Annie paused, her fingers still tangled in his hair. "What...?" she whispered, her head tilting slightly in surprise.
Julian caught himself. He stood up a little too quickly, dusting his shirt as if trying to distract them both from the slip.
"Nothing, Mother," he said, glancing away with a grin. "I’m just happy to be of help."
Annie stared at him for a moment longer, unsure what had just passed between them. But she smiled back anyway.
Julian looked up at her again, his tone softer now. "Mother," he said quietly, "can you tell me more?" About the supreme beings... the goddesses... all of it."
Annie leaned forward, her back facing him as she reached for the empty plate. Her fingers hovered above it, but she didn’t move.
Then, slowly, she shook her head.
"Not now, Rael," she said gently, her voice soft but firm. "Some things... aren’t meant to be heard too early."
She stood, lifting the plate without another word, and began making her way toward the door. Julian could see the tension in her shoulders, but also a strange lightness in her step—as if part of her enjoyed keeping him guessing.
She paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame. Then, over her shoulder, she glanced back at him.
"Only if you get selected as a breeder," she said with a wink. "After all... I think you’ve got just about everything it takes to be one of them."
Her eyes flicked—just briefly—toward his crotch.
Julian’s cock twitched at her words.
Damn, he thought, swallowing back the urge to pounce at her right then and there. Why do moms have to be this alluring?
And then, just like that, she slipped through the door, clicking it shut behind her.
She didn’t explain anything further.
Julian stared at the closed door for a long moment, still half-aroused and still half-awestruck.
"Guess I really do need to get selected."
He stood as well, stretching his limbs with a soft grunt. His joints popped, the strain of this underdeveloped body making even basic movement feel heavier than it should.
"Tch... so stiff," he muttered, rolling his shoulders slowly.
"Let’s meet whoever this grandmother is," he said to himself, stepping toward the door with sluggish steps.
The house was modest with a narrow hallway that branched off into four separate rooms. If he had to guess based on Rael’s fading memories, one of them belonged to his grandmother.
According to those fragmented thoughts, she was Annie’s mother—a fragile old woman who, despite the curse and frailty, had always treated Rael with tenderness.
The kind of love that asked for nothing in return. It was one of the few memories Julian could feel genuine affection for.
He walked slowly through the dim hallway until he reached the final door at the end. It was slightly open, just enough to let faint light fall across the wooden floor.
He paused beside it, raised his hand, and gave it a light knock. "Grandma," he called gently, trying to mimic Rael’s tone, "it’s me... Rael."
No answer.
Julian furrowed his brow slightly. He knocked again, a bit louder this time. "Grandma? Are you awake?"
Still silence.
"Maybe she’s asleep," he muttered, turning away from the old wooden door. He was ready to head back, but just as he took a step, a voice called from within.
"Cough... cough... Rael... Come in."
Julian stopped, slowly turning back toward the door.
He pushed it open and waited for a moment.
The room inside was dim, thick with the scent of dried herbs and old wood. He walked in and moved straight to the window, drawing open the curtains. Light spilled in, casting long shadows over the walls.
Beside the window, lying on the bed, was a frail woman. Her hair was thin and silver, cascading down to her shoulders. Her face was wrinkled and pale, but there was no mistaking her beauty. Even now, the traces of her youthful elegance clung to her like a lingering perfume.
Her tired eyes lit up the moment they met his, and a soft smile broke across her lips.
"Dear Rael..." she whispered, extending a trembling hand toward him. "Did you miss your grandmother?"
Julian slowly stepped towards her, taking her fragile hand in his. "Of course I did," he said, the words slipping out easier than expected.
Her smile widened just a little, and she patted the bed beside her.
"Come sit, child. There’s something I want to tell you... something only the chosen males of our bloodline are allowed to know."
Julian nodded and sat gently on the bed, careful not to disturb her. Her hand, still in his, trembled faintly but held a firm grip—surprisingly strong for someone so fragile.
She leaned back against the pillows, her breath shallow but steady.
"Though we are cursed now," she began, "we were always favored... by Fate and Destiny themselves."
Julian raised a brow, but he didn’t interrupt.
"Any time our family encountered a threat that could end us completely," she continued, her voice gaining strength, "fate would bend in our favor. Always. Sometimes gently. Sometimes violently. But always, it turned the tide."
Her grip on his hand tightened briefly—just enough to pull his attention fully into the moment.
"But for that to awaken," she said, "we must be brought to the edge. Pushed to our very limits. To a place where we have nothing left. Where no strength, no prayer, no god can help us. Only then will the thread of fate snap—and weave anew in our favor."
She paused, coughing weakly.
"And you know, don’t you?" She whispered, her eyes locking with his. "You know what predicament we’re in."
Julian nodded slowly. "And you think... that time is now?"
She gripped his hand tighter, her eyes burning fiercely. "Yes, my Rael," she whispered. "You are the one Fate has its eyes on. You... are the savior."
The words sent a chill down his spine. "But how, Grandma?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper. "What can I do? I’m just—"
He trailed off as her gaze shifted. Slowly, without a word, her eyes lowered.
Down past his chest. Past his stomach. Until they paused on the bulge beneath his trousers.