But eventually Nadia just shook her head, pushing the thought aside.

Maybe there was a nursing station nearby. Or maybe one of the patients had been a new mother.

It didn’t matter.

What mattered was Mika.

He was standing by the window, fully dressed, tying his shoes. His shirt was tucked in, his jacket buttoned, his hair neatly combed.

He looked like he was about to leave for a business meeting, not like he had just spent the last half hour fucking a woman into oblivion.

He looked up as she entered, and his expression was...neutral. Friendly. Almost casual.

"What’s up, Nadia? Do you need something?"

She blinked.

"You’re standing there like you’re expecting me to give you something." He tilted his head. "What’s wrong?"

The question hung in the air between them, and Nadia felt her entire world tilt slightly on its axis.

She had walked into this room braced for him to pounce on her, to pull her into an embrace, to kiss her with the same passionate intensity he had shown the others.

She had mentally prepared herself to either resist or surrender, depending on what her body decided in that crucial moment.

But instead, he was asking if she needed something.

It was so completely unexpected that she could only stare at him in bewilderment, her brain struggling to catch up with the reality in front of her.

"Mika." She said slowly. "Don’t you want to do something to me?"

"Like what?"

She hesitated. Her cheeks flushed.

"I mean...don’t you want to...say something to me?"

He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

Then he shook his head, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"No, not really. I don’t have anything particular to say."

He smiled.

"Other than the fact that you look really pretty today."

He nodded, as if that settled the matter, and turned back to his shoes.

Nadia stood frozen.

That was it? That was all? A compliment? A casual observation that she looked pretty?

Normally, she would have been over the moon to hear those words from him.

She would have treasured them, replayed them in her mind, smiled every time she thought of them.

But right now, they felt like a slap in the face.

This was not what she wanted. Not what she had been expecting.

She had been bracing herself for something else entirely. For his hands on her body. For his lips on her skin.

For him to push her onto that rumpled bed and—

She clenched her fists.

"But Mika, you also called Yelena in here." She said, taking a step forward, her voice taking on a desperate quality. "I just assumed that you would want to talk to me as well, that you would want to tell me something."

"So...please, don’t hesitate. Whatever you have in mind, just tell me. Do it."

She was practically urging him to seduce her, and they both knew it.

But Mika knew that he couldn’t give in right now for some short term pleasure.

Even if she allowed him to go ahead and do lewd acts, she would immediately shut it all down when they got home and had the talk.

She’d insist what’s done is done and tell him to forget about it.

But Mika had others plans in mind to make sure that she’s stuck in a path that she couldn’t escape from and he knew he couldn’t give in to temptation right now.

So, he simply shook his head, standing before her with an air of finality that made her heart sink.

"There’s really nothing for now, Nadia. As for Yelena and Fauna..."

He said, his expression changing into something almost apologetic.

"....I just wanted to talk privately with them and to apologize for what they witnessed earlier."

"I felt really bad about putting them in such an uncomfortable position."

He looked at her with what seemed like genuine concern.

"Though I suppose I don’t need to apologize quite as much to you, do I? You’ve always been so calm, so composed, no matter what situation arises."

"I imagine something like that barely disturbed your emotional equilibrium at all."

Nadia wanted to scream.

’No, no, no, Mika! My heart is definitely not calm. You’re completely wrong about that!’

But she held it in and Mika too didn’t seem to notice the indignation in her eyes like she was being left out.

Instead, he came over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, the gesture almost paternal in its tenderness.

"I’m genuinely glad we have the relationship we do, Nadia."

He said warmly, his eyes filled with what appeared to be genuine affection.

"It means I don’t have to over-explain myself or apologize excessively like I do with the others."

"We have a smooth, easy relationship where we understand each other without needing to say everything out loud. I really value that."

And with that, he walked past her and toward the door.

Nadia stood frozen in place, watching him leave, completely stunned by the turn of events.

Nothing had happened.

No seduction. No passionate encounter. No recognition that she was anything other than a trusted friend and companion.

He had simply complimented her appearance in a generic way, expressed his appreciation for their "smooth relationship" and then left.

She felt...hollow.

Dismissed.

Friend-zoned.

By her own son.

She was supposed to be relieved. Happy, even.

He hadn’t done anything to her. He hadn’t pushed her further down that dangerous path.

He had treated her with respect, with affection, with the easy familiarity of a son who loved his mother.

So why did she feel so angry?

Why did she want to grab him by the collar, pull him back into the room, and demand that he treat her the way he treated her before?

Why did she want to be seen as a woman, not just a mother?

