On the way back to Ouyang Ge’s little wooden hut, she learned her brother had regained muscle strength. Still worried, she forbade him from going out alone. Who would save him if today’s incident repeated?

Ouyang Ge couldn’t argue with his sister’s insistence. He obediently—pretendingly—agreed.

His compliance lifted Ouyang Shi’s mood considerably. But the moment she closed his bedroom door behind her, her warmth vanished. The thought of upcoming classes filled her with deep annoyance.

Straying from Father’s rigid schedule would cause trouble…

Yes. Ouyang Shi’s life was prearranged. Controlled entirely by the entity called "Father." No freedom at all.

The sisters’ mother wasn’t the elegant lady beside that middle-aged man. She’d died from hemorrhage after birthing Ouyang Ge. The current Ouyang Clan matriarch was Patriarch Ouyang Long’s second wife. She’d borne a daughter—Ouyang Feng. The name itself declared her ambition: to reign supreme over all Ouyang women.

This triviality meant nothing to Ouyang Shi. She cared neither for Father, nor her stepmother, nor her contemporary Ouyang Feng. As long as her brother was safe. As long as he stayed obedient. As long as he remained under her care—she’d abandon even the position of Ouyang Clan head without hesitation.

Lost in memories of her brother, Ouyang Shi smiled—a rare, genuine smile under outsiders’ gazes. Utterly unlike her usual icy mask.

"Oh-ho? If it isn’t our haughty, frosty elder sister?" Two flowing black ponytails entered Ouyang Shi’s vision. Mocking words followed. A lavishly dressed girl blocked her path, hiding her lower face behind a folding fan. Her beautiful phoenix eyes gleamed with contempt.

"..."

Ouyang Shi didn’t pause. She sidestepped the girl as if she were air.

Ignored, Ouyang Feng froze in shock. Then whirled around, face flushed with humiliation and rage.

"Hey! Are you deaf?!" She grabbed Ouyang Shi’s shoulder, snarling.

"Let go…" Ouyang Shi stopped. Her voice was glacial.

"How dare you ignore this household’s future mistress? The noble Lady Ouyang Feng?!"

*Snap!*

Ouyang Feng snapped her fan shut. She swung it hard toward Ouyang Shi’s temple—

—but the fan halted inches from those ice-blue strands.

The air had turned arctic. Snowflakes drifted around Ouyang Shi. Frost coated Ouyang Feng’s arm, freezing her motion mid-swing.

"Boring…"

Ouyang Shi walked on without glancing back.

"Ghh…" Behind her, Ouyang Feng clutched her frostbitten hand, glaring at the retreating blue figure. A flash of white flame surged over her arm. Her pallid skin flushed pink again.

"Wretch… Just because you’re S-rank aptitude, you strut like royalty…" she hissed. "Wait till I find your weakness. I’ll make you suffer."

She stomped away after spitting the curse.

The encounter barely registered. Ouyang Shi’s heart remained calm as she walked on. Servants and relatives bowed obsequiously along her path—like dogs fawning over power.

No need to acknowledge them. Their sycophancy never changed. Responding to each would waste time. She had the privilege to ignore them. And the apathy.

Soon, she reached a vast circular arena—the Ouyang Clan’s dedicated magic training ground.

A century after the Great Calamity reshaped Earth’s continents, humanity harnessed Imagination Particles. These mysterious particles enabled Magic. Anyone—beggars, students, soldiers—could wield them. Those detected with particles were protected by the government until their abilities’ physical domains were identified.

Magic transformed the world. Each person’s magic was utterly unique. And though unproven, a pattern held: magic often passed to offspring like inheritance.

The Ouyang Clan exemplified this. After the Calamity, an ancestor discovered supernatural power. Over generations, they became a renowned flame-magic dynasty.

"You’re here. Punctual as ever." A young man with square black glasses waved from the arena floor.

"..."

Ouyang Shi walked silently to his side.

"Today’s lesson remains the same: precise control of your power."

"Yes."

"Yesterday’s exercise is complete. Today, we reverse it: long-range freezing of a single moving target."

"Yes."

Her face stayed impassive even under praise.

