When the pain passed, Lukas took a deep, ragged breath, resting his forehead against the cold stone wall of the room.

The touch of the stone against his skin was a relief, an anchor amid the confusion filling his mind. His eyes burned as though they had been bathed in icy water, but the pain had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, a sharp peak followed by gradual relief, like a wave retreating from the shore.

He blinked several times, wiping away the tears that had involuntarily streamed down his cheeks. The world around him felt strange, as though something had fundamentally changed.

His vision... was completely different.

The room, which had once been wrapped in comforting dimness and soft shadows, now seemed alive. Even with only the faint moonlight filtering through the half-open window, Lukas could make out every detail with astonishing clarity.

The grain of the wood in the walls, once nothing more than a dark blur, now revealed delicate patterns and tiny imperfections he had never noticed before.

The fine cracks in the plaster, the dust gathered in the corners of the ceiling, the individual strands of Prata’s web gleaming like liquid silver. Everything was sharp, as though someone had lifted a cloudy veil from his eyes.

He blinked again, stunned. A quiet laugh escaped his throat, a sound filled with disbelief and surprise. The laugh grew until it became a loud, excited burst of laughter that echoed through the silent room.

Tilbo woke with a start, his antennae raised in alarm. His metallic carapace glimmered faintly as he stood up, ready to protect his human.

Prata quickly descended from the ceiling, landing on the bed with her legs outstretched, her multiple eyes fixed on him as she assessed the situation.

"So the ability I got from Astra is actually her eyes!" Lukas murmured aloud, still laughing, his voice overflowing with pure excitement.

He hurried to his feet and ran to the window, opening it a little wider. The cold night air flowed in, carrying the damp scent of the forest, earth, decaying leaves, and the sweet fragrance of nocturnal flowers blooming in the darkness.

Outside, however, it was still completely dark. The trees were nothing more than black silhouettes against the sky, outlined by the moon’s silvery light. His vision was much better, sharper, and more focused, but it was not night vision.

Eagles were diurnal birds, hunters of the day.

He smiled as he realized that.

"If it had been an owl, I’d probably be able to see in the dark as if it were daytime... But this is already incredible. Tomorrow, when the sun rises... I’ll see what these eyes are truly capable of."

He returned to the bed and carefully picked Astra up, cradling her in his lap. He gently stroked her golden feathers with devotion, repeating softly,

"Thank you, Astra. Thank you so much. You gave me something incredible."

The little eagle gently pecked at his fingers, seeming satisfied. Lukas searched for any visible changes in her body, her wings, her feathers, and her golden eyes but found nothing obvious. Perhaps the changes would come with time, just as they had with Tilbo. He didn’t know, but that did nothing to lessen his joy.

With his heart still racing from excitement, Lukas lay down once more, holding Astra close to his chest. He wanted to fall asleep quickly so tomorrow would come sooner. He spent nearly an hour tossing and turning, his mind overflowing with possibilities, until exhaustion finally claimed him.

The morning sun pierced through the window like a golden blade.

Lukas awoke abruptly, his eyes opening before his body even moved. Without hesitation, he leaped out of bed and ran to the window, throwing it wide open.

The world exploded with detail.

From the second-floor window, the forest that had once been nothing more than a distant green mass was now a living, breathing tapestry.

He could see every individual leaf swaying in the wind, the delicate veins running across their green surfaces, the dew sparkling like tiny diamonds.

Farther away, on a nearby tree, his new eyes caught movement. A small beetle with an iridescent shell was climbing the trunk, its antennae twitching, every segment of its legs perfectly visible.

A small bird, hundreds of meters away, flew among the branches, and Lukas could distinguish each individual feather in its tail as well as the gleam of the insect it carried in its beak.

It was as though the world had gained depth, sharpness, and zoom all at once. He could focus on something far away without the rest of his surroundings disappearing completely; they merely softened.

His peripheral vision had also become wider and far more sensitive to movement. A rabbit hopping through the bushes nearly three hundred meters away instantly caught his attention.

Lukas stood there, motionless, for more than half an hour. His violet-gold eyes continuously swept across the forest, absorbing every detail as though they were seeing the world for the very first time. The smile never left his face. Every now and then, he let out a quiet laugh, murmuring to himself.

"This is... absurd. I can see a beetle from that far away. A beetle!"

He only snapped out of his trance when Aurora’s clear, affectionate voice echoed from downstairs.

"Lukas! Come have breakfast, son!"

He blinked, shaking himself out of his reverie. He quickly put on a clean outfit, dark trousers and a simple tunic, then headed to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face and ran his damp hands through his messy white hair, trying to make it look presentable.

That was when he looked into the mirror.

His violet eyes were still there, but now there was something new, a thin, subtle ring of brilliant gold surrounding his irises, exactly like the vivid gold in Astra’s eyes.

It wasn’t flashy. Someone would have to get quite close and look carefully to notice it. But for Lukas, who knew every nuance of his own appearance, the change was obvious.

"Mom and Dad will definitely notice..." he murmured, leaning closer to the mirror.

He wondered how he should explain it. Should he say he didn’t know? Or tell the truth, that he had awakened another ability after connecting with Astra, just as he had gained immense strength from Tilbo?

Aurora called him again, her voice louder and more insistent.

"Lukas! Breakfast is getting cold!"

He gave the mirror one last look, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs. The smell of fresh bread, eggs, and herbal tea filled the house. No matter how he explained his new eyes, one thing was certain, he had become stronger.

Lukas went downstairs with light steps, his heart still racing with excitement over his new vision. The warm aroma of breakfast filled the air.

Freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs with herbs, slices of aged cheese, and a light vegetable stew with pieces of dried meat. The smell was comforting, almost ordinary, standing in sharp contrast to the tension hanging over the Dmond Mansion.

When he entered the dining room, Clavor was already standing, adjusting the belt of the greatsword at his waist.