Magic, Love, Family Pt. 03

"It's not like I can stop you, even if I want to, but Miranda... you shouldn't be so skeptical of everyone around you. I advise you, as your mother, to be a little more forthcoming, at least with the ones close to you."

Miranda stopped in her tracks. She remained still, her hand against the door and with only her gorgeously mesmerizing back in the view of Suzanne. As the moments ticked past, the atmosphere cooled down considerably from the warm scene a few minutes ago. And just when it felt like it could not get any worse, Miranda sauntered away.

"Everyone is competition."

The airy voice of Miranda filtered through the gaps of the now closed door.

***

(Part 5)

"What the fuck does that even mean?" Suzanne was at loss to figure out the meaning of the final words left behind by Miranda when she exited the room.

She rolled around the bed as she talked to herself and came up with different theories about what it could mean. And despite being a woman of more than forty-years of age, and a mother of two, she looked gorgeous in her half-disheveled state with her messed up hair and her crumbled clothes. There was a unique air that could be felt out of that languidness which was incredibly seductive.

"Why does she always do this to me?" She whined to herself and softly beat down her fists on the pillow.

It would be wrong to say that she loved one of her daughters more than the other, but it was the truth that she found it easier to get along with Rose.

It can't be helped... Suzanne often told herself that. Still, she sighed in dejection that she couldn't change the fact that one of her daughters would rather not rely on her. Miranda was powerful, very powerful in fact, and maybe that did play a part in shaping this unusual dynamic between them. Nonetheless, Suzanne knew, she knew that she was also at fault.

A suffocating aura covered the room as Suzanne kept on sighing gloomily. As her emotions fluctuated, so did her mana. Little violet arcs of lightning buzzed around her, and the oppressive feeling thickened with each passing second.

*Knock*

The rapping on the door broke her out of her trance, and the stifling atmosphere vanished along with it. Startled, Suzanne sat up straight and turned to gaze at the door. Quickly, she checked on herself and smoothed out her hair and dress. When she was finally certain that she looked the absolute best she could, she went up to the door.

"Miranda?" A loud, heavy voice calling out told her that it was Raymond at the door.

Oh, it's only my Sweetie...Suzanne was relieved that it wasn't Miranda who had come back and caught her in the messy state. She opened the door swiftly.

"Mir- Huh? Aunt Suzy?!"

Raymond looked bewildered when she answered the door to Miranda's room. She watched him with interest as he peeked inside to make sure that he had the right place.

"Why-"

"Oh, my Sweetie, come here!"

Suzanne didn't give him the time to say anything else as she couldn't hold back long enough to go through the whole charade of explanations. She pulled his head to her towering bosom. Tousling his hair, she placed a flurry of kisses on his head.

"I'm so happy for you!"

She found it hard to contain her joy. As she laid eyes on her nephew standing dumbfounded opposite to her, the dam of emotions that had built up during the day burst open uncontrollably.

"You know how worried I was?"

"Now it's all good..."

All the irritation after 'conversing' with her chilly daughter went away like a poof. She couldn't care less about it at the moment.

"I knew you would do it! Hah! My Sweetie! Such a sweet and cute boy!"

...

Raymond felt his head pressed against the soft and fragrant breasts of his aunt. He greedily breathed in the floral scent that greeted his nose. The sweet pecks on his forehead and his cheeks made him swoon with happiness. It was like he was surrounded by the most comforting and soothing feeling in the world. He wanted to drown in it.

Heavenly!

When Suzanne eventually stopped gushing over him, they were already on the bed. Raymond was lying prone with his head on her lap, while she sat at the edge of the bed with her legs hanging down.

"Tell me, Sweetie. Tell me how you did it!"

Raymond smiled at his beautiful aunt who was blinking constantly, trying to rein in her excitement.

"I don't know... it just happened..."

"Come on! Tell me!" Suzanne whined to him, "You don't want to tell your aunt? Sweetie you have changed." She pouted and turned her head away.

Groaning to himself to have to leave the wondrous spot, Raymond sat up by the pouting woman's side and turned her head to face him. They had always been close and playful like that with each other, and it was the umpteenth time that this routine was getting repeated.

