CHAPTER 96: A NEW CHAPTER

Theo stood quietly near the doorway, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened.

His eyes, however, never strayed far from Aries.

She was on her knees, arms wrapped tightly around the kids as if she couldn’t quite believe they were safe and real in front of her. Her shoulders shook with every sob, muffled words of comfort and apology tumbling from her lips as the children clung to her just as tightly.

Theo’s throat tightened.

Aunt Brenda stepped forward first, tears glistening in her eyes. She knelt beside Aries and gently touched her shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart... You’re safe. You’re all safe."

Uncle Andres wasn’t far behind. He crouched down with a wide but slightly trembling smile, ruffling Liam and Levi’s hair before pulling Aries into a careful hug. "You and the kids are back. That’s what matters."

Aries nodded, but she couldn’t speak, just kept crying into Aunt Brenda’s shoulder, her fingers fisting the back of his shirt.

Theo didn’t move. He felt like a ghost watching from the edge of a moment he didn’t quite belong to. His heart was heavy, a twisted knot of relief, guilt, and exhaustion. His gaze dropped to the faint scar on Aries’s leg, freshly treated, bandaged, but a reminder of how close he had come to losing her.

He rubbed his face with one hand and exhaled slowly.

"I should’ve protected her better," he muttered under his breath, too low for anyone to hear.

Then, finally, Aries looked up. Her red-rimmed eyes found his through the blur of her tears.

For a long second, she said nothing. Then she reached one arm out to him, still holding the kids with the other.

Theo didn’t hesitate.

He walked forward, dropped to his knees beside her, and pulled all of them into his arms. No words. Just warmth, silence, and the kind of unspoken bond that didn’t need to be explained.

They were alive. That was enough for now.

"You should get some rest," Theo said softly to Aries as he gently pulled away from the hug.

She nodded, her eyes still misty, and let Aunt Brenda guide her to her bedroom.

Kael stepped up to Theo, a trace of concern in his voice. "Are you really joining AMSO now?"

Theo gave a quiet nod. "Yeah..."

Kael nodded, though a crease stayed between his brows. "It won’t be the same without you around," he admitted. "But I get it... Aries almost died. And if joining AMSO is the only way to protect her and all of us then I support it."

He sighed, then added, "Honestly, it’s better this way. If you’re entering red zones with proper authorization, we won’t have to worry about you being treated like a threat like the UMS anymore." A small smile tugged at his lips. "If I could, I’d join you without a second thought."

Theo chuckled and nudged his arm. "Well, we all have a purpose. And yours, Kael, is to stand with Calix and keep Twinfront Sanctuary safe and sound. That’s just as important as anything I’ll be doing."

Kael scratched the back of his head, a bit sheepishly. "Yeah... I feel that too. I got a second chance, thanks to you. And I’ll not waste it. I’ll protect what we’ve built here. I promise."

Theo gave him a grateful nod, his chest tight with quiet emotion. "That’s all I could ever ask for."

He placed a firm hand on Kael’s shoulder, then turned to Calix, who stood nearby. "I’ll be leaving tomorrow, but I’ll make sure to come back whenever I can."

Kael gave a faint smile. "We’ll handle things here. You just focus on what’s ahead."

Calix stepped closer, crossing his arms. "Just make sure you don’t die out there. I’d hate to be the one to explain to Aries why her overprotective brother got himself killed."

Theo let out a faint chuckle and shook his head. "Not dying is part of the plan. Besides..." He glanced back at the house, where Aries was now being ushered inside by Aunt Brenda. "I can’t afford to die. Not until I find a permanent way to keep her safe."

He looked at both of them again, his voice steady but laced with something heavier. "You two are family. This place, our Twinfront Sanctuary, is home. Keep it that way. Protect the kids, keep everything running. I don’t want to come back one day and find the crops ruined or someone’s been raiding the supplies."

Kael smirked faintly. "We’ve got it covered. You go and do your hero stuff."

Calix gave a short nod. "And don’t worry about Aries. We’ll be here."

Theo stepped back and gave them both a grateful look. "Thank you... for everything. I’ll contact you once I’m settled at AMSO."

With that, he quietly returned to his bedroom and dropped down onto the couch with a weary sigh. His body was exhausted, but his mind was far from resting.

