Sue was genuinely pleased with the way Zach had helped Jade and she could see how much Jade appreciated it as well when she narrated how they spent their day to Sue.

Sue could also sense a budding sense of affection whenever Jade spoke about Zach, but Sue didn't pry too deep into that topic because she was more than happy to see Jade in a happy mood and that was all that mattered.

Sue had suspected that something was wrong with Jade for the past few weeks, but no matter how hard she tried to make Jade open up to her about what was wrong, Jade always tried to laugh it off.

This worried Sue but she knew she couldn't force Jade to tell her the truth. Moreover, a part of her believed that the reason Jade found it difficult to talk to her might be because they weren't really related.

In fact, Sue wasn't related to any of them.

The only person she was a bit close to was Zach and that was because she had been Zach's Mom's apprentice before she died and Sue took it upon herself to raise Zach and the other girls as her own.

Sue had been doing this on her own for the past few years without a partner to share the burden of raising all eight children with her.

This was why she viewed Zach as her child and she didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Everyone knew how weak Zach had been since childhood, but Sue wouldn't stop him if he wished to make himself useful just like everyone else by getting a job.

However, she wanted Zach to prioritize his health before anything else.

Knowing this, Zach's lips widened into a smile and he held his Aunt's hands firmly.

"I won't overexert myself and I'll try to be mindful of the way I carry out any task in the future," Zach assured her and Sue nodded with a smile.

She released her hands from Zach's before reclining in her chair.

After a few seconds, Sue asked Zach a question she'd been dying to ask all day long.

"So, what magical affinity did you awaken?"

"Healing magic."

"That's great news, Zach. You're certainly on the right track to follow in your mom's footsteps."

"Thanks."

"You have nothing to worry about. I promise to do everything in my power to teach you everything I know," Sue assured him with a huge smile.

"I look forward to it," Zach smiled back.

"Well, since you've already awakened your mana core and grasped the understanding behind mana control, I guess there's no point in me keeping you in my room any longer. I don't know what you have planned with Jade but she seemed to be in a hurry to leave this morning so I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting."

"Thank you so much Aunt Sue, but before I leave, there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it, Zach?"

"What is that?" Zach asked, pointing at the small cardboard box on Sue's bed.

Sue turned around and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw what he had pointed at. Then she slowly stood up from the chair and walked towards the small box on the edge of the bed.

Zach walked behind her as warm sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow over the room.

The distant, melodious chirping of birds created a tranquil atmosphere as he watched his Aunt sit on the edge of the bed, a serene expression on her face while she held the mysterious cardboard box in her hands.

"Aunt Sue, what is that?" He asked again and Sue turned to face him with a gentle smile, but Zach's attention was drawn to the box.

"It's a present from your mother and she wanted you to have this once you were eighteen years old."

"My mother?" Zach repeated with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes, she told me to give this to you." 

Ever since Zach had entered her bedroom, Sue had noticed how Zach had been stealing glances at the box and this made her understand why his mother had asked her to give it to him now.

 "What is inside?" Zach inquired, his curiosity piqued as he kept staring at the small, unassuming box in his Aunt's hands.

Rather than answer his question, Sue gave it to him directly.

To Sue, it was just a harmless box, gifted to him by his real mother. It was something Zach's mother received from her husband so she could hand it over to Zach when the time was right.

However, to Zach's eyes, the box was shrouded in an eerie darkness with tendrils of black energy swirling and coiling around it.

His heart quickened with unease as he struggled to comprehend the ominous aura oozing out of the seemingly ordinary box.

As Zach's hands cautiously approached the enigmatic box, the air grew heavier and became charged with an otherworldly presence. Each second that brought him closer to the box seemed to amplify the palpable sense of dread that gripped his heart.

With a reluctant mind, Zach lifted the lid of the box, revealing a pair of glimmering earrings nestled within.

The earrings exuded an unsettling darkness, a malevolent energy that seemed to pulse and writhe like a living thing.

Wisps of shadowy miasma coiled around the intricate design, casting an ominous aura which seemed to seep directly into Zach's soul.

As Zach stared at the earrings, a sense of foreboding washed over him and he realized that this innocent-looking piece of jewellery held power that was far beyond his understanding.

This was because the item in his hand was the key to not only awakening his dragon bloodline but also the key to controlling miasma.