Mika's hands were shameless now, both of them digging into Yelena's soft curves, kneading her as though he owned her, while she arched her back, her body betraying her even as her mind screamed at her to stop.

Heat flooded her, her breath came quicker, and, most damning of all, she could feel her underwear dampening again.

'No...not again...she thought, horrified.'

She had believed what happened last night was a one-time accident, an embarrassing overflow she could bury and forget. But now, with Mika's hands molding her flesh and her body responding on its own, it was undeniable, her shameful reaction was real.

She wanted to escape, to stop this before it spiraled further, but she had no idea how. Her throat tightened, her hands froze around the knife on the counter, and her body trembled as his fingers pressed more firmly into her butt.

The air in the kitchen felt suffocating. 'If this keeps going, I'll burn up...I'll combust right here…'

And then, her salvation arrived.

"Mama, mama!" Charlotte's bright, hurried voice cut through the tension. "It's late, it's late, it's already so late! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!"

Mika froze instantly, his hands slipping away as though doused in cold water. He let out a groan under his breath, clearly annoyed at being interrupted at such a good moment.

Yelena, however, nearly sagged in relief, straightening up so quickly her spine cracked.

Normally, when Charlotte barged in during her private moments with Mika, she would scold her daughter harshly for not knocking, but right now she was grateful, thankful, that her daughter's interruption gave her the chance to breathe.

Charlotte, in her crisp uniform, a white blouse tucked into a neat skirt, her bag slung over one shoulder, hurried into the kitchen. She slid to a stop right in front of Yelena, her cheeks flushed in panic.

"Mama, what are you doing just standing here so calmly?!" She burst out. "Can't you see the time? Don't you realize I have classes in just a little bit? Why didn't you wake me like you usually do?"

Yelena blinked, startled. "What? Wait, oh no…"

She turned, glancing at the clock on the wall, and her heart dropped. It was true. She had completely forgotten. Usually, no matter how late she stayed up, she would always wake Charlotte without fail.

But this morning, after the chaos of last night, after her restless tossing and turning, she had woken up late herself, and in her daze, she had forgotten entirely.

"I...I'm sorry, dear," She murmured quickly, guilt weighing down her chest. "I completely forgot. I was so tired from last night...I didn't mean to. I'll make it up to you. I can drop you off myself on my sword, it'll be faster than walking."

But Charlotte shook her head frantically, her braid bouncing.

"No, Mama, we can't do that! Today's important, I have an exhibition, and I need to hand in my application right away! My whole team is waiting for me, and if I don't get there in a couple of minutes, we'll all be marked absent and lose everything we've worked for! I can't delay even a second more!"

Yelena blinked, about to offer some other solution, but Charlotte suddenly pointed at Mika, who was leaning lazily against the counter, watching the chaos unfold with a calm smile.

"And you, Mika! Why are you standing there looking so relaxed?! Don't you realize the first bell will ring any moment now? If I'm late, I'll get marked absent, and what about you? It's the same for you as well, so why are you acting like it's no big deal?!"

"Well, it isn't a big deal for me, Charlotte." Mika chuckled, shrugging lazily. "You see, I'm not exactly the model student, you know. It wouldn't be the first time I've been late." He smirked. "I've gotten used to it. Unlike you, Miss Studious."

That earned him a sharp glare from Yelena, her lips pressing thin, her eyes hard in a way only a mother's would when they find their child bunking classes. Mika stiffened, instantly straightening.

"...O-Of course, I mean only sometimes," He corrected quickly, waving his hands. "Most of the time, I'm on time. Really. You don't need to worry about me at all."

Desperate to change the subject, he pointed right back at Charlotte.

"Besides, why are you blaming your mother for this? You're not a child anymore, you should be setting your own alarm. You're an adult now. You should be able to wake yourself up."

"I've tried, Mika! I set alarms, but they don't work on me." Charlotte's cheeks puffed, her eyes wet with frustration. "Mama's the only one who can actually wake me up! Even if I set a hundred alarms, even if I had an entire band play in my room, I still wouldn't get up! You know this, Mika!"

Mika groaned, running a hand down his face.

"Unbelievable. You still haven't changed from the past, you're the same hopeless sleeper you've always been."

Charlotte whimpered pitifully, her big eyes glistening. "Then what am I supposed to do? What about my team? If I don't get there now, I'll let all of them down…"

Yelena opened her mouth, about to promise she'd take her at top speed on her sword, but Charlotte's eyes suddenly lit up. She grabbed her mother's arm, her face shining with realization.

"Wait, that's it! Mama, why are we worrying at all? You can just use your Sanctuary, the bridge inside your Sanctuary! We can use it to go to the academy in seconds! It'll be instant!"

Yelena froze, her body tensing as those words left her daughter's lips.

"…Charlotte…" She said slowly, unease flickering across her face and with a long sigh, she added, "You know you can't do that, right? You know you can't enter the Sanctuary with me."

Charlotte frowned, lips pushing into a pout. "Why not? It's perfect!"

"Why?...Because that place is not a playground. It's extremely dangerous, even S-class Blessed can be killed there in an instant. It's a ruthless, merciless place, even for my own daughter " Yelena shook her head, her tone firm. "And if anything goes wrong with you in there, you'll be finished off in seconds, and even I won't be able to stop it."

"...That realm is not something I can fully control."

