Azriel gazed at his mother, sleeping peacefully. Her face was streaked with dried tear marks, and her eyes were swollen from crying so much.
Instead of sitting on the bed where his mother rested, Azriel had conjured a chair made of ice. He sat on it silently, watching over her, listening to her soft, steady breaths.
An hour. An entire hour she had cried before exhaustion finally pulled her into his arms and into sleep.
…His own mother.
Gently, Azriel brushed the strands of blonde hair from her face, tucking them to the side. The moonlight spilling through the windows illuminated her features. He couldn’t help but think that if someone painted her like this, the artwork would fetch a fortune—not because she was Aeliana Crimson, but because of the serene beauty etched on her face.
A soft breeze wafted through the room, and Azriel’s eyes flicked to the open balcony doors he had forgotten to close.
Though his mother had an affinity for fire and wouldn’t easily feel the cold, Azriel still didn’t want her to endure even the smallest discomfort. Right now, as she slept so peacefully, all he could see was a fragile human—someone who could be swept away by another errant breeze.
As he was about to rise, a quiet voice reached his ears.
“I’ll close it.”
Azriel’s head snapped to the side, spotting his father standing there. Joaquin moved to the balcony doors and slid them shut. For a moment, he remained there, gazing out at the night sky through the glass.
“Thanks…”
Again, Azriel thought, if someone were to paint his father now, it would sell for a fortune—and not because he was Joaquin Crimson.
A sigh escaped Joaquin’s lips before he turned back and walked to the other side of the bed. A throne of pure darkness manifested beneath him, and he lowered himself onto it. A flicker of sadness crossed his face.
“Aeli…” he murmured.
Azriel hesitated, watching his father, then spoke tentatively.
“I… I shouldn’t have told her the truth. She—no, we—weren’t ready for it.”
But Joaquin shook his head.
“You’re wrong. The truth is, something like this should never have happened to you in the first place. It’s because of our failures as a family—every single one of us—that things reached this point.”
Leaning forward, Joaquin pressed a hand gently against Aeliana’s cheek. She responded instinctively, a faint smile gracing her lips as she leaned into his touch.
Azriel and Joaquin both shared a soft smile at her reaction.
But Joaquin’s expression darkened quickly.
“There’s a reason she was so hurt when she heard what happened to you…”
Azriel furrowed his brow, watching his father carefully. Joaquin’s eyes, now fixed on him, carried a depth of hatred so fierce that Azriel felt his breath catch in his throat.
“You know your mother never talked about her… parents, don’t you? Your… grandparents?”
Azriel nodded slowly, an uneasy feeling taking root in his chest. His fingers tightened on the armrest of the icy chair.
Joaquin’s gaze softened momentarily as he looked back at Aeliana, his hand stroking her hair with uncharacteristic tenderness. Yet, despite the gentle movements, his face remained cold, his voice dripping with venom.
“I don’t even acknowledge those things as humans. The only thing I’ll ever thank them for is giving life to their beautiful daughter.”
Azriel already had an inkling. He already knew this wasn’t something he wanted to hear. But he was always curious—and that curiosity betrayed him.
“Why?” he asked, his voice quieter than he intended.
For a moment, Joaquin was silent. Then, his tone darkened further, matching his expression. The shadows in the room seemed to shift, growing denser, more alive.
“I promised I wouldn’t tell you or Jasmine about this. But… I’ve never been a good husband. Those worms—your grandparents—never loved Aeli. To them, she was nothing more than a lab rat. A tool for their experiments. They never saw her as human.”
Azriel froze.
“When you told her what happened to you, it must have felt like her world was collapsing. To her, it was as if history had repeated itself. Her own child… forced to endure something far worse than what she went through. She swore to herself that no child of hers would ever suffer that fate. And yet, she failed. Aeli couldn’t save you, Azriel. That truth broke her.”
Azriel stared at his father, words failing him.
No.
It wasn’t failure he felt. It was something far darker.
The armrest of his icy chair began to crack under the pressure of his grip. His teeth clenched as rage bubbled to the surface.
“Where… what happened to them?”
Joaquin turned to his son, and a sinister smile spread across his face.
“They’re alive. Even now. At this very moment, they’re begging—praying—for death to claim them. But I’ll never grant them that mercy. Not in this lifetime or the next.”
“….”
Azriel lowered his gaze, pushing down the turbulent emotions rising within him. After a few moments of silence, he murmured darkly, “Good. I wish to visit them one day.”
Joaquin’s sinister smile softened into something gentler as Azriel looked back up at him.
“Very well. But unfortunately, you’re not strong enough to reach the place where I’ve kept them. Become a Master, and then I will allow it.”
