Mother's worry

The moment the liquid went down Aidan's throat, warmth spread through his arm. His wrist pulsed once, then again, the pain fading ever so slightly. A heat seemed to come.

He could feel the potion working—mending what he had broken. But he didn't have time to process the relief.

Aidan kept his head lowered, letting the tears keep flowing as he clutched his wrist, the pain still lingering even after the potion. He sniffled, mixing pain with guilt as he looked up—just enough to meet Matthew's gaze for a second before.

"I-I didn't mean to," he stuttered, his voice heavy, eyes red. "I was just training—like always. I thought I could take it... I just wanted to be stronger."

He bit his lip hard, forcing a whimper to escape. His hand trembled, not from the injury anymore—but from the act he knew he had to sell.

He didn't know if Matthew believed him, but he couldn't stop now. It was best for this to be taken as an accident, not intentional.

"I just thought maybe if I pushed myself more, I'd be able to sense aura."

He had to make him believe. "I didn't want to trouble you," Aidan whispered. "I'm sorry, Teacher."

Matthew didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't say anything. The guards around Aidan stepped back instinctively, sensing the tension.

Matthew huffed, then let out a deep sigh as his eyes locked on Aidan—the anger fading into something else. Disappointment.

"Aidan... how can you be so careless?" he said, voice low, eyes trembling. "Has power become so important to you that you've forgotten the consequences of your actions?"

"Go home. Rest. That's enough for today. The wound will heal in an hour or two."

Matthew turned. He did not look back, not sparing another glance at Aidan.

Aidan heard Matthew's words but said nothing at first. He lowered his gaze, watching the last of his tears fall to the ground, silent and unnoticed.

"Yes... it is important," he mumbled—so softly that no one heard the ache hidden in those few words, or the longing buried deep in his voice.

He stood up, intending to go to his room. The guards stepped forward to help, but Aidan waved his hand, denying them. His lone figure walked away, steps steady despite the throb in his wrist.

He knew he had to act fast—his mother was probably already on her way. The news must've reached her by now.

Reaching his room, Aidan didn't waste a second. He sat down in a lotus position on the floor, focusing his mind. He closed his eyes, sensing the outside world first, before turning his focus inward.

He focused on his wrist first, feeling the healing carpal bones beneath the skin. Then came the muscles, the veins, the blood flowing through—each pulse sharper, hotter than before. The heat built steadily, no longer a gentle warmth but something far more intense.

Still, he didn't lose focus.

A red energy began to pulse from his wrist, subtle at first—then stronger, wilder—as it spread through his body.

A faint red hue appeared across his skin, growing brighter as it fully covered him. The floor beneath him cracked, a shockwave of wind bursting out around him. Furniture shifted, objects rattled—Aidan remained still at the centre of the shockwave.

Aidan opened his eyes, his lips forming a wide grin. He clenched his fist, feeling the power coursing through it—wild, unmatched, unlike anything he had ever felt before. If he had come across that wolf now, he was sure one punch would've been enough to blast its head off.

He had already surpassed the strength of his previous life in just four months of training, there was no denying opportunity was the greatest blessing. In Maaya this was the opportunity it gave, on earth no matter how much a person train, they will never be strong enough to crush a pebble like people were here, maybe it was good that he reincarnated.

Aidan looked down at the cracked floor, then casually flicked his finger—a small dent appeared in the stone before him.

"This... this is power," he thought, his lips forming a grin.

Aidan!! The door was violently pushed opened as a voice with panic voice sounded and Sophia redden face appeared before Aidan.

Sophia appeared before Aidan in a flash, her eyes immediately going onto his wrist. Without hesitation, Sophia grabbed it gently.

"Is it still hurting?" she asked, not even noticing the cracked floor or messy furniture.

"Why didn't you come straight to my office?" Her voice rose, frustrated and worried.

Before Aidan could answer, she pulled his other hand, as she drag him to see a healer.

"I'm calling Clara. Right now come with me."

Aidan who was being dragged away, completely helpless he even used his aura but it was useless he wasn't sure if she notice but didn't care or just didn't notice in her concern.

Aidan grab her sleeves as he said mom, I am fine now. 

Sophia studied him, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "You're not lying to me, are you, Aidan?"

Her voice wasn't harsh, but there was a weight to it—a quiet seriousness that made Aidan pause. Aidan knew this was the moment.

She needed to believe the aura awakening had been an accident, a fluke brought on by stress or instinct. Not something planned. Not something deliberate.

Yes, Mom. I'm perfectly fine now," Aidan said with a warm smile, trying to ease the concern in her eyes.

He paused, then added with a touch of wonder in his voice, "And—this might sound strange—but after we got back, when I reached my room... something happened. I felt this pulse in my arms. Just a flicker at first. I didn't know what it was, so I sat down to clear my head and then—boom—my aura awakened. Just like that."

He shook his head lightly, as if still wrapping his mind around it. "I didn't even know that was possible."

Sophia's smile faded into a quiet frown. She extended her mana sense towards inside Aidan body, letting it sweep over Aidan. Aidan entire body was covered by aura.

It made sense, in a way. He had been training hard for the past four months—far more intensely than most boys his age. Had he been older, he might have broken through even sooner.

For her, Aidan awakening his aura didn't matter—compare to him getting himself hurt by accident or intentionally .

For her, seeing Aidan injured was more than just concern her—it genuinely hurt her.

Aidan studied her face, searching for any sign—did she truly believe it was an accident, or was there doubt in her eyes?