After a few seconds, Soren simply sighed. "Do you want to try carving now?" he asked.

I nodded so fast my head nearly detached from my neck.

Carving? Yes.

Normal activity? Yes.

Something that would distract him from asking questions about the mechanical arm and my totally-not-suspicious behavior yesterday? Absolutely yes.

Soren seemed satisfied with my enthusiasm.

"Mikael," he muttered.

Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.

Knock knock.

"I’m coming in, Master."

The door opened and Mikael stepped inside with that same calm smile that made it impossible to tell whether he had just helped an old lady cross the street or committed several acts of psychological warfare.

"Mika!" I greeted cheerfully, raising my paw and waving at him.

Always maintain good relations with potential enemies.

"Oh, you’re here too, Miss Blanca," Mikael said politely, bowing slightly toward me.

Then he straightened and looked at Soren.

"What can I do for you, Master?"

Soren leaned against the table casually.

"Gather all the energy stones we have in the storage," he said, "and move them to the newly renovated room."

Mikael nodded without hesitation. "Yes, Master."

He bowed once more—to Soren and then to me—before turning and leaving the room.

The door closed softly behind him.

I curiously looked up at Soren, ears twitching.

’Newly renovated room? Since when? More importantly, why did it involve energy stones?’

Because as far as I knew, every room in this place was already renovated enough to house a small kingdom.

I wondered silently, still staring up at Soren. Before I could even begin forming the question on my OmniSync—

"Let’s go," Soren said, casually picking me up.

First we stopped by my room.

Soren stepped inside and went straight to the desk where the mechanical arm had been stored.

The sleek metal limb gleamed faintly under the sunlight.

He picked it up carefully, turning it in his hands. The metal fingers flexed slightly with a soft mechanical click, tiny gears whirring inside softly.

Satisfied, he nodded. "Good. Still in perfect condition."

He tucked the mechanical arm under his arm and scooped me back up again like a sack of very fluffy potatoes.

Then we continued walking.

We walked down the hallway.

Past the library.

Past the sitting room.

Past the guest chambers.

Past several doors I was fairly certain had not been opened in months.

We kept going.

And going.

And going.

I slowly started realizing something.

We were heading toward the farthest part of the estate.

You know... The area no one really used.

The area that usually contained old furniture, forgotten storage rooms, and probably a ghost or two.

Soren finally stopped in front of a large door at the end of the hallway.

The door looked new, the hinges gleaming, even the floor nearby had been recently polished.

Soren pushed the door open.

The room inside was completely different from what I expected.

It wasn’t a bedroom, a lounge, and it certainly wasn’t anything like the other rooms.

The room looked less like a workshop and more like something pulled straight out of a noble artisan’s dream.

Actually—no.

Not just any artisan.

A very rich artisan.

Tall windows stretched across one wall, letting sunlight pour into the room in warm golden beams. The light reflected softly against the polished floors and the pale walls painted in gentle, calming colors. Whoever designed it clearly wanted the space to feel peaceful, focused and perfect for delicate work.

And then there were the chandeliers.

Plural.

Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glowing brightly and scattering light across the entire room. They sparkled every time the sunlight hit them, making the place look almost magical.

My eyes slowly moved across everything.

Shelves.

So many shelves.

Tall ones lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Smaller display shelves built neatly into elegant frames. There were even special glass cases clearly meant to showcase finished carvings.

A long carving table stretched across the center of the room.

Not just any table either.

The surface was reinforced with metal brackets and adjustable mounts designed to hold stones steady while carving. Small drawers were built along the sides, each filled with specialized tools.

And those tools...

My eyes widened even more.

Carving knives, fine-point chisels, miniature engraving drills, and delicate polishing rods.

Every single one of them gleamed faintly with a deep metallic sheen that I recognized immediately. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Soren’s dragon scales.

Dozens of carving tools made from one of the rarest and strongest materials in existence... just casually sitting on the table like kitchen utensils.

My mouth slowly fell open.

I didn’t even notice when Soren gently set me down on the floor.

My paws padded forward on their own as I wandered deeper into the room, staring at everything like a child who had just been released inside a candy store.

Shelf. Tool rack. Display case. Workbench. Another shelf. Even the storage drawers were beautifully crafted with carved patterns along the edges.

I excitedly turned around, pointing at the room, then at myself, then at the room again.

Just to be absolutely sure.

Soren leaned against the edge of the worktable, watching me. "This will be your workshop from now on," he said with an amused smile. "Do you like it?"

My tail immediately began swishing like a possessed feather duster.

"NYAANG? NYA NYA-AANG NYANG!"

Translation: Like it?! I absolutely love it!!!

If I had hands right now I would probably be grabbing his shoulders and shaking him while screaming.

’Do you know how much carving space this is?!’

’Do you know how many energy stones I could work on here?!’

’Do you know how much money—

I mean...

Artistic expression—

I could produce here?!’

Soren chuckled softly at my excitement.

"I thought you might," he said.

He walked over to one of the tool racks and picked up a carving blade made from a polished black dragon scale.

"While school hasn’t started yet," he continued, placing the tool back down, "you can practice carving to your heart’s content."

My tail swished even faster.

This was perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

My mind was already racing with ideas.

More beast carvings. Jewelry pieces. Decorative charms. New designs. Even higher quality pieces.

I could even experiment with more complicated structures now that I had a proper workstation—

Then my brain froze.

Because another thought slowly crawled into my mind.

I need to shift into my human form.

Because let’s be honest here.

How exactly was I supposed to face my future customers while looking like a tiny, chubby albino leopard?

Imagine it.

I arrive at one of my noble client’s house.

They expect a refined artisan or a mysterious stone carver or a master craftswoman.

But instead they see—

A fluffy creature sitting on the table screaming "NYANG!" while holding a chisel.

No.

Absolutely not.

This would destroy my reputation before it even started so I needed to carve my own energy stone first.

But the first stone I need to create here had to be something else...

My eyes narrowed at Soren.

Then the answer came to me.

I would carve his energy stone first as a sign of thank-you for saving in that island and letting me live here. Also because it’s a perfect distraction.

While he admired the gift, I could later carve my own energy stone without raising suspicion.

Perfect plan.

Absolutely flawless.

Just as I was mentally congratulating myself, the door opened.

Agatha stepped in first, Mikael following behind her as the both of them were carrying large wooden boxes.

They set the boxes down carefully on the long table as Mikael opened the lids.

I jumped on the table and the moment I saw what was inside, my eyes twinkled.

So many energy stones.

From low to high grade stones varying from single to multiple colored energy stones.

My paws practically vibrated with excitement.

"Before I forget," Soren said, casually, like he was mentioning the weather then hoisted me up and swung me to his shoulder.

We stopped beside one of the elegant display shelves near the window. Unlike the other shelves meant for finished works, this one had a large glass casing built into it, like something meant to display a priceless museum artifact.

Soren pointed inside. "I placed your energy stone here."

My gaze followed his finger and my soul immediately left my body.

Inside the glass casing sat a very familiar object.

A transparent energy stone.

The stone that had personally rejected me several times when I was in the aircraft.

The stone that had launched me into the air like a disgraced potato every time I tried to touch it.

The stone that absolutely refused to acknowledge me as its rightful owner.

’Long time no see...you freaking cursed stone,’ I thought, staring at the thing inside.

Soren’s voice interrupted my inner monologue. "If you’re ready, you can just grab your energy stone and try carving it."

My tail stiffened. ’Grab it? Just like that? Like I wouldn’t immediately get blasted across the room again?’