She took a deep breath. Forced herself to calm down and then followed after Mika to figure out why he was acting so innocently right now after everything he had done.

But the moment she stepped out of the room and back into the corridor, she was greeted by an absolutely absurd sight that made her rage even more.

Yelena and Fauna were engaged in a literal tug-of-war with Mika in the center of it all.

"Let go of him, Fauan! Let go!"

Yelena was shouting, pulling hard on Mika’s right arm.

"Mika is coming home with me! If he goes to your house, he’ll be completely malnourished because of how horrible your cooking is!"

"He’ll probably develop food poisoning from anything you prepare and I’ll be attending my son’s funeral the next day!"

"Oh, shut up, Yelena!"

Fauna pulled back with equal force, her voice rising to match Yelena’s volume.

"My cooking isn’t that bad! You’re exaggerating as usual!"

"But leaving that aside, if he goes with you, you’ll treat him like your personal servant!"

She announced.

"You’ll have him doing your chores while you sit around like some sort of queen, bossing him around and bullying him!"

Yelena gasped in outrage. "I do not!"

"You absolutely do!"

"I’m a benevolent ruler!"

"You’re a tyrant with flying swords!"

They both began cussing at each other, pulling Mika left and right like a rope in a game of tug-of-war.

Mika himself was completely helpless, his arms stretched out in opposite directions, his body swaying like a pendulum.

He didn’t struggle. He didn’t protest.

He simply let it happen, his expression one of mild amusement, as if he were watching a particularly entertaining show.

Nadia watched them for a moment, her jaw tightening.

They were arguing about who would take Mika home, acting like he was a prize to be won, a toy to be fought over.

But it was her day. Her day to be with Mika.

She had plans. She had things to discuss. She had—

She snapped.

Before she knew what she was doing, she burst forward with explosive speed, grabbed Mika around the waist, and launched into the sky.

Yelena and Fauna were left grasping empty air.

"HEY!"

"MIKA!"

They shot upward after her, wings flapping, faces twisted with outrage.

"Hold on, Nadia! Don’t run away!"

Nadia felt them closing in, felt the wind of their pursuit, and turned.

But the moment she did—they froze with a look of shock on their faces.

The calm, composed Nadia they knew was gone.

In her place was something else entirely.

Her eyes were ice-cold—not the usual cool detachment she wore like armor, but something sharper. More dangerous. Her face was set in a deep frown, her lips pressed together, her jaw tight.

She was angry.

Genuinely, visibly angry.

She clutched Mika to her chest like a teddy bear, her arms wrapped around him possessively.

He didn’t seem to mind. He just nestled his head between her breasts, getting comfortable, like he was settling in to watch a particularly entertaining show.

Yelena opened her mouth to speak.

But Nadia cut her off.

"Mika is mine today."

Her voice was cold. Flat. Absolute.

"I’m not allowing either of you to take him away from me. You’ve already spent time with him and enough is enough. It’s my turn now."

Both Yelena and Fauna froze, their eyes widening as they recognized just how serious their sister was.

But at the same time, they were not willing to accept this.

After all, after everything Mika had done to them—half an hour was not enough.

They wanted hours. They wanted the whole night.

They wanted to drag him into a bedroom and not let him out until morning.

They opened their mouths to protest.

But Nadia’s eyes grew colder.

The ground below began to shake.

A minor earthquake rumbled through the city—nothing devastating, just enough to rattle windows and knock things off shelves.

The air around them shimmered with pressure, thick and heavy, pressing down on their bodies.

"I said..." Nadia repeated, her voice dropping to a whisper. "...Mika is mine today."

She looked at them.

"If any of you try to take him from me, I will make you regret it."

The threat hung in the air between them, unmistakable and absolute.

Fauna’s face went pale as she realized her sister was genuinely furious in a way that was actually frightening.

She immediately adopted a placating tone, forcing her expression into something resembling a smile.

"Okay, Nadia, okay! Calm down! There’s no need to get all worked up!"

Yelena nodded vigorously, backing away slowly.

"Yeah, yeah! If you want Mika, you can have him! I wasn’t trying to—I mean, I didn’t mean to—just please calm down!"

They both knew the truth: if their sister really went berserk, if her emotions truly ran loose, the devastation would be catastrophic. They didn’t want anyone to suffer because of their actions.

Nadia glanced at them with one last cold look—then turned away with a sharp "Hmph" and flew off.

Mika waved innocently at his mothers, a cheerful smile on his face.

"Bye-bye! Have fun without me!"

And then they were gone, streaking across the sky at incredible speed, as if Nadia was afraid they might change their minds and chase after her.

