Matthew looked down at Aidan, who now lay unconscious—helpless on the ground.
But Matthew couldn't take his eyes off him.
This boy… had come inches away from striking him—a Third Rank being.
Matthew's gaze turned conflicted. He couldn't help but think—had he underestimated him?
"But how?" he whispered to himself. How could a boy, not even seven yet, hold such a monstrous ambition? Just what kind of will had he been born with?
Matthew sighed. His hand moved up to his hair—he ruffled it, smoothing it down again.
It was something he never did—so unlike him.
But the frustration… it gnawed at his mind, knotting inside him. But at the same time, for some reason, for the first time in Matthew Divas's life, he started to feel admiration for someone other than Liam Wilson.
Matthew looked up. The guards and recruits were whispering—low voices, quick glances.
They looked away the moment their eyes met his.
Was there a show going on here now? Matthew snorted. "Do your training. Not gossip."
All of them scrambled as the gossiping stopped.
Matthew took a step forward as he went toward Aidan, lowering himself as he checked his condition.
He saw Aidan's hands—damaged, bones cracked, his chest bruised and swollen, and his face covered in dirt.
Matthew clicked his tongue and muttered, "Maybe I really went a bit too far."
He pulled out a vial of Restorix, uncorked it, and carefully poured it into Aidan's mouth.
He lifted Aidan up as he carried him toward his room.
Matthew knew damn well Sophia wasn't letting this one slide—unlike before, this time he was involved.
He sighed before disappearing from the training ground.
Aidan, who was unconscious, felt himself drifting in vast darkness as he heard a Calling—a Calling of someone dear to him.
He seemed to turn his head, but nothing was visible except darkness.
He felt the Calling become powerful, stronger, as if tugging at him, pulling him toward it.
A vision seemed to become visible in front of him.
Aidan saw a temple—a vast one, hidden deep within a forest.
The trees around it stretched high, as if trying to touch the sky itself.
The sky above wasn't blue—it was shrouded in darkness that resembled night, thick and heavy.
The whole place felt like a forgotten land; the atmosphere felt misty, like early morning.
The temple looked like a ruin from the past, with deep cracks covering every inch of its walls.
At the entrance stood two dragon-like statues—silent and imposing, but marked and broken a bit, as if eroded by time itself.
The walls were carved, telling a story long lost to time—each symbol strange, unfamiliar, like a language the world had forgotten.
Every part of the surrounding stone was etched with marks—some glowing faintly, some seeming to twist when he wasn't looking directly at them.
And from the depths of that dark temple… came the Calling, urging him to walk toward it—a Calling that seemed to tug at his soul, not just him.
Aidan seemingly tried to turn, wanting to see the surroundings, but as if the vision blurred, he once again found himself slipping into a deep sleep.
This time, once again, Aidan felt a Calling—but unlike the distant vision from just a moment ago, this was a Calling he was all too familiar with.
It was his mother's voice.
He saw her holding his hand, looking at him with worry etched on her face—something he seemed to see a bit too frequently lately, unlike her usual self.
Aidan's eyes opened fully before he whispered, "Mother?" His voice came out much weaker than he intended.
"Aidan, are you hurt? Do you feel pain anywhere?" she asked, hurriedly standing up to get some water for him from the nearby table.
Aidan slowly shifted into a sitting position, bracing himself with his elbow, when a sharp pain shot through it.
The pain was abrupt and unexpected, but he made no sound—he didn't want his mother to worry even more.
Sophia noticed his expression. "Are you still in pain?"
Aidan tilted his head before saying, "Nope, Mom. I'm fine now."
Sophia arched an eyebrow, her gaze deepening as she looked at him. Then she let out a long sigh.
"My little genius has now turned into a little brute," she said, overly dramatic as she flared her arms.
"All you want to do is fight, train, and get yourself hurt."
She grabbed his little hands and asked, "Where did my cute, sweet child disappear to, hmm?"
Her eyes drooped in mock sadness.
"He grew up, Mom… and he'll keep growing," he said, placing his hand gently above hers.
Then he added with a soft smile, "But no matter how much he grows… even if he becomes a brute or someone strong—he'll always be your child. So don't worry."
Sophia chuckled, shaking her head.
"Aidan, just how are you so smooth with that little mouth of yours? Even your father wasn't as smooth as you are."
Aidan narrowed his eyes as he gestured for Sophia to be silent, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Mom, be careful… what if some girl hears this and falls in love with me? What will I do then?
After all, I'm just too good not to fall in love with."
Sophia was at a loss for words as she looked at Aidan—his expression too sincere, as if he truly believed every word he just said.
She let out one last chuckle, shaking her head.
"Aidan, be honest," Sophia said, her voice firm, her gaze locked on him. "Did Matthew do it on purpose?"
She had seen how cheeky he was acting—like the Aidan she knew.
It meant he was alright… or at least, mostly healed.
But the anger she'd been holding back hadn't subsided—ever since the servant rushed in, stammering about Matthew training her son by beating him—her rage had erupted, freezing her entire office.
She saw Matthew as someone like a nephew—he was Liam's one and only student, after all.
She had agreed to let him train Aidan. But this...
This had crossed a line.
Training was one thing. Beating was another.
Her eyes blazed with fury. It didn't matter what reason he had—he had crossed a line he shouldn't have.
The very air in the room trembled, as if even the mana could feel the storm inside her.
Aidan, looking at his mother, gulped. He knew Matthew was in danger.