Alex turned around again—and instantly froze.

Two familiar figures now stood before him.

It was Lily and Alyssa.

Alyssa had a big, satisfied grin stretched across her face, clearly enjoying every ounce of trouble reflected in Alex's expression.

Just as Alex opened his mouth to say something—

WHAM!

A flying kick landed straight into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

He collapsed to the ground, gasping, arms wrapped tightly around his stomach.

"Urghh... What the hell was that fo—"

THUD!

A second hit landed directly on top of the first.

Lily had jumped and crashed down right onto his stomach again.

Then, she casually sat on him—like a throne on her rightful place.

Her voice came, deceptively calm, but laced with a bone-chilling edge.

"So, Mister Dragonheart... You've been missing for two whole days," she said coldly.

"No calls. No messages. Just poof, disappeared into a place where no one comes back alive."

She leaned closer, eyes narrowing.

"You must be feeling pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?"

Alex, still pinned under her weight, wheezed out a response.

"Oh, come on... I did come back safe and sound, didn't I?"

Then he smirked and added smugly, "For the record—yes, I am proud of myself. After all, this big brother of yours did something no one else could."

A vein visibly popped on Lily's forehead.

She clenched her fist slowly—menacingly.

"Uh-oh," Alex muttered.

THWACK!

Her punch landed squarely on his forehead.

"OW! How dare you attack your belo—"

THWACK!

Another punch cut him off mid-sentence.

"Wait, let me expla—"

THWACK!

"Please have mercy—"

THWACK!

The beatdown continued until the tenth punch.

Now covered in bumps, Alex looked thoroughly defeated. He whimpered pathetically.

"I'm sorry! I've done everything wrong in my life! I promise I'll tell you before doing anything dangerous again!"

Then, he pulled his trump card—his puppy dog eyes.

Lily's mouth twitched.

'He's using my technique to fool me... This bastard...'

WHAM!

She slammed her fist one last time—for good measure.

Finally satisfied, she stood up, brushing imaginary dust off her hands.

Meanwhile, Alyssa—who had been silently observing—burst into laughter, nearly doubling over.

She clutched her stomach as tears gathered in her eyes.

"It never gets old," she laughed. "He's so vulnerable in front of her... and he even lets her land her attacks to injure himself."

Lily turned and began walking away.

"Oh, and by the way," she said over her shoulder, "you're not allowed inside the house today."

Alex, still lying on the ground and rubbing the lumps on his head, felt his soul leave his body.

His eyes nearly popped out.

"What?! Miss Lily, I'm very tired and very hungry right now! Please allow me entry!"

Lily turned back, giving him a devilish grin.

"Nope. You're not allowed."

A vein throbbed on Alex's forehead.

'Looks like I have to remind her who the boss is,' he thought darkly.

As Lily walked toward the house, Alex raised his voice.

"Oh, by the way! That 100 million of mine you spent—"

She paused.

"When are you going to pay me back? I've added interest, and it's become one hundre—"

"Never," she cut him off, not even turning around.

She kept walking.

Alex stood there, dumbfounded.

"What...?"

"You're not getting anything back from me,"

Lily said, matter-of-factly.

Alex had enough.

"Alright. That's it!"

He started walking toward her.

Lily saw him coming from the corner of her eye.

'Stay calm. Stay calm,' she chanted internally.

'If I lose here, I'll lose my dominance! But he also made a mistake this time… So I can't back down now! This is the perfect opportunity!'

And so the standoff began...

Alex now closed the gap between Lily, whose eyes widened as sweat started forming on her face.

"If you do anything, my new mother won't let you get away with it!" she warned dramatically, gesturing toward Alyssa with a confident flair.

Alyssa, standing behind with an amused smile, gave a small nod toward Lily in acknowledgment.

At that, Lily gave Alex a smug look, her lips curled in triumph.

Alex's mouth twitched as he turned his gaze toward Alyssa and said, "Master, if you side with her, I'll complain to my guardian angel. I'll even tell her everything you told me about her."

The color instantly drained from Alyssa's face. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she sighed.

Turning to Lily with a shrug, she said, "You're on your own, kid. Goodbye."

Lily blinked, speechless.