Charlotte puffed her cheeks, unhappy with the response, and then jabbed a finger toward Mika.

"But Mama, that's not fair! You always let Mika go inside your Sanctuary whenever he wants to study the swords! You don't even go with him, you just let him wander around on his own!"

Yelena could only let out a helpless smile at that, glancing at Mika before returning her gaze to Charlotte.

"Mika is different," She said quietly. "He understands how that world works. He knows how to solve its problems, and he can go in and out without disturbing anything."

"And even if something unexpected were to happen, he'd be able to handle it, and it wouldn't be a big deal. But you…"

She sighed again, her eyes softening as she looked at her daughter.

"Even though you carry a SSS-class blessing, you're still young. Your strength is still budding. So, if you make even a single mistake in there, the flower you're meant to become would be cut down before it even had the chance to bloom."

"...Do you want that to happen?"

Charlotte's face twisted, nerves flashing across her features. She knew her mother was right, but at the same time, the thought of betraying her teammates by being late gnawed at her worse than anything. She clenched her fists, biting her lip, torn between fear and duty.

But hust as she was about to crumble into hopelessness, Mika's calm voice cut in.

"There's no need to worry, Yelena."

Both women looked at him as he stepped up behind Yelena, laying his hands firmly on her shoulders. His smile was confident, his voice steady.

"All three of us can go through the Sanctuary today. It's fine. I'll handle it."

Yelena blinked at him in surprise. "Mika…?"

Before she could say more, he cut her off gently, tilting his head to meet her eyes.

"It's alright. With me around, nothing will happen to her. All those rusted spirits can try all they like, she won't even get a scratch."

His tone carried such unshakable conviction that Yelena found herself momentarily lost in it.

She studied him in silence for a moment, then let out a slow breath. "Alright...fine. But you'd better take proper care of her."

Charlotte's eyes lit up instantly, glowing with excitement.

"Really?! Yes! Let's go! I've always wanted to see inside Mama's Sanctuary! I've only ever glimpsed it from the outside, but now I'll actually get to go in—!"

She then flung her arms around Mika, squeezing him tight.

"Thank you, Mika! Thank you so much! You always save me in the end!"

Yelena could only sigh at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Don't get too excited, Charlotte. Even with Mika there, it's still dangerous. You must stay at his side. Keep your thoughts calm. And especially…" Her tone sharpened. "…don't look directly at any of the swords floating inside."

"Half of them are cursed. They were once wielded by vile men, and if you let your gaze linger too long, your soul will be sliced apart or worse—taken over by the spirit of the blade. Do you understand?"

Charlotte waved her hand dismissively. "I'll be fine! I'll just cling to Mika, and nothing will happen!"

Yelena pressed her lips together in exasperation, but finally turned and raised her hand. With a shimmer of power, a bright white portal appeared before them, swirling with endless light. Without another word she stepped through and vanished.

Charlotte, practically bouncing in place, rushed forward, but just before she entered, Mika bent down slightly and caught her gaze.

"Charlotte. Listen to your mother. Don't joke around in there. Don't take any risks."

"Of course, of course!" She grinned up at him, rolling her eyes. "You're both such worrywarts." And with that, she slipped inside.

Mika exhaled softly, then followed, the portal closing with a final flare behind him.

The moment Charlotte stepped through, her eyes went wide.

She found her mother already waiting for her in an impossibly vast realm, an endless world of white, stretching in every direction like an infinite abyss.

They stood on a long, pale stone bridge suspended in the void, its surface gleaming faintly, and far in the distance another portal shimmered, their destination.

But what stole her breath were the swords.

They floated everywhere, above, below, to the horizon, uncountable in their numbers.

Hundreds. Thousands. Millions.

Each one unique, each one gleaming with its own strange aura.

Some looked divine and holy, radiating gentle light.

Others oozed malice, their jagged edges dripping with darkness.

Shapes she had never imagined before stretched out around her, an endless sea of blades.

She couldn't even begin to count them.

"This...this is Mama's blessing…" Her lips parted in a silent gasp.

"The Blade Sanctuary of Severed Spirits." Yelena's voice echoed gently across the bridge.

Charlotte shivered at the name, her eyes darting across the endless sea of blades.

"This is where all swords come after their masters perish." Yelena continued softly, her gaze heavy with memory. "The weapons of men, demons, heroes, villains, gods themselves...once they are destroyed in battle or lose their owner, they drift here, to this sanctuary. Their spirits remain, waiting eternally."

Charlotte's knees nearly buckled. "T-This is…"

"My arsenal..." Yelena said simply. "My gift. With this, I can summon any of these swords at will, wield their strength as my own. And I can even use their marks to travel across places."

Her gaze lingered on the blades for a moment before she continued, her tone quieter, almost wary.

"I can plant marker swords in places I've already visited and use them as gates to move between them—so long as they remain in the same world. It gives me reach beyond what most can imagine."

She paused, exhaling through her nose.

"But I rarely make use of it. Even for me, the passage is unstable, dangerous...sometimes fatally so." Her eyes shut briefly. "It is why they call me the "Blade Maiden of Void and Ruin." The void part coming endless realm that I can enter on will."

Hearing this, Charlotte clutched Mika's arm tightly, her heart racing as she whispered,

"It's...It's beautiful, Mama. Such power and aura radiating from this one place alone...It's breathtaking."