"Marcus, you’re never going to leave , right?"
Amber lay comfortably in his arms, her hands looped around his neck as she gazed up at him. Her expression was soft and trusting, dark eyes shining with quiet devotion. There was no doubt or hesitation in her voice, only the simple certainty of soone who had always believed he would remain by her side.
"Silly girl."
Marcus felt warmth spread through his chest. Smiling faintly, he leaned down and gently flicked the tip of her nose.
"Didn’t I already tell you? We’ll always be together."
He shook his head, looking at the girl resting against him. Her body felt almost weightless, soft and relaxed in his embrace, her slender waist fitting easily beneath his arm. Her skin carried a smooth warmth like polished jade, and her faint, clean scent cald him more than anything else in the world. No matter how many years passed, Amber remained the person he cherished most.
His thoughts drifted back to the secret his mother had revealed shortly before she died, a truth that had quietly overturned everything he thought he knew about himself.
"Marcus... you’re not our biological son."
At the ti, the words had stunned him into silence.
"Not... biological?"
Seeing his confusion, his mother spoke slowly, choosing each word with care despite her weakening condition.
"Twenty years ago, your father and I were traveling in the capital. I was walking through a crowded area when I found you. You were less than a year old, separated from your family. Your father and I didn’t have children then. You were adorable, quiet, and well behaved. We searched for your parents, but no one ca forward."
She paused, coughing lightly as her strength faded.
"So... we beca selfish. We brought you ho and raised you as our own."
Her breathing grew uneven as she continued.
"We waited at the place where we found you for two whole days. No one ca looking. That’s when we decided to take you with us. Marcus... you don’t bla us, do you?"
"Mom."
Marcus had shaken his head imdiately back then. The truth had shocked him, but when he looked back on his childhood, he could not imagine having better parents. They had loved him, disciplined him, supported him, and watched him grow with unwavering care. Blood had never mattered. In every way that counted, they were his real parents.
He had grown up happy.
"Marcus..."
His mother looked at him with gentle affection.
"Open that box. Take out the Purple Dragon Jade."
He obeyed quietly.
Inside the box lay a jade pendant roughly half the size of his palm. It was naturally ford and perfectly clear, the craftsmanship beyond ordinary standards. Even soone unfamiliar with jade, or the culture behind it could see its extraordinary value.
Its most striking feature was its deep violet color. Within the translucent surface, a faint dragon silhouette seed to drift and coil as if alive.
Marcus rembered wearing it when he was about eight years old. Back then, childish curiosity had convinced him a real dragon might be trapped inside, and he had tried smashing it open. His mother had caught him imdiately, confiscated the pendant, and hidden it away ever since.
Back in the present, Marcus carefully slipped a hand beneath Amber’s collar while she rested against him, retrieving the Purple Dragon Jade she now wore around her neck. His fingers brushed the smooth pendant, and a cool yet comforting warmth flowed through his palm.
It truly was a masterpiece.
If he had found it earlier, selling sothing of this value might have solved his debts. Perhaps Snow would never have left him. The thought lingered only briefly before fading away.
Holding the silk cord, Marcus channeled a trace of his Human Rock energy and squeezed firmly between two fingers. With his current strength, he could snap pig iron or even deform bullets. Yet the cord did not move at all.
"Could this really be so kind of powerful artifact?" he murmured.
In the past, such a thing would have sounded absurd, but after everything he had experienced, nothing felt impossible anymore. As a child he had tried burning, freezing, cutting, and smashing the pendant, and the cord had remained completely undamaged. That had been the mont his mother realized he might actually destroy it and hid it for good.
His mother’s voice echoed again in his mory.
"This Purple Dragon Jade was on you when we found you. It may be the only clue to your birth parents."
She had sighed softly.
"Your father and I traveled widely when we were young, yet we never saw anything like it. We asked experts to appraise it, hoping soone would recognize it, but no one could. Your origins... may not be ordinary. We hope one day this jade will help you find your real family."
She turned her gaze toward Amber, who had fallen asleep beside the bed from exhaustion.
"Marcus... when I’m gone, take care of Amber."
Her hand gently stroked Amber’s hair.
"She has always listened to you, depended on you, loved being close to you. Your father and I were always relieved knowing you were there for her. If not for Snow... we might have wished for you and Amber to remain together forever."
Her eyes returned to him, filled with earnest hope.
"Please look after her for the rest of her life. Only then will we leave this world without regrets."
Marcus had nodded firmly. He would protect Amber. He would never allow her to suffer.
"Actually... actually..."
Tears filled his mother’s eyes.
"Amber still has a grandfather... If... if..."
But she never finished the sentence. Tears stread down her face, and at that mont Amber woke up. The conversation ended forever, leaving the truth incomplete.
Marcus returned to the present, looking down at the girl sleeping peacefully in his arms.
’Amber still has a grandfather...’
Why had his parents never spoken of him? Why had that man never visited? They had lived as if no other relatives existed. Marcus had wondered about it many tis, yet there had never been anyone left to ask.
In the end, the answer hardly mattered.
Whether Amber had a grandfather or not, whether unknown relatives existed sowhere in the world, none of it changed what they already had. They had grown up together, laughed together, endured loss together. Aside from losing their parents, their lives had been filled with warmth.
"Amber..."
He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently.
He would never abandon her. And deep down, he believed Amber would never abandon him either.
Marcus carefully set the Purple Dragon Jade back against her chest. Amber liked wearing it, so he let her keep it. His arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer as she nestled comfortably against him.
"Marcus..."
Her voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Yeah."
He did not move away, his hand still resting gently at her waist.
"Amber and Marcus... together forever."
She tightened her embrace, pressing closer as if seeking reassurance. Inside, Amber understood more than she showed. She was no longer a child. She knew the world might not approve, yet her feelings remained unchanged.
No matter what happened, she wanted to stay with him.
"Yeah," Marcus replied softly, kissing her cheek again.
There was no greed or desire in his heart at that mont, only overwhelming affection and protectiveness toward the girl who had shared his entire life.
"Marcus? Already asleep?"
The bedroom door opened, and Lily walked in wearing her nightgown.
Marcus felt an instant headache coming on. The situation he had quietly feared had finally arrived. Amber, however, noticed nothing unusual. Hearing Lily’s voice, she lifted her head proudly.
"Lily, I’m sleeping with Marcus!"
Then she imdiately buried herself back into his chest.
Marcus had no words.
"Lily," he said gently as she approached.
She lay down beside him, though concern lingered faintly in her expression. She still believed Amber was his biological sister.
Marcus turned toward her, taking her hand and eting her eyes. He knew he needed to tell Lily the truth soday. Keeping it hidden forever would not be fair to her.
"Marcus."
Lily understood the aning behind his gaze. She trusted him. Even though a small ache stirred in her heart, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed a soft kiss against his arm.
"Thank you."
Marcus squeezed her hand, gratitude rising within him. Having Lily in his life was a blessing he never took for granted.
The next morning was Saturday. With no school waiting for them, they enjoyed the rare luxury of sleeping in, lingering under the warmth of the blankets longer than usual.
After breakfast, Marcus took the girls out for a relaxed walk, enjoying the quiet comfort of ordinary life. Only after returning ho did he log back into Dominion, ready to continue the adventure that awaited him.
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