System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!

"…I can see what is hidden. In individuals. In things. In this world itself," Ayana said. Her gaze flicked toward Askara and Anggana, only to dart away again. Her voice trembled. "I… I can see a powerful presence. Behind the two princes. Its monstrous aura… It's watching. Even now"

Askara tilted his head, curiosity sparking. "Just watching?"

Ayana shook her head. "No… not just watching. Guarding. I don't know about others, Princess… but behind you, Prince Askara… and you, Prince Anggana… It's the same. The same presence. I need to stand close to see it, otherwise, it's hidden"

The brothers exchanged a sharp glance. They didn't speak, but the silent recognition in their eyes said enough. They had a guess who she meant, but they weren't certain.

Anggana broke the silence. "That's all? What else can you see?"

Ayana hesitated, then whispered, "I can see what others hide. Their fear. Their secrets. Their true selves"

At that, Askara instinctively stepped back. Anggana mirrored him.

"N-No… don't worry," Ayana rushed out, hands raised. "To see that, I need direct contact"

Askara exhaled in relief... until his memory stabbed him. "Wait. Earlier. When I touched you… did you…?"

Ayana lowered her head. "I… did. A little. I saw that you… wanted to be as cool as King Aksara. And that you…" Her voice shrank to a whisper. "…wanted to save the world. Like Sir Tauf-"

"S-STOP!" Askara snapped, face burning. "That's enough! I... I get it!"

"I-I'm sorry," Ayana said quickly, bowing deeper. "I'll keep the rest secret, Prince Askara. I swear it"

"You'd better," Askara muttered.

He turned, only to catch Anggana's smirk. His brother leaned lazily against a tree, eyes gleaming with wicked amusement.

"What?" Askara barked.

"As cool as big bro Aksa? Save the world like father?" Anggana's grin widened. "Really, Aska?"

"Shut up!"

"Sure, sure," Anggana hummed, already filing it away as blackmail material for later.

Askara sighed and dragged a hand down his face. He knew his brother too well, this would be a running joke in the family for years.

Turning back to Ayana, his tone sharpened. "Your ability is too dangerous to be left wandering. From now on, you two follow me"

Anggana snorted. "Ha! You're just scared she'll tell everyone about your little dream"

"Shut up, Angga." Askara turned on his heel. "We've wasted enough time. Anindha's waiting. Let's move"

With that, the four of them began moving, Askara taking the lead. Their pace wasn't as fast as usual, Mukhlis and Ayana couldn't keep up with the speed of Askara and Anggana.

Along the way, the two princes continued their discussion about Ayana's Singularis ability.

What they uncovered went far beyond their expectations. What Ayana had revealed earlier was already shocking, but the deeper they delved, the more they realized how absurdly "broken" her power truly was. 'To see what is hidden' wasn't just about secrets or fears, it meant she could even glimpse events before they unfolded.

That was how Ayana and Mukhlis had survived the great calamity and everything after, despite being orphans. It was as if the world itself whispered warnings to her.

"…That's an incredible ability," Askara admitted, genuinely impressed. "Even our sister can only see the color of mana. That alone is amazing since she can read someone's nature through their aura, but yours… yours is on a whole other level"

Ayana, still timid but no longer hiding behind her brother, lowered her gaze. "I'm just glad you don't hate me after knowing what I can do, Prince Askara. You're the first besides my brother and the chief"

"Hate you? Why would I?" Askara scoffed. "If I had that ability, I'd brag about it every chance I got. It's something to be proud of, Ayana"

"You don't understand, brother," Anggana interjected, his tone thoughtful. "Sometimes… knowing too much is both a blessing and a curse"

"Yes," Mukhlis agreed, his voice carrying a faint bitterness. "Because of Ayana's abilities, people in our tribe shunned her. They feared she might expose their darkest secrets. That's why, aside from me, she never dared to get close to anyone, let alone touch them. Prince Askara, you're the first person who wasn't afraid to touch her." A sly grin tugged at his lips. "You could say… you're her first man"

"B-Brother!" Ayana's face burned crimson.

Askara chuckled, entirely unbothered. "Ahaha~ Then I'll take that honor"

"P-Prince?!" Ayana stammered, panic rising.

"What? You don't want me to? You know, we D'Archy men never run from responsibility. Our father, our grandfather, they always said, if you start something, you see it through to the end, even if it means dying in the process. That's who we are. So… what?"