"Aw! Don't be like that!" He muttered when Suzanne refused to look at him. "Alright, alright... I will tell you, okay?"

"Humph!" Suzanne snorted as a smile bloomed on her face. "I knew you couldn't hide it from me... Now quickly," she pecked his lips and resumed, "Tell me... I'm dying to know!"

Raymond smacked his lips and warned her, "don't expect much as I also don't know what happened..."

After looking at him skeptically for a moment, Suzanne nodded in understanding.

"Hmm, where should I start...?" Raymond wrapped his arms around her elastic waist as his mind raced through the details he wanted to reveal to his gorgeous aunt.

The matter with Lily is obviously out of the question. Other than that...

He patiently recounted to her how he fought against, or more specifically, slayed the beast on his own. The 'heroic' tale was accompanied by the oohs and aahs from Suzanne and also fretting about his safety. He was only allowed to continue after she did a double take, and a triple take, over his whole body.

"So that's all that happened? Are you sure?" Suzanne furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side. Her violet hair fell on his face, which made Raymond twist his head around to feel the soft and silky texture of the strands.

"What? Did you say something?" Raymond asked in a dreamy voice.

"I asked if anything else happened..."

When Raymond still didn't seem to pay attention to her and kept on playing with her hair, she smiled to herself and pinched his cheek.

"Sweetie, you can play with my hair later! Now, tell me if anything else happened that could be the trigger for your awakening..."

Raymond sighed helplessly as he watched Suzanne flick her wavy, lustrous hair behind her back and out of his reach. He pretended to think a little deeper before answering that he wouldn't know it if something did happen. Though a part of him felt a little guilty, he didn't want to reveal about the night spent with Lily and certainly not without her permission.

How good it would be if I could tell her about Lily...

A part of him felt that Suzanne would understand and maybe even support them if he told her about last night, but in the end, he decided against it. Everything was new to him, and he could not convince himself that it would be the best thing to do. He was sure that his aunt would not chastise him, though that can't be said about their other family members.

Everything has become so... And then there's Miranda.

Raymond didn't know how his beautiful cousin would react to the new development. And more than that, how he would react after she found out. But through all this, he was clear about one thing. He was more at peace than before.

His heart didn't race at the sight of Suzanne, and he didn't feel the uncomfortable tingling, the awkward rise that he felt just two days ago. It somehow seemed a significant development, although he chided that it was already wrong when he felt that way about his aunt. It was dirty, even if it happened momentarily.

Maybe I've changed...

Raymond still maintained that Suzanne was the most glamorous, the most seductive woman that he had ever seen, he believed that nothing could sway that notion. He appreciated her immense beauty, revered her charismatic style, adored her mind boggling cuteness, enjoyed her flirtiness, and all the countless little gestures of her. Throughout the years, this had shaped his image of an ideal woman. He loved all those things, but somehow the oomph of the past was gone.

He couldn't figure out the exact reason for it, and he was fine with it, it didn't bother him a smidge that he couldn't.

...

Suzanne mused, "hmm, I can't understand how then..."

The mighty marshal of the Gelodesh Kingdom was at a loss to figure out the reason for Raymond's awakening, and it wasn't the first time since the morning that she had felt this way. She was frustrated that she couldn't get to the bottom of it, but it was nothing compared to the massive joy and pride she felt that he had awakened his attribute.

"Well, who cares how it happened... The thing is that I have awakened, right?"

"Yes! Precisely!" A wide grin came upon Suzanne's face at his words. It was the exact thing that she had needed to hear. It could have happened due to the real life and death battle, or it could have happened due to some other reason.

The truth of the matter was that he had awakened, even if the rationale behind it seemed a little weak. Because, ultimately, if that was the only thing needed, he should have awakened a lot earlier or just after his battle with Rose.

However, the jubilation was so surreal that she could overlook it for the time being. It was a little annoying, but that's all it was. There were a lot of ways to overcome any hidden danger, if there were any. Most of all though, she was sure Raymond would be able to figure it out by himself at a later time.

The gorgeous aunt and the ecstatic nephew talked animatedly about a lot of things, some related to his attribute and awakening and some others related to his life in general. Suzanne expressed little surprise that he had awakened to the earth attribute; in her opinion the nature of one's attribute didn't matter that much, and she told as much to him.