Yelena and Fauna stood there in a daze, floating in the empty air, not knowing what had just happened.

Finally, Fauna turned to her sister.

"Did you see that?" She asked, pointing at the sky where Nadia had vanished. "Did you see the way Nadia was acting?"

Yelena nodded slowly.

"I did. And I genuinely don’t know what’s going on."

She looked up at the empty sky, her brow furrowed.

"Nadia looked...genuinely angry. But that doesn’t make any sense. No matter the situation, she’s the most level-headed out of all of us."

Fauna nodded enthusiastically, her breasts bouncing with the motion.

"Exactly! I remember when we were kids—whenever I teased her or poked at her just trying to get a reaction, no matter what I did, she wouldn’t even look my way."

"She’d just calmly assess the situation, ignore me, or go along with it like it was no big deal. She’s the exact opposite of you, who reacts to everything."

Yelena’s eye twitched, but she couldn’t argue.

"I have to admit, you’re right. My whole life, I’ve seen her rein in her emotions and keep calm no matter what. But who would’ve thought..." She shook her head. "...that I would actually see my own sister get genuinely angry?"

They stood in silence, processing.

They knew why she was angry—they had been trying to steal Mika away from her.

But in the past, there had been several occasions when they had done exactly that, and she had been gracious about it.

She had let them go. She hadn’t fought.

So why now? What had changed?

Fauna’s eyes lit up with sudden recollection.

"Yelena, do you know what this reminds me of?"

Yelena raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"This reminds me of the time when Nadia didn’t have to control her emotions at all." Fauna’s voice grew soft, nostalgic. "Back before her blessing fully awakened. When she was still expressive, like everyone else."

Yelena’s expression shifted. "Oh yeah. I remember that time too. Before her blessing got too strong."

A small smile crossed her face.

"She used to be the most expressive out of all of us. She would smile, cry, get angry...everything."

"She was so curious about the world. Her eyes always had this brightness to them, like she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next."

"She looked so cute back then."

Fauna sighed.

"But then her blessing grew too powerful, and she had to contain her emotions. She hasn’t shown them properly ever since. It’s been years. Decades."

Her eyes lit up.

"But today, she seemed different. She seemed like the Nadia from the past. The one who could actually show her feelings."

Yelena nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I thought I was just imagining things. But no, you’re right. She really did look like her old self."

She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

"But did you notice something else about her? Something different?"

Fauna leaned in as well. "What? What did you notice?"

Yelena glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, then whispered,

"Despite her getting so angry that even we could feel her pressure..."

"...the effects around her weren’t as devastating as they normally are."

Fauna’s eyes went wide with realization.

"In the past, whenever she showed even a hint of emotion, something catastrophic would happen. People would suffer. Buildings would collapse. Entire areas would be devastated."

She paused for emphasis.

"But today? Even though she was absolutely furious, even though she was staring at us with that terrifying gaze? There was only a small tremor. A minor earthquake."

"If this had been the past, this entire area would have been leveled. But now, there’s barely any real damage."

Fauna gasped. "Oh my god, Yelena, you’re right. How is that even possible?!"

She looked up at the sky where their sister had vanished.

"Did she finally learn to restrain her emotions? Is she finally able to show more without causing devastating effects? This is the first time she’s made progress in so many years!"

Yelena scratched her head, forcing a smile.

"I honestly don’t know. Half the time, I can’t even understand her true thoughts. It’s only Mika who really understands her. If we want answers, we’ll have to ask him."

She looked up at the sky, her expression softening.

"But regardless, that’s a really good thing." Hope flickered in her eyes. "We know how much she’s suffered over the years. How she hated being unable to laugh and cry with the rest of us. But now...it looks like everything might be changing."

Fauna felt a surge of excitement.

"If it’s really true, I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see a Nadia who can smile and laugh just like us."

She puffed out her chest smugly as she said,

"The entire world calls me the cutest Battle Angel, which is of course true. But they haven’t seen Nadia smiling and laughing."

"And if they do, maybe the title will change, with how cute she is when she actually lets herself go."

Both sisters smiled, warmth spreading through their hearts.

They thought about all the years their sister had suffered in silence, unable to show her emotions, unable to truly connect with anyone. They had felt so bad for her, but there was nothing they could do.

But now they had hope.

All their indignation over losing Mika melted away. In its place was something far more precious: the prospect of finally, truly, having their sister back.

Just then, Fauna’s phone buzzed.

She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. Her eyes lit up with happiness.

"Oh! Look, look, Yelena!" She grabbed her sister’s arm, shoving the phone in her face. "Look at how adorable this picture is!"