With slow, deliberate steps echoing off the polished floors, Adrian entered his home. The tiles beneath him shimmered with such a clean sheen that he could almost see his own reflection as he passed. From the hallway, laughter trickled out from the direction of his bedroom. His younger siblings were clearly having a good time inside, but he didn't stop to greet them. Not today.

Instead, he trudged forward through the corridor of their oddly slightly luxurious yet chaotic household and stepped into the dining room—the very heart of daily madness.

Upon entering the dining room, Adrian was greeted with a sight so routine it barely caused a reaction anymore, yet it still somehow managed to twist his gut.

Alice, his mother, was lounged on a velvet couch like royalty, half-draped in a scandalously small black cloth that did the bare minimum to cover her impressive chest. A tiny pair of shorts clung to her hips, barely concealing anything. Her long, silky purple hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her sharp jaw and the glinting eyeglasses perched low on her nose. Beside her knelt two of Adrian's fathers—yes, two—oiling her legs like devoted servants. Their hands moved in unison, slow and practiced, as though they'd done this every day of their lives. Which, in truth, they probably had.

"Good afternoon…" Adrian muttered, his voice dry as he stood awkwardly at the threshold of the dining hall.

"Hey! Boy!" one of his fathers called out without looking up.

"Where the hell've you been? Allan's been going crazy looking for you!"

Adrian stepped further in. "I, uh… I've been busy."

Finally, Alice stirred. She sat upright with an elegant stretch, adjusted her glasses like she were preparing to read a courtroom verdict, and locked her sharp violet gaze onto her son. The sheer cloth on her chest shifted a little, almost spilling a whole boob outside, but she didn't seem to care.

"Busy…?" she repeated slowly, voice laced with skepticism. "Busy with what exactly? I thought I told you to cook for your siblings today. But what did you do? Disappeared! First thing in the morning!"

Adrian bit the inside of his cheek. His jaw clenched. He took in a breath, then looked up, forcing himself to meet her gaze.

"It's the weekend, Mom! I was helping my friend out, alright? Not like I ran off to get drunk or something."

Alice laughed. Not the pleasant kind, but that slow, dangerous chuckle every child in this household had come to fear—the kind that African mothers give right before delivering a verbal bullet.

"Helping a friend?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "When your bed looks like a storm passed through it and you didn't do a single damn thing around this house? And you say you're helping a friend? Don't tell me it was that Asher Reynolds again?"

He hesitated.

"…Yeah. It was him."

Alice hissed like she'd just heard a curse word. "Idiot! All you do is chase after that boy. What are you doing for yourself, huh? Do you know what I heard? That little punk owns a shop now—'Lick & Stick' or something! Selling who-knows-what! Questionable shit, I bet. And here you are, still trailing after him like a lost dog. Can't you do something useful for once in your life? Be like your peers for fucks sake, and stop being a damn useless leech!"

Adrian's lips trembled with the effort of holding himself back. His fists clenched. But no. Not this time. He'd had enough.

"Stop it, Mom!" he shouted suddenly, startling the room into silence.

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Stop what?"

"Stop comparing me to Asher!" he exploded. "Yes, he's my peer. Yes, maybe he's more successful right now. But that doesn't make me some lesser human being! I'm doing what I can, in my own way!"

His mother let out a dry laugh. "You're right. You're not a lesser human being. You're just a straight-up failure."

The word struck like a whip to his spine.

Adrian's breath caught. The room felt smaller now. Tighter. Being called a failure by his own mother really hurt.

His eyes burned, but he didn't cry. No, not this time.

"Oh, I'm a failure, huh?" he barked. "Tell me, Mom. Isn't the Guildmaster your peer too? She's an S-rank. She leads an entire guild. Rich. Respected. Powerful. And let's not forget Mrs. Rembrandt—the Sword Saint. She's only an A-rank like you, but she's built her own shop, a massive house, and is way better off than you. And you? You're sitting half-naked, drenched in oil, being pampered by two men who follow you around like lost puppies!"

The two fathers paused mid-rub. One gasped, the other's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Was the boy asking for a funeral?

