Kael slept soundly. He had fallen asleep almost instantly, not even bothering to get under the covers—he had simply collapsed on top of the bed.
He woke a few hours later.
He had slept longer than he expected.
Kael opened his eyes, feeling slightly refreshed. It felt as though he had just had a full night's rest.
He glanced at the time displayed on his computer.
Five o'clock.
He had slept for about three hours, yet to him it felt like much longer.
His eyes scanned the room, and they quickly landed on the sword he had created earlier.
"It didn't disappear?" Kael thought as he got out of bed and reached for it.
"I expected it to disappear… just like the mana ball usually does," he muttered, slightly surprised.
He swung it lightly a few times before stopping.
Kael still couldn't get over how light it was. He knew it was because it was made of mana, but even then, it amazed him.
A question popped into his mind.
"How do I make it go away?" he asked himself.
He definitely didn't want his parents finding out about it.
Kael stood there, thinking.
"So… I just will it? Maybe it'll vanish the same way it formed," he said quietly.
He closed his eyes and imagined it disappearing. It was a gamble, but he was willing to try.
When he opened his eyes—
It was gone.
Kael froze for a second, then let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
A wave of relief washed over him.
A small smile formed on his face.
After confirming it was truly gone, he sat down on his bed, trying to recall the dream he had just had.
It hadn't been normal.
He remembered being in a clearing—similar to the one in the forest, yet different. It was vast… far too vast, stretching endlessly in all directions.
There had been creatures there too… but he couldn't remember what they looked like.
Everything felt hazy.
He had also spoken to the same voice he had heard before that night.
But he couldn't remember what they talked about.
Only one thing remained clear in his memory—
A pair of shining blue eyes.
That was all.
Everything else was blurred.
"What a weird dream," Kael said quietly.
But it didn't concern him much. He brushed it off, dismissing it as just another strange dream.
"Wait!" Kael suddenly said.
"Am I back to normal?"
He rushed to the bathroom.
As he looked into the mirror, relief flooded his expression.
His eyes were back to their normal golden color.
Kael let out a breath.
"So it's not permanent…"
He left the bathroom, changing his clothes since he had sweated while sleeping.
As he changed, he suddenly realized something.
He had missed lunch.
Kael's face darkened immediately.
His mother was definitely going to scold him. She always made sure he ate properly—missing a meal was something she didn't take lightly.
"What am I going to tell her?" he muttered, starting to feel nervous.
He forced a small laugh.
"I'll just say I felt tired," he said, though even he didn't believe it.
He sighed, bracing himself, then slowly headed downstairs.
Part of him hoped his mother wouldn't be there.
But deep down, he knew she would be.
Kael walked past the living room and headed to the fridge. He felt slightly hungry after waking up and decided to grab some juice.
As he pulled it out—
"Hi there."
Kael almost jumped.
"Oh—hi, Mom," he said quickly, forcing an exaggerated smile while holding the juice box.
"Where were you, Kael?" she asked, her tone slightly strict.
"I was in my room, Mom," he replied, still smiling awkwardly.
"In your room? Didn't you hear me calling you for lunch?" she asked, looking at him closely.
Kael had no excuse.
He sighed inwardly before speaking.
"Ah… Mom, you see… after I went back to my room after breakfast, I… um… I sort of fell asleep," he admitted, his voice dropping toward the end.
"You fell asleep?" she asked, confused. "What do you mean you fell asleep? It was mid-morning—you had just woken up."
"Umm… I folded my clothes, then I just felt tired… and I fell asleep," Kael said.
He knew it didn't sound convincing, but he didn't want her to know he had been practicing magic.
His mother paused, studying him.
"So you just felt tired?" she asked.
"Yes, Mom," Kael replied.
She sighed lightly.
"Okay then. Next time you feel like sleeping during the day, go for a walk outside, alright?" she said sternly.
"Yes, Mom," Kael answered, relieved.
"You must be hungry, honey," she said, taking the juice from his hand.
"You can't drink this right now—it's cold. I'll warm up some tea I made earlier."
Kael felt even more relieved. He hadn't been scolded as much as he expected.
He went and sat in the dining room while his mother moved to the kitchen.
He sat there quietly, staring into space.
Inside, however, he was bubbling with excitement.
He could finally use magic.
After a few minutes, his mother returned with a cup of warm tea.
"I didn't heat it too much, so it's just warm. Drink up," she said, handing it to him.
"I'll go start on dinner," she added before leaving.
Kael drank the tea quickly.
After finishing, he sat there, unsure of what to do next.
He thought about watching TV, but it didn't interest him much. Only his parents really watched it.
He didn't have a wrist link either, though he knew his parents would get him one if he asked.
"I wonder if Clare has one," he thought.
"I'm pretty sure she does," he answered himself.
Kael sighed slightly.
There wasn't much he could do.
Then a thought came to him.
"Maybe I should help Mom," he said, getting up and heading to the kitchen with his cup.
He placed it in the sink.
"Need some help, Mom?" he asked.
"Thanks, honey, but I'm almost done," she said, pausing for a moment. "Actually, you can help by putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher."
Kael nodded and did exactly as he was told.
After finishing, he stood there for a moment, watching her cook.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No, nothing," she replied.
"Okay, I'll go back to the dining room," he said.
He sat there again, waiting for dinner.
After a while, his mother brought the food and set the table.
She then said a prayer to Zeus.
Kael didn't like this part much, but he didn't show it.
They began eating.
For a while, the only sound was the quiet clinking of utensils.
Then, suddenly, Kael spoke.
"Mom… why don't you use magic much? You only use it for small things."
His mother froze.
Her hand stopped mid-air.
The change in her expression was immediate.
The warmth in her face faded, replaced by something else—something quieter, heavier.
For a brief moment, she didn't respond.
The air between them shifted.
Kael noticed it instantly.
She slowly placed her spoon down.
"…Why do you ask that?" she said, her voice calm—but different.
Not angry.
Not soft.
Just… careful.