"The target?" The teacher pointed at himself.

Ouyang Shi’s brow lifted slightly. Interest flickered in her eyes.

The teacher floated upward without moving. He retreated swiftly, ascending higher.

Ouyang Shi raised her palm toward him.

"Oh? Not so easy!" He pushed his glasses up and darted sideways. Just in time—the space he’d occupied turned absolute zero. Staying would’ve meant death.

"Try it! Pin me down while I move!" He zipped erratically through the air.

"Interesting…"

A hunter’s smile touched Ouyang Shi’s lips. Her palm tracked his movements.

But this "game" ended quickly. The glasses-wearing teacher found himself surrounded by pockets of absolute zero. Trapped.

"Clever… using that tactic…" He landed, chuckling ruefully at his student.

"Nothing special."

Her smile vanished. Ice returned to her features.

"That concludes today’s session. Tomorrow’s my final lesson here. Almost everything’s taught." He gazed at her with quiet pride.

"Understood."

She turned to leave. Time with her brother mattered more than lessons…

"Always in such a hurry," he muttered, ruffling his messy curls.

Walking back, Ouyang Shi’s heart quickened.

Strangely, she’d felt no passion for anything since childhood. Her birth mother had doted on her. Yet Ouyang Shi remained detached. She passed her particle test at five with an S-rank aptitude. She discovered her unique magic. All with chilling indifference—until—

*Wahhh!*

An infant’s cry pierced the delivery room. That sound struck Ouyang Shi’s soul. She rushed in, seeing her father cradling a newborn.

*Anticipation.* That was her first feeling toward her brother. Later, when her mother died from postpartum bleeding, Ouyang Shi felt only mild regret. Not grief. Not pain. Just the clinical awareness of losing a relative. An inhuman reaction.

Afterward, she’d linger by the crib for hours, gazing at her brother’s tiny face. Pure happiness filled her.

Even his terminal illness meant nothing. As long as she lived, she’d stay by his side till the end…

Reaching the Ouyang estate’s outskirts, she opened the hut door softly. Her breath caught.

Ouyang Ge sat upright in a chair.

"Xiao Ge! What are you doing?!"

"Huh?!" Her shout startled him. He had no idea why her face twisted with fury.

Ignoring his confusion, she blurred to his side. She crushed him in a fierce hug.

"How could you?! I told you not to move! What if you hurt yourself again?!" Her voice cracked. Tears streamed down her face—an expression no outsider had ever seen. Even Ouyang Ge had no memory of it.

"I… just wanted to read…" He patted her back weakly, trying to soothe her.

"You don’t value yourself! Your body might fail again any moment! How could you risk getting out of bed?!" She pulled back, tear-streaked and trembling.

"I-I know… I won’t do it again…" His heart ached seeing her face. He promised—for now.

Time slipped by as they talked quietly. After dinner, Ouyang Shi had to leave for evening studies. Before going, she left ointment for his bruises. She feared his injuries would linger.

Reluctant as she was, Father’s condition for keeping Ouyang Ge—the "useless one"—alive was clear: Ouyang Shi must deliver outstanding results.

That fragile balance held everything together.

*Two months until that incident… How much will my body recover by then?*

Ouyang Ge closed his eyes under his sister’s care.

Watching his peaceful sleeping face, Ouyang Shi quietly shut the door.

…

…

One hour later, Ouyang Ge opened his eyes. No trace of sleep remained. The nap had been a ruse to divert his sister’s attention. Controlling his breath was second nature—even in this frail body.

But the real challenge began now.

Ouyang Ge flipped back the quilt, his feet touching the ground, and carefully propped himself up.

"Well then, let's begin."

During the brief hours when Ouyang Shi was absent, Ouyang Ge had already mastered his body's condition. The limb stiffness from muscular atrophy had completely vanished. Muscle weakness from years of inactivity hadn't occurred either. His body was practically flawless. Though covered in bruises from today's events, he was very, very satisfied with it. If things were still as before, there'd truly be no way out. He'd only wait for past tragedy to repeat.

Let his sister die before his eyes again? Absolutely not! It won't happen!