“For real?” Aaron asked. “I thought my blessing could only remove curses and heal the mind.”

  "Do you think I’m lying to you or what?” Acher rolled his eyes. “In fact, your divinity is among the most omnipotent of all. Along with light, you also have power over art, healing and medicine, sports, prophecy, and all sorts of random stuff.”

  "Healing and medicine? And prophecy too? I don’t think I have any of those abilities.”

  "You probably just haven’t awakened them yet. Give it time, you are still far too weak."

  “Awesome!" Aaron grinned from ear to ear.

  Luther took the gray egg out of the electric incubator he had bought and began gently wiping it using a clean cotton cloth dampened with a bit of warm water.

  "I wonder what species this egg is," Aaron wondered.

  "Don’t know. Acher doesn’t. Recognize it. Either."

  Luther fed it a bit of his Ascended Power, then set it back into the small cotton-lined basket inside the incubator.

  "Could it be a purebred dragon egg? Imagine having one to ride, how cool that would be!” Aaron said, his eyes going dreamy. “I want to become a dragon rider!"

  "Stop daydreaming. Not to mention how rare they are, dragon eggs have an outer shell of scales and must constantly absorb a huge amount of magic to hatch," Acher cut in. "Besides, a fire-type dragon’s egg is surrounded by flames, a wind dragon’s egg is held aloft by a small cyclone, a ruby dragon’s egg looks like a giant gemstone where you can see the baby dragon inside, and a sun dragon’s egg is made of glowing solid gold … This thing doesn’t have any special traits at all."

  Aaron let out a sigh, then wondered:

  "I wonder how long it’ll take to hatch."

  "That depends on the species. Could be a few days, could be a few hundred years. If it doesn’t hatch after too long, we can just eat it.” Acher licked his beak. “It’s starting to look more and more delicious."

  "Don’t eat," Luther said, shooting a warning glare.

  "Fine, fine. So, what’s for dinner tonight?"

  "Poke bowl."

  Earlier, they had stopped by a market and bought a large cut of high-quality tuna. Both Aaron and Luther were eating more and more these days because mortal food barely gave them any energy.

  After the main dish, they had dessert: apples picked from the garden.

  It was the peak of the season, and Luther’s apple tree was heavy with clusters of fruit hanging thick on the branches. None of the ripe apples showed the slightest sign of rotting or falling; instead, they just kept growing bigger, redder, and more vibrant.

  The lemons were in the same state, and the rose bushes were blooming in full glory without a single petal wilting.

  "They’re transforming into magical plants. Must be because of the purewhite etherstones you’ve been feeding them, plus your own magic,” Acher complained. “What a waste, though, with that much Ether crystal, you could’ve bought a whole collection of authentic magical plants.”

  Luther ignored the remark, continuing to fertilize and channel magic into them every day. The apple tree had been planted by his grandfather when he married his grandmother, and the rose bushes had been grown by his mother.

  He wished they would stay healthy and live for a long, long time.

  Most importantly, the lemons and apples grew more delicious with each passing day.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Honestly, I could drink your lemonade and eat your apples every single day," Aaron said.

  "Then go ahead," Luther replied with a small smile.

  …

  Before they knew it, a few weeks had slipped by, and October arrived. The two boys were standing at the crowded school gate during dismissal.

  "Can we come over to my place to study today, and stay for dinner too? I’ve been basically living, eating, and sleeping at your house for almost a month, and you haven’t visited mine even once," Aaron said. “Don’t worry, my parents aren’t home today.”

  He’d asked plenty of times, but Luther always seemed tense; Aaron figured it was because Luther had never really gone to a friend’s house before.

  The black haired boy hesitated.

  "Pleaaaase." Aaron pulled out his best puppy eyes, and Luther found himself blurting out:

  "Alright."

  "Yayyy! Uncle Adam, we’re heading straight to my house today!" Aaron called out.

  The car drove for over half an hour, turning into the Petersburg neighborhood before stopping in front of a massive gate.

  "Thanks, Uncle Adam! We’ll walk the rest of the way from here, I want to show Luther around a bit first," Aaron said.

  "Alright. Want me to have Hanna make any snacks?" Adam asked.

