Chapter 44: Forging a New Legacy
{Aether Element is sealed Master.}
The system’s voice chimed in his mind, confirming his suspicions but raising a whole new set of limitations. He wasn’t invincible yet, but he had the ultimate foundation.
Asher wrote down on the notebook, showing her the words on it:
["Don’t worry, I can Master this element, and of course, I won’t push myself."]
He wanted to ease the rare, visible worry lining her face.
Sara read the words, and nodded her head, her tension slightly deflating. She stared at Asher, who wrote down on the book, showing it to her again:
["Another Question. I want to give our family a new Family name. I don’t want anything that deals with Starfire or any other families, I want ours."]
This was the ultimate severance. He wasn’t just walking away from his abusers; he was erasing their claim over him and his wives entirely, ready to build an empire on his own terms.
She blinked, surprised by the sheer ambition of the statement, and stretched her hand towards the notebook, which Asher handed to her. In their society, creating a new noble lineage required immense power, backing, and wealth. To attempt it as castaways was unheard of. She wrote her question, and showed it to him:
["Family name? You can make it official?"]
Asher nodded his head confidently. With his infinite wealth and the system’s backing, bypassing the Awakened registry would be trivial. She wrote again:
["I have no issues, go ahead, and pick any name."]
Her absolute trust in his ambition warmed his chest. She didn’t doubt him; she simply followed his lead.
He nodded his head again, then stood up, staring at the notebook. Sara understood and passed him the book, watching as he wrote down on it. The time had come to execute the next phase of his plan to heal their broken household.
["I will take Kelly out, we will be in the Community Park."]
Sara stared at the words, and nodded her head. Asher gave her a grateful nod, walking towards the sitting room.
Sara stared at him for a while, sensing that a major shift in their dynamic was about to occur, then sighed, picked up her book, stood up, and walked towards the stairs.
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[09:30 PM]
[Community Park.]
"Where is the food you promised me, little chef!" Kelly asked, staring at the fountain located at the very center of the park. The cool night breeze rustled the trees as she bounced on her heels, her childish energy completely unaffected by the late hour.
Asher smiled at her, then raised his head to the sky, staring at the huge moon. The silver light cascaded over the quiet park, masking the heavy anxiety building in his chest. Today, he will use the soul fleeting pill.
’I hope everything goes well.’ He thought, answering her question, needing a medium to deliver the medicine without startling her:
"Okay, wait for me. I will get you an ice cream."
After making sure she understood what he was saying, he walked towards the ice cream truck in the park, his mind racing through the potential outcomes of the pill’s effect.
"I need two ice creams." He said.
The vendor, an older man wiping down the counter, smiled warmly at him. "Which flavor young man?" The man asked, picking up two ice cream cones.
Asher paused, considering Kelly’s erratic but voracious appetite. ’Hmm... Kelly loves sweets, any flavor is good, but...’ He nodded his head, wanting to completely mask the taste of the pill:
"I need all the flavor in both."
"Alright!" He nodded his head, and placed the order. After he was gone, Asher took the ice creams, paid and went back to Kelly, only to see her sitting on the ground, hugging her knees. The vibrant, bouncy girl from a few minutes ago had completely vanished, replaced by a shrinking silhouette.
’Huh? Wasn’t she just playing? Why is she sad, and sitting on the ground?’ His protective instincts flared instantly, his gaze sweeping the park for any threats.
Asher walked towards her, and knelt down on one knee, keeping his tone incredibly gentle, knowing her mind could easily shatter further under pressure: "What happened, Kelly?" He asked in a warm and calm voice.
Kelly looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks, which instantly placed a frown on his face. Seeing her cry felt like a physical blow to his chest: "What happened?" He asked in shock.
"Those... Those kids, they said I am crazy." Kelly sobbed, pointing a finger at three kids playing some distance away with their parents. The casual cruelty of children had pierced right through her innocent facade, hitting the deep insecurities she usually buried with food.
Asher turned to the kids, then sighed softly. A dark urge to teach those brats a lesson surfaced, but he forcefully pushed it down. He couldn’t yell at the kids, mainly because he didn’t come here for that. He was a protector, not a tyrant. So he turned back to Kelly, and moved the ice cream to her face, using the massive dessert as a shield against her sadness:
"Those kids are so annoying; they’re jealous, so just ignore them, and have a delicious ice cream." He said with a smile, watching as her eyes instantly widened in surprise.
"So big." She exclaimed, staring at the ice cream. The tears immediately stopped, her attention completely hijacked by the sugar mountain.
"Yup, all for you." Asher said with a smile, watching her closely, praying the pill would work without causing her any pain: ’I already placed the pill in the ice cream, and it already dissolved into it...’
He slowly stretched his hand towards her, as Kelly snatched the ice cream in his hand, licking it without hesitation. Seeing she was ignoring his stretched hand, he sighed with a small smile. He didn’t mind the rejection; seeing her happily eating was enough. He sat down beside her, resting his back on the fountain.
"The sky is beautiful, right?" He asked, but got no reply, only the sound of licking filled the air. Asher wasn’t bothered, and slowly licked his own ice cream. He leaned his head back, allowing the quiet ambiance of the night to loosen the tight knots in his shoulders. The silence invited him to speak truths he usually kept locked away.
"When I was young, I could only watch the moon through a small window in my dark room. I couldn’t see anything back then... The moonlight was my only source of light and hope." He muttered, taking another lick. He didn’t know if she was even listening, but the act of confessing felt like drawing poison from a wound.
"You see, when I was in that house... I only thought of ways to satisfy my family, especially my father. When my mother ran away, leaving us alone, he simply targeted all the rage at me... I was beaten not only by my step siblings, but also my father. Even the helpers and guards beat me whenever they feel like it... Wow, I was truly pathetic back then." He blinked, staring at the bright moon in the sky. The memories were a parade of humiliations, a stark contrast to the absolute power he held now. Yet, sitting here, he realized the wealth hadn’t erased the scars.
"When I got the opportunity to prove myself, I ended up with you three... Of course, I was a bit confused, irritated, and well, angry... But after staying with you guys, my wives. I understand one thing, although our situations are different, we are ultimately the same, because, we have all been abandoned." He poured his heart out to the seemingly oblivious girl, finding a strange, profound solidarity in their shared brokenness.
"So it is a good thing we are together now?"
Asher froze, his blood turning cold. The voice wasn’t childish. It wasn’t distracted by the ice cream. It was crystal clear, articulate, and carried the weight of an adult woman’s intellect.
He blinked, and slowly turned his head to Kelly, seeing her staring at him, her blue eyes fixed on his, and under the moonlight, she looks like an angel. The sticky mess on her face couldn’t hide the sudden, sharp lucidity piercing through her gaze. The veil of trauma had completely lifted.
"Tell me, Asher. Is it a good thing we are together?" She asked again. Right there and then, Kelly was cured, and she was asking him her very first question. The ten-hour timer had begun, and the sleeping beauty had finally awakened to her new reality.
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[My lovely Readers: Let Play Another Game: 50 Power stones - release.]
[150 power stones -s Release.]
[Above 200 Power stones -s or more Release!]
[Chapter will be dropped by the end of the week, but Release will continue as usual.]