Chapter 59 Reconnecting to nature.

Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Reconnecting to nature.

Picking up his cutlery, Noah cut off a piece of turkey and was just about to put it into his mouth when Damian suddenly stopped him.

"No. It won’t taste as good that way."

Before Noah could even ask what he meant, Damian stood up from his seat and walked over.

He took the fork from Noah’s hand, carefully sliced off a much larger and juicier piece of meat, then smiled.

"It’s so tender it’ll practically melt in your mouth."

Without another warning...

He fed Noah.

Every pair of eyes around the table immediately landed on the two of them.

Harold, who had just pulled a chair over to join them, frowned at the scene before dramatically throwing both hands into the air.

"Can you two stop making us single men feel miserable? What is this supposed to be? A lunch or a date?"

Noah almost burst into laughter.

Unfortunately, he still had food in his mouth.

He immediately began coughing.

Marcus reacted first.

He quickly slid a glass of water across the table.

"Drink."

Noah grabbed it without hesitation and gulped it down in one go before letting out a relieved breath.

"Easy there," Marcus chuckled.

As Noah reached for a napkin to wipe his lips, his hand never made it.

Killian had already taken it.

Without saying a word, he gently dabbed the corners of Noah’s mouth before smiling proudly at his work.

"There."

He folded the napkin.

"Good as new."

Noah blinked.

He honestly didn’t understand what had gotten into everyone today.

The amount of care they were showering him with from every direction was becoming overwhelming.

"Well..." Marcus leaned back in his chair with a grin. "I’ll admit it, Harold. Your cooking keeps getting better."

It was the first playful remark Marcus had made all day.

After what happened between him and Noah, he had been noticeably quieter than usual.

But seeing Noah treat him normally again seemed to have eased the tension.

Little by little...

The playful Marcus was returning.

Harold nearly dropped the cup of juice he was holding.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

He narrowed his eyes dramatically.

"At least I know how to cook. Tell me, which one of you has ever touched a cooking pot?"

Silence.

Noah definitely hadn’t.

Whether Ashton knew how to cook...

That was another mystery entirely.

As for Noah himself?

Absolutely not.

Killian immediately raised both hands in surrender.

"I’ll pass."

He shook his head.

"Cooking is terrifying."

He began counting on his fingers.

"You’ve got boiling water, sharp knives, fire, hot oil, chopping, slicing..."

He shivered dramatically.

"I’d rather fight a monster."

The other Alphas nodded in complete agreement.

Eugene rested his chin on one hand before looking at Noah.

"What about you, Ash?"

The sudden question made Noah pause halfway through lifting another bite.

He honestly didn’t know the answer.

Could Ashton cook?

He had absolutely no clue.

Before Noah could respond, Damian answered instead.

"I think he can."

Everyone looked toward him.

"Omegas usually know how to cook."

He shrugged casually.

"It’s kind of in their nature."

The words instantly made Noah stop eating.

Killian quietly lowered his fork.

He already knew where this conversation was heading.

Noah slowly looked up.

"Isn’t that just a stereotype?"

His voice remained calm.

"Where exactly was it written that only Omegas are supposed to cook and handle house chores?"

The entire table went silent.

Damian blinked.

He hadn’t expected Noah to react that strongly.

"No... Ashton."

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"That’s not what I meant."

He tried explaining himself.

"I was only saying that in most places Omegas are usually the ones who cook, so I thought—"

"But that’s exactly the problem."

Noah cut him off.

His expression remained surprisingly serious.

"That kind of mindset is what keeps ruining society."

Nobody interrupted him.

"I know you probably didn’t mean anything bad by it."

He sighed.

"But Omegas aren’t breeding tools."

His eyes swept across the table.

"They aren’t machines made only to give birth, cook, clean, and serve others."

His voice became firmer.

"They’re people."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Every single Alpha stared at him with wide eyes.

Noah frowned.

He honestly didn’t understand why everyone looked so shocked.

Had he really said something that unbelievable?

Eugene was the first to find his voice.

"This side of you..."

He looked genuinely confused.

"It’s surprising."

Noah blinked.

"What do you mean?"

Eugene hesitated.

"You’ve never stood up for Omegas before."

He spoke carefully.

"If anything..."

"You always avoided them."

Another pause.

"You kept saying you hated being an Omega."

Noah’s eyebrows slowly rose.

"You said it made you weak."

Eugene looked straight into his eyes.

"And that it was probably the reason you never awakened any powers."

Noah’s mouth slowly fell open.

For a long second...

He simply stared.

Then one thought crossed his mind.

Okay...

So Ashton wasn’t just foolish.

He was practically competing for the title of the dumbest person alive.

"I..."

