By the time Soren arrived home, the evening had settled into quiet darkness.
He paid the taxi driver and stepped out, his legs still aching from the training.
Inside, soft light spilled from the living room.
He pushed the door open.
Ethea sat in her wheelchair near the small table. Clara sat across from her, speaking gently about something Soren couldn’t quite hear. Both turned when he entered.
Soren nodded at them. "Sorry for being late. And thank you, Lady Clara."
Clara shook her head with a warm smile. "No need to apologize. It’s my work. And your timing is perfect, actually. I was just about to leave."
She stood, gathering her bag.
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Soren offered.
"That’s kind of you, but I’ll have to decline." Clara’s smile remained gentle.
"I see." Soren nodded. "Then let me at least call you a taxi."
"No need. My husband is already on his way to pick me up. He should be here any moment now." Clara moved toward the door, pausing to glance back at Ethea. "See you tomorrow."
Ethea’s expression remained neutral, but she gave the faintest nod.
"And Mr. Soren." Clara turned to Soren. "I’ve taken care of everything. You can rest assured till my next visit. Well, then, I’ll be on my way."
"Alright," Soren followed her outside and waited on the porch.
A few minutes later, headlights appeared down the street. A modest sedan pulled up to the curb, and an older man with kind eyes leaned over from the driver’s seat, waving.
Clara waved back and turned to Soren. "That’s him. Have a good evening, Mr. Valmere."
"You too."
Soren watched as she climbed into the car. The sedan pulled away, taillights disappearing into the night.
Only then did he return inside.
Ethea was still sitting by the table, her gaze fixed somewhere distant.
Soren moved behind her wheelchair and began wheeling her toward the kitchen. "Let me make some tea."
He settled her near the counter where she could see him work, then filled the kettle and set it to boil.
As he prepared the tea, he started to talk, from how the awakening went to nearly collapsing from tiredness in the dojo.
He only stopped when the kettle began to whistle.
Soren poured the hot water over the carefully measured tea leaves and rare herbs, watching the liquid turn a pale, luminous silver.
He let the tea steep, the delicate aroma filling the kitchen. Sweet, calming, with an undertone of something ancient.
"That’s why I was late. Sorry if I made you worry."
Ethea hadn’t responded, but he could feel her attention on him.
Soren poured the tea into a cup and brought it over, pulling a chair close to her wheelchair.
"Here. This should help you sleep better tonight."
He held the cup carefully to her lips, tilting it just enough for her to sip.
"..." After giving him a stare, Ethea drank.
The moment the liquid touched her tongue, something shifted in her expression.
Her eyes widened briefly.
The warmth spread through her chest. It flowed through her damaged pathways like cool water over burnt ground, easing the constant, low-grade ache she’d learned to ignore.
Her breathing steadied. The tension in her shoulders, always present, loosened just slightly.
Ethea instantly realized that this wasn’t ordinary tea.
Her gaze snapped to Soren.
He was smiling, the same calm, unassuming expression he always wore, as if he’d done nothing unusual at all.
He didn’t explain anything and just continued helping her drink, one careful sip at a time, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Although she wanted to demand an answer, the herbal warmth was already pulling her toward sleep. A rare, blossoming peace eclipsed the mystery of the tea. Soren set the empty cup aside and stood.
"Let’s get you to bed."
He wheeled Ethea back to the bedroom.
The broken window had been replaced earlier in the day. A local handyman had come while Clara was there, installing new reinforced glass. Soren had also added a simple detection charm near the frame, a basic security measure he’d bought from the Hunter Network app. It would alert him if anyone tried to enter through the window or even the door again.
It was not perfect, but it was better than nothing.
He carefully lifted Ethea from the wheelchair and placed her on the bed, adjusting the blankets around her.
"I’ll be back in a bit," he said quietly.
She didn’t respond, just watched him with those ice-blue eyes.
Soren left the room and headed to the bathroom.
The hot water felt like heaven on his aching muscles. He washed quickly, scrubbing away the sweat and soreness from the training session, then dried off and changed into clean clothes.
When he returned to the bedroom, Ethea was still awake, lying in the same position.
Soren moved to his futon by the door, but instead of lying down, he sat in a lotus position.
’I should cultivate as much as I can.’
He closed his eyes, letting his breathing slow.
But he could feel her gaze on him. Watching him silently.
He chose to ignore it and sank into meditation.
The Glacial Emperor Scripture guided his awareness inward. He began drawing Mana from the air, circulating it through his pathways, refining it through the Frozen Refinement process.
Time blurred.
The room grew colder as ice Mana accumulated around him. Frost formed on the floor in a faint circle.
Hours passed.
Soren cultivated steadily, his Core gradually filling, layer by layer.
When he finally opened his eyes, the room was still dark.
He blinked groggily, checking the time on his phone.
2:47 AM.
He’d cultivated for nearly five hours.
His body felt energized from the Mana circulation, but his mind was exhausted. Mental fatigue pressed down on him like a weight.
’I should sleep now.’
He glanced toward the bed.
Ethea had finally fallen asleep, her breathing slow and even. It seems like tea did its work.
’Good. I hope she slept peacefully.’
Soren carefully lay down on his futon and closed his eyes.
Within minutes, he was asleep.
_____ ___ ___
[Several hours later.]
Soren’s eyes opened slowly.
Morning light filtered through the window.
He checked his phone.
6:38 AM.
’I slept about four hours, huh? But I feel alright.’
All the physical and mental fatigue had already disappeared.
’So this is the advantage of being an Awakened...’
Soren stood up and left the room quietly.
He headed to the bathroom first, splashing cold water on his face to wake himself up properly. Then he made his way downstairs to the kitchen.
He pulled out eggs, bread, and vegetables from the small fridge.
Soren cracked the eggs into the pan, watching them sizzle.
Ding!
He froze, hearing that familiar sound.
Almost immediately, glowing text materialized in his vision.
[Investment detected.]
[Target: Ethea Valmere (Wife)]
[Analyzing investment...]
[Investment: Subject provided a rare therapeutic beverage (Soothing Moon Tea) to the target. Tea composition included high-grade medicinal herbs specifically chosen to alleviate chronic pain and improve sleep quality.]
[Analyzing target response...]
[Target consumed full dose. Pain levels reduced by 18%. Sleep quality improved significantly. Mental state stabilized further. Subconscious trust in the subject increased.]
[Evaluating investment significance...]
Soren stared at the messages, spatula still in hand.
[Evaluation complete.]
[Investment Grade: LOW-MODERATE]
[Investment Type: Medical Care + Emotional Support]
[Calculating returns...]
Dots pulsed in his vision.
[Calculation complete.]
[Returns granted:]
A new window appeared.
[1. Moonlight Tree Leaves]
[2. Frost Whisper Petals]
[3. Starlight Ginseng Root]
[Integration initiated...]
[Progress: 10%....100%]
[Integration complete!]
[Please check your inventory. (*)]