Chapter 24
Spirit
Everyone jumped to their feet, standing nervously. Then Lucia shouted, "It's coming!"
In a swift motion, Sophia instinctively grabbed Lucia and Eve's hands, pulling them behind her as if to shield them with her own body. Despite being the most vulnerable—since she wasn't an awakener—her protective instinct overrode her fear.
Edward, alert and ready, reached for a steak knife lying on a side table. He prepared to channel mana into his transformation skill, ready to strike.
A second later, something floated into view—a shapeless, glowing green mass that drifted in the air, softly illuminated in the dim light.
Everyone froze at the surreal sight. Edward tensed, ready to act. Sophia's breath caught in panic. But Lucia… she hesitated. Something felt different.
She sensed no hostility from the presence. If anything, it felt like the entity was yearning for something.
Still cautious, Lucia stepped forward, standing beside Edward—directly in front of Sophia and Eve.
Then, surprisingly, Eve—who had been the most frightened—suddenly calmed. Her wide eyes softened, and she walked forward with purpose.
Lucia and Sophia instinctively reached out to stop her, but Eve turned and smiled reassuringly.
"Sister… don't worry. I think I know what that thing is."
Lucia's suspicion deepened. "Wait… is that thing a spirit?"
Eve nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I can feel a connection with it! Actually, the moment it came close, I could hear its thoughts. I mean… not with my ears exactly, but I understand what it's thinking.
"And—it's not hostile! It wants to form a connection with me. A contract? No… a bond!"
She turned to her sisters with hopeful eyes. "Sister Sophia, Sister Lucia… can I?"
Edward remained on edge, ready to protect everyone as the only combat-capable adult in the room.
Lucia, after carefully evaluating the situation, nodded. "Okay… but I'll stand with you. Don't let go of my hand."
Sophia, though still clearly anxious, saw Lucia's resolve and chose to trust her. She nodded reluctantly.
Eve lit up with a bright smile. Taking Lucia's hand, she stepped carefully toward the floating presence, which hovered just beyond the edge of the balcony.
Edward followed close by, still wary.
They stopped about a meter from it. The glowing mass began to vibrate, its light pulsing gently.
Eve extended her right hand toward it.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
The entity's glow intensified. A low hum resonated in the air, and Eve, eyes closed, released a low-pitched hum in return. The vibrations of her voice synced with the entity's.
As if drawn to her, the spirit slowly floated down to her hand.
A sudden burst of radiant light filled the balcony.
Edward, Lucia, and Sophia shielded their eyes against the brightness. A second later, the light faded—and what now hovered above Eve's palm was no longer a formless glow.
It had transformed.
Now, it resembled a tiny humanoid creature made of intertwined vines, petals, and wood. Roughly 20 centimeters tall, it hovered just above Eve's hand like a miniature guardian.
Eve gasped. "Yeeeeey! My first spirit! I actually got one! Wow… Bro–Sister Lucy, this little guy is called a dryad!
"I can command it! It can heal! Wait—it even has a skill… 'Nutrient Boost'? Like a growth enhancement?"
Sophia nearly collapsed from the tension release but managed to catch herself and sit. Lucia and Edward both sighed in relief.
Lucia smiled. "Eve, did you name it yet? Is it connected to your status window?"
Eve nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! It registered as my spirit. Hmm… name… not yet. Any suggestions?"
Lucia shook her head gently. "That's for you to decide. You'll be its partner—you should be the one to name it."
Eve thought hard, then brightened. "Sylph? Groot? Hmm… How about Luse?"
The dryad bobbed in approval.
Lucia tilted her head. "Luse? Like lust? Lush?"
Eve giggled. "Sister Lucy… it's from Lǜsè—Mandarin for green! Haven't you been paying attention in language class?"
Lucia rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Haha… I totally forgot. I always preferred Japanese. Guess it's the anime obsession…"
Now that the mysterious presence was revealed to be something beautiful and harmless, everyone relaxed.
Edward finally released the knife and let out a dry chuckle. "Heh… of all things, a spirit?"
Lucia looked thoughtful. "It's a blessing, really… but it makes me wonder. Does this mean spirits exist now? We never had them before the awakening phenomenon… This really is starting to feel like a fantasy world."
Then she blinked. "Wait—Edward, what about your staff? Didn't anyone notice the commotion?"
Leaning against the balcony rail, Edward explained, "There's an emergency system. I have a whistle that alerts the staff. Unless I blow it, they won't interfere.
"And because the entire property is under constant surveillance—CCTV, motion sensors, and routine patrols—they probably didn't detect this as a threat. I'll ask the manager and head of security later, just in case."
While Edward and Lucia talked, Eve sat beside Sophia, introducing Luse.
Though still skeptical, Sophia listened with cautious curiosity, trusting her sisters' instincts.
With the tension finally gone, the dinner ended on a lighter note. Eve and Sophia returned to their room early, while Edward and Lucia stayed on the balcony, talking for another hour.
