Morning had barely arrived when the peaceful house exploded into chaos.
The door flew off its hinges.
"MY SWEET LITTLE BOYYY!"
Jessica's voice thundered through the entire spirit forest.
Alex shot upright from bed. "W–What? Mommy?!"
Jessica stormed inside like a divine calamity.
"Come here, my little prince! Mommy missed you sooo much!"
On the other bed, Regis was wrapped in his blanket like a burrito.
"Oh Gods… madhouse returned… crazy woman—"
SMACK!
Jessica punched him before the insult even finished forming.
Regis clutched his skull.
"WHY ME?! Why is it ALWAYS me?!"
Jessica ignored him and turned to Alex. Her eyes sparkled with motherly madness.
"Today, you will call me Mother, Mom, Mommy—pick one!"
Alex blinked. "Umm… can I take some ti—"
"NO! We are leaving for the capital tomorrow. You will NOT embarrass me by calling me like a stranger. Call me properly. NOW."
Alex gulped.
"…Mom."
Jessica froze.
Then—
"KYYYAAAA!! My beautiful angel! My prince! My heart! My everything!"
She hugged him like she was trying to fuse their souls together.
Regis stared. "I'm watching a grown woman devolve into a toddler…"
Jessica suddenly snapped her head toward Alex.
"I heard you chose a spirit. Which one?"
Regis tiptoed toward the door.
"I–I uh… need to go buy wood—"
"STAY."
Regis froze.
Alex inhaled. "I… chose a Shadow Spirit."
Jessica turned pale.
"…Oh no."
She grabbed Regis by the collar.
"DID YOU WARN HIM?!"
"I DIDN'T KNOW HE WOULD PICK THAT!!"
PUNCH.
Regis screamed, "STOP HITTING MEEEE!"
"You deserve it!" she yelled.
Alex lowered his head, but Jessica softened immediately.
"It's okay. Do you like that spirit?"
Alex nodded. "He's my friend. My partner. I'm not ashamed."
Jessica gently patted his head.
"Then it's fine. If my son is happy, who cares what the world says?"
BUT THEN—
Jessica's eyes sharpened.
"Regis. Step outside with me."
"Hah? Why? I still need my brain intact!"
"NOW."
They walked out.
For the first time in hours, Jessica looked serious.
"Regis… we have a problem."
"Oh no. No, no, no—this tone means trouble."
Jessica crossed her arms.
"This shadow spirit thing… we can cover it. BUT Alex being an Ironheart? We cannot."
Regis blinked. "What do you mean?"
Jessica exhaled.
THE BLOOD-RESHIFTING RITUAL
"In the capital, the church uses the Blood-Reshifting Stone to verify noble bloodlines.
They take a drop of your blood and press it into a spiritual stone. If the blood reacts, you belong to that family. If not…"
She flicked Regis's forehead.
"…they expose you."
Regis rubbed his head. "Wait—Alex doesn't have Ironheart blood. They'll know immediately."
"Exactly."
Regis's jaw dropped.
"Jessica… YOU KIDNAPPED A CHILD AND NOW YOU WANT TO PASS HIM AS YOUR SON?!"
SMACK.
"HE IS MY SON NOW! Don't use ugly words!"
Regis staggered. "This is why men die early…"
Jessica continued:
"To make Alex officially an Ironheart, we need someone who can manipulate blood signatures.
We need witchcraft.
And only your bloodline has it."
Regis froze.
"Y–You don't mean…"
Jessica nodded.
"Yes. Your sister."
Regis fell to his knees.
"ANYONE BUT HER… Please… gods save me…"
Jessica ignored his misery.
"We also need her witch-materials to forge Alex's documents and spiritual papers for the capital. You are undercover years. I can't hide him forever. The church is already questioning why you 'vanished.' We need to enter together or they'll sniff out lies."
Regis trembled.
"You serious? You want me to face THAT WOMAN?! Tabitha Walter, the Witch of Northwood?! The lunatic?! The one with a brother complex so intense she tried to MARRY ME when we were kids?!"
Jessica placed a comforting—yet threatening—hand on his shoulder.
"Yes. Her."
Regis sobbed.
"She's gonna cling on me like glue… she'll trap me in her cauldron again… she'll force me to drink mushroom tea again… PLEASE NO—"
Jessica smiled sweetly.
"If you don't go, I'll punch you."
Regis immediately stood up.
"I LOVE MY DEAR SISTER! LET'S GO!"
Inside the house, Alex peeked through the window.
"…she is terrifying."
Regis yelled back, "YOU HAVE NO IDEA, KID!"
Jessica marched back inside proudly.
"Pack your things! We leave at sunrise!"
Alex raised his hand nervously. "Um… where are we going?"
Jessica smiled.
"To visit the Witch of Northwood."
Alex blinked.
"…That sounds dangerous."
Regis grabbed Alex by the shoulders.
"DANGEROUS? BOY, SHE IS THE DEFINITION OF NIGHTMARE. Pray for us. PRAY. HARD."
Jessica punched him again.
"STOP TRAUMATIZING MY SON!"
Regis screamed.
"I'M NOT TRAUMATIZING HIM—YOU ARE!"
And thus…
The journey to meet the most terrifying witch in the kingdom began.