Chapter 340: The Return Home
They finally returned to the mansion. After all the chaos, danger, and unexpected turns at the TMC facility and the border, crossing the estate’s imposing gates brought a strange sense of relief. Looking through the limousine’s tinted window, Alexander noted that the entire property remained untouched on the outside, wrapped in an apparent tranquility.
Inside the residence, the atmosphere had been an absolute sea of emotions over the past few days. His aunt, his cousin, Marcus’s mother and sister, Aria, and the Gables... every one of them was present. They had spent nearly an entire week without a single piece of news from the group, trapped in a suffocating anxiety, fearing the worst regarding the boys’ fate.
When the three armored SUVs pulled up to the main entrance and came to a stop, the women posted themselves behind the large glass windows, watching with their hearts in their throats to see who would step out. The moment they saw Alexander, Marcus, and the rest alight from the vehicles, the accumulated tension vanished. It seemed the nightmare was finally over.
The mansion’s front doors swung wide open.
"Hey there... Did you miss us?" Alexander asked with a subtle smirk.
Before he could take two steps forward, Alexander’s aunt, his cousin, Aria, and the Gables sisters rushed at him all at once, engulfing him in a suffocating group hug that knocked him straight to the floor amid tears and laughs of pure relief. On the other hand, Jessica and Ashley didn’t throw themselves into Marcus’s arms; instead, the mother and sister stood a few paces back, locking sharp, piercing glares onto him that caused the young man to scratch the back of his neck, dodging eye contact while muttering apologies under his breath.
Alexander managed to push himself up from the floor, dusting off his clothes while looking closely at everyone.
"What went down here while we were gone?" Alexander asked, noticing the dark circles and exhaustion etched into their faces.
His aunt spoke up, her voice trembling slightly as she explained the ordeal they had endured. She recounted how, throughout that week, they were kept locked inside the property. Security personnel had confiscated their phones, cut off all external communication lines, and forbidden them from stepping past the garden perimeter. They were prisoners in their own home. The guards told them that their survival depended entirely on Alexander’s performance: if he failed his evaluation or died inside the portal, none of them would leave the property alive.
Alexander clenched his fists, listening in silence before letting out a long sigh.
"Don’t worry about that anymore. That’s all behind us," Alexander said to reassure them. "We’ve established our foothold on the other side. Let me fill you in."
They gathered in the grand living room as Alexander began recounting the details of Sandoria City, the border tavern, the local infrastructure, and the resources they had secured. He spoke of the gems, the combat system, and how TMC operated in that realm. The women listened with wide eyes, fascinated and thrilled by the opportunities of a world filled with magic and mystery. However, before their excitement could run wild, Alexander’s expression turned cold and stern.
"Don’t get ahead of yourselves," Alexander warned, cutting the smiles short. "The situation over there is more dangerous than you imagine. There are entire factions hunting outlanders, beasts that defy logic, and slavery contracts. A mistake will cost every last one of us our lives."
To leave an indelible mark and demonstrate the scale of power they now commanded, Alexander rose to his feet.
"Follow me to the yard".
Alexander walked with a firm stride toward the center of the lawn, feeling the night breeze. Behind him, the entire group halted near the porch with a mix of curiosity, anticipation, and the dread accumulated after a week of confinement.
Alexander didn’t just feel his family’s eyes on him; he also perceived the camera lenses hidden along the perimeter. He knew that on the other side of those monitors, TMC observers were analyzing his every move. He wanted the company and anyone who might try to threaten them to understand that he was now an Awakened capable of sweeping away everything in his path.
"Pay attention," Alexander said, turning around with a confident smirk. "Don’t blink."
"Alex... what are you going to do?" his aunt asked in a trembling voice. "Please be careful."
"Relax, Auntie," Marcus cut in with excitement. "Let him show you real power from the other world."
"Is it really that incredible?" his cousin muttered. "I’ve heard about Awakened people, but... you became one in just three days?"
"See it for yourselves," Alexander answered.
He locked his gaze on the perimeter trees, extended his right arm toward the sky, and unleashed his mana all at once.
"[Wind Blade]!" Alexander commanded.
The air around him warped with a deafening hiss. The invisible blades began spinning at high speed, creating a circular vortex of massive pressure.
BOOM!
A loud crash echoed off the mansion walls. The air storm flattened a rounded area inside the forest hundreds of meters away, shredding dozens of oaks that collapsed within the blast radius and kicking up a thick cloud of dust. The shockwave whipped everyone’s clothes and set off the SUV alarms.
The yard fell into absolute silence.
"My God!" Marcus’s mother gasped, taking two steps back. "Alex... you just pulverized an entire area with a wave of your hand!"
"Is that... is that magic?" Aria whispered, looking at him in awe. "Is that what you can do now?"
"That’s just the beginning," Alexander replied, lowering his arm.
He turned and locked his gaze on one of the wall cameras, flashing a cold smirk.
"Starting today, no one lays a finger on any of you ever again," Alexander declared, looking back at his family. "Make sure everyone understands that."
Alexander walked calmly back toward the porch, giving a slight hand gesture to Sydney, Paige, and the fake Brianna to step forward.
"It’s time to introduce them" Alexander said as the three women stepped up to his side with elegance. "They will be staying with us from now on."
The women of the house stared at them closely, still shaken by the demonstration of power from moments ago and stunned by the striking beauty and presence of the three newcomers.
"Everyone, these are Sydney, Paige, and Brianna," Alexander introduced in a composed tone. "And as I mentioned before, they answer directly to my command. There is nothing to fear."