Adrian's chest rose and fell rapidly. He felt lighter. He had finally said it. He had finally said every damn thing he'd been bottling up on his chest. He felt free.

Alice stood slowly. The couch squeaked as she shifted her weight.

Her expression was unreadable as she approached her son. Her oiled skin gleamed under the afternoon light, her eyes focused on Adrian like daggers.

She raised a hand.

Adrian flinched, eyes clamped shut, bracing for a slap across the face.

But the blow never came.

Instead, her palm gently landed on his head. Fingers slid through his hair before she pulled him into an embrace, his face pressing against her soft, warm voluptuous breasts.

She smirked. "Tch… You really do have a big mouth, huh?"

"M-Mom… I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," she said, patting his head softly. "You've finally stopped being a boy. That's your first step into manhood—speaking up for yourself. Don't just be what the world tells you. Don't just follow orders like a damn sheep."

Adrian blinked against her chest. Was this… praise?

But then she yanked him out of the hug and lightly punched his forehead.

"Don't talk crap about your fathers again, got it?"

"Ugh… ow!" Adrian rubbed the sore spot. "Alright, alright. I got it!"

She returned to her seat like nothing happened. Adrian sat down too, now more at ease.

"I have something to tell you," he said, voice firm.

The room hushed. All three adults turned to him..

Adrian's eyes glimmered with determination.

"Asher and I… we're building a kingdom."

There was a pause. Then—

"A what?" one of his fathers asked, snorting.

"A kingdom?" the other added. "Boy, you've really gone off the deep end. What kind of joke is that?"

Alice sighed. "Yep. Definitely gave you credit too early. You're still a boy."

"I'm serious, mom!!" Adrian insisted. "It's not even in this world. It's in another realm entirely!"

"Right." Alice's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "What's next? You'll tell me there are unicorns there? Fairies? Otherworldly beasts and food? Maybe you'll say you're the chosen one."

"There are realms beyond this one!" he snapped. "I can prove it. But before I show you… I wanted to ask if you're willing to take a job. You're the best tilers I know. We want every house in that kingdom tiled. And we'll compensate."

The three adults burst out laughing.

"You want to hire us to tile an entire kingdom?" one father wheezed."Boy, what are you even smoking these days? Hook me up with your dealer."

"Do you even know how much that costs?" the other added.

"Ten gold coins per room," Adrian said. "Including material and labor."

Alice looked at him like he had grown horns. "Where do you plan to get all that gold? And there are no other worlds, Adrian except this wonderful world blessed to us by Goddess Veyra. If someone overheard you saying that, you could be charged with blasphemy. Executed even."

Adrian sighed. Time to stop talking.

He raised his palm, revealing the Moderator's symbol. With a pulse of light, a Dimensional Door shimmered into existence before them.

A glowing, swirling portal hung in the middle of the dining room.

Silence fell.

One father rubbed his eyes. "What the—am I hallucinating?"

Alice stood up, her expression dead serious now.

"This isn't a joke, is it?"

"Nope," Adrian replied. "Go ahead. Step through."

She didn't hesitate. She strutted up to the portal, still half-naked and oily, and disappeared into the light.

"Wait, Mom!" Adrian tried to stop her. "At least put on some decent—"

Too late.

His fathers looked horrified.

Adrian crossed his arms. "Well? Go on. Follow her. You are her tails, right?"

The men groaned, glaring at him, but they knew better than to hesitate. They dove in after her.

Adrian exhaled deeply. "ALLAN!! ABIERTA!! Get over here!"

His younger siblings came running.

"Holy crap!" Allan yelled. "Bro! What the hell is that!?"

Adrian flicked his forehead. "Language."

Before the boy could protest, Adrian shoved him through the portal.

"Where's Mommy and the Papas, dear big brother?" little Abierta asked sweetly, staring at the glowing door.

"Somewhere safe," he said softly. He lifted her gently into his arms and stepped into the shimmering portal.

Behind him, the Dimensional Door faded from existence, leaving nothing behind but the quiet hum of the empty room.

And all Adrian could think about now was:

Dear gods, please let my friends survive my mom's oil-slick cleavage.

What a freaking disaster.

TBC