[Mar's POV]

I watch the numbers shift on the screen, the steady hum of my computer filling the quiet space. Alex’s energy levels are stable—predictable, even. A slow pulse, nowhere near what they should be. Not even half, if I go by the half-Archaggelos theory.

I lean back in my chair, rubbing my temple. It’s frustrating.

Aurora was a force of nature. Her energy burned bright, almost like a star. Alex… Alex is nothing like that. Don't get me wrong. I am glad that his human body isn't bursting at the seams, but instead, I worry that something might be stunting his growth.

That’s why we’re here. Why we moved.

This town doesn’t have much, but it has the oak. Old as time, rooted deep in something ancient. It radiates the same energy as Aurora's energy, as Alex's energy.

The plan was to expose him slowly, see if it draws anything out. But I hadn’t expected him to find his way there on his own. I barely had to nudge him in the right direction. He gravitated toward it like it was calling him. And now, whenever he’s near, I can see it—subtle, but there. The tree and Alex’s energy syncing up, breathing in rhythm. But nothing more. No surge. No breakthrough.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Am I doing the right thing? Alex is stable for now, but what if he relapses like when he was five? I still don't know what caused his energy to drop to nearly zero like that, and I don't know why Hussam's presence healed Alex. I understand that Alex's energy healed the Sheikh's boy, but not why it worked both ways, and it terrifies me.

The monitor beeps sharply. My eyes snap to the screen.

Alex’s energy levels spike. Violently.

My stomach drops.

The clean, steady hum turns jagged, erratic. His energy lurches, thrown completely off balance, fluctuating between surges and dips so extreme that for a second, I think he might black out.

This isn’t natural.

I don’t hesitate. I grab my phone and dial. It barely rings once before Erika picks up.

“What the hell did you do?” My voice is sharp, cutting straight to the point.

There’s a pause, just long enough for me to hear a faint exhale on the other end. “I had no choice.”

My grip on the phone tightens. “Bullshit.”

“He was looking for other trees.”

I go still.

Ideally, Alex is supposed to stay close to the oak, to interact with it, to let it shape him. I see why Erika panicked, but I feel like it is too soon for action. Alex is probably just exploring the park; it's too soon to tell if he abandoned the oak completely.

“What did you do?” I ask again, calmer this time.

“I sent my daughter to... gently steer him back in the right direction.”

Rage spikes hot in my chest. We had agreed that her children would keep an eye on Alex FROM A DISTANCE. She has two children around Alex's age who have both been living in this town their whole life. They would be able to carry out the job the least conspicuously.

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I have been considering introducing them to Alex. The boy practices judo as well, and I think they would get along well, but first I had wanted Alex to get used to the oak's energy.

"That is not what we agreed on. You should've discussed this with me first," I huff, still angry that she decided such an important thing on her own.

Before she can respond, I hear the front door open and close and Alex calling out: "Dad? I'm home!"

“He’s here. I’m hanging up.” I end the call before Erika can say anything else.

Alex walks in, dropping his bag by the door. His expression is tense, his shoulders tight, but he doesn’t say anything.

I watch him for a moment, debating whether to press him about what happened. But then I notice his clothes. "What happened to you?"

I was talking about his clothes, the way he looks like he's been swallowed by a tree and just barely made it out alive, but Alex takes a shuddering breath and looks at me helplessly when he exhales as if he is close to tears.

It instantly breaks my heart in two.

"Hey! Hey!" I say as I rush over to him and pull him close in a big hug. To my surprise, Alex accepts my hug and wraps his arms around me, even buries his face in my chest. He hasn't done that in ages.

"You just tell me which tree tried to eat you and I'll make it into firewood, no questions asked," I say as I hug him just that tiny bit closer than I already was.

Alex huffs a laugh and frowns at me. "What?"

"Judging by the way you look and the leaves in your hair, I thought perhaps a tree might have tried to eat you?" I say. I know it wasn't a tree that upset him, but I don't know what Hanna did to him either. I really hope that my lighthearted humor is enough to ground him.

Alex doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he sighs, grips my shirt tighter and leans his head against my chest again. Whatever Hanna did, I think Alex would have preferred to be eaten by a tree. I rub his back in slow, soothing circles, waiting. Now is not the time for stupid dad-jokes. He needs to calm down first.

“Dad…” His voice is barely above a whisper, uncertain.

“Yes?” I ask as neutral as I can. I don't want to pry. It's better if he tells me himself.

"Is it normal for strangers to touch you?" My blood runs cold. I think I'll need to have a hearty word with Hanna the next time I see her.

"What kind of touch are we talking about here?" I ask, keeping my tone purposefully neutral and light. "Because it is OK to give somebody a hand or a friendly shoulder pat, but other things might not be."

He thinks for a long moment, then finally says: “She touched my stomach when I reached up. I feel so violated. No warning, no question, nothing!”

Yeah, that's as "not OK" as it gets. My stomach turns into a knot, but if I say out loud what I'm really thinking, the boy might develop a trauma that might hinder his future love-life.

"Touching someone without consent is always wrong," I say as neutral as I can. "But you know? There might come a time where you don't mind being touched."

Oh! Haha. I am rewarded with the most splendid expression on Alex's face. It mostly looks like a grimace, as if I am talking about the most vile food in the world. And yet, I can see the faintest blush dust his cheeks that give away that he is interested.

"O! I am SO curious to see when you'll bring your first girlfriend home! I bet you'll like kissing too," I joke on and need to suppress my laughter when he turns an almost crimson red. Perhaps, I can joke just a little bit further? "Or a boyfriend, of course! If that is your thing. I won't judge. However I will be sad that I'll never see any grandchildren if you do."

"Dad! Seriously! Stop being gross!" Alex shouts as he pushes me away when he can't handle the embarrassment any longer. He starts stomping away towards his room, but pauses at the bottom of the stairs.

"Thanks," he says and then hurries away.

I feel a crooked grin shape my face. Isn't my boy cute? And yet... I wonder. I hurry off to my computer and check Alex's energy levels during the duration of our conversation.

I can clearly tell where I started hugging him, because the spiked readings suddenly top off. They are still erratic, but not any longer with such high peaks. Alex must've arrived home during an adrenaline rush caused by the fight or flight instinct.

I can pinpoint the moment where he started talking about what happened too, because the erratic readings suddenly smooth out into his usual energy waves. O! And then comes the part where I was bullying him. It's still the usual harmonious waves he usually has, but they are faster and fuller than they usually are.

...

Wait, does this mean that Alex's energy levels are connected to his emotions? To his subconscious even, maybe?

O my... I am suddenly reminded of Aurora. I haven't seen her angry often. Only when humanity was doing something to hurt the earth, and even that could be described as mildly annoyed. Was it because her energy would take on a destructive nature if she got angry?

Hmm...

This needs further examination. And perhaps a second opinion. So I call Erika.