Nessa stared at him with wide eyes, completely captivated by the stories Kvolt wove as she watched him sitting there.

"And then, after years trapped in the tower, Rapunzel was finally rescued by the prince," Kvolt concluded, smiling at the expression of joy on Nessa's face.

"Another one, another one!" Nessa pleaded, clapping her hands in excitement. "Tell me another princess story, Kvolt! One day I want to be one too and have my own castle."

Kvolt laughed at his sister's innocence and enthusiasm. In moments like this, it was easy to forget the weight of the knowledge that consumed him, the questions that haunted him.

"Alright, one more," he relented, already searching his mind for another story from Earth that he could adapt. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young woman named Cinderella..."

He was in the middle of describing the ball when the sound of the front door opening interrupted him. Nessa leaped off the bed, her face lighting up.

"Daddy's home!" she shouted, already running to the living room.

Kvolt followed at a more leisurely pace, his mind already shifting from the fables to reality. It had been months since Henry had left on his latest mission, and Kvolt was curious to see how time had treated him.

When he entered the living room, he found a grinning Henry with Nessa hanging from his neck. Lisai was beside them, her face awash with relief and joy.

"Hello, my princess," he laughed, scooping Nessa into a tight hug. "How are you? You've grown since I last saw you!"

"Henry," Kvolt greeted casually, nodding to the man. "Good to see you back in one piece."

Henry only grinned more broadly, setting Nessa down and opening his arms to Kvolt.

"Come here, son," he called, his voice loud and jovial. "Let me get a good look at you."

Kvolt submitted to the embrace, even as a part of him analyzed Henry's behavior. There was a certain exuberance to the man, he really was excited.

"I have a surprise for all of you," Henry announced, stepping back and rummaging in his sack. "I got a great reward on this last mission. Lisai, you'll be able to buy new clothes for yourself and the children. Even some luxuries for the house, if you want. And take some extra for food and supplies."

Lisai gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. "Henry, this is wonderful! But how...?"

Henry shook his head, his smile never wavering. "Don't worry about the details, my love. Just know that things are looking up for us. Here, I brought presents!"

He pulled out a rag doll and handed it to Nessa, who squealed in delight. Then, to Kvolt, he presented a small sword, its iron blade gleaming sharp in the firelight.

"Henry!" Lisai reprimanded, her eyes wide with shock. "You can't give Kvolt a real sword! He's too young, too reckless. He'll hurt himself, and he's adventurous enough without you encouraging him!"

Henry had the grace to look a little sheepish. "Come on, Lisai. The boy needs to learn to defend himself. Besides, it's not that sharp. It's more for training than anything else."

As his parents argued, Kvolt examined the sword, testing its weight and balance. It was a well-made weapon, perfectly sized for his small hands.

"He seems different," Aurora commented in his mind. "His body language, his facial expressions... there's a discrepancy from his usual behavior."

Kvolt nodded subtly, his gaze never leaving Henry. "I noticed. Something happened on this work, something that changed him. We need to find out what it is."

He cleared his throat, effectively interrupting his parents' discussion. They looked at him, their expressions a mixture of surprise and expectation.

"Thank you... dad," Kvolt said, the word strange and awkward on his tongue. "It's a much appreciated gift. I promise to be careful and only use it for training, as you said."

The effect was instantaneous. Henry froze, his eyes wide with shock. Lisai brought her hands to her mouth, a sob of joy escaping through her fingers.

"Kvolt..." Henry began, his voice choked. "You... you called me dad."

Kvolt shrugged, and suddenly found himself feeling a bit weird for having said it. "Well, you are my father, aren't you?"

Henry pulled Kvolt into a tight hug, nuzzling his beard against his face. For a moment, Kvolt tensed, uncomfortable with the physical contact. But slowly, hesitantly, he relaxed into the embrace, allowing himself to feel his father's warmth.

Lisai joined the hug, all discussion about the sword apparently forgotten.

For Kvolt, it was a bittersweet moment. He knew his acceptance of Henry as his father was strategic, a way to deflect attention and gain trust, but... a small part of him, the part that still yearned for approval.

"What do you think?" he asked mentally. "About this sudden change in Henry's fortunes?"

"It's certainly unexpected," the AI responded. "Given his previous socioeconomic status, a sudden influx of wealth raises some red flags. But we don't know what happened, nor how this world operates in its entirety."

---

Later, after the commotion had died down and the family had settled in for the night, Kvolt retreated to his room to practice. He sat in the center of the cramped space, legs crossed and eyes closed, and reached for his mana.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

He had grown more skilled at manipulating his internal energy over the past few months.

One by one, the candles winked out, leaving only thin trails of smoke behind. Then, with a snap of his fingers, Kvolt relit them, each wick flaring to life with a steady flame.

The only sound was Nessa's soft breathing as she slept deeply in the bed beside him.

Slowly, almost reverently, he extended his hands. Small objects around the room began to shiver and rise, as if pulled by invisible strings. Feathers, stones, even a few of Nessa's wooden toys - all joined the dance, spinning and swirling in the air.

Kvolt could feel each item, could trace the streams of mana that connected them to him. It was like having extra hands, each one perfectly attuned to his will.

With a subtle gesture, he began to rearrange the objects, forming patterns and shapes in the air. A spiral of feathers, a lattice of stones, a constellation of tops and dolls.

As Kvolt worked, he felt the air around him begin to move, responding to his unconscious commands. A gentle breeze picked up, playing with his wavy hair and making the pages of the books scattered across the floor flutter and rustle.

"Very good, Kvolt," Aurora said. "Your control is exceptional. Now, try modulating the flow of mana. Make it slower, then speed it up. Feel the difference in the effect."

