In front of the Hera Mansion, a luxurious black car was parked outside, and the tyrant villainess stepped out.
Although she had an appointment that was meant to keep her away for a few days, the moment she discovered a new awakening of the origin was happening today, she became instantly worried.
She hurried back to the city just because of Neo.
Even though guards patrolled the mansion, she wanted to be by his side, because surviving the origin was only half the problem.
Neo's real body was vulnerable and could easily be assassinated.
She also recalled that Esme was the same age as her son, which meant Neo didn't have any personal bodyguard right now.
Although sleep locations were carefully chosen and protected by the Nether Academy, Hera refused to trust them with her son's life.
When she entered the mansion, Neo was the first person she checked on, disregarding the fact that Loki was also in the origin.
Or maybe it was because Thor was there.
When Hera tried to open the door, it was locked, not just by its physical lock, but reinforced with an awakener's aura.
Which meant not everyone could pass through it.
"Stand aside," she said to her bodyguard, who was trying to unlock it.
Unlike the guard, who couldn't open the door, Hera didn't hesitate before it opened for her.
When she finally stepped inside, she was stunned. There was a faint red glow at Neo's chest.
But what truly angered her was the sight of Esme lying on top of her son.
"Take her out of this room," she said.
The guard walked past her. Upon reaching them, he stopped.
"The glow," he muttered.
"Is there something wrong?" Hera asked. Even she felt that something was off, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Yes, Boss. The glow between them is a bonding sign. It increases the release of oxytocin between them. The origin is acting as a catalyst, making the process frighteningly fast. If I separate them, the young master's heart will stop."
Hearing that made Hera uneasy. She stared at Neo and wondered how they had even ended up in that position in the first place.
"Was she seducing my son?" she thought. "Immoral little brat."
Hera exhaled slowly. "What happens if you don't separate them?"
The guard turned to look at the two incompletes. "Well, one of them will become obsessed with the other."
However,
"What!" Hera's voice thundered. Even the guard behind her stepped backward, while the one in front of her felt his heart skip.
They both knew Hera's temper was dangerous. She could kill an innocent person without realizing it, and still get away with it.
The guard swallowed hard. "B... but there's a cure," he stammered. Seeing Hera's expression ease slightly, he quickly continued. "Yes, the Veilroot elixir."
Hera walked toward the window and slid it open. Whenever she was upset, the air around her seemed to stiffen, and the closed space only made it worse.
"How much is it?" she asked calmly. It was reassuring to know Neo wouldn't be lost to someone else forever.
But the Veilroot elixir wasn't something that could be bought. It had to be prepared, and its ingredients couldn't be found in this world.
Rather, they existed in the origin.
However, there was another way to stop the obsession.
By killing the one who wasn't affected by the oxytocin catalyst, that is, if the obsessed one would allow it.
There was also a slim chance that neither of them would be affected. In such cases, it meant neither of them saw the other as a potential love interest.
The catalyst only amplified the bond at a frightening rate if there was even the slightest trace of affection between them.
Hera sighed. She understood everything clearly.
"If Neo turns out to be the one affected... kill her," she ordered. "A brat can't take my son away from me," she thought.
---
Meanwhile...
In the origin, Esme kept searching for Neo, repeatedly telling herself it was her duty to protect him and nothing more, even though, for some reason, she couldn't get him out of her head.
Paul, on the other hand, followed her the entire time, climbing mountains and pushing through the snowstorm alongside her.
Yet Esme never once acknowledged him.
"You know we don't have enough time to find a sanctuary, right?" Paul asked.
From the way Esme was searching for Neo, he wasn't even sure she cared about finding one.
"Yeah, of course you won't reply. If you die, there's no way you'll find him. Who knows, maybe he's already completed his trial." Paul grabbed her hand to stop her.
Esme shrugged him off as usual.
Paul moved ahead and stood in front of her with his arms spread. "Look, I'm not going to let you die."
Esme stood still, staring at the muscular figure blocking her path. "Step aside," she said, unsheathing her blade.
"You're not going to kill me, so just— Rrghaaa!!"
Paul couldn't finish his sentence before he screamed. He hadn't even seen her move, but he felt a clean cut slice across his cheek.
By the time he looked up, Esme had already walked past him.
"What kind of obsession do you have for that guy?" Paul yelled.
For the first time, he saw Esme stop and turn toward him.
She truly looked at him.
But the moment their eyes met, he felt the air catch in his lungs. A chill ran through him as fear rooted him in place.
"Tsk." Paul clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stand firm. "Beneath that cold exterior of yours, there's a soft spot for that guy. I'm not scared of you," he said.
When Esme took a step forward, Paul instinctively stepped back. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he shouted.
At last, Esme turned away and continued her search. The fountain was only one mountain away, she couldn't afford to stop now.
"She didn't even ask why I'm following her. Freak," Paul muttered, his admiration slowly twisting into something darker.
But even so, he had to keep going. After all, he needed Esme in order to find Neo.