5 Chapter 05: Truth

After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, Sam finally mustered the courage to speak up. He directed his question to his mother with a determined yet concerned expression on his face.

"Mom, tell me the truth about everything."

Helena gazed at her son, wearing an enigmatic smile that practically shouted she had a hidden secret. Her voice quivered as she asked, "W-What truth?"

"Truth about everything?" Sam pressed further.

Helena didn't respond immediately; instead, she turned her younger sister's gaze toward Sam. In turn, Lor also shifted her attention towards her older sister. Their exchanged glances seemed to silently convey the message: "It's time to reveal everything."

Sam's mother let out a deep sigh. "How much do you know now? No, first tell me, how did you even find out?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Sam summoned the Codex. A beam of light shot from his eyes, and an ancient-looking book materialized in his hand, right before the bewildered eyes of his mother and aunt.

"This... book has unveiled everything about you and Aunt. It has also revealed everything about me - literally every detail concerning our bloodlines, cultivation, and even your cultivation methods," Sam explained.

His mother and aunt grew even more astonished and perplexed upon hearing him reveal the extent of what he knew.

"What is that book? I've never seen anything like that before," Aunt Lor inched closer to her nephew, her curiosity piqued by the mysterious codex in his hand.

However, Sam swiftly stowed the codex away. "First, tell me everything, and then I'll share the details about the codex."

"Fine," Aunt Lor sighed in annoyance, her frustration evident. She had never experienced her nephew's dissatisfaction before, and she despised the blaming look he was giving her now.

Aunt Lor had always been exceptionally close to her nephew, treating Sam as if he were her own son. She couldn't bear the thought of him being upset with her. She glanced at her older sister, who wore a complex expression.

"She will fill you in on everything," Aunt Lor said with a shrug as she took a seat beside Sam. Having broken the ice, she no longer wished to keep everything in the dark and certainly didn't want to delve into complicated matters.

She shifted the responsibility to her older sister with a facial expression that clearly communicated, "Not my problem anymore."

Observing her younger sister's tactic, Sam's mother felt a surge of frustration. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself, seething inwardly.

"Okay, fine," she said as she settled down to the left of Sam, her gaze fixed on his captivating eyes. "He has become even more handsome than before," she sighed, noting her son's increasing allure.

"First, tell us what you know?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Sam paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I know that both of you are cultivators, and your cultivation is sealed. I've learned that we all belong to the noble dragon lineage, with both you and Aunt having the Frozen Abyssal Dragon Bloodline, along with your ice powers. What's even more intriguing is that I seem to have inherited two bloodlines: the Frozen Abyssal Dragon Bloodline and the Crimson Inferno Dragon Bloodline, which I assume came from my father," he continued, his tone filled with a mix of wonder and frustration.

He took a brief pause, then continued, "I've also discovered details about both of your cultivation and cultivation methods. More importantly, I've learned that both of you are over 20000 years old. I mean, seriously, Mom, I can't believe you kept all of this from me. Was it because you didn't trust me with this stuff?"

Helena let out a heavy sigh before finally answering, "It's... It's not that I don't trust you. I was afraid that they would take you away from me."

Sam furrowed his brow, his curiosity growing. "Who are 'they'?"

"Your grandparents and... your father," Helena replied, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

Sam's frown deepened. "I thought my father was dead? And I don't have any relatives other than you and Aunt Lor?" He exchanged puzzled glances between his Aunt and his mother.

"Well, actually, you have a very large family in the cultivation realm," Aunt Lor smiled awkwardly, scratching her head.

"The cultivation realm?" Sam asked, clearly perplexed.

"Yeah, it's another world, much larger than Earth, where cultivators live. But it's not just cultivators; it's home to dragons, phoenixes, vampires, werewolves, and almost every creature from myths you can imagine. They all exist there," Aunt Lor explained, moving closer to her nephew. She hugged his right hand tightly, and Sam felt something incredibly soft against his skin.

Sam narrowed his eyes, slightly taken aback. While Aunt Lor would tease him from time to time, this was the first time she had acted so intimately toward him. Helena, his mother, also wore a faint frown but didn't say anything.

"Okay, but why would they want to take me away?" Sam asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Because they want a male heir, an heir to their clans," Aunt Lor replied with a snort of derision.

"Clans? You mean more than one clan wants me?" Sam's confusion deepened.

"Yes, our clan and the clan your father belonged to," his mother sighed again, her weariness apparent.

"The Hailstorm Clan and the Flareheart Clan?" Sam surprised them by mentioning the name of his father's clan, a detail they hadn't expected him to know.

"Yes, both your father and I were destined to be the next heads of our respective clans. In my family, there were no male children, and on your father's side, he was the only son. At that time, your father and I were in love, and we got married. My parents, however, were desperate for a male heir and pressured me to have children with your father. So, I did. I had a daughter," Helena paused, studying her son's reaction.

"You mean I have a sister?" Sam's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes," Helena confirmed.

Sam remained silent, wanting to hear the whole story before making any judgments, so he encouraged his mother to continue.

"I had a daughter, but both my parents and your father's parents were fixated on having a male heir. For some reason, they believed that I was incapable of giving birth to a male heir. When your father found out about this, he... he cheated on me with another woman," she said through clenched teeth, her anger evident in her changing expression.

Sam had never seen his mother so enraged before, and even Aunt Lor appeared equally furious.

"But what they didn't know was that your mother was actually pregnant, and they were wrong about her. However, your mother never told them anything. She came to this human world and sealed her cultivation to hide from them," Aunt Lor added. "I also came along once I learned she was pregnant with you. I knew what I had to do."

"We also managed to steal a hefty sum, enough to live a royal life for years, from your father's and your grandparents' treasury," Aunt Lor said proudly, puffing her chest out.

"Nice," Sam nodded, a mischievous grin forming on his face. "Very nice."

Sam found the whole situation oddly amusing.

He gently held his mom's face, which had been downcast and filled with guilt. "It's okay, Mom. I understand why you did what you did," he reassured her, and Helena's face immediately brightened.

"I don't understand one thing, though. Why did you suppress my bloodlines from awakening?" Sam inquired.

"Because once your bloodlines awakened, your father and your grandparents would immediately find out about your existence, no matter how far they are, and they would definitely come for you. That's why I've been mixing herbs in your food without you knowing," Helena explained.

Sam was taken aback. "How long have you been suppressing my bloodlines, Mom?"

"For almost three years," Aunt Lor said softly, laying her head on Sam's shoulder. "Usually, dragons awaken their bloodlines when they turn 16."

"So, what will happen when I awaken my bloodlines?" Sam asked, his curiosity growing.

"You will gain all your racial abilities," Aunt Lor explained, "like the ability to transform into a noble dragon, as well as your ice powers from your mother's bloodline and fire powers from your father's bloodline."