Inside the Dwight mansion, Pooe hurried through the corridors, her footsteps echoing off the polished marble floors. Her usuallyposed expression was tinged with curiosity and a hint of suspicion.


    As Pooe approached the grand hall, she caught sight of Lady Sophia, Spark''s mother, standing amidst a scattered pile of records.


    "Lady Sophia," Pooe called out, her tone respectful yet tinged with curiosity. "Did you summon me?"


    Sophia looked up from her work, her piercing eyes momentarily softened by a look of mild surprise. "Summon you? No, I haven''t called for you, Pooe. Is something wrong?"


    Pooe frowned slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her usually stoic face. She was not one to be easily deceived, and her instincts told her that something was amiss. "Young Master Spark told me that you wished to see me."


    Sophia''s gaze sharpened, Her mind quickly pieced together the possible mischief at y, but before she could respond, a sudden, thunderous noise erupted from outside, shaking the very foundation of the mansion.


    Rumble!


    The sound was deafening, and the grand chandelier above swayed, its crystal prisms clinking together like the chimes of an eerie wind. The walls trembled as if the mansion itself had been struck by an unseen force.


    Sophia''s eyes widened, her normallyposed expression giving way to rm. The stack of records she had been managing toppled over, papers scattering across the polished floor.


    "What in the world…?" Sophia whispered, her voice barely audible above the lingering echoes of the thunder. She quickly made her way to the grand hall''s double doors,


    Pooe followed closely behind, her mind racing with worry for Alice and a growing suspicion about Spark''s involvement.


    As Sophia pushed open the heavy doors, the two women were suddenly enveloped in a swirling vortex of energy.


    They were instantly teleported outside the mansion,nding at the entrance to the garden. The scene that greeted them was nothing short of astonishing.


    The once-lush garden, usually brimming with vibrant life and color, had transformed into a frozen wastnd. Arge plot ofndy encased in a thick, crystallineyer of ice, the flowers and nts that had once flourished now suspended in time, frozen in a state of fragile beauty.


    Sophia''s breath caught in her throat as her gaze was drawn upwards. Above Alice, who sat at the center of the frozen plot with her legs crossed in deep concentration, a massive, gaping hole had torn through the sky.


    The very fabric of reality seemed to have been rent asunder, the edges of the breach crackling with residual energy that still pulsed with the force that had shattered the protective formation surrounding the mansion.


    Sophia recognized the gaping hole for what it was—a breach in the invisible barrier that protected the Dwight mansion, a powerful formation designed to ward off any threats and maintain the security of their mansion. But that formation had been shattered, its remnants scattered like broken ss in the wind.


    "By the heavens…" Sophia whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling energy and the distant rumble of thunder. "The barrier… it''s been broken!"


    Sophia''s mind raced as she tried to piece together what had happened. Her eyes locked onto Spark, who stood a few feet away from Alice, his expression a mixture of amusement. It didn''t take long for Sophia to realize that this was no ordinary incident—something extraordinary had just urred.


    "Spark!" Sophia''s voice rang out, filled with both relief and reprimand. She took a few steps toward him, her expression stern as she demanded answers. "What have you done?"


    Spark turned to face his mother, his expression calm despite the chaos around them. "Just a little training exercise, Mother. Alice has been making progress."


    "Progress?" Sophia repeated, incredulous. Her eyes flicked between her son and the still-meditating Alice, who seemed blissfully unaware of the turmoil. "The protective barrier is shattered! Do you have any idea what could have happened?"


    Spark shrugged nonchntly, though a yful smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Seems like she''s a bit stronger than I thought."


    Sophia''s anger red, her normallyposed expression now shadowed by the intensity of her emotions.


    She opened her mouth to respond, but before the words could escape, Alice opened her eyes. The frosty aura around her began to dissipate, the ice melting away as quickly as it had formed, leaving behind only a faint chill in the air.


    Alice looked up at Sophia, her innocent face alight with curiosity. "Grandma, did Alice do something wrong?"


    Sophia''s anger melted away in an instant, reced by concern and love for her Granddaughter. She rushed to Alice''s side, kneeling in front of her and gently cupping her cold cheeks. "No, sweetheart, you didn''t do anything wrong."


    Alice''s face brightened with a smile,pletely oblivious to the tension that had filled the air just moments before. "I was practicing, just like Father said."


    Sophia shot a sharp re at Spark, who merely chuckled softly, clearly unbothered by the situation. His nonchnce only added fuel to the simmering frustration within her.


    A few figures d in white, the servants responsible for maintaining the mansion''s defenses, approached hesitantly. "Lady Sophia, what should we do about the barrier?"


    Sophia didn''t look away from Spark as she answered. "We''ll need to have it restored immediately. And I''ll have to speak with Spark''s father about this... incident."


    Spark, sensing the impending storm, gave a casual shrug, though the weight of his mother''s gaze bore down on him. "Alice was just practicing her breathing technique, Mother."


    Sophia''s eyes zed with anger, herposure slipping further. "Practicing? She went through an awakening! A thunder tribtion isn''t something to be taken lightly. What if that thunder had struck her directly? What if she had been injured—or worse?"


    "Mother, I was watching over her," Spark replied, his tone trying to convey reassurance, though it did little to calm Sophia''s rising fury.


    "Watching over her?" Sophia''s voice rose. "You were ying with her life! A thunder tribtion is one of the most dangerous moments in anyone''s life, and you let her face it without any protection?"


    Spark''s usual detachment faltered under the intensity of his mother''s scolding. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead, he stood there, momentarily at a loss, as his mother''s words cut through his usual calm.


    Pooe, tinged with deep concern, quickly knelt beside Alice, her hands gently checking the young girl for any sign of injury. "Little miss, are you alright? Did the thunder hurt you?"


    Alice, ever cheerful, shook her head with a bright smile. "I''m fine, Grandma Poo! The thunder was really loud, but it didn''t hurt me."


    Pooe''s eyes flicked to the sky, then back to Alice. She couldn''t fathom how a girl as young as Alice could emerge unscathed from a direct confrontation with a thunder tribtion.


    "Young Master," Pooe began, her tone careful, "what happened to the thunder? Did it strike the Little Lady?"


    Spark waved off her concern with a dismissive gesture. "The thunder disappeared on its own."


    "Disappeared?" Pooe echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. She looked unconvinced. "Vanished? Young Master, that''s not possible. How could it just... disappear?"


    Sophia''s sharp eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Butler Zhao Shi, who had been standing at a respectful distance, observing the scene with his usual calm demeanor.


    "Butler Zhao, can you exin what exactly happened here?" Sophia asked.


    Zhao Shi took a step forward and inclined his head respectfully before answering


    "From what I saw, Little Miss has undergone her first awakening tribtion," he replied. "At that moment, a lighting strike descended from above."


    Sophia''s eyes widened slightly, the concern in them deepening. "What happened? Did it strike her?"


    Zhao Shi shook his head slowly, his gaze unwavering as he continued. "The lightning vanished before it could reach Little Miss."


    Sophia exhaled softly, a wave of relief washing over her as the tension in her shoulders finally began to ease.


    "See, I am telling the truth." Added spark.