After an hour of talking about their shared hobbies and having a deep conversation about the current government situation, Edward and Lucia finally noticed the time.
"Wow… It's already 9 PM. I'm tired. How about you, Edward?"
While gazing at the stars, Edward sighed. "Yeah… Me too. That encounter with the spirit honestly took a lot out of me."
He smiled as he met Lucia's eyes.
"Let's rest for tonight. We can continue the party tomorrow—maybe play some card games, party games, have a barbeque, and all that."
Lucia returned the smile.
"Sounds great. So, will we start after breakfast?"
Edward nodded. "Sure. Let's meet for breakfast. Maybe we can watch a movie first—there's a small theater here in the villa. Then after lunch, we can play cards and other games, and end the day with a barbeque."
Lucia gave a thumbs up. "That's a solid plan. I like it!"
Edward motioned for her to walk with him. Both entered the living room as he continued,
"Well then, see you tomorrow. Good night, Lucia."
He went his separate way after offering a fist bump, which Lucia returned.
"You too. Good night, Edward."
Their rooms were on opposite ends of the hallway—Edward's on the left near the second living room, and Lucia's at the far end of the hall.
---
Entering the bedroom, Lucia saw Eve sitting on the couch, still playing with Luse. Sophia was nowhere in sight—she must have been inside the bathroom, changing her clothes.
"Wow, Eve… You didn't even notice I came in. You're really focused, huh?"
Eve had actually sensed Lucia long before she entered. With Luse by her side, her awareness had grown sharper.
"Brother… Actually, I saw you before you came in. I think it's because of Luse—I can see what Luse sees. It's like having a second pair of eyes!"
Lucius sat beside her, staring at Luse in awe.
"Wow… So Luse really is a great addition to your power. But do they always need to be around you? Wouldn't you feel... watched all the time? Or maybe that's just how I'd feel, haha."
Eve fell into thought, closing her eyes and even frowning as she tried to think of a solution. Without her realizing it, Luse vanished into thin air.
"Huh? Eve… Luse just disappeared, like a ghost."
Eve panicked for a moment, then relaxed and exhaled.
"Whew… Luse told me I can summon them at will. They can hide inside my mana core or wait somewhere farther away—like in a nearby tree. I can choose, apparently."
Relieved that the mysterious presence was gone, Lucius nodded.
"That's great. Let's have Luse hide in a tree outside and keep watch."
The bathroom door opened. Sophia stepped out in pajamas, her makeup already removed. She approached them calmly.
"Don't you two want to change? The bathroom's free now."
Lucius stood, grabbed a change of clothes from his backpack, and headed in.
Sophia raised a brow when she noticed Luse was gone.
"Hmm… Eve, where's your spirit?"
Eve smiled, flashing a peace sign.
"Luse is guarding us outside! Brother Luci asked me to do that—he said he doesn't like being watched! Haha… especially after I told him I could share Luse's vision. I think he got nervous."
Sophia chuckled softly and sat beside her.
"That's good. Now, after you change, you should go to sleep."
Eve pouted.
"Aw, why? Let's play a quick game or two before bed. Please?"
She leaned forward eagerly.
"Ooh! How about some scary stories?"
Sophia sighed.
"Alright. But only if Luci agrees. If he says no, we drop it, okay?"
Grinning from ear to ear, Eve leapt up.
"Sure! I'll make sure Brother Luci says yes!"
She ran to grab her pajamas, then dashed to the bathroom door and knocked.
"Brother! Let me in! Let's take a bath together!"
A voice shouted from inside.
"What!? No! Take a bath yourself—you're too old for that!"
Still grinning, Eve stifled a giggle.
"Come on! You're a girl now! There's no need to be shy if we're both girls!"
There was a short silence before the doorknob turned. The door opened, revealing Lucius with damp hair and clothes. His pajamas were slightly mismatched.
With both hands on his hips, he gave her a tired look.
"I'm done. You can take your bath now."
Eve slumped in disappointment. Her plan had failed. She'd hoped to catch Lucius off guard and win either way—if he agreed, great! If not, she could bargain for a game before bed. Either way, it was a win in her book.
Dragging her feet, she walked into the bathroom. But she wasn't giving up—not yet.
Before closing the door, she turned with a hopeful expression.
"Brother… Can we at least play a small game before bed?"
Still standing outside, Lucius was busy drying his hair with a towel. Without thinking much of it, he replied,
"Alright, but just for a short while. We've got a full day tomorrow—Edward and I planned it out earlier."
Eve grinned and shut the door with a laugh.
Unfortunately, the moment she finished her quick shower and changed into her pajamas, exhaustion hit her. The spirit encounter had taken more of a toll than she realized.
So when the three of them gathered on the bed to play cards, Eve fell asleep before her second turn.
And just like that, the night came to a quiet end.
They still had plenty of time tomorrow—maybe even the day after.
After all, they couldn't return home until the organization sent someone to escort Lucius.