Olivia's lips tightened into a thin line as she stared at her son, her heart already knowing that once Kafka decided something, there was no moving him.
She had learned yesterday just how impossibly stubborn her son could be. No amount of motherly pleading or sharp reasoning would change his mind when he set his sights on something.
He wasn't the same timid boy she once knew, no, this Kafka was like an immovable mountain.
And she hated to admit it, but every time he exerted that quiet dominance over her, it made her knees feel just a little weak.
'No, no. Focus, Olivia. You're the mother here.'
She darted her eyes around, desperate for a way out of this situation. That was when her gaze fell on something, something that made a tiny spark of mischief light up in her eyes.
A massive boulder sat nearby, half-covered in moss, its surface cracked and weathered from decades of standing there. It looked ancient, immovable, impossibly heavy and exactly what she was looking for.
Straightening her back, she crossed her arms with a haughty air and jabbed her finger toward the rock. "Fine, Kafi. We'll do as you say."
Kafka raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her sudden submission. "Oh? That was easier than I thought it'd be—"
"But…" She interrupted firmly, her finger still pointing at the boulder. "Before we do, I have a condition."
He followed her gaze and then looked back at her suspiciously. "…A condition?"
"Yes. I want to put you to the test first." She smirked like a sly fox cornering its prey. "See that boulder? I want you to lift it."
Kafka's eyes flicked to the massive stone, then back to his mother. "You…want me to lift that?"
"Yes." She said matter-of-factly, her arms still crossed. "That rock probably weighs as much as me. Maybe even a little less. If you can lift that, then I'll believe you're strong enough to carry me up this tree. Otherwise, forget it."
For a moment, Kafka just stared at her in stunned silence. Then he let out a low, incredulous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Mom…do you even hear yourself right now? That boulder has to be at least…" He squinted. "…Four hundred kilos. And you're saying that's your weight?"
Olivia's face flushed bright red. She flailed her hands at him, her voice rising a pitch. "D-Don't get caught up in the details! Obviously, it's just a little heavier than me. A few kilos, that's all! Stop nitpicking!"
He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're unbelievable…"
But she refused to back down, puffing out her chest proudly. "I'm serious, Kafi! If you can't even lift that, there's no point in you trying to haul me up a tree. So, do you accept or not?"
Kafka's eyes softened, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched his mother's determined, if slightly embarrassed, expression.
"You know…after hearing so many stories from Mom, I honestly thought you'd be this calm, dignified, and quiet woman. Cold and collected, like a queen."
Olivia stiffened, her blush deepening as his teasing words reached her ears.
"…But now that I see you in person, you're nothing like that." He continued, his grin widening. "You're cheekier. Cuter. And way more mischievous than I imagined. Trying to trick your son like this, huh?"
Her jaw dropped slightly. "I-I am not! This is a perfectly logical test!"
Kafka chuckled, his deep voice rumbling like a warm fire on a cold night. "Sure, Mom. Whatever you say."
'It's working.' Olivia thought victoriously. 'There's no way he can lift that thing. I'll save him from doing something dangerous and still keep my pride intact.'
But her little victory was short-lived.
Kafka's expression softened as he approached the massive boulder, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "Still…you're my mom. And as your son, I should humor you."
"What…?" Olivia blinked, suddenly nervous.
"Since you're asking, I'll do it."
"Wait, what?!"
Without another word, Kafka crouched low and placed his hands firmly at the base of the moss-covered rock.
Olivia's heart skipped. 'H-He's bluffing. There's no way—'
But before she could finish her thought, she heard the earth groan.
The boulder shifted.
Her eyes went wide as she watched the impossible unfold.
The massive stone slowly began to rise, dislodging from its resting place. Pebbles and dirt crumbled from underneath as Kafka, with a calm expression and not even a bead of sweat, lifted the entire thing into the air.
"W-What…?" Olivia whispered, her voice trembling.
Kafka stood upright, holding the boulder effortlessly above his head as if it were nothing more than a bag of groceries.
He looked down at her, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You said this was about your weight, right? Then this is no problem."
Her jaw dropped. "K-Kafi…that's impossible…!"
"Impossible for most people." He corrected smoothly. "But I'm not most people, Mom."
And just as she thought her heart couldn't take any more shock, Kafka started curling the massive boulder like it was a dumbbell, flexing his arm muscles with each motion.
"See? Light as a feather."
Kafka's eyes glimmered with amusement as he dusted off his palms. "If you want more proof, Mom…I can do this too."
Before Olivia could even open her mouth to stop him, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as Kafka began tossing the enormous boulder from one hand to the other like it was a child's ball.
"Wait, What are you—?!"
Her voice cracked as she watched him shift the bike size mass from palm to palm, each catch producing a dull, thunderous thud that vibrated through the earth. The sheer casualness of it was enough to send her into a full-blown panic.
"K-Kafi! Stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop! What in heaven's name do you think you're doing?!"
But he didn't stop. Instead, Kafka shot her a devilish grin, effortlessly flipping the boulder back to his left hand.
"I'll only stop if you're convinced." He said teasingly. "So, are you convinced yet, Mom? Can I lift your weight, or do I need to juggle it a few more times?"
"Of course, I'm convinced!" Olivia screamed at the top of her lungs, waving her arms frantically. Her amber eyes were wide, nearly glassy with terror as she shouted again. "There's no way I wouldn't be convinced after seeing something like that!"
"…Now put it down before you hurt yourself put it down before you hurt yourself!"
Kafka chuckled, clearly enjoying her frantic reaction, but her fear wasn't lost on him. With a final playful toss of the stone, he hurled it away casually.
BOOM!
The earth shuddered violently as the boulder slammed into the ground, sending a ripple of vibrations through their feet like a mini-earthquake. Dust and pebbles flew up around it, and Olivia instinctively grabbed her son's arm to steady herself.
For a long moment, she stood there frozen, staring at the crater where the boulder now rested. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her mind screaming that what she had just witnessed wasn't real.
'This has to be a dream. Or a hallucination. Or…or something, since what she just saw couldn't be real.'