There were a lot of pending notifications flashing in his system, alerts he had deliberately ignored earlier.

Now, he finally opened the interface and began reading through them one by one.

[System Notification]

[PURGE QUEST: "While the Iron’s Hot" - COMPLETED]

[Main Reward: Ironblood Mutation Path - Phase 2: Crimson Apex]

[Ability Gained: Bloodrage Conversion - Converts damage taken into offensive power. Each hit received temporarily amplifies the user’s strength, speed, and attack intensity. Perfect for turning defense into devastating offense during prolonged battles.]

[Passive Buff: Pain Nullification I - Reduces physical pain sensation by 70%, allowing the user to fight through injuries with little to no reaction or hindrance.]

[Triggered Effect: Berserk Surge - When HP drops below 20%, the user enters a short berserker state (10 seconds): Speed: +100%, Attack Damage: +200%, Reflexes: Sharpened to near-instantaneous reaction]

[Note: Berserk Surge ends immediately if HP rises above 30%.]

[Bonus Reward: Steel Will (Mental Fortitude Boost I) - Increases resistance to psychological manipulation, fear-based attacks, illusions, and emotional coercion. Grants mental clarity during crisis or near-death situations.]

[Rare Drop Acquired: Black Code Key 2/6]

He took a deep breath and muttered, "At this rate, I don’t even need AMSO’s training..." But even as he said that, Theo had no plans of telling anyone, especially not AMSO, about the Mutation Abyss System hidden within him.

Still, a thought tugged at the back of his mind. Was he really the only one? Could there be others out there like him?

Maybe they were already inside AMSO, blending in. Or perhaps, like him before, they were rogue survivors, sneaking into red zones on their own to grow stronger.

The idea sent a shiver down his spine, not from fear, but curiosity.

He leaned back against the couch, letting out a long breath as the silence of his room wrapped around him. The adrenaline had long faded, replaced now by a bone-deep weariness.

Images from earlier kept flashing in his mind... Aries screaming, Beatrice’s bruised face, the monstrous forms of the Meteorborn infectees... and the look on Lexa’s face when their eyes met again.

Too much had happened in such a short time.

Theo opened his system panel again, absentmindedly scrolling through the notifications he hadn’t cleared. New stats. New skills. Mutation progress. Pending quests. Rewards received.

[Rank: Aberrant]

[Mutation Level: 6]

[HP: 212 / 300]

[MP/EP: 110 / 200]

[Core Stats]

Strength: 120 / 200

Agility: 120 / 200

Intelligence: 143 / 200

Endurance: 143 / 200

Perception: 95 / 200

[EXP: 46,720]

[Wealth: 7,232 Gold Coins]

His stats had increased by around twenty percent. Theo closed his eyes for a moment, the weight of everything catching up to him.

It should’ve been exciting, even empowering. But right now? It felt heavy. He let the screen fade.

For a moment, he just sat there. No heroics. No systems. No missions. Just a young man who’d seen too much, who carried too much.

A knock at the door broke his thoughts. He opened his eyes.

"Theo?" It was Aries’s voice, soft, hesitant. "Are you okay?"

He quickly wiped his face with his palm and stood. "Yeah. Just tired."

There was a pause. "I just... wanted to say thank you again. I’m still here because of you."

He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he walked to the door and opened it.

Aries stood there in her pajamas, a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were tired but warm.

"You don’t have to thank me," he said with a faint smile. "You’re my sister. I’ll always protect you."

Her lips trembled a little, but she nodded. "Still. I’m proud of you."

Theo didn’t say anything in return. He just gently pulled her into a hug, one hand behind her head. He didn’t realize how much he needed that, too.

They stood there for a while, the silence between them no longer heavy but comforting.

Then Aries chuckled softly and stepped back. "Get some sleep, you look like you’ve been hit by a truck."

"Feels like it," he muttered with a tired grin.

When she walked back to her room, Theo closed the door and sat again on the couch, eyes drifting toward the open window.

Soon, he’d start his new life at AMSO. He wasn’t sure what it would bring, new allies, new enemies, or more difficult missions, but one thing was clear.

He couldn’t stay in the shadows anymore. Tomorrow, a new Chapter begins.