Emily watched the baby laugh, take her first steps, run through the palace halls, trip and cry, then get up again.
Spirits followed the girl wherever she went, guiding her, guarding her. She wasn’t treated like royalty. She was treated like family.
The child grew quickly in the dream.
She would sneak into the kitchens, get scolded by the old spirit cook, then sneak back in the next night anyway.
She would train with spirit warriors, laugh with playful ghosts, argue with the palace’s librarian about bedtime stories.
The queen was always nearby, watching silently, stepping in only when necessary.
Emily didn’t recognize these memories. Not consciously.
But her heart did.
They made her chest feel warm, full, and safe. Those memories were something she’d always wanted but could never remember having.
Until everything shifted again.
It was sudden.
The palace was gone. The spirits were gone. The sky above turned red, like it had been dyed in blood.
The cold that once comforted her now felt suffocating. Something massive loomed beyond the horizon.
Its shape was unclear, but its presence undeniable.
It wasn’t a beast. It wasn’t a spirit.
It was something else.
It was… something wrong.
Screams echoed in the distance.
Then silence fell.
Emily tried to hold on to the dream, and the warmth. But it slipped from her fingers like melting ice.
Her vision blurred. The dream cracked, and finally, it broke apart entirely, snapping her back into the void of unconsciousness, just as the sky in her dream bled into flames.
Cradled in the void of dreams, tears slipped through her eyes.
“Mom, dad. I miss you.”
…
Isaac POV
Isaac left the pendant when the morning arrived and stretched his limbs.
There wasn’t a trace of fatigue in his body.
Even without resting, he felt light on his feet.
It was time to harvest the grains.
He stepped into the fields, expecting to find Leora waiting nearby.
She usually appeared just as he left the house. But today, she was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t worried for his safety. With his current strength, fighting off a Champion-rank awakener wasn’t an issue. But knowing Leora’s work ethic, her absence raised questions.
“The only reason I can think of is either a powerful monster is attacking the city, or something changed in the Naga situation.”
He pushed the thought aside and got to work.
Two swings. That’s all it took. In just moments, the grains were harvested. The harvested Vitality Grains floated into organized bundles beside him.
The efficiency was absurd. But that was expected.
With Mana stat at 1000 and one stat of his Sun Dragon Physique being equal to five stat of a human, there was no way only this much mana consumption would make him feel tired.
He didn’t lump all the grains together.
Today, people from both the Sanctum of Masters and the Calloway Conglomerate would be coming by to collect their weekly stock as per their contracts.
“Maybe I should give them the stock of the entire month instead of just this week. It’s better to get it done all at once than in small batches every week.”
He set aside 20,000 Tier 0 grains and 5,000 Tier 1 grains for the Sanctum. Their contract only required 5,000 Tier 0 grains per week, so this batch covered an entire month.
The Tier 1 grains weren’t part of the deal. He added those voluntarily.
Why?
Because showing results mattered. The resources Sanctum was pouring into him weren’t small, and if he could show tangible growth—better grains, higher quality output—it would reinforce their decision to support him.
They were giving him hundreds of seeds everyday, providing discounts on land, providing him evolution materials for Tyr, which should be worth in billions.
Right now, Isaac wasn’t poor.
In fact, with ten billion obols in his account, he was comfortably wealthy. But wealth alone wasn’t power. At his current level, connections were worth more than coins.
If giving up a small number of Tier 1 grains at base price earned the Sanctum’s continued goodwill, he’d gladly make that trade.
Besides, the grains would end up in the hands of awakeners stationed at the stronghold, which meant stronger allies. That, in turn, meant more security for him, Alice, and Emily.
“I should prepare 20,000 Tier 0 grains and 4,000 Tier 1 grains for the Calloway Conglomerate too. This much would conclude our month-long supply contract.”
He had no plans of renewing the contract.
Not because the conglomerate was a bad partner, but because he and Alice were planning to build their own company.
As he was stacking the remaining Vitality Grains into crates and loading them into the jeep, Alice walked out of the house.
“I need some fresh air,” she said. “I’ll come with you.”
He nodded.
Soon, the two of them, along with a miniaturized Tyr—who was clinging to the back of Isaac’s shirt like a sleepy vine—headed out to the market.
The drop-off went smoothly.
He gave his grains to Nero who was manning the shop, then went towards Calloway affiliated and Sanctum of Masters affiliated shops to give them the grains.