  "Perfect! Please tell her to make us some smoked salmon sandwiches and two glasses of lemonade," Aaron said. “Thank you!”

  "I got you."

  The Bentley rolled down the cobblestone driveway and disappeared, leaving the two boys behind.

  Luther’s mouth fell open slightly as he looked at the towering wrought-iron gates, shaped like two great wings stretched wide toward the sky. They stood nearly twenty feet tall, meeting at the top in a proud arch.

  Beyond them was a sprawling garden with well-trimmed shrubs. Two perfectly aligned rows of cypress trees flanked the path leading from the gate to the house.

  In the distance stood a grand three-story mansion, its walls sheathed in layers of silver-gray limestone that had weathered by time and topped with a slate roof that gleamed whenever rain fell. Ivy climbed across the facade like veins of memory, wrapping around tall arched windows framed in aged bronze.

  "This. Your house?" Luther asked.

  This is a damn mansion!

  The place looked like it was the size of his middle school.

  "Now this is what I’d call a proper place to live. This boy’s loaded compared to you, Luther," Acher remarked.

  "Not loaded, we’re just comfortable," Aaron said with a shake of his head. "Come on, let’s go in."

  The cobblestone drive split at a marble fountain carved into the shape of a roaring lion spouting water from its mouth.

  "Over there’s the vineyard my dad had for making his own wine. And that corner’s my mom’s lavender garden. If you step out onto the second-floor balcony, the breeze carries the scent right up to the bedroom."

  Luther glanced around, his expression caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.

  "First floor has the living rooms, dining hall, a small library, and a few bedrooms," Aaron said as he led Luther up the marble-tiled steps.

  The massive walnut doors swung open, releasing a pleasant scent of mint and cedarwood.

  Aaron guided Luther through a wide hallway lined with old oil paintings.

  "To the left is my grandmother’s tea room. She gets furious if anyone uses the wrong cup for the wrong kind of tea. Trust me, don’t touch the blue porcelain set in the display cabinet; Back in high school, my dad and Uncle Joseph once broke a teacup saucer, and my grandma sent them to work on a farm in Heraklion for an entire week,” Aaron rambled. “And my dad’s study is over there. It’s packed with finance books, tech reports, and piles of business magazines… Honestly, it’s the most boring room in the house."

  Luther’s eyes were locked on a large portrait hanging in the middle of the corridor.

  The painting depicted a young man standing by the seaside road, his white shirt caught in the wind. He looked straight at the viewer with a gentle smile on his lips.

  "It’s my dad, back when he was still in college," Aaron explained. "My mom painted that."

  They continued onward. A tall ceiling above them held a glass chandelier that shone like a cluster of stars, making Luther tilt his head back to admire it.

  As they climbed to the second floor, the staircase opened to a landing where a tall window overlooked the backyard. Luther slowed as he reached it, peering down and seeing a pond right below, where red-and-white fish drifted lazily through the crystal-clear water, weaving between lush green aquatic plants.

  “Out back there’s a fish pond and a swimming pool. Those are koi fish. My mom actually flew all the way to Ojiya just to pick each one herself,” Aaron said, stepping beside him. “And there is also a greenhouse next to that little red-tiled pavilion, I bet you’re gonna love it.”

  "Those fish are so fat.” Acher licked his beak. “Let’s have them for dinner."

  "Please don’t; my mom would kill me,” Aaron said. “If you want fish, I’ll take you to an all-you-can-eat sushi place tomorrow."

  Just then, a door opened, and a tall middle-aged woman with black hair stepped out. She wore an apron and had white gloves on her hands.

  "Aaron, you’re home. And this is your friend?" she asked in a gentle voice, her gaze calm and steady.

  "Aunt Hanna!" Aaron said cheerfully. "Luther, this is Aunt Hanna. She is the best cook ever! And Aunt Hanna, this is Luther, my best friend and number one tutor! He’s staying over tonight."

  "Hello," Luther said with a small bow.

  "Hello, Luther. Nice to meet you," Hanna smiled, then turned to Aaron. "The sandwiches and lemonade are ready. Just let Lacy know when you want to have them."

  "Thank you! Come on, Luther, let’s go to my room!" Aaron said.