Maxi's mother was as breathtaking as the day he was born. Her long, flowing brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, a stark contrast to the black void of her eyes—empty canvases waiting to be painted into something divine. Her delicate features carried an air of fragility, yet her presence was anything but weak. She was a woman of unwavering love and unyielding resolve, especially when it came to her son.
When she saw Maxi's lightly injured body, her heart nearly stopped.
Even though most of Maxi's injuries were from Techxin running while dragging him by his leg, causing him to bounce on the floor like a rock skimming across water,
it didn't matter because any damage Maxi took, no matter how light, would be felt by her tenfold.
Not literally, of course, but the way she reacted made it seem as if it was.
She lifted the hem of her royal maid-like gown—a blend of purple, black, gold, and white—and rushed to him, holding him tightly against her chest.
Without hesitation, she took off his leather armor and his bow and arrows as she simultaneously pulled out a cloth and began gently wiping the dust and bruises from his skin, her touch warm and soothing.
Maxi sighed in relief, relaxing in her embrace, feeling a comfort he had never felt as a child in his previous world.
Once she was satisfied that he was okay, she stood up, still holding him, and turned to glare at Techxin.
Techxin, who moments ago stood unshaken, looked away, suddenly nervous.
She stepped forward, her presence alone forcing Techxin to back away.
Her voice, once filled with warmth, dropped into a chilling tone that sent a shiver down Techxin's spine.
"Techxin."
The battle-hardened warrior stiffened, his throat suddenly dry.
"Y-Yes, Auntie Ray?"
Her black eyes seemed to pierce through him as she continued, her voice unwavering.
"Did I not tell you that if you weren't gentle with my baby boy, I would not only forbid you from training him but also tell your mother?"
Techxin winced at the mention of his mother. The thought alone made him feel like a child again.
"Yes… I understood that, Auntie Ray…"
Her voice turned cold as space.
"Then tell me why… why is my baby boy battered and bruised? Tell me, Techxin."
A bead of sweat rolled down Techxin's face.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees, grabbing the hem of her gown, his pride completely discarded.
"Okay, okay! I may have gone too far! Please don't tell my mother, Auntie Ray! I can't deal with her not talking to me for a whole day!"
Maxi's mother sighed, her voice returning to a gentler warmth.
"Fine. But this is the last time. If I hear you did something like this again, I'll tell your mother not to speak to you for a week."
"A WEEK!?" Techxin said, nearly screaming.
"Yes, a week," Maxi's mother reaffirmed.
Techxin immediately stood up, dusting himself off, nodding vigorously. He had already suffered that punishment once before—it was worse than everything he faced on the battlefield combined.
Wait, this might actually be the perfect time. My mom is leaving, which means I don't have to do training, so this could be the perfect time to ask about my theory.
But now which one? Maxi could ponder for long. His mother was leaving, so he decided to ask the most outrageous one so his expectations and hopes wouldn't be too high.
So just as Maxi's mother turned to leave, Maxi spoke up.
"Wait, Mom. I want to ask Brother Techxin something."
She nodded, adjusting him in her arms so he could face Techxin.
Maxi hesitated, then took a deep breath. "This might sound crazy, but... are the gods that blessed me the oldest gods?"
Techxin blinked, then smirked.
He barely held in his laughter before saying, "Maxi, what you're basically asking me is the same thing as asking whether 'God' is spelled with a J?"
Then, he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
"Jod?"
"FRICK no," I said before laughing again.
Maxi's face turned red with embarrassment, and before he could protest, his mother started giggling too.
He groaned and hid his face in her arms.
"Yep, thought so."
Maxi's mother then gently stroked his hair, her voice warm and reassuring.
"Come on, my sweet angel. I'm just teasing. Your idea isn't stupid—it's actually very smart and interesting."
Maxi muttered into her arms, "You haven't even heard the reason why I thought so, but... okay." Deep down, he knew she was lying. He had been a father himself once—he knew all the tricks and soft lies used to soothe a child's ego.
"Well, I don't need to know because my heart already knows," she said, rubbing her nose against his.
The gesture made Maxi laugh instinctually. His body always reacted as if it was ticklish whenever it came to his mother. He found it annoying, but in a way that would make you smile and laugh while trying to frown.
Then, suddenly, she began to sing.
Her voice was soft, pure, and enchanting.
"I know you love this…
Come along, the world is waiting for… yo-yo-you…
The world is waiting for… yo-yo-you…
The world is waiting for… yo-yo-you…
The world is waiting for you to get out there.
The world is waiting for you see what it's got to give…
The world is waiting for… yo-yo-you…
The world is waiting for… yo-yo-you…
My sweet angel-…"
She walked through the castle, carrying him effortlessly as she sang.
She even began to dance while rocking him side to side.
She began to hum the song as they walked past the towering pillars that were the entrance to the training grounds.
She entered the main castle, her arms cradling Maxi more protectively, similar to the day she gave birth to him, as she protected Maxi from anything that would endanger him.
She began to spin around as they went through the halls, as her voice was echoed back to her, adding background vocals to her already melodic song, making it sound angelic.
They entered the sprawling royal gardens, where flowers of every color imaginable bloomed endlessly.
She continued to spin around until she fell gracefully to the grassy ground.
She giggled as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. Tight enough for him to hear the way her heart beat for him. Tight enough for him to hear her heart's love song.
She then began to sing the final note of her song, using her heartbeats as her music. She sat upright on the grass, placing Maxi on her lap.
She booped his tiny nose, her black void-like eyes filled with warmth.
"The world is waiting for you, my sweet angel."