. It's not like it's one of the top five academies or anything."

Orion gave a long sigh, the wind tugging at his hair. "What if I don't get good results?"

Azzy replied. "Then, I guess I'll help you out personally. But I'm sure you will not need." A sudden mischievous smile appeared on his face as he added. "After all, when one battles for love, they will do their best."

Orion's head snapped around. "W-What are you saying?!"

Azzy laughed, playfully slapping his back. "C'mon, don't play dumb with me. It's obvious you've got a crush on her, Selene Moon."

Orion sputtered. "I… what?! No!"

Azzy smirked. "I heard from Leiza that you've got a reputation. Girls swarm around you like bees to honey. And I've seen it myself, even here. You've got charm, sure. But then along comes this girl, a real beauty, who dismisses you outright. Doesn't even blink at your smile. Then she turns and goes to your half-brother instead."

Orion flinched slightly. Azzy didn't miss it.

He continued, gently, "You already had some built-up frustration toward Zion. Her choosing to talk to him and dumping you? It probably felt like betrayal. So, you got angry. You snapped. You fought him, maybe thinking that if you beat him fair and square, you had to prove something to her…"

Orion looked away. "That's…"

Azzy's voice softened further. "But it didn't work, did it? Even after proving your strength, now, she mistakes you for some regular plainfolk, and that just feels like the final insult, as if you felt like she was saying, so what if you are strong, in the end, you only live for 100 years and I live longer than that, etc. You now feel like you don't have a chance at all and got depressed."

Orion scoffed, turning sharply. "You're not right."

Azzy blinked. "No? Then tell me. Where did I go wrong?"

Orion coughed, eyes flicking away to the dark horizon. "Look… I didn't mean I don't have a chance with her. If I really wanted to, I could snatch her away from him."

Azzy raised an eyebrow, mildly amused.

"She never said she had a boyfriend," Orion added quickly. "Just that she liked someone. That's different. Way easier. But…" He sighed, lips thinning. "Her words earlier? They were too insulting. I don't even find her that appealing anymore. She made it sound like I was beneath her. Like I'm someone not worthy of her. That killed the vibe."

Azzy chuckled quietly, letting the boy speak. "And besides…" Orion continued, his tone cooling, "She's not worth fighting my own brother over. Not anymore. You already acknowledged him as your son. I guess… I have to accept that, too."

He paused, glancing down at his feet.

"It's not really love," he said, more to himself than Azzy. "Just attraction. Curiosity. Nothing deeper than that."

Azzy smiled faintly and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I wouldn't know what that kind of confusion feels like," he said, tone soft. "I only ever loved two women in my life. And… it was the other way around. Both of them chased after me to gain my love."

Orion muttered. "Don't need to brag about yourself."

Azzy gave a short laugh. "It's true, though. But listen. Let me tell you something important. A girl who's willing to switch her feelings just because you're stronger, or sweeter, or more charming than the guy she originally liked? That kind of love is conditional. Material. Surface-level."

Orion was listening now, eyes narrowed with curiosity.

"You can win the bodies of girls like that," Azzy said. "But never their hearts. And one day, someone better, stronger, richer, and better-looking than you comes along? She'll leave you without hesitation."

Orion frowned slightly, but stayed silent.

"To find someone who truly loves you…" Azzy continued, "That's rare. A blessing."

His gaze grew distant, gentler, as if reliving something sacred.

"Your mom waited for me seventeen long years. Seventeen. With no contact. No sign I was alive. No clue if I was ever coming back. All because I made her a single promise that I would return. At her age, it is easy to fall in love with another man, but she didn't. Only waited for my return in confidence."

Orion looked at him, stunned.