Sophie’s POV

She was glad to have survived. Frankly, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if she died, but, it seems that fate had other plans. Sophie was currently in bed, resting. It had been a few days after her life-or-death battle with the dogbeast, but she decided to rest a bit more, even putting off her visit to the academy.

She was thankful that her dad considered her well-being first as he didn’t try to ask any details about her battle with the Cerberii. A few days ago, she wasn’t ready to try and think about it yet, but now, away from danger and safely getting back to shape, she recalled that day’s events.

It had started normally, too. She woke up and got dressed, pretty excited about her visit to the school. She’d been anxious about going to the academy for a long time, and she was constantly reminding her father about the recommendations.

When she got dressed and found out that her dad put it off a few hours for business, she was fuming. She hurriedly made her way to the discussion room and demanded him to hurry up.

She did notice that his father’s usual guest, Mrs. Raven, was there along with some other young man, but she didn’t pay it no mind. After she got what she wanted from her father, she turned to leave but was stopped. Her dad asked her to introduce herself, most likely because she hadn’t been properly introduced to the Ravens yet.

After Mrs. Raven introduced herself, she shifted her gaze towards the boy, expecting an introduction, only to see him fidgeting and darting his eyes around the room.

She was perplexed, and a bit offended, but after his mother stepped on his foot he abruptly stood up. When he so casually asked who she was, her impression of him plummeted. Yet, feeling better and satisfied that that day’s visit was going to push through, she still introduced herself amicably, as she had practiced a thousand times before.

The boy, named Kris Raven, reciprocated his introduction. She was surprised at how refined he introduced himself, but before she could think about it further, Kris asked to leave. That was when the day turned sour.

Her father asked her to accompany him, and both of them without any choice in the matter relented. The boy addressed her and apologized for the inconvenience as he smiled, making her blush.

The boy was pretty plain in her eyes, but something about that smile caught her attention. It was very gentle, and his gaze felt like a cradle and relaxed her.

Before long whilst walking in the hallway, not really interacting, Kris asked her to accompany him outside. That was when the sour day turned into a memory she’d never forget.

The beast was huge, but she still decided to run towards the mansion. Kris quickly caught up to her headstart, surprising her, but she put the matter aside. Before they could even get close to the mansion, the Cerberii blocked their way.

She stopped before going into the meat of the details. She didn’t want to remember it. All that she knows is that she wants to improve. She wants to be able to puncture and crush any beast that came, as she didn’t want to feel that dread again.

She felt that if she grew more powerful, she’d be able to protect those she wants to protect, and be able to win against even the toughest battles.

She was proud that she was able to set aside her fears and confront the beast, and while the results were unsatisfactory, she felt that she at least gained something from that battle.

Now that she thought about it, one of the beast's attacks were blocked by her dense earth shield. That should be something if thought about it clearly. The beast was powerful, and just the fact that she could defend herself from its attacks for even a little bit should be a sign of her potential.

She wondered how the battle could have unfolded if she didn’t hastily try to unleash a powerful attack, but shrugged as she thought that it didn’t matter much anyway.

For now, she’d be careful and try to avoid being caught up in such dangers, but she decided that if it does happen again, like back then, she wouldn’t run away.

As she stretched her body and felt the morning sun empower her spirits, she remembered the boy. Kris. His sinister magic, and the way he so casually dismembered that beast. The contrast of fear she felt between the beast and him.

As if… he was the beast, and she and the Cerberii were the victims.

She didn’t think that Kris was evil, or that he had any ulterior intentions though. He did save her, although it was a bit late, which was suspicious judging from his sheer power. Why was that? Was it because he got caught up in Earth’s Wrath? No, that couldn’t be it, she couldn’t believe that he’d be caught in something like that.

She gathered her resolve. She needed to tell her father. Well, as thanks, she isn’t going to tell her father about what seemed to be Kris’ purposeful delay in assisting her, because well, he did save her before she actually got heavily injured. But she’d at least tell her father about his magic. She got out of bed and fixed it, as she organized the details of her story inside her head.

