Serafina stood at her podium at the front of the class, pretending to sort papers.
Her hands were steady…
her aura was not.
Don't look at him.
Don't look at him.
Don't look at—
She looked.
There he was.
Zumi Kogane.
Her man.
Her Alpha God.
Her everything.
Sitting like a calm storm, golden eyes glowing faintly, wearing a black suit that made him look even more divine.
Serafina's carefully built façade nearly cracked.
Get it together.
You are a Supreme Goddess.
You've wiped out armies. You've erased demons.
You can handle your husband sitting in your class.
…She absolutely could not.
She snapped her head away before she started acting like Bia.
Gia sat behind Zumi, legs crossed, hands folded neatly.
Expression cold.
Posture perfect.
Mind sharp.
But inside?
She noticed.
She noticed Emily's small gasp.
She noticed the way the blonde girl's heartbeat changed for a moment.
She noticed the pink that formed on Emily's cheeks after meeting Zumi's eyes.
She noticed every detail — because that was her job.
Gia adjusted her glasses, eyes narrowing just slightly.
So this is the Emily girl.
She didn't feel jealous — Gia rarely felt anything at all unless Zumi was involved — but she did feel a flicker of curiosity.
Interesting. Very interesting.
And then her gaze returned to Zumi, who sat there as if he weren't the gravitational center of the entire room.
She couldn't help the faint smile tugging at her lips.
Even pretending to be a student, you still dominate the room effortlessly, Master.
She kept her eyes on her notebook.
But her heart wouldn't slow down.
Why did he look at me like that? Why did I react like that? He didn't even smile. He didn't flirt. He didn't even care.
But that was the problem.
For the first time in her life, a man looked at her like she wasn't a beautiful doll — but a person.
And that terrified her more than anything.
Emily swallowed softly, trying to calm herself as the bell rang.
Who… exactly is he?
Zumi relaxed in his seat, but inside his mind, a private channel opened like a whisper sliding across silk.
Zumi → Gia (Telepathy):
You look beautiful today… You remind me of how you looked the very first day we met.
Gia froze.
Just… froze.
A tiny heat bloomed across her cheeks, hidden by her hair, but she pushed her glasses up to hide the smile forming on her lips.
Gia (telepathic whisper):
Zumi… don't say things like that while I'm in class… I'm supposed to look serious.
Zumi:
I'm being serious.
A lot of things changed after that day… but I still remember standing there thinking how pretty you were.
When you handed me Ana's phone… I wanted to hug you right then.
Gia's breath caught.
Her composure nearly slipped.
Gia:
R–really? You… wanted to hug me? Back then?
Zumi:
Of course I did. You were adorable. And confident. And sharp. Exactly my type.
Gia tilted her head down, letting her long black hair veil half her face.
Her lips curved into one of the rarest expressions she had — a soft, real smile.
Gia:
Thank you… Master. I love you.
Zumi:
I love you too.
Their telepathic connection faded…
…but the warmth lingered.
Gia kept her expression neutral — but her heart glowed.
No one had noticed their silent exchange.
Except maybe Serafina, who felt Zumi's emotional temperature spike for a moment.
Emily Tries Not to Look Again
And fails.
Her eyes drifted back toward him — she didn't even realize she was doing it until it was too late.
There he was.
Leaning back in his chair, one arm casually draped over the backrest, posture so effortlessly confident that it radiated authority without a single word.
He looked like he ruled the classroom simply by existing in it.
He wasn't looking at her.
He wasn't looking at anyone.
Which somehow only made it harder not to stare.
He didn't even notice me, she thought, throat tightening.
Good. That's… good. I don't need attention.
But the little flutter of disappointment in her chest made no sense.
Why?
Why did she want him to look again?
Emily swallowed and forced her gaze downward to her notebook.
She tried to write.
Her handwriting wobbled.
Serafina stepped forward, papers in hand, her goddess-level composure struggling to remain intact.
Her voice was perfectly calm.
Her heart was absolutely not.
"Good morning, everyone. Today we'll begin with an introduction to classical mythology in literature."
She spoke with confidence…
…but her eyes betrayed her.
Every few seconds, she glanced toward Zumi.
Quickly.
Subtly.
Unintentionally.
She couldn't help it.
He was her husband.
Her Alpha God.
Her center of gravity.
