Chapter 98: The Mystery of the Egg

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: The Mystery of the Egg

After breakfast, Penelope gently rocked the sleeping Aurora in her arms.

A thoughtful look crossed her face. "...It’s a shame." she said.

Ben looked over. "What is?"

"I still can’t bring Aurora into the space." Penelope said as she held the sleeping child.

The room gradually grew quiet. Everyone understood why. ℴℴ𝘮

The spiritual space only accepted those who had formed a contract with its master.

But before a contract could be formed...

The space first had to recognize the person’s existence.

Aurora had none.

No birth certificate.

No official records.

Not even a confirmed birthday.

Without enough information...

The space simply wouldn’t acknowledge her existence.

Aunt Lucy looked down at the sleeping baby.

"I wish we knew who she really was."

"So do I," Penelope admitted.

Erik rested his elbows on the table, deep in thought.

"There may be a way."

Everyone turned toward him.

"If Aurora’s family lived in this building, there should be records somewhere." He paused. "At the very least...her birth certificate should still be inside her apartment."

Penelope slowly nodded.

"We’ll check before sunset."

She looked down at the peacefully sleeping newborn nestled in her arms.

"If we can find her records...then maybe I can form the contract and bring her into the space." she said.

"We should go before the others in this building start to awaken." Erik said.

Kai looked around and said "What if...Ben and I go ahead and check?"

Ben nodded his head.

"We’ll decide after we get some sleep," Erik said as he took Aurora from Penelope’s arms.

Erik carefully lifted Aurora into his arms.

The tiny baby stretched before letting out a sleepy little yawn.

Almost instinctively, Erik gently bounced her against his shoulder.

"Mom," Erik asked quietly, "did you set up a nursery for her?"

"I placed basic necessities in my bedroom. You can go lay her in her crib." Aunt Mary responded.

Penelope blinked.

Kai blinked.

The two slowly turned to look at Erik.

Neither of them had expected the stoic man to handle a newborn with such practiced ease.

"...Since when are you so good with babies?" Kai asked.

Erik looked up. "I have younger siblings."

"...Right." They both answered.

Somehow...

That explained everything.

Outside...

The first rays of the morning sun crept across the city.

Inside the penthouse...

The curtains remained tightly closed.

For everyone in the room...

Morning was no longer the beginning of a new day.

It had become their bedtime.

Because once the sun set...

They would walk into danger all over again.

**

Killian’s POV

The moment Killian closed the penthouse door, silence greeted him.

For the first time since leaving that evening, he allowed himself to relax.

His shoulders loosened.

His muscles ached.

He removed his bloodstained combat jacket before tossing it into the laundry basket. The faint metallic scent of blood still clung to the fabric despite having dried hours ago.

A hot shower washed away the grime of the night’s battle.

By the time he stepped back into his bedroom, the first rays of dawn filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

The streets below remained eerily quiet.

Tomorrow night...

They would head out again.

But first...

They needed sleep.

Killian sat cross-legged on his bed and slowly closed his eyes.

The familiar sensation of his consciousness separating from his body returned.

When he opened his eyes again...

He stood within his spiritual space.

The endless farmland stretched peacefully before him.

Tender green shoots swayed gently beneath an invisible breeze.

Beyond them stood towering mountains.

Silent.

Ancient.

Unchanging.

Everything appeared exactly as it had the day before.

Killian followed the familiar path toward the mountain.

As he entered the cave, cool air brushed across his face.

Crystal formations covered the walls and ceiling, refracting soft light throughout the cavern.

High above...

Droplets slowly gathered beneath the hanging crystals.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Each drop fell into the clear spring below before continuing its quiet journey through the cave.

Near the center...

The black egg rested exactly where he had left it.

Killian crouched beside it.

His fingertips brushed lightly across the smooth shell.

Warm.

His brows furrowed.

It had grown warmer.

There were no cracks.

No movement.

No visible change.

Yet...

The warmth beneath his fingertips was unmistakable.

His gaze slowly shifted toward the crystal spring.

The water flowed without interruption.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

"...Ziki."

The administrator’s voice echoed calmly through the cave.

"I am here, Master."

Killian kept his eyes on the egg.

"It changed."

"Yes."

"It wasn’t this warm yesterday."

"Correct."

"What changed?"

A brief silence followed.

"Its vitality has increased."

Killian looked down at the shell once more.

"...Vitality."

"Yes."

"What does that mean?"

"The life within the egg has become more active."

Killian’s expression remained thoughtful.

"So it’s developing."

"Yes."

His fingers lingered on the shell.

"Is it absorbing spiritual essence from the spring?"

"It is."

Killian looked toward the crystal formations overhead.

"The crystals produce the spiritual essence."

"Correct."

"The spring carries it."

"Yes."

"And the egg absorbs it."

"Correct."

Killian remained silent for several moments.

His eyes moved between the crystals...

The spring...

And finally...

The egg.

"The cave wasn’t chosen by coincidence."

"No."

"It was built for the egg."

Another brief pause.

"That conclusion is accurate."

Killian slowly stood.

"Who placed it here?"

Silence.

Not hesitation.

Not uncertainty.

Simply silence.

When Ziki finally answered...

"I am unable to disclose that information."

Killian looked toward the darkness beyond the cave.

"So you know."

"...Yes."

"But you can’t tell me."

"I do not possess the authority to answer."

Killian accepted the response without pressing further.

He understood hierarchy.

He had spent years running corporations.

Some information was restricted until the appropriate time.

Arguing wouldn’t change that.

Instead, he asked another question.

"What species is inside?"

Again...

Silence.

Then—

"I am unable to disclose that information."

"The restriction is the same?"

"Yes."

Killian nodded to himself.

"So there are conditions."

"There are."

"For me?"

"For every master."

That answer lingered in the quiet cave.

Every master.

Meaning...

There had been others.

Killian’s gaze slowly returned to the egg.

"Then tell me what you can."

This time, Ziki answered without delay.

"The egg remains healthy."

"Its vitality is steadily increasing."

"Its shell is intact."

"Its spiritual fluctuations are stable."

"It continues to absorb spiritual essence at a normal rate."

"There are no abnormalities."

Killian listened carefully to every word.

No wasted explanations.

No unnecessary details.

Just facts.

"Has its condition changed since I inherited the space?"

"Yes."

"In what way?"

"It awakened."

Killian looked sharply at the egg.

"...Awakened?"

"Yes."

"It remained dormant for a very long time."

"The moment you inherited the space..."

"It awakened."

Silence settled over the cave.

Killian looked down at the smooth black shell once more.

"So..."

"My inheritance triggered it."

"Yes."

"...Why?"

Another brief pause.

Then—

"Because it recognized you."

Killian frowned.

"Recognized me?"

"You are its master."

"It is your companion."

Those four words echoed through the cave.

It is your companion.

Killian stared quietly at the mysterious egg.

His companion...

He hadn’t expected that answer.

Not once had the possibility crossed his mind.

He had assumed it was merely something left behind by the creator.

Instead...

It had been waiting.

Waiting for someone.

Waiting for him.

After several moments, Killian finally spoke.

"So it wasn’t asleep..."

"It was waiting."

"Yes."