Chapter 136: You are an awakened

Chapter 136: You are an awakened

The doctors arrived shortly afterward, and thankfully, their examinations revealed nothing serious.

"They appear to be exhausted. Both mother and daughter need adequate rest," the doctor explained.

Kai finally let out a sigh of relief.

At least, what he sensed seemed to be true. His skill allowed him to experience the strong emotions of his family members, and after the initial shock had passed, he could sense that both Jean and Elara were relatively calm.

And thankfully, the doctor’s examination confirmed that they were safe.

"Thank you, Doctor. I’ll give you a call if I notice anything unusual."

The man nodded before taking his leave.

Soon afterward, Mark entered the room and glanced at Elara, who was sleeping peacefully in her crib. Her expression was serene, but the faint redness around the corners of her eyes made his heart ache with guilt.

"Sorry, man. You entrusted us with one job, and we..."

"This was beyond your control," Kai assured him. "Even after I arrived, there was nothing I could do. And honestly, I still have no idea what exactly happened."

Mark frowned before turning his attention to Jean.

"Kai... I know this isn’t the best time to ask, but I think I can sense mana coming from Jean. Is it because of the mark?"

Kai’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

"You’re not imagining it. She actually awakened this afternoon."

"...!"

Mark’s eyes widened.

"What?!"

He barely managed to keep his voice down, remembering that both Jean and Elara were sleeping.

"How is that even possible?"

His knowledge of awakening limitations was still fresh. There was a strict age threshold beyond which a person could no longer awaken their mana core, and Jean was well past that point.

"I can’t explain how it happened, but it’s the truth. And I hope you’ll keep it a secret."

The conviction in Kai’s voice, combined with what his own senses were telling him, left Mark with little room for doubt. Something that should have been impossible had happened right before them. And it was no surprise for Kai...as if he was responsible for it.

Despite the absurdity of it all, he nodded.

"I understand. I won’t say a word to anyone."

Kai hummed before glancing toward the outside of the room.

"How’s Mia?"

He could sense that the woman had been deeply shaken by what had happened. She had barely spoken since the incident, which was particularly concerning given her usually lively personality.

"She’s sleeping in the living room. She should be fine as long as these two recover properly."

Kai nodded.

He would use a potion if necessary, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with Jean or Elara’s safety.

"Take the room on the other side of the gallery. There are fresh sheets and everything else you might need."

Mark might ordinarily have objected to imposing on his friend, but he realized Kai could need an extra pair of hands during the night if anything went wrong. After a moment, he nodded.

"Get some rest yourself, mate."

Kai nodded in response and listened as Mark’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Once the door closed, the tension finally left his shoulders.

He approached the crib and gently brushed his fingers against Elara’s cheek. The little girl didn’t even stir in her sleep.

"Just how exhausted are you, my little one? What happened to you, baby?"

Of course, she couldn’t answer him.

Kai withdrew his hand and turned his attention to the System instead.

"Can you use the Sage’s Eye to examine the marking on her arm?"

The Sage’s Eye was capable of perceiving phenomena and concepts throughout the world. If anything could reveal what had happened during Jean’s awakening, it was this skill.

Whatever had occurred hadn’t affected Jean alone. Their daughter had been caught up in it as well, and Kai needed to understand why.

Soon, the evaluation began.

[Analyzing...]

[Analysis failed.]

[Re-attempting...]

[Analysis failed.]

Kai frowned at the red messages appearing before him.

The System attempted the analysis several more times, but the result remained unchanged.

[Host, the marking radiates the same energy that constitutes the Sage’s Eye. The System can only identify a connection between the mother and child. They share a bond, Host. It is presumed that the forced awakening has deeply affected the child as well.]

Kai’s expression darkened.

If anything, the explanation only deepened his concerns. He had already known that Jean’s awakening had somehow affected Elara, but the System’s wording suggested something more troubling.

It almost seemed as though Jean had never been meant to awaken her mana core in the first place.

And that raised another question.

"I received this Eye from Kei... and the only person who knows about him is the Chair..."

"Ah!"

Kai suddenly remembered something.

Back then, the Chairman had mentioned something about the Sages.

At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it. There hadn’t been enough information to draw any meaningful conclusions, and the connection between Kei, the Sage’s Eye, and Jean’s strange awakening was still far too vague.

But it was a starting point.

And right now, that was all he had.

I need to talk to the Chairman.

However, before he could even take out his phone, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Kai..."

"Jean!"

He immediately turned toward the bed and approached her.

"Ah, don’t get up."

Seeing her attempt to sit up, he gently helped her lie back down against the pillows.

Jean groaned softly before looking around in confusion.

"What... happened? Are we back home?"

Kai nodded.

"Yes, we are. How are you feeling now?"

Jean took a moment to assess herself. Her hand remained clasped around his as she struggled to find the right words.

"I... feel extremely weak. It’s as though I’ve just finished... a very... long journey."

Her voice was faint, and even speaking seemed to require considerable effort.

Then, as though suddenly remembering something important, she looked at him anxiously.

"I heard Elli crying... Where is she?"

Kai was slightly surprised. Jean had lost consciousness before they had even reached home, so he hadn’t expected her to remember hearing Elara cry.

Nevertheless, he offered her a reassuring smile.

"She’s sleeping. Don’t worry, she’s fine."

Jean pressed her lips together, but the worry in her eyes lingered.

After a brief silence, she finally asked the question that had been weighing on her mind.

"Kai... I failed, didn’t I? I couldn’t awaken mana, right?"

Her voice trembled as she spoke, betraying the uncertainty in her heart.

For once, she had genuinely believed that things might change for the better. She had allowed herself to hope that this opportunity would finally give her something she had long wished for.

But then she had collapsed in agony, and when she regained consciousness, she could hardly feel any difference within herself.

It was difficult not to reach the same conclusion she had reached so many times before.

I failed again...

"Who said that?"

Kai’s sudden question interrupted her thoughts.

Jean turned toward him, her eyebrows lifting in surprise.

He smiled warmly at her before delivering the words she had been longing to hear.

"Jean... you’re an awakened now, too. Congratulations."

"..."

°°°

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