23 My Fierce Mother

All the tension from the previous night, where Arthur had to deal with the shadows within him again, now seems like nothing, as he is about to receive a wonderful reward for his hard work.

That is to have his body washed by the lovely Nyx.

But she is so excited and shy about it that she can't stop staring at Arthur's body, unable to start the real thing.

He notices it and gently holds her wrist, leading her hand towards his bare chest.

Nyx obviously does not oppose it and is actually grateful for the little push.

"So close…" Arthur becomes more and more excited as Nyx's hand approaches his body.

He can already imagine how good the sensation of the sponge in her soft and delicate hand against his chest must feel.

Nothing can stop it,

Nothing can deprive him of his reward now,

Nothing, except…

*Knock-knock* *Knock-knock*

Someone knocks on the bathroom door, surprising Arthur and Nyx.

He opens his eyes and sees her looking at him with a shy and frightened expression, it's evident she is about to flee to his Nexus.

"No!" He exclaims in her mind. "I locked the door."

Nyx looks towards the door and sees the knob turning, but the door really doesn't open.

"Don't make noise," Arthur asks Nyx as he also remains motionless.

*Knock-knock* *Knock-knock*

The person knocks on the door again, this time accompanied by a voice.

"Brother? Are you there??" That immature and cute voice belongs to little Eve.

Arthur can tell from the girl's tone that something is wrong; it's as if she's asking for his help.

"Eve? Are you okay? What's the problem??" He asks, ready to jump out of the bathtub to help his sister.

"I'm fine," she responds in a sad tone. "But mom and dad... I think something is wrong with them."

Arthur can guess it has something to do with his actions the night before, which makes him feel bad.

"Damn," he mentally exclaims.

Nyx can sense how Arthur became sad suddenly, so she ignores her shyness and embraces him.

"Nyx?" Arthur is taken by surprise by the hug.

She seemed so shy just about washing his body, but now she's embracing him even though he's naked and wet.

But he doesn't fail to enjoy, of course.

Her skin is so soft and her body so warm that it makes Arthur feel very good.

But both know he needs to help his sister, so Nyx quickly dematerializes her body, returning to his Nexus.

Arthur is a bit frustrated for not having fulfilled his dream of having his body washed by Nyx like a loving wife.

She can feel it too, and speaks in his mind with a tender tone. "We can do this later... now pay attention to your sister."

"Thanks, Nyx," He smiles.

Then he speaks to his sister. "Eve? Give me a minute to finish washing up."

"Mm!" He can hear the cute sound of her voice from the other side of the door.

Arthur was expecting to have a long bath with Nyx, but now he hurries up and finishes in just a few seconds.

But then he realizes that he came to the bathroom so quickly that he forgot to bring a towel and clean clothes.

Aria usually brings his clothes when that happens, and Arthur can't help but think about how much he loves his mother.

"Brother?" Eve's voice sounds again from behind the door. "Mom sent me to bring you a towel and clothes."

"Of course, she did," he laughs with a loving expression on his face.

Then he opens the door to get the clothes from Eve. He only opens the door a little, enough to reveal just his upper body.

But the scene in front of him is surprising because it's his little sister with her eyes closed and her hand on her face turned to the other side while she uses all her strength to hold the towel and clothes with her other little hand.

She is so young yet already acts like a charming young lady.

"Thank you, little bug," Arthur quickly grabs his clothes and gets dressed.

Then he leaves the bathroom and finds his little sister sitting on the floor with a concerned expression.

He can hear the shouts coming from downstairs, Aria and Draven are having a serious couple's fight, the first that Arthur and Eve have ever seen.

"Don't worry," Arthur says to his sister lovingly as he picks her up.

"I don't like this," she comments in a concerned tone as she hugs him tightly.

"I don't like it either," he replies as he takes her to his bedroom.

He closes the door, reducing the noise from Aria and Draven's voices, but both he and Eve can still hear the fight.

Arthur lies down on the bed and Eve lies on his chest; she feels very safe and loved with her big brother, so even their parents' fight can't hurt her now.

"Everything will be alright, little bug…" Arthur strokes Eve's soft hair, and she feels so comfortable that she falls asleep in a few minutes.

Nyx cannot deny feeling a bit jealous of Margaret, but she does not feel that way about Eve because she knows they do not compete for the same space in Arthur's heart.

Thus, Eve can enjoy a very comfortable nap in the arms of her big brother.

But for Arthur, things are not pleasant but very tense as Aria and Draven's fight only seems to get worse.

Due to his heightened senses, he can hear their conversation perfectly even from his bedroom.

"You don't understand, Aria! This isn't about killing, but the way he did it…"

Draven keeps using the same argument over and over again.

"What did you expect him to do?? Sit back and watch those guys plan to do horrible things to the people of the village??"

No matter what Draven says, Aria does not blame Arthur, which makes him feel conflicted.

