Estelle, drawn by the commotion, rushed onto the scene only to find her daughter—the one she’d been searching for all morning—straddling Eros and shaking his head as if trying to rattle his brains loose.

  In an instant, Estelle’s gentle face frosted over with icy fury.

  "Undine! Get off him this instant! How dare you bully your brother!"

  The fire in Undine’s eyes vanished, replaced by sheer terror. She scrambled to her feet, ready to bolt.

  "Undine, stay right there!" Estelle’s sharp reprimand nailed her to the spot.

  Undine froze, her head drooping like a defeated little hen. As Estelle marched over, her frustration peaked. She couldn't understand where this daughter of hers got such a wild streak.

  "Why weren't you at your lessons today?" Estelle demanded sternly.

  "Mr. Boroka’s lectures are so... boring," Undine muttered, her voice shrinking until it was barely a whisper.

  "So you skip class because it’s boring? Look at your brother. He’s two years younger than you, yet he’s already mastered his etiquette courses. Why isn't he bored? You’re the older sister; you should be setting an example!"

  Hearing her mother praise Eros, Undine shot a glare at him. She caught him pulling faces and winking at her, clearly gloating over her misfortune.

  Enraged, she lunged to retaliate, but Estelle barked, "Undine! Do you intend to strike him again? What if you’d hurt him by shaking him like that?"

  Undine pulled her hand back, shrinking away with her head low. Estelle turned to Eros, her voice dripping with concern. "Are you alright, darling? Did she hurt you?"

  Eros shook his head innocently. "I’m fine, Mother. Sister was just playing with me."

  Estelle looked at her obedient, sensible son and then at her lawless daughter. The contrast made her blood boil. "Look at your brother, then look at yourself!"

  Undine turned her head away, feigning deafness while muttering under her breath, "Snitch... just wait until I get you later."

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Before Eros could process it, Estelle grabbed Undine by the back of her collar and hoisted her away. Eros stared in disbelief. Undine wasn't heavy, but she was growing into a slender girl; yet Estelle’s slim arm had lifted her as easily as a kitten.

  Is Mother... a hidden powerhouse? He shook off the thought and continued toward the library.

  This was actually Eros’s first time visiting the family library. When he saw the massive, ornate structure, he was once again stunned by the family wealth. He couldn't fathom how "ancients" with primitive technology had built something so monumental.

  "Well," he chuckled to himself. "One day, all of this... will be mine. All mine."

  He pushed against the heavy double doors, expecting a struggle, but they swung open with surprising ease. Oddly, the library was deserted. He’d heard there were always attendants on duty, but the reception desk was empty. Not a soul was in sight.

  Fine. I’ll find what I need myself.

  He began scanning the shelves, his short legs carrying him past rows of titles. How to Attract Noble Ladies... How to Socialize with Noble Ladies... How to Capture a Noble Lady’s Heart...

  What kind of trash is this? he thought, bewildered. Is this a library or a pick-up artist’s archive?

  He wandered further, finding plenty of knightly biographies and novels but no history books. He flipped through a few; they were all the same: a knight saves a princess, the princess marries a prince, and the knight continues to protect her faithfully.

  What kind of "Simp" logic is this? He shoved the book back, feeling his blood pressure rise.

  Finally, a title caught his eye: The Treasures of Pirate King Sally.

  To his surprise, the prologue contained a geographical breakdown of the seas surrounding the Croatian Continent. Living deep inland, Eros had been taught nothing of the ocean. His tutors insisted he master local geography first.

  The book’s description set his heart racing. Every sea surrounding the continent, if sailed five hundred kilometers outward, eventually merged into the same terrifying expanse: The Foggy Sea.

  According to the text, this sea was perpetually shrouded in mist. Anything that entered was lost forever; the survival rate was less than one percent. For ten thousand years, the greatest explorers had tried to conquer it and failed. It was known as the Sea Forsaken by God.

  Eros was stunned. If the book was right, human civilization was confined to a mere 500-kilometer strip of coastal waters. Fog on the ocean was normal, but fog that never dissipated for ten thousand years? And it always started exactly 500 kilometers out?

  That wasn't nature. That was power.

  The supernatural isn't just a legend, he realized, a grin spreading across his face. It’s right there, bordering our world.

  He wasn't stupid enough to go rushing toward the mist—he liked being alive—but the discovery confirmed his suspicions. He began searching for more books on the Foggy Sea, but the progress was slow. The library was vast, and for some reason, he was still entirely alone in the silence.