Aidan's hand gripped Sophia's a little tighter, his knuckles pale with tension. His head was bowed, his voice low—earnest. But then he raised his eyes to meet hers, the flicker of determination burning behind them.
"Mom," he said, voice steady but laced with emotion, "do you really think I'm that fragile? That I can't handle myself if the other races try to use me?" He paused for a heartbeat. "I won't claim to be the best—but I can hold my own. You've seen it. You know it."
His tone softened, but the resolve remained. "So please… just this once. Let me go."
Sophia couldn't help but hesitate, her eyes scanning Aidan's face, searching for even a flicker of uncertainty—but all she found was quiet conviction. He wasn't exactly wrong.
Even Lady Charlotte had once praised his sharp instincts before he was even five. He had always been quick to learn, quickly to adapt. Still, her mother's instinct gnawed at her.
She sighed, the weight of worry settling over her shoulders as she realized Aidan had never felt more stubborn than he did now. Her lips parted slowly. "Aidan… I trust that you'll hold your ground. But I don't trust the other ra—"
"Let him go, Sophia."
The voice cut cleanly through the room, halting her words.
Aidan turned toward the source—finding his father with a faint, amused smile tugging at his lips, as if he'd been enjoying the show from the chair until now.
He leaned forward with the calm assurance only someone of his rank could carry. "Let him go if he wants to. It's his decision. Let him make it."
His gaze briefly flicked to Aidan before settling back on Sophia. "I'll personally speak to Matthew. He'll take care of him."
Then, he looked Aidan straight in the eyes and said, "Go, Aidan. If that's what you truly want—I won't stop you, and neither will your mother."
Sophia frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at Liam. Uncertainty lingered in her gaze—part concern, part hesitation—but she refrained from speaking. Deep down, she knew once Liam had made a decision, there was no swaying him.
Instead, she shifted her gaze to Aidan.
His expression, once tight with tension and doubt, had bloomed into something radiant—pure joy washing over his face like sunlight breaking through a storm. The change was so sudden, so heartfelt, that it tugged at her chest.
Without thinking, Aidan closed the distance to his father, his steps quick, and his eyes bright.
"Thank you, Father," he said, his voice thick with relief.
Liam looked at Aidan with a calm, measured gaze. "When do you wish to leave?" he asked, his tone neither pushing nor holding back, giving chance for Aidan to choose.
"Tomorrow morning," Aidan said firmly. "At first light."
There was a brief silence in the room as his words settled in.
His father's eyes narrowed slightly, the amused glint fading into something more scrutinizing. His voice, calm but firm, cut through the moment. "Don't you think you're being a bit too hasty?"
"Why delay it if it's already decided?" Aidan said, his tone light with excitement. He glanced at his mother, then shifted his gaze back to his father.
Truth be told, he didn't want to leave as soon as tomorrow—but a quiet fear gnawed at him. What if his mother changed her mind? What if she convinced his father to do the same, or became adamant about not letting him go at the last minute?
The thought alone was enough to push him forward, even if he had not expected himself to go so soon.
Liam stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "Let's make it the day after tomorrow," he said. "That gives us time to prepare. Your mother will arrange the escort, and I'll have Matthew explain the details to you."
Aidan nodded, his heart releasing a quiet breath of relief. His gaze lingered on his father's calm expression, the way his strong frame leaned back slightly in the chair, exuding quiet authority.
A part of Aidan felt grateful—grateful for the trust, for being allowed to go. But another part of him… felt heavy. Guilty.
He was going to break that trust.
His father didn't know the whole truth. No one did—except Matthew. And Aidan wasn't even sure he'd come back alive. Yes, Matthew would be with him. Yes, he would protect him. But there were no certainties in the Dark Forest. Only risk… and the unknown.
"Thank you, Father," Aidan said, his voice filled with gratitude.
His father looked at him with his usual calmness before turning toward his mother. Her expression had shifted—softened with sadness, eyes full of worry as they met his.
Aidan stepped closer, closing the distance between them. Even while standing, he was still a little shorter than her as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Sophia looked up at him, her brows slightly drawn. Aidan raised his hand gently, cupping her face with both hands, his touch warm and steady. "Mom," he said softly, "I promise… you have nothing to worry about."
But inside, his thoughts whispered the truth—he had to survive. Not just for himself, but for those who had placed their trust in him.
"Wait for me, Mom," he continued, eyes locking with hers. "And when I return, I swear… you'll be proud of me."
Sophia said nothing at first, but pulled him into a tight embrace. Her arms wrapped around him protectively, even as the worry in her eyes remained, refusing to fade. "Stubborn… just like your father," Sophia muttered helplessly, her voice a mix of affection and resignation, as Aidan finally received the permission he had been seeking for so long.
As Aidan neared the Dark Forest—though still miles away—something within it stirred. Deep among the twisted trees, mana coiled like a breath held too long, pulsing with silent anticipation.
Mana covered the Dark Forest in a thick mist, curling low over the ground and sky—silent, restless.
Much later, Aidan slipped quietly from his parents' room. Once inside his own room, he moved toward the balcony, drawn by something he couldn't name.
The wind was still. He rested his hands on the railing and looked up.
The moon hung in the sky, silver and cold. But tonight... it was blurred, as if veiled behind an invisible fog from some distance.
He blinked, once, twice—yet the strange distortion remained. Aidan's brows furrowed.