"… 'I'll go to Drakenshire to submit the administrative documents, so Cain should be able to start at his new school next week." Mama Val scratched the back of her neck and shook her head. "Your mom's seriously a dedicated woman, huh."
"Unlike someone I know."
And I could practically feel Mama Val's pout without even turning to look.
"Hey, hey. I'm a dedicated woman too, okay? Just with a more moderate approach." She started the car engine.
"Besides, how could you agree to this so easily? What about your friends? What about your girlfriend?"
"Told you—I don't have one."
So Mama Val changed the question. "Okay then, what about your boyfriend?"
I rubbed my temple. "One of my friends got hurt during the attack."
I recalled Theo's terrible condition. With how advanced technology was now, sure, he could recover—but not completely. That hole… it would've damaged his internal organs beyond full repair.
Theo and I had only recently gotten to know each other. And yeah, he was an annoying guy who probably had delusional, indecent fantasies about Mama Fiona—and maybe, in a way, deserved what happened.
But seeing someone I saw every day suddenly lying there, bleeding out right next to me, possibly dying—
It left a strange feeling in my gut.
Especially that shadow I saw during the fight. That figure that looked so much like me. Only uglier, more terrifying, and evil.
Pluck!
I felt a warm hand reach behind my head and gently pull me down—onto something.
Onto Mama Val's shoulder.
It was a tender gesture that I welcomed… but doing this in the cramped front seat of a moving car, with the awkward console between us …
"This is kinda uncomfortable," I muttered.
And Mama Val just hummed. "Yep."
Still, I didn't move. Her scent filled my lungs, and slowly, my restless thoughts began to settle.
*#*
I couldn't sleep that night. The clock had struck three, but my mind just wouldn't stop turning.
If there was one fact that kept me awake, it was this: Bianca saw everything. How I'd seemed helpless at first—like a living punching bag—only to suddenly get back up in some strange way and obliterate the monster in a single strike it didn't even try to dodge.
Or how the monster had bowed to me—treated me like something else. Even called me its liege—
Knock! Knock!
"You still awake?" Mama Fiona's voice came from behind the door.
I flinched. Annoyed. Irritated. And a little bit… relieved.
With deliberately unhurried steps, I turned on the light and opened the door.
Mama Fiona was still in her 'work uniform': leather jacket, loose black pants, gray tank top.
"Can I come in?"Her breath reeked of nicotine and alcohol, but her glowing purple eyes were as sharp as ever. This wasn't a drunk visit, unfortunately.
So I opened the door a little wider and stepped aside to let her in.
Mama Fiona reached into her jacket and pulled something out—a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
I immediately snapped, "No smoking in the house. That's the rule, isn't it?"
She snorted softly and set the cigarette pack down on the table. "You're starting to sound like Enna."
"More like I'm finally starting to understand her."
"But you seem pissed about something else."
I let out a short breath. "Didn't you say you had something to talk about?"
"Yeah, but before that…" She stepped closer again. I'd grown taller in the past few years—taller than Mama Enna and Mama Val—but Mama Fiona was a different kind of presence altogether.
When she raised her hand and gently patted my head, I felt like a little boy again.
"Sorry I wasn't there when it happened. It must've been terrifying, huh?"
I scoffed. This is what I hated about her. Even after everything we'd done, she was just like my other moms. She still saw me as a child. Someone to love tenderly. Someone to protect.
So I grabbed her hand and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Who said I was scared? I beat it. One strike."
But Mama Fiona didn't look surprised.
"I know."
Wait. "Huh?"
She sighed. "And that's what we need to talk about."
I slowly released her hand in confusion. "What… is it that strange?" I mean, sure, the monster looked terrifying—but hey, there are tons of low-level monsters that look just as bad.
And I was trained by three S-rank Hunters since I was a kid. Beating something like that shouldn't be that unbelievable… right?
"The Gate that monster came from has been found and identified. It was an A-rank Gate."
And just like that, my hope evaporated.
An A-rank Gate… that meant monsters that usually required an S-rank Hunter to even stand a chance. Creatures that no amateur like me should be able to defeat—especially not alone.
"One eyewitness described exactly what you said. And of course, that raises a lot of questions. Questions that not even I, Enna, or Val can answer right now. So, did something happen out there?"
I swallowed hard.
And after some thought, I finally decided to tell her everything.
About the figure that looked like me. About the strange 'revelation' I'd received. About how the monster had bowed down to me.
Mama Fiona listened like a general reviewing battlefield intel—calm, precise, calculating
When I finished, she gave only one comment:
"That's bad."
I frowned. "What do you mean—"
"Remind me… how old are you right now?"
"Sixteen."
Mama Fiona nodded. "The day is getting closer, huh? And, Cain …"
"…why are you suddenly getting so close and cornering me like this?"
I looked at Mama Fiona, now backed up against the wall, with growing irritation. The height difference meant I had to tilt my head up slightly to do this, but I didn't back down.
"This is what we need to do now, isn't it? The Marking."
"We just did it a few months ago."
"A few months ago is a long time."
"We agreed to do it once a year."
I clenched my teeth. That was true, but… "With everything that's happened to me, it means I've reached my full potential, right? That means we should be doing it more often, doesn't it?"
"That's an unscientific conclusion—"
And I kissed her. cutting off whatever nonsense she was about to say with a rough, slightly forceful kiss.
I pulled back for a moment. Her eyes, once startled, now turned hazy—and I dove in again. This time with a more fluid and deliberate motion, giving a playful bite to her lower lip before slipping my tongue in.
I explored the inside of her mouth. Relishing the sweet, sour, and bitter mix I'd grown addicted to—along with the wet, needy moan that escaped Mama Fiona's throat.
After almost a minute of kissing, Mama Fiona pushed me away. "This isn't even the Marking," she said, panting. All traces of her usual strength and composure had vanished—replaced by a flushed, aroused expression. "I haven't even used my blood yet."
"Relax," I whispered as I moved in again, now setting my sights on her slender, tempting neck. "I know a more innovative method."
I began kissing her neck. Starting with a light lick, giving her time to adjust. Then another kiss, followed by a playful, teasing nibble.
"Eungh…" Mama Fiona let out a stifled moan.
The sound made my pants tighten and my throat dry. It made me bolder. And when I bit again, it was hard enough to break skin. A thin line of blood welled up.
"Engh?" Mama Fiona looked surprised, winced slightly, then drew in a sharp breath as I began sucking the blood from the wound.
Once I was done with her neck, I kissed her again. Her chin, her cheeks, and finally her lips.
In a kiss that was longer, deeper, and far more confrontational, I slid my hand downward—toward her stomach, her waist, her thigh, her—
"No."
Her hand stopped me again.
"No further than this." Mama Fiona broke the kiss, making me grunt in disappointment.
"At least let us kiss a little longer?"
Mama Fiona looked at me again, as if weighing something. "Just a little longer."
Smiling, I leaned in again—and devoured her.
At the time, I didn't realize I'd left the door slightly ajar.
Allowing someone—someone I never expected—to witness what we had done that night.
… and opening a door to something I had never imagine