Inside the Dwight mansion, Pooella hurried through the corridors, her footsteps echoing off the polished marble floors. Her usually composed expression was tinged with curiosity and a hint of suspicion.
As Pooella approached the grand hall, she caught sight of Lady Sophia, Spark's mother, standing amidst a scattered pile of records.
"Lady Sophia," Pooella 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, Pooella. Is something wrong?"
Pooella 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 play, 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 normally composed expression giving way to alarm. 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,
Pooella 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, landing 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 wasteland. A large plot of land lay encased in a thick, crystalline layer of ice, the flowers and plants 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.
"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 playing with her life! A thunder tribulation 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.
Pooella, 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."
Pooella'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 tribulation.
"Young Master," Pooella 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?" Pooella 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 explain 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 tribulation," 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.