Jack’s POV

Jack relaxed in his office while he sipped a cup of aged red wine. As he was finishing a glass, he heard a knock on the door and the sound of it opening.

Sophie entered, and Jack noticed that her skin was now back to its usual complexion, and there was a slight spring in her steps. Anyone would be delighted if they survived such encounters, and Jack was just glad that she did.

Sophie sat down beside her and took a moment before speaking. Her resolve seemingly gathered, she looked towards Jack.

"Dad... I want to talk about the other day."

Jack nodded as he fixed his gaze gently onto her daughter's.

Sophie began her side of the story by recounting how she engaged the beast, and how Earth's Wrath failed to damage it. She told him about how she lost mana at the end and felt closer to death.

Jack winced as he listened. Even though she survived, it was painful to hear the details, but he knew he had the responsibility to listen.

"After that... I felt a touch on my shoulder. When I looked to see who it was... I saw the boy, and at that moment, I just felt his gaze drain the life of me," she shuddered as she recalled.

In truth, it seemed suspicious that it took a while before Kris was able to spring into action.

"It's not like I blame him though. I'm not sure even I would be able to put myself in harm's way against a beast I had no way of hurting..." She turned her eyes away from Jack as if she doubted what she said.

Jack knew that he couldn’t discount the fact that mages often had significant breakthroughs in the middle of battle, but was that really the case?

"Then?" Jack urged.

"Then... that happened., Her emphasis on her words triggered Jack's memory of the scene that he saw when he exited the mansion with Marian. A scene of blood and gore; of half and half. He gulped as he remembered.

"It was weird and frightening. The beast itself wasn't moving, like the very notion, he'd had to fight against Kris killed him. Like he felt the same way as I did," Sophie described.

It could simply be the fact that Kris had truly awakened at that time, or even if he did awaken long ago, he could have realized something that allowed him to best the Cerberii. It wasn’t unusual, really. Times of duress are often the best windows to improvement, more so for mages.

But what Sophie said next removed that thought.

"It was so casual, dad..." She trembled.

"It was so easy for him, so quick, effortless... so..." She paused again, before looking at Jack dead in the eye.

"Practiced."

Jack frowned and bit his lip.

The Cerberus race was powerful, and if someone who’s just recently awakened could defeat it, then that someone would be quite the mage.

But there was another dissonance in this story that Jack couldn’t shake off.

If Sophie’s side of the story rings true, then what of Kris’ injuries? It seemed unlikely that someone who cast a spell from a distance could be caught up in it, and there was no reason for him to approach just to get cut.

"I see, Sophie. Thank you for telling me this..."

"Dad..." She cut him off.

"Please, don't..." Her voice lost power as her eyes were becoming wet with tears.

"No, honey, don't worry. He's a child of the Raven family, and I only want to talk with him. Thank him even," Jack smiled.

"Sleep for now, Sophie. We'll go to the academy tomorrow."

Sophie nodded before slowly standing up. She breathed in relief before finally making her way out of the room.

Jack wanted to find out more about Kris. He didn't want to judge him, at least, not yet. There were too many unknowns. Even if Kris' magic was as suffocating as Sophie made it out to be, there's still room for the possibility that the boy himself had better intentions.

Is he hiding something, perhaps? That young man had been making a lot of excuses ever since Jack asked him about his plans. Was his injuries a cover up? Maybe he didn’t want the world to know about his capabilities? Or was it that he didn’t want that kind of dangerous attention in consideration to his parents?

He knew that he had to address this matter. Especially considering the description Sophie gave him about the young man’s mana. There has been no case of such mana in today’s time, but Jack knew that mages of the old wielded the same type of mana.

If Kris is someone who’s inherited that, then he’s bound to be at the forefront of significant events in the future. That’s why it’s important that Jack finds out about Kris’ plans, and what he wants to do with that kind of limitless potential.