"I… I-"

"Ahaha~ Relax, it's just a joke." Askara waved it off casually. Relief flooded Ayana's face, though… There was also a flicker of disappointment she couldn't hide.

Noticing, Askara smirked and leaned slightly toward her. "Or… do you want me to be serious? Just say the word. I've never rejected a woman... especially not a beautiful one. So, what's it going to be? Interested?"

Ayana's face flushed red, her eyes darting to the ground. She clutched her brother's sleeve tightly, unsure if she should laugh, scold, or hide altogether.

Mukhlis burst out laughing, "Hahaha! Look at her, Prince! You're going to break my sister before anything even begins"

Anggana rolled his eyes, though a sly grin tugged at his lips. "Tch, typical Aska… flirting in the middle of a serious talk. And now you're even using our family motto for it. Should I be impressed or just embarrassed?"

Askara only shrugged, still grinning. "Life's too short to stay serious all the time. If teasing Ayana makes her smile even a little, then I'll do it"

Those words made Ayana's chest tighten. For the first time, she peeked up, meeting Askara's mismatched eyes. They were playful, yes, but behind them lingered something steady… something that felt safe.

"…You're strange, Prince Askara," she whispered.

"I get that a lot," Askara replied with a smirk, then picked up his pace again. "Come on, let's move faster. Anindha's patience isn't as forgiving as mine"

As the group pressed onward, Mukhlis leaned toward his sister and whispered, "Careful, Ayana. That one… he's dangerous in more ways than one"

Ayana lowered her head again, her heart beating far too fast for her liking. 'Dangerous… but why does it feel warmer than anything else I've known?'

Anggana looked at his brother. "Life's too short, huh? You've realized what we are, haven't you? We're basically immortal beings"

"Well, anything can happen, even to an immortal. Remember the story Big Bro told us? About how Father killed a god?"

"That's… that's different, you know?"

"Well~ whatever~"

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As they kept moving, Askara suddenly stopped, raising his hand. His expression turned sharp.

"Halt! Slow down. I can feel Anindha... she's close," he said, his Blood Magic: Blood Link pulsing faintly inside him.

The group adjusted their pace, scanning the surroundings.

"I don't see anything, Aska. Are you sure it's Anindha?" Anggana asked, but his brother didn't reply.

"…Aska?" Anggana tried again, but this time he noticed Askara standing frozen, gaze locked upwards.

Confused, Anggana followed his brother's line of sight and immediately fell silent as well.

"…You've got to be kidding me," Askara muttered, still staring at the scene above. "Angga… did everyone clearly hear Sis Alice's instructions, or am I the one who misheard? And didn't I specifically say to secure somewhere safe?"

"You didn't mishear. And yes, you did say that," Anggana replied flatly.

"Then tell me... what the hell is that supposed to be? Is this what they call a ladies' party? A… ladies' night out, maybe?"

"I… I don't know. But hey, it looks safe enough up there"

"That's not what I meant!" Askara snapped. "They've decorated the damn tree, twinkling lights and all! It looks like Christmas! Are they trying to lure Beasts with a glowing buffet sign? And what's this about extra party members? Since when did our family start recruiting like it's some sort of new tradition?"

Anggana raised his hands innocently. "Don't look at me. They approached me. I didn't do anything"

"Yeah, whatever." Askara pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. "Fine. Go up there. Bring our sisters... and whoever else she decided to drag along, down here"

"Yeah, yeah," Anggana grumbled. And to the shock of Ayana and Mukhlis, a massive dragon wing unfurled from his back, scales glinting faintly.

Both siblings gasped. Ayana clutched her brother's sleeve, eyes wide.

"T-That's-?!"

Askara noticed their expressions and turned toward them casually. "What? Never seen wings before?"

"N-No, I mean-" Ayana stammered, "I… I didn't realize-"

"You read about us, didn't you?" Askara tilted his head. "So you know what the D'Archy family is made of, right?"

"I… I didn't read that far…" Ayana admitted softly. Then, cheeks red, she added almost in a whisper, "I… only read things about you, Prince…"

"…Oh." Askara blinked.

"A-Are you… Do you also have that, Prince?" she asked timidly, gesturing toward Anggana's wing.

"Me? Nah, I don't…"

"I see… What a sham-"

"Mine's not a dragon," Askara cut in with a smirk. "Mine's bat, wanna see?"

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