...

"So, do you think I could defeat Rose, even when I only have the earth attribute?"

Raymond saw a ray of hope in her words. After a morning of training with Lily, where she had shown him her powers, he was convinced that the earth attribute was strong. Nonetheless, the ingrained majesty of the fire attribute was such that he inwardly bemoaned his luck.

"Oh, Sweetie!" Suzanne sighed exaggeratedly and then proceeded to further quash his hopes, "It isn't so much about the nature of attribute. You can never think like that."

The sympathetic head pat seemed more like a pity to Raymond. He uttered a bit forcefully this time, "why then?"

Seeing that his feelings may have been hurt, Suzanne asked patiently, "What do you know about the awakened and their power distribution?"

He raised an eyebrow at being treated like a little kid by his aunt. However, he answered without showing his displeasure outwardly, albeit in a mechanical way, "Well every time an awakened evolves their mana pool they are said to increase their star level. Like me, I have become a 1-star awakened. When I increase in star level by evolving my mana pool, there will be a corresponding increase in my power... Happy?" Raymond snorted. "Come on, Aunt Suzy, even children know this much!"

Before Suzanne could say anything, Raymond added what seemed like the crux of the matter, and what had been his main query. "Though it may be difficult it is entirely possible that a 1-star awakened can defeat a 4-star awakened." Seeing the questioning look on Suzanne's face, he hurriedly asked, "It's true, isn't it?"

"Hmmm," Suzanne hummed as she tilted her head to the side. "Who told you that?"

"No one... I just came to know about it. It's true though, right?" Raymond was impatient to know the answer. It was important to him that it was true. It had been his only hope to catch up to his sister and cousins. Because, if it wasn't, then he would forever be weaker than them.

"Well, theoretically it is true, but-"

"Yes!" Raymond clenched his fist in glee. He could put up with the fact that he had fallen behind them, but he couldn't take it if he was forever in that same pathetic position.

That arrogant little... he thought about teaching Rose a lesson, and it made him jolt with glee.

Raymond had come straight to meet Miranda after he had returned with Lily from the forest and hadn't had the time to see anyone else. He was dying to show off his newfound powers to his redheaded cousin, and while he was still in the midst of thinking of ways to get back at her for years of torment, he was interrupted by the grave voice of Suzanne.

Suzanne's soft palms took his face, and she stared at him, "Do not ever underestimate your enemies! You were lucky this time that the beast was exhausted and injured. Don't become conceited!"

It was frightening for Raymond to see the fierce air that surrounded Suzanne. He had never seen her being this serious and chilling. He always saw her as the playful and gorgeous aunt, and he was frankly spooked by her current atmosphere.

"Yes, I won't..." he barely whispered.

Suzanne only let go of him after she saw the look of understanding in his eyes.

Fighting against an awakened warrior was not a child's play. After they had both calmed down a few minutes later, she explained. "Listen, it's not that I want to scare you Sweetie, but it's dangerous! I still shudder to think how you had the courage to confront a prime beast..."

Raymond could only smile wryly at this point. He had thought that it was the only choice left for him but looking back now, it was really a dangerous situation.

"Technically, though, you are wrong..."

"Huh?"

Raymond expressed his confusion at the sudden remark of his aunt. He thought that she was just persuading him not to try anything dangerous and had given up on his earlier thoughts. However, her words signaled that there was more to the story.

"Yeah! It's surely nigh impossible for a 1-star to defeat a 4-star in an actual fight, and he may be killed outright."

"Then why-"

"But...! But it is possible for a 1-star to kill a 4-star..." Suzanne stated.

Raymond was speechless. He didn't know what to make of the two confusing and contradicting statements of his aunt.

"How? I don't understand! How is it possible to kill someone if you are supposed to be so weak that you couldn't even fight them?"

"Hehe," Suzanne smirked and then spoke in a passionate tone, "Killing is not the same as fighting. Remember that! Always..." She continued gleefully after seeing that Raymond was entranced by her words, "As you know, our bodies undergo a change with each increase in star level, right?"

"Yes!"

