Over the past several days, Mystica had remained by Liam's side, tending to him as he recovered from the internal damage sustained. Throughout that time, she noticed something unusual—Liam's healing was significantly slower than when he had previously battled the Blood Demons.
That encounter had left him far more critically injured; he had lost copious amounts of blood and even his arm, which she had managed to regenerate. And yet, back then, his recovery had been swift.
This time was different.
Though she had stabilized his core and mended his internal wounds, Mystica gradually realized that her magic was being rejected by Liam's body—something she hadn't noticed at first. But what truly astonished her wasn't the rejection itself. It was what she sensed deeper within.
Liam's core was evolving.
When she had first tried stabilizing it, the core's color was a dim green—marking him as a low-tier 5-star. She recalled him mentioning that he had reached a bottleneck in his growth. But now, after the ordeal with Gordon and the strange entity that had possessed Liam, his core had broken through that barrier. It had advanced to a mid-tier 5-star—and it wasn't stopping.
Through Mystsense, Mystica saw that Liam's core was still refining itself, slowly but surely pressing toward the next level. The phenomenon baffled her. A core evolving on its own, without its wielder's direction, was unheard of. Impossible by all known standards. And yet it was happening right in front of her.
Though she couldn't explain it, she devised a way to accelerate the process.
Nearly a week ago, she had made a pact with Liam. He had requested an Ascension Catalyst—an item that could help him surpass his bottleneck. Despite having already done so, the catalyst could still serve to enhance and stabilize the transformation.
Just one day ago, Mystica acquired the Orb of Catalux.
A rare artifact, legendary yet scarcely seen, the Orb of Catalux contained profound mystical energy, capable of aiding one's advancement through the Mystical tiers. While ineffective for those already at high-tier 7-star or above, for someone like Liam, it could prove invaluable.
Now, as he lay unconscious in bed, Mystica positioned the orb above his chest. It hovered on its own, suspended a few inches over his body, glowing softly. From it, pale blue-white threads of energy extended outward, weaving through Liam's body—wrapping from his head down to his feet in a luminous web.
To prevent even a single thread of myst from escaping, Mystica cast a light-veil enchantment, wrapping Liam's body in a glowing cocoon. It sealed the area like a protective dome, ensuring all of the orb's sacred energy was absorbed completely.
And as she stood beside him, watching the transformation take hold, she couldn't help but wonder:
What is Liam becoming?
Today, Mystica was nestled into a plush couch a short distance from Liam's bed, half-immersed in a thick, arcane tome. Her legs were elegantly crossed, her fingers lazily turning pages as she read. A crystal wine glass rested beside her on a small table, which she occasionally lifted for a slow, thoughtful sip. The room was hushed, filled only with the soft rustle of pages and the subtle, rhythmic breathing of the sleeping boy.
The peace didn't last.
Without warning, a magical portal shimmered to life just before the doorway. A familiar figure stepped through—Dove, clad in her signature lab coat, a smoldering cigar pinched between the fingers of her left hand. She exhaled a slow trail of smoke as she spoke.
"How utterly heartless of you, Empress," she drawled with dramatic flair. "Days without a word, and not so much as a check-in. Tell me, how does one cope with such betrayal from the woman she adores?"
Mystica lifted her eyes only briefly before returning to her book. Her voice was calm and velvety as ever. "You're aware that with Liam's condition, leaving this room is a luxury I cannot afford."
Dove gave a scoff. "And yet, surely a call isn't beyond your divine capabilities?"
Mystica gave a slow smile, not looking up. "You forget how you demand silence and solitude whenever your research reaches its critical stage."
"True," Dove admitted, twirling the cigar between her fingers. "But you've never exactly disturbed me in ways I mind. You know what? Never mind. I'll just go find myself another woman—someone with fewer… maternal obligations."
That made Mystica finally close her book with a soft thud. She placed it aside and reached for her wine glass. "Let's be clear. Liam isn't my son," she said coolly, taking a sip.
"Second, I'd be delighted if you did find someone else—preferably someone capable of tolerating your insufferable theatrics."
Dove pointed her cigar at her, grinning. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that last bit. But stop deluding yourself—he is your son. Apart from Queen Lucy, who's completely unhinged when it comes to that boy, you're the one who's always tending to him, watching over him, fretting like a mother hen."
Mystica sighed, brushing a lock of hair over her shoulder. "I'm fretting over a valuable asset."
"A valuable asset you tuck in with spells, nurse back to life, and read bedtime stories to—"
"I do not read bedtime stories," Mystica said sharply, though the faintest blush tinged her cheeks.
Dove chuckled, then nodded toward Liam's bed, where the Orb of Catalux pulsed steadily, its threads weaving over Liam in glowing, silken lines. "So, how's the little enigma doing? And what is that cocoon of glowing nonsense?"
Mystica moved with quiet grace, stepping closer to Liam's bedside. Dove mirrored her, standing beside her with arms folded and a half-interested expression on her face.
"He's doing quite well," Mystica said softly. "All of his internal injuries have healed."
"Took him nearly a week," Dove muttered with a dismissive wave. "Bit slow, don't you think? Anyway, what's with all this glowing cocoon nonsense?"
"Ascension," Mystica replied, her tone flat but firm.
Dove's brow arched. "Ascension? While unconscious? That's not how it works. Doesn't Ascension require conscious intent—the will to transcend?"
"You're right," Mystica said, her eyes still locked on Liam. "But Liam seems to be the exception. His core is… acting on its own. As if it has its own will."
"A core with a mind of its own," Dove murmured, studying Liam with a spark of curiosity. "Any clue how that's even possible?"
Mystica gave her a sidelong glance. "Just because I've spent most of my life mastering nearly every school of magic doesn't mean I'm omniscient."
"Mm… it kind of does, though," Dove smirked.
Mystica exhaled a long breath. "What now?"
"Guess," Dove said with a grin, dropping herself into one of the couches in the center of the room.
Mystica rolled her eyes but followed, settling into the seat beside her with casual elegance. "You made a breakthrough with Gordon's body."
"I knew you'd get it." Dove's grin widened.
"You actually did?" Mystica asked, genuinely surprised—though only slightly.
"Sure did. You know how we can sense hybrids when they're in their Gaia forms?" Dove asked, puffing gently on her cigar.
Mystica gave a slow nod.
"Well, the challenge is figuring out how to identify them in their human form, right? Which means I need to study a hybrid in their human form."
"That would be difficult. Gordon's stuck in his Gaia state," Mystica pointed out.
"He was stuck," Dove said with a sly smile. She took another drag from her cigar. "On my second day poking around that bastard's anatomy, I figured out how to force the transformation. I can now trigger a shift between his human and Gaia form at will."