The quiet conversation between father and son slowly faded into a calm and comfortable silence.
Jade leaned deeper into the couch, allowing his tired muscles to relax after the long hours of training he had endured earlier in the day. The soft cushions beneath him sank slightly under his weight while the cool air from the house's ventilation system drifted gently across the living room.
The home itself was peaceful.
Soft lights glowed along the walls, illuminating the clean and modern interior. The polished wooden floor reflected faint patterns of light from the large television mounted across the room.
Rylan sat beside his son, leaning back comfortably with his long dark hair tied loosely behind his back. Even while relaxing, his powerful physique was impossible to ignore. His broad shoulders and firm posture carried the natural confidence of someone who had long ago mastered control over his body and abilities.
For a while, neither father nor son spoke.
Instead, their attention rested on the large television screen glowing before them.
The program currently playing was not an ordinary show.
Across the screen stretched the massive arena of one of the most anticipated combat events in the awakened world.
Bold glowing letters flashed across the bottom of the broadcast:
"ELITE CHAMPIONSHIP – FINAL MATCH."
Jade leaned forward slightly.
The Elite Championship was one of the most prestigious competitions among awakened fighters. It was not a simple sport, nor was it staged entertainment created with visual effects.
Everything that happened inside that arena was real.
The competitors were awakened individuals—people chosen by the mysterious system who had gained supernatural abilities beyond the limits of normal humans.
Their powers were genuine.
Their battles were dangerous.
And the destruction they caused inside the reinforced arenas was entirely authentic.
That was what made the event so popular.
Thousands of spectators filled the enormous stadium where the fight was taking place. Their cheers echoed loudly across the structure as the battle unfolded.
Floating camera drones hovered above the battlefield, capturing every movement from multiple angles and broadcasting the match live to millions of viewers across the world.
On the arena floor, two powerful fighters stood facing one another.
The circular battlefield beneath their feet was made from reinforced alloy panels designed to endure immense impacts. Even so, the floor already showed deep cracks and scorched marks from the attacks exchanged earlier in the match.
The two combatants were breathing heavily.
Both of them had clearly pushed themselves to their limits.
Jade watched with complete focus.
His eyes followed every movement carefully.
One of the fighters suddenly launched forward.
A violent burst of compressed wind exploded outward from his body as he moved, sending dust and debris swirling across the battlefield. The speed of his attack was incredible—faster than the eye of an ordinary person could follow.
But his opponent reacted just as quickly.
The second fighter raised one arm, and a glowing barrier of condensed energy appeared in front of him just as the attack collided with it.
BOOM.
The sound of the impact thundered across the arena.
The barrier shattered like glass, but it had done its job.
The defending fighter slid backward across the arena floor, leaving long scrape marks behind his boots.
The crowd roared with excitement.
Jade leaned even closer to the screen.
His eyes gleamed with interest.
Though he had never awakened any supernatural abilities himself, he still admired the skill involved in such battles.
His years of physical training allowed him to appreciate the precision behind each movement.
Every strike.
Every dodge.
Every moment of timing.
Beside him, Rylan watched with quiet interest as well.
Even as an Ascendant—someone who had already reached great heights of power—he seemed genuinely entertained by the fight.
"You see that?" Rylan said casually.
He nodded slightly toward the screen.
"That counter was perfectly timed."
Jade nodded.
"It was," he agreed.
On the screen, the battle continued.
The fighter who had launched the wind attack suddenly leapt high into the air, spinning as he gathered another surge of power around his body. Currents of wind spiraled around him like a miniature storm.
Then he descended like a falling missile.
His opponent stomped one foot against the arena floor.
A wave of golden energy surged outward from his body, colliding with the incoming attack.
The two powers met in a violent explosion that shook the entire battlefield.
The stadium erupted with cheers.
Even the commentators struggled to contain their excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" one announcer shouted over the roaring crowd. "This is exactly what we expected from the final match of the Elite Championship! Both fighters are giving everything they have!"
Jade remained completely absorbed in the fight.
His attention was locked onto the screen.
Minutes passed.
The two fighters had clearly entered the final stage of the battle.
Sweat ran down their faces.
