Chapter 15: Dreadful Future

Abigail tried to protest, but her words fell on deaf ears as Aaron walked out of the room.

He knew Damien’s threat wasn’t an empty one.

Aaron was twelve. Damien was fifteen. In a few weeks, Damien would leave home and enter the Academy. And in three years, Aaron would be joining him there. He was certain that was where Damien planned to break every bone in his body.

After all, there would be no parents or sisters around to stop him.

And Damien didn’t know this yet, but according to the game, the Awakening Ceremony would begin within the next three years. Afterward, they would all be sent into the Dungeon.

If Damien was still holding a grudge by then, things were going to become much more difficult for him.

With a tired sigh, Aaron collapsed onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow.

"My peaceful life in this world is about to be over..."

Beads of sweat rolled down Aaron’s forehead as he practiced his swordsmanship.

He swung his wooden sword one final time, putting everything he had into the strike.

"Haah!"

The sword slipped from his exhausted hands.

Aaron dropped to his knees, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

A lot had happened since the day Damien accidentally ran into Velma.

Just as Aaron had expected, Damien had kept his mouth shut and completely ignored her presence afterward. His cooperation had clearly been forced, and Aaron knew his brother would eventually come after him for the blackmail.

Because of that, Aaron had spent the entire time being extremely cautious around him.

That continued until Damien finally left for the Academy a week ago.

It had been almost a year since Velma joined the family, and Aaron had already turned twelve.

He’d even had a small birthday celebration.

Everyone gave him a gift except Damien.

Aaron had expected it, so he simply brushed it off and pretended he didn’t care.

Still... It had stung a little.

Velma and Abigail, meanwhile, had become incredibly close. Close enough to practically be sisters.

They gossiped together, went on walks together, bathed together, and sometimes even did chores together whenever their parents weren’t home.

Aaron had watched their relationship develop with growing confusion.

He could not understand how could a nineteen-year-old woman who was technically thirty-three years old on the inside would genuinely become friends with an ordinary fourteen-year-old girl?

What could they possibly have in common?

Combining Velma’s both lives, was practically thirty-three!

Aaron let out another exhausted sigh, picked up his wooden sword, and glanced toward the house. His father had taken Damien to one of the most prestigious academies in the world. It was several days’ ride from their town.

That left Aaron at home with his mother, stepmother, Abigail, and Velma.

He sighed again and dragged himself back inside.

As much as he hated admitting it... He actually missed his annoying, avoidant brother.

"Come to think of it..."

Aaron suddenly stopped walking.

"I’ll also be leaving for the Academy in three years."

His expression became thoughtful.

"...And after that, I’ll be taken to the Awakening Ceremony with the others."

His expression slowly darkened.

"I’ll have to find Ren and Soran..."

He swallowed.

"And then we’ll challenge the Dungeon."

The place where the true horrors of this world awaited them.

The place where his life would actually be on the line.

Aaron shuddered.

"My peaceful days are almost over."

Aaron stepped out of the bathroom and lazily dropped onto his bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. He stared at the ceiling with his eyes were wide open, but his expression was unusually calculating for a twelve-year-old.

Aaron always tried not to think about it.

He really did.

But whenever he remembered the unavoidable chaos waiting for him three years from now, he couldn’t help but become restless.

He rubbed his face tiredly as he thought.

Then—

"What’s on your mind?"

Aaron’s eyes widened.

’Huh?!’

He immediately sat upright and whipped his head around, his entire body becoming tense. His eyes landed on the unexpected visitor standing behind him.

For a moment, Aaron simply stared.

Then he released a breath of relief.

"You startled me, Vel."

Velma pushed herself away from the wall and walked toward him.

For some strange reason, she exaggeratedly swayed her hips as she approached, wearing a seductive smile.

Aaron narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you walking like that?"

Velma stopped.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Don’t you find it attractive?"

"Uhmm..."

Aaron looked her up and down uncertainly.

"I don’t know. Maybe."

Velma rolled her eyes.

She held his gaze for a few seconds before walking over and sitting beside him without asking for permission.

Silence settled between them.

After a few seconds, Aaron finally broke it.

"What brought you to my room? You usually don’t come here."

Velma chuckled.

"Well... that’s because you never ask me to."

Aaron’s eyebrows shot up.

"What?! I begged you to stay before, and you refused. Why would I ask you again?"

Velma simply shrugged.

"I don’t know. Maybe you just didn’t care enough."

Aaron stared at her in disbelief.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

Eventually, he looked away.

Sometimes he just didn’t understand Velma. She acted like she disliked him and she acted like she cared him. Sometimes she acted like she didn’t want to see him and other times she acted like some clingy high-school girl.

Her behavioral patterns were just too complicated to understand.

Another stretch of silence passed between them.

Then Velma spoke.

"You know, I trained Damien because of his immense potential."

Aaron glanced at her.

"It was obvious that he was going to become incredibly strong someday, so I originally hoped to use his strength to my benefit in the future."

Aaron chuckled lightly.

"Well... that’s Damien for you. Even I dread his strength."

Velma stared at him for a moment.

Then her expression changed slightly.

"Then I changed my mind when I met you."

Aaron’s smile faded.

He slowly turned toward her.

"...What?"

Velma’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"That’s right."

She leaned back slightly.

"Meeting you changed my plans."