[20] "Back home"

[At the airport in Norway]

"Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts, the flight is about to take off," announced the captain of the plane.

Ares was sitting in a seat of great quality, enjoying a glass of champagne as he watched the plane ascend into the sky.

'The flight is about to take off, I have a long day of travel ahead to Australia. It's incredible to think that my mother and Jiwoo will be there. I should keep studying. When I get home, I'm going to make Jiwoo start training. HAHAHAHA. I want to know what their reaction will be when they see Jiwoo in action. HEHEHEHE,' said Ares with a devilish smile.

Suddenly, a beautiful flight attendant with blonde hair and blue eyes approached Ares. "Excuse me, sir..." she said.

"Yes, how can I help you?" responded Ares.

"We are going around to take food orders. For the first course, there are two options, meat with roasted potatoes, salad, and fruit for dessert. And for the second option, rice with meat and vegetables with seasonings and ice cream for dessert," said the flight attendant.

"I'll have the second option, please," replied Ares.

"Very well, sir," said the flight attendant as she walked away.

Ares couldn't help but stare fixedly at the flight attendant's sensual curves as she walked away. "Not bad, should I have some fun?" wondered Ares, laughing.

[24 hours later]

A young man with white hair and crystal green eyes walks calmly through the airport in Australia, wearing a cream-colored pair of Nike sneakers, black pants, and a dark blue shirt while talking on his mobile phone.

"Hello, mother?. Where are you?" Ares asks eagerly.

"I'm at work. I'll leave soon to pick up Jiwoo from school. And you?" Kang Yujeong replies.

"I just arrived in Australia," Ares says with a smile on his face.

"You're here?. You didn't let me know! I would have come to pick you up," Kang Yujeong responds, surprised.

"Don't worry, I wanted it to be a surprise. Send me Jiwoo's school address, I'll go and pick him up to surprise him," Ares says with a smile on his face.

"Alright, I'll send it to you. But when you get home, we'll have a lot to talk about, son," Kang Yujeong responds with an angry tone of voice.

"Yes, mother," Ares responds tensely.

Ares leaves the airport and heads to Jiwoo's school in a car.

[At Jiwoo's school]

[Pov Jiwoo]

Jiwoo walks towards the school exit with his head down and hands in his backpack, bored of having to hide his powers from the other children.

Outside, a group of students is commenting about an unknown young man, whom they all admire for his appearance.

"Wow... Who is that guy? He's so handsome," says a smitten girl.

"Could he be new? It's the first time I've seen him," comments her friend with excitement.

"If he has a girlfriend, she must be so lucky," says another passionate student.

"Anyone who's with him hit the jackpot," comments another excited girl.

Intrigued, Jiwoo looks in the direction where the students are, when suddenly he recognizes the young man with white hair and green eyes. "Brother?" he says, surprised to see the mysterious young man.

[Pov Ares]

Ares thinks to himself as he walks towards the school exit, 'Why do I have to be so handsome? These mortals only care about my looks, and it bothers me. I hope Jiwoo comes out soon so we can go home and train together.'

Suddenly, he hears an excited voice in the distance. "BROTHER!"

Ares lifts his head and smiles upon seeing his younger brother. "Jiwoo!" he responds, opening his arms.

Jiwoo runs towards him and hugs him tightly.

Once they calm down, nearby students begin to whisper about the two brothers.

"He's the older brother of one of the students," says one.

"They look so handsome together!" says another.

Ares and Jiwoo ignore the looks and head home together.

On the way, Ares asks Jiwoo, "Do you have any friends?. How is your school life going?"

Jiwoo feels a bit sad and says, "I don't have any friends. I'm cautious all day and try not to draw attention to myself. I don't want to be seen as weird."

Ares sighs and comforts him, saying, "You're not a monster. Your abilities are a gift, and you'll come to realize that. I can help you improve your abilities if you want."

Jiwoo feels more uplifted after his brother's words and cheerfully says, "I promise to enjoy my time with you, brother. Can I really improve my powers?" he asks cautiously.

Ares smiles and says, "Of course. Would your brother lie to you?"

Jiwoo smiles and feels happier to have his brother by his side.

[In the evening]

A man and a woman sit face to face at a table.

"Ares, why did you suddenly decide to come here?" Kang Yujeong asks.

"Well, I wanted to spend time with you all since. I couldn't come for my birthday," Ares replies.

"Yes, I was worried when I found out you wouldn't come. How long will you stay here?" Kang Yujeong asks.

"I'll stay for about five months," Ares thinks to himself, 'If she knows I almost died, she'll surely kill me.'

"That's a long time, thankfully. I'll request some time off so we can enjoy it," Kang Yujeong happily responds.

"Well, Mother, I also came to train Jiwoo," Ares says hesitantly.

"Train Jiwoo?. For what?. Don't even think about taking him away. I won't let him go under any circumstances. He'll stay with me," Kang Yujeong responds angrily.

"I won't take him, I just want him to become stronger. If something happens, he should have the tools to defend himself," Ares quickly replies.

"You know that sooner or later it will be known that he has powers. He can't hide forever. It's better for him to enjoy his time as an awakened one," Ares calmly says.

"I know, but I want to protect him. He's not like you. I want him to have a normal life, not like the one you chose," Kang Yujeong replies ironically.

"Mother, relax, nothing will happen. The world of the awakened ones is not as dangerous as you think," Ares says.

"We agreed that we wouldn't tell him until he's older or until it's necessary," Kang Yujeong responds.

"I haven't told him anything. I just want him to train his abilities. I told you I would find out one way or another. You're just delaying the inevitable," Ares replies.

….

1096 words.

Next chapter "Training Jiwoo"