"This is wrong, Aria... there's something wrong with him, there's something bad inside our son!!"

"Bullshit! There's nothing bad inside him; you're just frustrated because he's not like you!"

"Of course, I'm upset; how could I not be?? Eve is just like you; she's going to be an amazing woman when she grows up, but Arthur... he was supposed to carry on my legacy, be better than me, not this-"

"Not what???" Aria can't believe the feelings she sees in Draven's eyes. "Are you disgusted by our son? Angry? Afraid??!?"

"He shouldn't be like this, Aria... we have to do something, help him get rid of it or-"

"Or??? Look at the crap you're talking about..." Aria is truly frustrated. "In the end, you're just like your father..."

"DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!!" Draven yells furiously. "I am nothing like him, and that's exactly why I can't let Arthur continue like this!"

"I don't know how I ever believed in you..." Aria shakes her head, disappointed. "You promised me you would be a good father to our children... that we wouldn't live under the legacies of our families..."

"This has nothing to do with them!!" Draven exclaims. "This is about our son and the corruption inside him!"

Aria gets increasingly upset. "I don't want to hear it; this isn't what you promised me... you can't reject your son just because he doesn't act like you..."

"I am his father!!" Draven yells again. "And not even you can stop me from making him a good man!!"

"You bet?" Aria asks, and the entire house starts to tremble under the influence of her magic.

"Aria???" Draven is surprised by her hostile attitude.

"I should have known there was nothing left in common between us after Eve was born..." She speaks in a disappointed tone. "You're not keeping your promise!"

"What do you mean???" Draven hasn't seen a glint of affection in Aria's eyes for many years, but now she seems genuinely disappointed in him.

That makes him feel very bad and disappointed in himself, but he can't give up. "Aria, please-"

"GET OUT!!!" She yells, and a gust of wind throws Draven out the door.

In his bedroom, Arthur hears everything while covering Eve's ears so she doesn't wake up scared.

It's incredible that she hasn't woken up with the house shaking; she's really feeling so safe and comfortable in the arms of her big brother to such an extent.

Arthur hears his father cursing in the yard, but his voice becomes more and more distant, making it clear that he left to cool off.

He's concerned about his mother, but he doesn't leave his sister's side and just stays in the room, tortured by his own thoughts.

"Did I screw everything up, Nyx?" He asks her since he doesn't know what to expect now. "Should I have hidden my dark side more?"

"At the cost of letting those guys continue roaming around hurting innocent people?" She asks sarcastically. "You did the right thing!"

Arthur is grateful for Nyx's support, but the fact that things have curved out of control remains. "There should have been a better way to handle this..."

While he wonders about that, Aria calms down and goes up the stairs, heading straight for his bedroom.

"Coming in," she speaks in her usual loving tone, warming Arthur's heart, even in its darkest parts.

Aria enters the room and smiles upon seeing Eve sleeping in Arthur's arms; then her expression becomes even more loving.

"Mom?" Arthur feels ashamed for still having such a dark side despite having such a heartwarming mother.

Aria continues to smile at Arthur as she walks towards him and sits on the edge of the bed.

She gently strokes Eve's little feet, not waking the girl. "She stayed up all night, waiting for her big brother to come home…"

Arthur feels an instinctive fear he can't avoid. "Damn, I don't want to lose this!!!"

"Mom, I'm sorr," he tries to speak, but Aria leans forward and uses her delicate hand to cover his mouth.

"Never regret doing something to protect those you care about," she speaks in a determined tone. "No matter what it is, a man has to protect what is precious to him!"

Arthur agrees with that much more than any lesson on honor and morals that Draven has taught him so far.

He tries to speak, but Aria keeps his mouth sealed.

"Your father is wrong about many things, but on one thing, he is right: you need to be better than him." She speaks lovingly.

"It's not about being a hero and protecting good against evil, but about doing what he promised me and doesn't want to keep,"

"It's about doing whatever is necessary to protect our family," Aria says, pointing to Eve in Arthur's arms. "She is your most precious family, so you have to do whatever is necessary to keep her safe and happy..."

"Even if it means dirtying your hands with blood... even if it means killing everyone else in the world!"

Aria's words may seem dark, and Arthur is shocked that she has such a side, yet he can't help but agree with her on doing anything to protect those he loves, especially his family.

As he sees Aria's eyes shining with determination, Arthur also notices the owl on her arm glowing blue; the creature appears more alive than ever, ready to emerge from Aria's Nexus and take form.

Just as Draven's personality is shaped by his Astral Beast, the proud golden lion, Aria's personality is wise and primarily protective due to her Astral Beast.

To keep her children safe and happy, she can be a loving and caring woman or a brutal and ruthless beast.

From inside Arthur's Nexus, Nyx observes Aria and can't help but comment in his mind. "I really like your mother."

"Me too," Arthur responds while his blue eyes also shine, reflecting the glow of Aria's eyes.

"I love her so much..."