Lena rushed toward her father's study, clutching her teddy bear tightly.
Peeking through the door left slightly ajar, she spotted him sitting at his desk, immersed in a thick tome.
"Hehe... I'm going to surprise Dad this time," Lena whispered to herself, determination flickering in her eyes.
In the past, her visits home always ended the same—she would meekly greet him, only to leave without any real acknowledgement. But things were different now. Ever since she started dating Zeon, Lena felt more alive, as though she'd found the courage to be her true self. Hugging her teddy bear for strength, she whispered a little prayer.
'Zeon... Protect me.'
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
Squeak.
Obius glanced at her briefly, then returned to his book without a word, his indifference as sharp as ever.
Lena's heart sank, but she reminded herself of Zeon's words. 'Stay strong, Lena. You've got this.' Mustering her courage, she stepped further into the room.
"Hi, Dad," she said softly.
Obius responded without even looking at her. "Alright. Get some rest."
Lena bit her lip. "Dad, I... I can use magic now."
"Congratulations," he said flatly, flipping another page. There wasn't a trace of pride or excitement in his tone.
In the past, Obius had tried teaching Lena magic countless times, only to watch her struggle and fail again and again. Eventually, he gave up, writing her off as someone who lacked talent.
But Lena wasn't about to give up—not now, not when she'd finally found her strength.
'Zeon is watching! I can do this!' she thought, clenching her fists.
With newfound confidence, Lena raised a hand and cast the spell she had mastered.
"Astral Zeon!"
From her outstretched hand, shimmering ectoplasmic figures emerged. Within moments, ten warriors materialized, their forms glowing with translucent energy. The warriors varied—some wielded greatswords, others carried shields, while a few were archers and assassins, all clad in full armor. It was a force capable of conquering even the most treacherous dungeons.
Obius froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"What... what is this?" he whispered, his composure shaken.
"Dad! These are Astral Zeons. I summoned them! And that's not all—I can also use elemental magic!" Lena exclaimed proudly.
With that, she proceeded to conjure three more powerful elemental summons: Bulzion (earth), Mulzion (water), and Electric Jiion (lightning). The room lit up with the swirling energies of her creations.
Obius, an accomplished mage himself, recognized the sheer mastery behind these spells. He could tell instantly that these were high-level summons—something far beyond what he ever imagined Lena capable of.
Tears welled in Obius's eyes.
Though he had never truly hated his daughter, losing his wife had left him consumed with resentment. He buried himself in his grief and abandoned his hopes for Lena, growing distant with each failed attempt to teach her magic. Yet despite his cold indifference, he had quietly provided her with a room at the Hero Academy and ensured she had enough allowance to live comfortably.
Now, seeing Lena standing before him, brimming with talent, his heart overflowed with emotions he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years. It was the bittersweet joy of a parent witnessing their once-struggling child succeed—like seeing a once-unemployed child finally land a dream job.
Lena tilted her head, puzzled. "Dad? Are you... crying?"
"Haha, no," Obius mumbled, hurriedly wiping away his tears.
He longed to hug her, to express his pride, but the years of distance made it awkward. Even so, something had shifted. Lena's success had broken through the walls he had built around his heart.
He gave her a rare smile. "Lena... You did really well. I'm proud of you."
"Really? You mean it?" Lena's face lit up. "Wow! Dad actually praised me!"
Her joy was so overwhelming that she jumped up and down like a child, clutching her teddy bear. Seeing her reaction, Obius's heart ached even more. How little affection must he have shown her for one compliment to mean this much?
"Come here, Lena."
Lena beamed and hurried over. Obius gently patted her head, his voice unusually soft.
"Today is a happy day. Get some rest, and tonight, we'll have a special dinner."
"Okay!"
Lena left the room with a spring in her step, her Astral Zeons following closely behind. Obius watched her go, pride swelling in his chest.
After she was gone, he opened a drawer and pulled out a photo frame. In the picture, he stood beside his wife, Bianca, holding hands. Like Lena, Bianca had been petite and gothic in appearance, with delicate features and a childlike charm.
"Bianca... I was too harsh on Lena after losing you. But it wasn't her fault, was it?" he murmured, his voice heavy with regret. "Our daughter has grown so much. I'll try to do better from now on. Please watch over her."
Setting the photo down, Obius called for Gustavo, the family's old butler. "Prepare Lena's favorite dinner tonight," he instructed.
---
Later, Lena made her way to her sister Inora's room. She knocked on the door.
Knock.
"Who is it?" came Inora's voice from within.
"Inora unnie..." Lena called softly.
"I'm busy. Go away."
"I want to show you a magic trick."
"It's probably something silly again."
"No, it's amazing this time!" Lena insisted.
"Haa... Fine, do whatever you want."
Hugging her teddy bear for courage, Lena opened the door. Squeak.
Inside, Inora was sitting cross-legged on the floor, assembling magical tools. Though she looked similar to Lena, Inora stood just 2 cm taller.
"So? What is it?" Inora asked impatiently.
Lena grinned. "Come on in, Astral Zeons!"
At her command, the summoned warriors filed into the room in perfect formation. Cheok, chuk, chuk. Each one knelt on one knee before Inora.
"Ahhhh! What are these things?!" Inora gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Hehe. They're my summons—Astral Zeons!"