She could feel him sitting there — calm, powerful, radiating that faint divine heat he always carried.
She forced herself to look at her book instead.
Focus. You're a teacher today, not his wife.
Emily noticed the glances.
Gia noticed the glances.
Even some students noticed, whispering among themselves.
But none of them understood why Serafina seemed wary.
Because if they did… they'd faint on the spot.
Only Gia smirked behind her hand, knowing exactly what was happening.
Zumi sat silently.
Listening.
Absorbing.
Acting like a completely normal student…
…while looking nothing like one.
He was calm.
Collected.
A quiet storm contained within a black three-piece suit.
He didn't realize that one girl was trying not to implode from her crush-like embarrassment…
Or that his darkness goddess was fighting the urge to stare at him every five seconds.
He simply rested his chin against his hand…
…and the whole classroom shifted around him without him even noticing.
Emily tightened her grip on her pen and glued her eyes to her notebook.
Serafina's voice washed through the classroom like velvet-infused thunder:
"…myth is the echo of a culture's soul."
Normally, Emily would have been entranced by that line — she loved literature, symbolism, mythology.
But her brain refused to cooperate.
Because all she could think was:
Zumi is sitting behind you.
Zumi saw you gasp.
Zumi probably thinks you're weird.
Her pulse hammered in her ears.
She swallowed, repositioned her pen…
And her fingers trembled.
Calm down, Emily. Calm down. Please.
But her aura — faint, gentle, normally soft like warm candlelight — flickered chaotically around her.
Nervous.
Embarrassed.
Unsteady.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
You worked too hard to get here. Stop acting like a nervous child. Breathe.
She inhaled.
She exhaled.
And—
Something shifted.
Not magically.
Not divinely.
Not with training.
She simply…
Centered herself.
Her aura straightened.
Balanced.
Smoothed out into a steady, peaceful rhythm.
Effortlessly.
Emily blinked open her eyes.
There. Focus. Ignore the handsome guy. Ignore the golden eyes. Ignore the suit. Ignore everything except class.
She lifted her pen again and began writing smoothly.
Zumi's eyes narrowed just slightly.
That girl's aura…
At first, it had been normal:
soft, timid, fragile.
Then it spiked wildly in panic.
But suddenly—
Perfect control.
Not brute force.
Not suppression.
Not masking.
Pure stabilization.
Zumi straightened subtly in his seat.
That wasn't normal.
A human with no training did not just regulate their aura instinctively.
Ever.
And yet… she did.
He watched the faint halo of her energy settle into harmony, like she had unconsciously breathed the world into stillness.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He didn't move physically—but in his mind, a soft pulse of telepathic intent reached out.
Telepathic Link — Zumi → Gia
Zumi:
Gia… you saw that, right?
Gia sat rigidly straight in her desk behind him, eyes forward as if she were the model student.
But her aura pulsed acknowledgment.
Gia:
I did. She calmed her aura instantly. Perfectly. Only trained cultivators can do that.
Zumi's eyes sharpened.
Zumi:
Emily Hart is not ordinary.
A tiny smirk ghosted across Gia's lips — subtle enough to hide from mortals.
Gia:
I told you the moment she ranked second under you. People don't get that high by accident.
Zumi breathed out slowly through his nose.
Zumi:
There's more to her. I want to know what.
He closed the link.
But he wasn't finished.
Telepathic Link — Zumi → Kathy (two floors below)
Kathy was pretending to pay attention in her science class when a soft mental tap reached her.
She blinked.
Kathy:
Zumi? Is something wrong?
Zumi:
I need you to befriend someone. Emily Hart. Serafina's class. Sitting near the front.
Kathy snapped upright in her chair.
Kathy:
Understood. Why?
Zumi's gaze stayed locked on Emily's newly-stabilized aura.
Zumi:
She instinctively controlled her aura.
A beat of silence.
Then—
Kathy:
…That's impossible.
Humans can't do that. Even trained cultivators struggle with that level of control.
Zumi:
Exactly.
Kathy's tone sharpened, alert.
Kathy:
Then she could be a target. Or a threat. Or someone valuable.
Zumi:
All of the above. So be her friend. Naturally. Stay close.
Kathy grinned to herself, flipping her hair behind her shoulder.
Kathy:
I'll make her think she approached me first. Trust me—I'm excellent at this.
