They left Thorne’s room.

The corridor was darker now, with only a few torches lit in the wall sconces.

Clavor gave orders to the servants to reinforce the mansion walls, prepare supplies, and organize patrols. His voice echoed through the corridors like a war drum.

"Reinforce the barn doors. Check the water reserves. Set up night watches."

The servants moved quickly, carrying wood and tools, locking doors and windows that had previously been left open. The sound of hammers and nails echoed through the corridors, a symphony of preparation.

Aurora received the news with visible concern, her violet eyes widening slightly, but she maintained her composure, organizing the household with maternal efficiency.

"We’ll need more dried food. And medicine, in case anyone gets hurt."

She began mentally listing the necessary supplies, her fingers counting silently as she walked toward the pantry.

At dinner, the table was quieter than usual.

The sound of spoons against ceramic bowls was the only constant noise, interrupted only by the crackling of the fireplace in the background.

Judite asked animated questions about the rat Lukas had brought back, trying to break the heavy atmosphere, but her voice seemed smaller than usual.

Aurora served generous portions of meat stew with vegetables and fresh bread, but Clavor ate little, his thoughts far away in the forest.

The night was dark beyond the windows, and the wind carried the distant sound of swaying trees.

After dinner, Lukas went up to his room.

The path to the second floor felt longer than usual. Every step creaked beneath his feet, and the shadows on the walls seemed deeper.

Tilbo and Prata were waiting for him. The giant ant rested in the corner, its carapace marked but clean, the scratches already nearly healed, the metallic surface slowly regenerating, with small silver lines where deep marks had once been.

Prata was weaving a delicate web on the ceiling, the silver threads shining like tiny stars. Astra pecked at seeds in her box, her golden eyes half-closed.

Lukas sat on the bed, stroking Tilbo’s carapace. The metallic surface was cold beneath his fingers, but he could feel the ant’s gentle mana pulse, a constant vibration, like a beating heart.

"Tomorrow we’re going to help with the patrols." He whispered.

"I’m not going to stand still while Father fights alone."

Tilbo moved his antennae in approval, a gesture Lukas already knew well.

Prata descended from the ceiling and touched his hand with a leg, her multiple eyes shining in the dim light.

Astra chirped softly, as if she wanted to participate as well.

Night fell over the Dmond Mansion.

Lukas lay down, but sleep was slow to come. His mind kept repeating Clavor’s words.

Rank A.

He clenched his fist beneath the blanket.

He had strength. He had webs. He had loyal companions. When danger arrived at his doorstep, he would be ready.

Lukas lay in bed, but sleep would not come. He tossed and turned, the linen sheets tangled around his small body. His mind would not settle. Clavor’s and Master Thorne’s words echoed endlessly.

’Rat King... Rank A... Hundreds of red eyes...’

He sighed, staring at the dark wooden ceiling. The faint moonlight entered through the window, painting the room in silver and bluish tones. Tilbo slept deeply in the corner, his metallic carapace rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. Prata was curled up in her web on the ceiling, her legs tucked in, motionless like a living statue.

But Astra, in her cushioned box on the table, suddenly stirred. A low chirp, almost a curious trill, caught Lukas’s attention.

He sat up in bed, running a hand through his messy white hair.

"I can’t sleep..." He murmured to himself.

He slowly got up and walked to the table. He picked Astra up with both hands, feeling the warm, light body of the little eagle. Her wings were already practically healed, her golden feathers shining healthily beneath the moonlight, but she showed no desire to leave. At least not for now. Astra gently pecked at his fingers, a soft and affectionate touch, as if asking for attention.

Lukas sat on the edge of the bed, holding her in his lap, and began gently stroking the top of her head. Her feathers were soft, almost silky. Astra closed her golden eyes and tilted her head into the affection.

"Are you worried too?" He whispered, looking through the open window toward the distant forest.

The trees formed a dark mass against the night sky. The crescent moon illuminated the treetops, but the darkness between them seemed deeper than usual. Lukas felt a tightness in his chest. The Rat King was out there somewhere. Hundreds of rats. A threat capable of destroying entire villages.

That was when something happened.

Astra, who had been calm in his lap, suddenly let out a loud, sharp cry. Her golden eyes opened completely, shining with intensity. She jumped toward Lukas’s chest in a swift movement.

Lukas instinctively caught her with both hands, his heart racing.

"Astra! What was that? What happened?"

Before he could say anything else, a mystical energy appeared out of nowhere.

A warm, golden connection, similar to the one he had felt with Tilbo, but lighter, more ethereal. A current of pure mana linked his chest to the little eagle, pulsing like a thread of golden light invisible to ordinary eyes. The energy enveloped both of them for only three seconds, three seconds that felt eternal.

Then it vanished.

Lukas blinked, stunned.

"That... was like that time before! Am I going to receive another ability?"

He looked at Astra, who was now resting calmly in his hands, as if nothing had happened. But before he could fully process it, an intense pain exploded in his eyes.

It was as if hundreds of incandescent needles were piercing his pupils at the same time. A searing, blinding burn that spread through his entire skull. Lukas clenched his teeth tightly, holding the eagle against his chest so he wouldn’t drop her. His eyes watered, his vision blurring in flashes of white pain.

He did not scream. He bit his lower lip until he tasted blood, his body trembling slightly. The pain was brutal, but it lasted only five seconds, five long, endless seconds.

When it passed, Lukas took a deep breath, panting, resting his forehead against the cold wall of the room. His eyes still stung, but the pain had disappeared as quickly as it had come. He blinked several times, wiping away the tears.

His vision... was different.