Inora was stunned. "These... these are made from ectoplasm?! How is that possible?"
Ectoplasm, a substance typically found in spectral creatures like reapers and wraiths, was notoriously difficult to manipulate. It could pass through solid matter and interact with souls, making it a near-impossible material for most mages to work with.
"How in the world did you do this?" Inora whispered, still in shock.
"Hehe. I just thought about it, and they appeared!" Lena said cheerfully.
"That's ridiculous! Handling ectoplasm is something only warlocks can do—how did you...?" Inora trailed off, baffled.
"Want to see more?" Lena asked. "Astral Zeon Knight!"
Another mass of ectoplasm appeared, rapidly forming into a knight on horseback.
Heeeee! The horse reared up before the knight calmed it with a tug on the reins.
Inora stared, her head spinning. "This is... unreal. Even their movements are lifelike."
"So, unnie, what do you think?" Lena asked eagerly.
Inora's competitive spirit flared. "Lena... Let's co-author a research paper on this!"
"A paper?"
"Yes! Crafting ectoplasm summons is a breakthrough in magic! We'll both be co-first authors. Imagine how impressed the professors will be!"
Lena hesitated. "Ugh... I don't like writing..."
"I'll help you. What do you say?"
After a moment's thought, Lena smiled brightly. "Okay, unnie!"
It was the first time Inora had acknowledged her talent, and Lena wanted to savor the moment.
As they sat down together, Inora grabbed her pen and paper. "Tell me everything—how did you create these summons?"
Lena grinned. "I just thought of Zeon, and they appeared!"
"Who's Zeon?" Inora asked, puzzled.
"My boyfriend!"
"WHAT?!"
Inora stared at Lena, stunned for the second time.
It wasn't just the magic that left her speechless—it was the mention of a boyfriend. Inora had always struggled in the dating scene. Despite her youthful looks and petite, childlike figure, she rarely received attention from decent men. Between her demanding studies and obsession with academic achievements, romance had slipped through the cracks.
She'd always believed that once she became a renowned professor at the Magic Tower, her success would naturally attract a tall, handsome, and kind partner. But hearing that her little sister already had a lover? That hit a nerve she didn't know she had. Her pride cracked.
"Hehe… Somehow, I ended up dating him," Lena said, her eyes sparkling with joy.
"What kind of guy is he? He must be some fat lolicon, right?" Inora scoffed, trying to mask her jealousy.
"No way! He's a junior from the academy. Tall, handsome, rich, and he even has a house near the campus!" Lena boasted, pouting slightly.
"Are you sure they're not playing with you?" Inora asked suspiciously.
"Don't insult Zeon!"
Lena's voice rose, her face darkening with a rare flash of anger. Startled, Inora blinked. It was the first time she had seen her usually gentle sister react so fiercely.
"Okay, okay! I get it," Inora said, raising her hands in surrender, feeling strangely intimidated by Lena's sudden outburst.
Lena's expression softened as she continued. "Zeon promised me we have a future together. Once I graduate, we'll get married."
"I... see," Inora murmured, struggling to keep her voice even.
"Hehe." Lena giggled to herself, her mood bouncing back as she hugged her teddy bear.
Inora's gaze drifted toward the summoned warriors, and a curious thought crossed her mind. Now that she looked more closely, she realized something uncanny—each Astral Zeon shared the same build and face.
"Wait a minute... Are they... modeled after Zeon?" Inora asked, her tone laced with disbelief.
"Yup! That's exactly why they're called Astral Zeons!" Lena chirped proudly.
From what Inora could tell, if these summoned beings were anything to go by, Zeon must at least be above average in appearance. If he was also wealthy and genuinely interested in Lena, then he might indeed be quite the catch. Inora swallowed her frustration, mumbling to herself with a deep sense of defeat.
"We've lost..."
"Hm? What did you say, unnie?" Lena tilted her head innocently.
"Ah, nothing," Inora replied hastily. "Just tell me how you make these Astral Zeons."
"Well..." Lena began, leaning forward eagerly. "It's simple! All you have to do is think about Zeon in as much detail as possible, and... poof! They just show up!"
Inora's brow twitched. "That's... that's ridiculous! You're telling me you can summon creatures like this without magic circles or complex formulas?"
"It works for me!" Lena said with a grin.
Inora let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples. "Ugh... You're impossible. Fine. We'll skip the creation method for now and focus on writing a thesis about the existence of ectoplasmic summons and their unique properties. I'll handle the experiments, and you control the Astral Zeons."
"Got it!" Lena saluted playfully.
Inora pulled out a specialized magic tool, shaped like a magnifying glass, which allowed her to magnify the flow of mana within objects. With focused precision, she began inspecting one of the summoned warriors.
"Fascinating..." Inora murmured under her breath as the magnifying glass revealed intricate layers of ectoplasm weaving through the summon's structure. Despite the apparent simplicity of Lena's explanation, the summoned being's composition was far more complex than Inora had imagined.
Inora's frustration began to melt away, replaced by excitement. If these creatures could be fully analyzed, it would revolutionize their understanding of ectoplasmic manipulation—something previously thought impossible outside of necromancy.
She glanced at Lena, who was watching her eagerly with sparkling eyes.
"Maybe... just maybe," Inora thought to herself, "this silly little sister of mine might end up making history."
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