Zumi:
I know. That's why I chose you.
The link faded.
Back to Emily — Calm, Unaware, Vulnerable
Emily had no idea that:
• She had accidentally revealed an ability she didn't know she had
• A reincarnated Monkey King was analyzing her
• A Darkness Goddess was wary of her
• An elite assassin was already assigned to watch over her
• And a divine household had just placed her under their protection
She just wrote neatly in her notebook, finally breathing normally.
Her aura glowed quietly.
Soft.
Gentle.
Unassuming.
But controlled.
Serafina kept lecturing, pretending her entire being wasn't hyper-aware of Zumi sitting there like a divine flame behind her.
Gia watched Emily with an I-knew-it smirk.
And Zumi?
Zumi leaned back in his chair, golden eyes half-lidded.
His mind turning.
His instincts whispering:
Emily Hart…
What exactly are you?
Serafina turned a page in her textbook with practiced elegance, then looked up at the class.
"Let's have someone read the opening verse."
Her eyes scanned the room.
Emily felt her stomach plummet.
Please don't—
Please don't—
Please—
"Emily Hart," Serafina said gently, "go ahead."
Emily froze.
Her fingers tightened around her pen.
Her heart hammered.
Her aura flickered — anxious, uneven, trembling like a nervous flame.
She stood up slowly, holding the book with both hands to hide the shaking.
"I—"
Her voice cracked.
Heat rushed up her neck.
Everyone was looking.
Everyone was waiting.
God… please let me disappear.
In the back of the room, Zumi watched her.
Her hands…
Her aura…
Her breath…
He recognized the signs instantly.
An anxious aura spiral.
A spiritual sensitivity she didn't understand.
A soul too aware for her own good.
Without lifting a finger, without shifting his posture, without even blinking—
He directed a subtle pulse of divine aura toward her.
Not dominance.
Not pressure.
Not overwhelming force.
A calm, confident warmth.
Like sunlight quietly brushing her shoulders.
A stabilizing embrace.
He shaped it delicately, directing it only toward her — his control precise enough that no one else felt even a ripple.
Emily inhaled sharply.
Then—
Her heartbeat steadied.
Her breath evened.
Her muscles relaxed.
She didn't know why.
She didn't know how.
But suddenly…
She felt safe.
Steady.
Centered.
Like someone had placed an invisible hand on her back and whispered:
You can do this.
Her aura — previously trembling — settled instantly into smooth, steady confidence.
Spiritually aware.
Spiritually responsive.
Spiritually receptive.
She had no idea she'd just reacted to a divine aura.
None.
She only knew she felt… strong.
Emily lifted the book.
And read clearly:
"Myth is a mirror through which humanity reflects its fears,
its hopes,
and the truth it is too afraid to say aloud."
Her voice was calm.
Warm.
Beautiful.
When she finished, she sat back down, cheeks lightly flushed but not from panic — from pride.
Where did that confidence come from?
That wasn't… me.
I don't have that kind of courage.
But she stayed silent.
Her aura remained stable.
Without speaking, without exchanging glances, three beings in the room sharpened instantly.
Zumi:
His golden eyes softened.
She responded immediately. Her spirit is aware — not consciously, but instinctively. Rare. Very rare.
Gia:
Watching from behind with her assassin-trained senses, she exhaled slowly.
She accepted the aura without resistance. A normal human would've flinched or panicked. She absorbed it like a seasoned spiritualist…
Gia smirked slightly.
Zumi was right about her.
Serafina:
From the front of the class, while pretending to adjust her textbook, Serafina used a subtle fraction of her goddess perception.
Her eyebrows twitched.
That was not an ordinary aura fluctuation. Her spirit recognized Zumi's signature and harmonized with it… without knowing him…
Serafina's lips curved faintly.
How interesting.
Emily sat in silence, fingers lightly brushing the edges of her notebook.
What… was that?
Why did I feel so confident just now?
Why do I feel like someone whispered courage into my soul?
She didn't know.
She couldn't know.
But something inside her whispered:
I'm being watched.
Not in a bad way… but in a protective way.
She shook her head, pushing the thought away.
Focus, Emily.
You're imagining things.
But from the back of the room…
A pair of golden eyes remained fixed on her.
Calm.
Intrigued.
Observing.
Emily Hart…
I want to understand you.