Kvolt obeyed, slowing the flow to a trickle. The objects decelerated, almost stopping, hanging in the air as if suspended in time. Then, with a sharp inhalation, he released the floodgates, sending a wave of raw power through his connections.

The results were immediate. The objects shot forward, humming and buzzing like a swarm of angry insects. The breeze upgraded to a gale, roaring in Kvolt's ears and tugging at his clothes.

But then, as suddenly as it began, it ended. With a final gust of wind, the objects fell to the floor, inert once more. Kvolt opened his eyes, his chest heaving with the effort of what he'd just accomplished.

"Impressive," Aurora commented. "Your control has improved by 14% since the last session. The rate of mana flow through Vessels 4B and 7A has increased. Despite having hit a plateau in the evolution of your core and mana pool. We'll soon have to move on to riskier mana circulation methods or seek out a proper instructor."

Kvolt nodded and smiled, satisfied with himself.

He was about to move on to more advanced exercises when a sound made him pause. His stomach growled heavily, begging to be filled.

Kvolt got up and walked to the kitchen looking for something to eat. He found some nuts on the edge of the table and promptly grabbed them, throwing them into his throat.

His lips widened, feeling satisfaction. But the feeling was short-lived, interrupted by the sound of raised voices coming from his parents' room.

Silently, Kvolt crept to the door, pressing his ear against the thin wood.

"...it's none of your business!" That was Lisai, her tone sharp with a mix of anger and fear.

"It's my business when my wife barely lets me touch her!" Henry retorted, his voice loud and angry. "Ever since our son was born, you act like you're disgusted with me in bed!"

There was a moment of tense silence, followed by a shaky sigh from Lisai. "It's not disgust, Henry. I just... don't feel right. It's like something inside me was shattered that day, something I can't fix."

For Kvolt, it was like a punch to the gut. He'd guessed that something was wrong with him, that his birth had been marked by something unnatural. But hearing his mother talk about it made him feel kind of uncomfortable.

"Come on, Lisai," Henry was saying, taut with frustration. "It's been years. I miss you. I miss us so much."

"I said I'm not in the mood, Henry," Lisai responded, sounding tired and strained. "Please try to understand."

"Understand what? That my wife barely lets me touch her? That ever since Kvolt was born, you refuse to be my woman? That I have no woman in bed?"

Then Lisai spoke, her voice so low that Kvolt had to strain to hear. "You don't understand, Henry. I made sacrifices to have him."

Henry let out a sound of frustration. "Then help me understand, Lisai! Don't push me away. Don't push us away."

But Lisai had apparently said all she intended to say. "I'm tired, Henry. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Damn it," growled Henry, the sound of heavy footsteps echoing across the floor. "I can't take this anymore. I can't take this from you anymore."

The bedroom door burst open, causing Kvolt to flinch back.

Henry froze, his eyes widening as he realized his son must have overheard everything. A myriad of emotions passed over his face. But finally, he settled on a mask of forced calm.

"Kvolt," he said. "You should be in bed."

Kvolt swallowed hard, his mind reeling with everything he'd heard. "I was just going to get a drink of water," he lied, looking away.

Henry studied him for a long moment, seeming to want to say something. But instead, he just shook his head and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the night through the outside.

Kvolt stood in the hallway, his heart pounding. His parents' words echoed in his mind, raising more questions than answers.

What did Lisai mean about sacrificing something to have him? Could it be related to the way people in the village treated them, to the whispers about him being cursed?

He wasn't quite sure how to react. Well, it was a couple's fight. It seems that even in another world, couples face the same old problems.

Kvolt was about to return to his room when something caught his attention. In the corner of the room, half-hidden behind a stack of firewood, was a small leather pouch. Curious, he approached and picked it up, surprised by its weight.

Opening the pouch, Kvolt found a collection of bronze and silver coins, more money than he had ever seen in this life. Then he noticed the small packet of white powder balanced atop the coins.

He soon picked up the packet, bringing it closer to his face to examine. The powder was fine and crystalline, reflecting slightly in the dim light. Hesitantly, he sniffed it gingerly, and an acrid scent invaded his nostrils, making him recoil.

"Aurora, what do you think this is?" he asked, his stomach churning with a bad feeling.

The AI sounded in his mind, already analyzing the substance. "Based on a preliminary spectroscopic analysis, it appears to be a psychochemical stimulant with a molecular structure similar to cocaine, an alkaloid derived from coca leaves. However, I'm detecting several other compounds that don't match any known substances in my database."

Kvolt frowned, apprehension growing inside him. "What kind of compounds?"

"Several unknown chemicals, as well as what appear to be synthetic derivatives of tryptamine and phenylethylamine," Aurora reported. "These substances seem to have been modified, with additional functional groups that alter their psychoactive and pharmacokinetic properties."

Aurora continued. "The additional compounds appear to be designed to enhance the potency and duration of the stimulant effects, as well as induce strong chemical and psychological dependence. Additionally, I'm detecting structural analogs of scopolamine, an anticholinergic deliriant with amnestic and incapacitating properties."

"Basically," Aurora said, "this substance appears to be a designer drug, highly addictive and potentially dangerous. Its effects likely include intense euphoria, increased energy and focus, as well as possible hallucinations, delusions, and memory loss. And the mechanisms of dependence seem to have been specifically engineered to be as strong and long-lasting as possible."

Kvolt looked at the packet in his hand, suddenly feeling like he was holding a ticking time bomb. His mind raced with the implications. Where had this powder come from? Was his father involved with drugs, or worse, using himself? Was this how he had gotten all this extra money?

Kvolt realized his suspicions about his father's change in behavior were probably true. And if this powder was just the tip of the iceberg? What kind of trouble had Henry gotten himself into?

Quickly, Kvolt put the packet back into the pouch and hid it exactly where he found it. His mind was spinning, trying to process this new information and what it meant.