Reluctantly, Azriel nodded. Truthfully, he burned with the desire to make those people suffer with his own hands for what they had done to his mother. Yet, he trusted his father in this. Joaquin surely had devised something far beyond Azriel’s imagination.
Hesitating, Azriel shifted the topic.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
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Joaquin blinked in mild surprise before nodding.
“You need only ask.”
“Iryndra,” Azriel began. “I want you to check her mana veins. Even though she has the [Space] affinity, she can’t overuse it without exhausting her body…”
Before he could finish, Joaquin interrupted, “I already know. The moment I laid eyes on her, I saw everything that was wrong.”
Azriel’s eyes widened at the prideful grin on his father’s face, which seemed to boast, See how amazing I am?
A bitter smile touched Azriel’s lips as Joaquin continued.
“The issue lies with both her mana veins and her mana core. Both are incredibly fragile and weaker than those of a typical Awakened. Her affinity and [Unique Skill] consume an absurd amount of mana. But because her mana core and veins are frail, every use of mana strains and harms her. Even becoming an Intermediate, transforming her mana veins into soul veins won’t solve the issue. If I’m correct, her mana veins and mana core will only strengthen to a sustainable level once she becomes a master.”
Azriel listened closely, absorbing every word. Joaquin’s assessment was disappointing but unsurprising. Somehow, Iryndra had to achieve becoming a master without overexerting her mana. If that was her choice, of course.
Still, if she wanted to remain an Awakened and let him spoil her, Azriel wouldn’t mind. He would welcome the chance to pamper the adorable little creature who somehow still qualified as human.
Joaquin’s sudden wide grin interrupted his thoughts.
“It all started with an ice throne, didn’t it? Despite claiming you don’t desire to be a king, you often act like one, stepping onto the stage we stand on.”
Azriel looked away, scratching his nose.
“Well… I won’t deny it’s thrilling. Winning in the end—it’s satisfying.”
If not for Aeliana sleeping so peacefully, Joaquin would have laughed in agreement.
“Indeed. You truly have my blood, even though you’ve left the throne to Jasmine. Then again, I’m fortunate to have children who don’t fight over a throne and title, unlike the Dusk Clan.”
Azriel smiled at that but soon turned serious.
“Dad, about the Supreme Archon declaring war on me personally… I can’t shake the feeling it’s not just because I’m Subject 666 or because I ruined the CASC attack.”
Joaquin’s expression didn’t change. He smiled knowingly.
“I know.”
Azriel blinked, confused.
“You know?”
Joaquin nodded without hesitation.
“Of course. If you interpret the bounty he placed on you, it’s less of a punishment and more of a declaration. In his own way, the Supreme Archon acknowledges you, respects you. By declaring war, he’s letting the world know he sees you as someone worthy of standing against him.”
Azriel’s mouth opened in shock. He gulped.
“…I fear when the official bounty is released, it might cause… misunderstandings.”
It wasn’t uncommon for children of the Great Clans to have bounties on their heads. Even Jasmine had one. It was standard for heroes to attract such attention in the underground world.
But no bounty had ever reached the magnitude of Azriel’s.
Joaquin chuckled softly.
“Perhaps. But it’s something to be proud of.” He paused, his tone shifting. “Speaking of rewards, given the recent incident with Neo Genesis and the CASC, you’ll be rewarded. Go to the Crimson Vault and choose anything you want.”
Azriel’s face lit up with delight as a greedy grin spread across his features.
‘Finally, something to be happy about!’
Joaquin shook his head, amused by his son’s reaction.
“Also, the higher-ups have lifted the ban on bringing servants to dormitories. You’ll take Amaya with you when you leave. This is not up for negotiation, Azriel. It’s for your safety and to reassure your mother and me.”
“…Fine. But I’m also bringing Iryndra,” Azriel replied. He had no issue with Amaya accompanying him to the academy. She could train him and help care for Iryndra as well.
Joaquin nodded in agreement before tapping his throne. The dark construct dissolved into the floor as he rose.
“For your mother’s sake, stay a few more days. Missing a few classes won’t matter.”
Azriel nodded. He had already decided to remain longer. Leaving immediately wouldn’t be right.
“It’s late now,” Joaquin continued. “I won’t be sleeping tonight, so you can use our room to rest.”
Azriel shook his head with a strained smile.
“I don’t sleep much these days.”
Joaquin stopped mid-step, turning to look at him. His lips curved into a sly smile, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“You say that, yet you were out for almost a week. Very well…” His grin widened further. “How about we finally have that drink I’ve always wanted to share with you?”
Azriel’s expression shifted from disbelief to a wide, exaggerated smile. He sighed, closing his eyes.
“Sure. I’d love that.”