He immediately shook his head.

"I must’ve said something wrong before because that definitely isn’t me."

He firmly denied it.

"I would never think like that."

Harold gently tapped his glass with a spoon.

The clear ringing sound instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.

"Alright, boys."

He smiled warmly.

"Finish eating."

He folded his arms.

"We’ve got training to do."

Everyone straightened.

"You all kept complaining about your affinity problems."

Harold’s smile widened.

"I think I finally figured out a much easier way to help."

Noah finished the last bite of his meal before looking around the table.

"You all have affinity problems?"

He looked between the four Alphas.

"All of you?"

They exchanged glances before nodding together.

Damian spoke first.

"I tried cleaning the blood stain in my room yesterday."

He frowned.

"I normally would’ve erased it using my Blood Affinity."

He clenched his fist.

"But nothing happened."

Eugene sighed.

"I can’t freeze time anymore."

He looked frustrated.

"No matter how hard I try..."

"It just won’t activate."

Marcus leaned back in his chair.

"My Beast Affinity stopped responding too."

Killian shrugged helplessly.

"And my Nightmare Affinity completely disappeared."

Noah slowly ran a hand through his hair.

Something about this situation didn’t feel right.

He stood from his chair.

"Did something happen recently?"

His brows furrowed.

"You guys can’t just lose your affinities overnight."

Harold calmly shook his head.

"They didn’t lose them."

Everyone looked toward him.

"I can still sense their mana."

He tapped one finger against the table.

"The connection simply became dormant."

He smiled.

"So instead of forcing the power..."

"We reconnect it."

He stood up.

"Back to nature."

He clapped his hands once.

Instantly...

Every dirty plate vanished from the table.

In their place appeared countless ancient books, glowing crystals, dried herbs, colorful potions, and magical artifacts Noah had only ever seen in anime, fantasy novels, and movies.

His eyes widened.

No way...

This was real.

His hand unconsciously reached toward one of the shimmering bottles.

Killian immediately grabbed his wrist.

"Don’t."

His voice remained gentle.

"It could be dangerous."

"Some magical ingredients react through skin contact."

Noah looked at him before smiling.

"Thanks..."

A mischievous grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Killian Daddy."

The effect was immediate.

Killian froze.

His ears turned bright red.

His entire face followed seconds later.

He looked as though his brain had completely shut down.

Somewhere farther down the table...

Marcus leaned toward Eugene and whispered quietly,

"It’s really not that deep."

Killian ignored him completely.

Harold cleared his throat loudly.

"Enough."

Everyone turned toward him.

"We’re starting with something simple."

He placed an old leather-bound book in the center of the table.

"Today all of you will attempt to reconnect with Mother Nature."

He crossed his arms.

"Focus on your mana."

"Find even the smallest spark."

"And let it answer you."

The four Alphas immediately stood.

Each of them moved to different parts of the room.

"And you too, Ashton."

Noah looked around.

"...Me?"

Harold nodded.

"You’re participating."

Noah scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"I don’t think I can use magic."

Harold simply gave him a look.

The kind of look that clearly said...

Stop making excuses.

Noah sighed inwardly.

"...Fine."

He walked toward the edge of the table.

Closing his eyes, he tried remembering Damian’s earlier advice.

Before he could fully concentrate...

Someone suddenly stepped behind him.

Warm hands gently settled around his waist.

Damian.

"Relax."

His voice came from just beside Noah’s ear.

"Take a deep breath."

"Breathe in..."

"And let everything else disappear."

Noah nodded slowly.

He inhaled.

Then exhaled.

Just as he was about to continue...

Thud!

Harold slammed one of his massive cow hooves against the floor.

The loud sound echoed throughout the room.

Damian immediately jumped away.

Harold folded his arms.

"Stop trying to seduce the poor boy."

The room instantly became awkward.

"Let him figure things out himself."

He pointed toward the others.

"You should focus on your own battle."

Damian rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before stepping away.

From the opposite side of the room...

Killian shot him a smug look.

Damian simply rolled his eyes.

Noah couldn’t be more happier.

Thankfully...

The distraction was over.

Everyone returned to their own training.

Noah slowly closed his eyes once more.

He inhaled deeply.

Held it.

Then released the breath exactly the way Damian had shown him.

Everything around him became quiet.

For a brief moment...

He felt nothing.

Then...

Something warm stirred inside him.

A strange energy slowly spread through every part of his body.

His heartbeat quickened.

The air around him suddenly shifted.

A faint breeze circled the room.

Noah frowned.

That definitely hadn’t been there before.

His eyes slowly opened.

The moment he saw what stood before him...

Every thought vanished from his mind.

"...What in the world did I just do?"