'Betrayal!' she shouted inwardly, stunned by Alyssa's abandonment. Meanwhile, Alex gave her a devilish grin.

"No! No, you can't puni—"

"Of course I can," Alex replied with a smirk.

He flicked his finger, and Lily's body suddenly began floating in the air, upside down.

"BROTHER! RELEASE ME! I'LL PUKE IF YOU KEEP ME LIKE THIS!" she screamed, flailing her arms.

Alex chuckled, "I took my punishment quietly. Now it's your turn."

He began laughing as Lily helplessly rotated mid-air.

After ten minutes of pleading, screaming, and trying to guilt-trip him, Alex finally released her.

Lily landed on the ground with a thud, breathing raggedly and swaying slightly.

Noticing her dizziness, Alex grinned and casually picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder.

"RELEASE ME! You're the worst brother ever!" Lily wailed, pounding lightly on his back.

Alex smiled, walking into the mansion beside Alyssa. "Don't you mean the best brother anyone could have?"

Lily responded by sticking out her tongue and making a mock face.

As they entered the mansion, the interior opened up into a luxurious display—marble floors glistening under golden chandeliers, crystal vases holding exotic flowers, and expensive paintings lining the hallways.

They walked through the ornate hall and reached the dining room, where a long table sat under a glowing chandelier.

Alex gently put Lily down. She puffed her cheeks adorably and glared at him.

Then suddenly, she hugged him tightly. "Don't do anything dangerous like that again. I was really worried."

Alex smiled and returned the hug. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to me."

Lily nodded, her grip tightening for a moment before pulling back.

They all took their seats at the table, with Alyssa at the head. Soon, maids entered, placing delicious dishes across the table.

Seeing the food, Alex began devouring it as if he hadn't eaten in days—which was true, considering the time he spent inside the Tower of Ascension.

The atmosphere turned peaceful. Lily watched him eat with a smile, relieved to see her brother safe and well.

Then a thought struck her. She looked at Alex and asked, "Brother... is it possible to awaken mana by signing a contract?"

The moment the words left her lips, Alex froze. His expression darkened instantly.

Lily flinched, startled by the sudden change.

Alyssa's expression also became serious.

Alex's voice came out cold. "Lily. I will ask only once. Did you sign a contract with someone to awaken mana?"

Lily's breath hitched. 'Why did I even ask?! Stupid! Brother's in serious mode now!'

Alyssa leaned forward. "Lily, answer him."

Lily gulped and waved her hands. "Of course not! Do you think I'm a fool?"

'I'd be crazy to mention that weird Kyle kid now... something tells me it'll get messy.

I also don't have any proof.'

Hearing her denial, Alex's expression softened.

"Listen, Lily. Never sign anything without telling me first. The rumors you heard are probably about dark contracts."

He continued, "These contracts let you use dark mana—corrupted energy that eats away at you from the inside. People with weak minds lose their sanity or become puppets."

Lily gulped. "O-Okay. I'll be careful."

Alyssa nodded. "Your brother's right. Always be cautious with things like that."

Lily nodded again. "Okay."

Curious, Alex tilted his head. "Where did you hear about it anyway?"

Lily beamed. "I heard it at Zenith Academy when I went there with Mother Alyssa to meet your friends!"

Alex turned slowly toward Alyssa. "Oh? Is that so?"

Alyssa suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.

Lily giggled. "It was so much fun! I even saw them summoning spirits from the Spirit Realm. They were sooo beautiful!"

Alex blinked. "Wait, they're already summoning spirits?"

Lily nodded. "Yes!"

'Weird,' Alex thought. 'Spirit summoning at Zenith is supposed to happen in the second year. Why are they doing it early?'

'Something must be going on...'

Then a thought came inside his mind.

'...Spirits, huh? Maybe I should try summoning one too. I'll need all the support I can get in the future when I will go back inside the tower of ascention.'

Just then, Alyssa's voice rang out, serious and commanding.

"Alex. If you're done eating, I need to speak with you. Alone."

Then she turned to Lily. "Darling ,go to your room."

Lily puffed her cheeks. "You guys always do this..." she muttered as she got up and stomped out.

Once the door closed, Alyssa leaned forward.

"Alex. I have a mission for you."

----

A/N:

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