The Sanctum representative gave a polite bow. The Calloway staff checked and weighed the crates before loading them into a separate transport.
No one complained.
In fact, they looked excited to receive the legendary Tier 1 grains.
“I’ve heard awakeners can eat these with potions without the risk of mana poisoning!”
“Yes, these things will definitely sell like hotcakes!”
Isaac chuckled, seeing their enthusiasm. On the way back, Isaac turned to Alice.
“How’s the plan for the shop in Sector 4 coming along?”
“I’ve already spoken to Selene,” she replied. “She’ll assign us some workers. Uncle made this decision, apparently. Since he’s the one who gave you the shop, he wants to provide you basic supplies to start everything, at least during the initial phase.”
Isaac raised a brow. “So how long until we can open the shop?”
“A day or two should be enough. We need to visit the shop location first though, and…. ”
“And?”
“The competition there is going to be hard. Most shops belong to Awakener Faction, and since they don’t like our company very much, they will definitely try to make things hard for us.”
“Hmm, that might be a problem. After all, the Tier 1 Grains’ biggest advantage are there effects which are similar to potions.”
“Yes, we might need to add more products if we want to focus on customer satisfaction, and make sure they return to us. It will be the best way to tackle the competition.”
“I was thinking of selling the vegetables. It will increase our pool of target audience.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Alice began to make notes on her notepad and muttered. “I’m also going to open a company bank account soon.”
She glanced at him, clearly expecting something.
He realized she was asking him for money to handle the company expenses.
His heart bled at the thought of loosing his money, and he sighed. “Alright. I’ll transfer my money to you. Use it to pay the employees and part-timers.”
Alice’s seemed to be enjoying at his misery.
Isaac opened his terminal and sent her eight billion obols.
His face didn’t betray much, but there was a faint twitch in his eye as the balance dropped. His expression stiffened, and he avoided looking at his account screen afterward.
Alice noticed, of course. She always did.
“You really are a cheapskate,” she said, amused. “Except when it comes to me and Emily.”
“It’s called being budget focused,” he muttered.
That led to another banter just as they used to have during the academy days.
The jeep rolled through the market streets and eventually reached the house.
It was almost time for Emily’s awakening to complete.
Alice stepped out first and stretched. “Go greet her when she comes out. I’ll handle breakfast. She’ll be starving by the time her Awakening is complete.”
Isaac gave a small nod.
“You sure you can handle cooking for three?” he asked.
Alice gave him a look. “I’m not you.”
The corner of his lips twitched, but he didn’t take the bait.
With a shrug, he turned and headed toward his room, and activated the Soulbind Pendant. His surroundings twisted as he appeared inside the subspace.
It didn’t take long for Emily’s awakening to complete.
The remaining nutrient liquid inside the pod began to drain, leaving behind only a thin sheen on the surface. A faint hiss followed, then the door opened with a soft swish.
Emily blinked against the light and the sudden cool air that met her skin. Her movements were slow and unsteady. She stepped out, took half a stride, and stumbled forward.
Isaac moved quickly, catching her before she fell.
Her eyes were unfocused at first, but as she blinked again, and recognition dawned into her gaze.
She looked up at him. Her lower lip trembled slightly.
“Isaac…” she muttered, her voice raw with emotions.
Her arms wrapped around his torso. Even though her body was weak, she clung to him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.
She repeated his name again, then again, each time a little more certain.
Isaac didn’t say anything.
He lifted her gently, and carried her over to the bed. He sat down, letting her rest against his chest as he slowly patted her back.
Her breaths were uneven. Tears slipped quietly from the corners of her eyes, but she didn’t sob.
A minute passed. Then two.
“Isaac… is it really you?” she whispered, her fingers curling into his shirt. “I’m not dreaming, right?”
He glanced down at her and gave a soft reply. “It’s me.”
She was silent for a moment. Then she asked, “Are you going to leave me?”
“Even if you want me to leave,” he said as he smirked, “I’m staying stuck to you for the rest of our lives.”
Emily gave a weak chuckle at that.
She adjusted her hold on him, pulling herself closer, hugging him with the last bit of strength she had.
The silence returned.
She kept her head on his chest, and he kept one hand on her back, the other resting lightly on her shoulder.
“I had a nightmare,” she said, voice barely above a whisper.