Their breathing was heavier now.
But neither of them showed any sign of surrendering.
The arena floor was cracked and damaged from the intensity of their clash.
Small fragments of metal and stone scattered across the battlefield.
The commentators continued speaking excitedly.
"We are reaching the decisive moment of the Elite Championship!"
"This next exchange could determine the winner!"
Jade leaned forward even more.
This was the peak of the fight.
The moment everyone had been waiting for.
At that exact moment—
A quiet sound echoed from the hallway deeper inside the house.
A door opened.
Soft footsteps approached the living room.
A woman stepped into the room.
She was beautiful.
Even though she was clearly middle-aged, her elegance made her stand out immediately.
Her long black hair flowed smoothly down her back like strands of silk, reflecting the glow of the television light as she moved.
Her figure appeared slender and delicate.
At first glance, she looked almost fragile.
Yet that fragile appearance hid something extraordinary.
Inside that seemingly gentle body was a level of fitness and strength that could easily overwhelm thousands of awakened fighters.
Her name was Seraphine.
While she sometimes fought dangerous battles within the spiritual realm, her life in the real world was surprisingly ordinary.
She loved cooking.
Cooking was something she understood deeply—almost instinctively.
She knew ingredients, flavors, and techniques with the ease of someone who had spent years mastering the art.
Every movement she made in the kitchen was precise and confident.
In fact, her father-in-law had built a restaurant for her many years ago.
The building itself was extremely strong, designed to withstand far more than ordinary structures.
Seraphine had turned it into a warm and welcoming place where people could enjoy incredible food.
Despite her immense power, she worked there like any other chef.
Within the home, however, she was something even more important.
A loving wife.
A caring mother.
The kind of woman many people would wish to have in their lives.
As she entered the living room, her eyes fell upon the two figures sitting on the couch.
Jade and Rylan.
"You are back, son," she said gently.
Then she asked,
"What about your sister?"
But Jade did not respond immediately.
He was completely engrossed in the television.
The fight had reached its climax.
One of the fighters gathered a massive surge of power, the air around him twisting violently as he prepared his final attack.
Jade leaned forward unconsciously.
This was the decisive moment.
But suddenly—
The television screen went black.
The lights inside the house flickered once before shutting off completely.
Darkness filled the room.
The electricity had been cut.
Jade froze.
Then he immediately turned toward his mother.
"Mom, please!" he said.
"They are reaching the peak of the fight!"
Beside him, even Rylan could not help but complain.
"Yes… that was the best part."
He sighed slightly.
Sometimes he wondered if marrying a woman capable of controlling electricity—lightning itself—had been a mistake.
Seraphine simply looked at Jade again.
"What about your sister?" she repeated calmly.
Jade scratched the back of his head.
"Oh," he said.
"She's still in lesson."
"She will soon be back."
Seraphine nodded.
Without saying another word, she lifted one hand slightly.
A faint spark flickered between her fingers.
Instantly—
The electricity returned.
The lights came back on.
The television screen flickered back to life.
But the fight had already ended.
The broadcast had moved on to the winner announcement.
Jade stared at the screen in disappointment.
Rylan leaned back slowly into the couch.
"Well," he muttered.
"That's unfortunate."
Seraphine seemed completely unconcerned.
Instead, she made a small motion with her hand.
Suddenly, a beautiful dress appeared around her body as if it had been summoned from thin air.
The elegant fabric wrapped perfectly around her flawless figure.
She picked up her handbag calmly.
Then she looked at Jade.
"Son," she said.
"Freshen up and help me out at the restaurant."
The next moment—
She disappeared.
Rylan looked at the empty space where she had been standing.
Then he glanced toward Jade.
"Your mom likes spoiling the fun stuff for us," he said casually.
Jade said nothing.
He knew better than to agree.
If he actually joined his father in gossiping about his mother, even Rylan would not be able to protect him from Seraphine's wrath later.
So Jade simply stood up.
He walked toward his room.
Inside, he quickly washed up and changed his clothes, putting on a clean T-shirt and a plain pair of trousers.
Once he finished, he stepped outside the house.
Then he began walking toward the restaurant.