"Yeah, so it's a lot more difficult for a lower star-level awakened to fight against a higher level one. And Sweetie, I want to once again remind you that you shouldn't be overconfident. Don't ever underestimate your enemies, whether human or otherwise..."

Raymond frantically nodded his head to display his obedience. In truth, he just wanted her to get to the next part, the most important part.

...

"Now," Suzanne began. There was a profound look on her face but hidden underneath was a gleeful smile, which she found hard to conceal, even as she imparted her knowledge to her handsome nephew. "The most essential thing is the surprise element because, without it, I don't think jumping star levels to fight and kill could ever be done." Suzanne stated as a matter of fact and then added in a serious tone. "You should just run as fast as you can if you lose the initiative."

"Hmm..."

"But that's not all. You see, what do you think would happen if there was an interference with your mana pool?"

"Um? It would burst?" Raymond replied after much contemplation.

Suzanne remarked enthusiastically, "exactly! It would burst! If a 1-star warrior wants to kill off a 4-star warrior, he has to make the mana pool of his enemy explode, that's the only way!"

"And can you guess what the easiest way is for you to do that?"

Seeing the young man ignorantly shake his head, Suzanne couldn't help but puff her mesmerizing breasts. The sight was so enticing that if it was any other time, Raymond would have been entranced by the hypnotical jiggling of them.

Proudly, and in a sagely voice, she continued, "listen closely! When you launch a sneak attack, it means you have caught the enemy unawares, so that is the best and only chance to interfere with his mana flow. As you well know, it is very difficult to awaken one's attribute and so, in turn, it is also very difficult to interfere with the mana pool unless the person is caught off guard. Since this process is a bit similar to how you awakened your attribute and how you cast a magic spell, it should not be that difficult."

"It's actually easy to interfere?" Raymond was again a little confused. However, Suzanne expected it and tried to explain in simpler terms.

"Alright, imagine how you awakened... you circulated all your mana through your mana channels, right?"

Raymond answered immediately this time. "Yeah!"

"Now tell me why it was so difficult for you? Why did it take you so much time to awaken? After all, you know the theory behind it, right?"

"... I didn't have enough practice? Is that it?"

"No! You had enough practice." Suzanne decided to go through the explanation on her own as she found it hard to control her impulse to just tell him the whole thing already.

"What you lacked was control. Control! Take for example, when you killed that prime beast, it required immense concentration and control, right? In that situation, your body powerfully circulated all the mana in your mana pool. This might have opened up all the remaining possible paths for circulation in your mana channels. It might have that it was the critical factor, giving you a very increased control over your circulation. So, the next time you tried to awaken, you were successful!"

Well, maybe... But there's no need to tell him that. Suzanne was not sure if what she told Raymond was accurate yet it was the best she could come up with at the moment.

"Ooh, so you mean the sense of danger had to be real for my body to do that? And if I knew that someone would come and save me, I wouldn't feel the same pressure?"

"Now you get it! Hah, my Sweetie! You finally see why I was so scared and surprised?" Suzanne pecked all over his face, affectionately.

...

"Yeah..." Raymond sighed at his ignorance. He didn't realize that he was so close to death at that point. He trembled at the thought.

If there was even a tiny bit that had gone wrong, then my mana pool would have exploded by the pressure of the powerful mana circulation and I would have died even before I killed the damn prime beast!

"I was relieved when I thought that you had awakened naturally, but..." Suzanne shook her head frantically, which made her wavy hair become disheveled. She took his face in her hands and then pressed it against her bosom.

"Don't ever take a risk like that again, okay? What would I do if something happened to you?"

Raymond kept his mum about her worries and consoled himself by burying his head in the heavenly flesh peaks. The floral scent was still present and soothed him greatly. It was as if he was in the most peaceful place, the safest place that could be.

This is bliss! He mused about spending the whole afternoon like that.

But there was a constant prickling sensation in his mind that he just couldn't get rid of. The thought of killing someone much more powerful than himself just wouldn't leave his mind, no matter how much he tried to suppress it. Finally, when he couldn't bear to ignore it anymore, he regretfully lifted his face from the heaven that was Suzanne's bosom and asked her in a sheepish voice.