By afternoon, Piers had retreated to his parents' bedroom, surrounded by the books he'd brought back from Jenora. He lay on his stomach on the large bed, completely absorbed in research. Stacks of textbooks and ancient tomes surrounded the mattress in organized chaos. To anyone else, it looked like a mess. To him, it was perfect.
Today's discovery stopped him cold.
Their home—smack in the middle of what he'd always assumed was just dense forest—turned out to be inside the Forbidden Forest.
At least, that's what the ancient book claimed.
Not that it explained much. The text was frustratingly vague, full of lines like "none who enter return unchanged" and "a veil of secrets older than the kingdom itself."
No details. Just warnings.
Half of it read like someone's overly dramatic journal.
Basically: Don't go in there. Bad things happen.
Piers sighed and closed the book, letting it thud softly onto the pile.
Rolling onto his back, he laced his hands behind his head and stared at the wooden ceiling.
Three days of reading. Three days of learning.
Jenora wasn't just a sleepy town—it sat along the southern border of the Shield Kingdom of Aegis.
His skill, Soul Binding, was a unique ability that let him extract souls from possessed beings and seal them into vessels. It only worked on the possessed, thankfully. One spirit at a time.
No accidental soul-theft incidents.
But even that wasn't the most unbelievable part.
This world was drenched in magic.
Not parlor tricks. Real magic. Forces that shaped the land itself.
Fire, water, wind, earth—the fundamentals.
Then the rarer elements: thunder, light, darkness. Raw. Dangerous. Mysterious.
And beyond those? The books hinted at stranger forces. Creation magic. Arcane powers that bent logic itself.
It was overwhelming.
And incredible.
[NULL SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION: EXTENSIVE]
[MAGICAL THEORY COMPREHENSION: ADVANCED]
[VOID CORRUPTION: 28.3% - STABLE]
[NOTE: INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION PROVIDES MODERATE EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT]
Piers rolled back onto his stomach and reached for another tome.
He continued reading. The information flow was steady. Satisfying, in a distant way.
The more he learned, the more questions formed.
This wasn't just a world with magic—it was a world of limitless possibilities.
He was so deep into the ancient text that he almost didn't notice the shift in the room's atmosphere.
Almost.
Two large eyes peeked around the doorway, glittering with mischief.
Styx.
She crouched just out of sight like a predator stalking prey. Her posture screamed I'm about to do something loud and stupid.
Piers didn't look up. Just smirked faintly and kept reading.
He'd sensed her the second she arrived.
A year of living with her had sharpened his instincts. He knew her exact brand of chaos.
Whatever she was planning, it was going to be annoying.
And he wasn't giving her the satisfaction.
She leapt with a dramatic shriek.
Piers casually sidestepped.
Didn't even lift his eyes from the page.
"Whoomph!"
Styx hit the floor, wobbling—but grinning like she'd nailed the landing.
Was she... drooling?
She lunged again, aiming straight for his face.
He blocked her with one hand, extended a leg to keep her back, and continued reading.
Unmoved. Unimpressed.
She hovered inches from his face, breath warm, eyes blazing with effort.
"ughhh~," she whined. "Let your big sister kiss you!"
Piers turned a page.
She puffed out her cheeks. "Come ooonn! Pay attention to meee!"
[NULL SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[EMOTIONAL RESPONSE DETECTED: AMUSEMENT (MILD)]
[SIBLING INTERACTION: POSITIVE]
[VOID CORRUPTION: STABLE]
Piers finally glanced at her over the edge of his book.
"Not happening, sis. I need to finish these before nightfall."
Then he went right back to reading.
Of course, that didn't stop her.
She poked his cheek. Tugged his sleeve. Even tried to tickle his side.
What started as a sneak attack had evolved into a full-on attention-seeking campaign.
"C'mon, Piers! Let's go outside! I wanna play!" She was practically vibrating with energy.
He still didn't budge.
And then she pulled out the big guns.
Tilting her head, she widened her eyes—those puppy-dog eyes, perfected over years of sibling rivalry.
Piers felt it immediately.
A psychic assault.
He'd thought he'd mastered emotional manipulation. But hers?
Truly lethal.
Something in his chest tightened. Uncomfortable. Warm.
He... didn't want to disappoint her.
[NULL SYSTEM - ALERT]
[EMOTIONAL RESPONSE: GUILT + AFFECTION]
[RESISTANCE TO SIBLING REQUEST: FAILING]
[HOST DEMONSTRATING INCREASED EMPATHY]
A long sigh escaped him.
"Fine." He marked his page. "Just for a bit."
"Yatta~!" She beamed, instantly grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the door.
"But we have to ask Mom first."
"Mmhmm! Already on it!"
They found Xylia tending her plants with focused precision. She looked up, her expression softening immediately.
"Mama!" Styx chirped, yanking Piers' arm for emphasis. "Can we go play in the back garden?"
Piers glanced at his mother, then at Styx's expectant face.
*Mom likes when I say 'please.' Dad told me that.*
"Please, Mama?" He kept his voice steady. "Just for a bit. I promise we won't cause any trouble."
Xylia's eyes widened slightly.
Her hand came up to her mouth.
For a moment, Piers thought she might cry.
"Of course, sweetheart." She knelt down, brushing hair from his forehead. "Be careful, and don't stay out too late, okay?"
"We won't!" Styx shouted, already halfway out the door, dragging Piers along.
Xylia watched them go, a soft smile on her face.
Her baby boy. Asking to play outside. With his sister.
Wanting to spend time with family.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the warmth there.
He was healing.
Slowly. But healing.
[NULL SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[FAMILY INTERACTION: VOLUNTARY]
[EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT: HIGH]
[CURRENT ATTACHMENTS:]
XYLIA: 36% → 38% (+2%)
STYX: 30% → 32% (+2%)
[VOID CORRUPTION: 28.3% - STABLE]
[NOTE: HOST CHOOSING FAMILY TIME OVER SOLITARY ACTIVITY = SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS]