(15 years later, Leo's POV, the Time-Stilled World)
Fifteen years had passed within the Time-Stilled World since Leo failed to retrieve the holy water from Granada, and in that time, more than just his strength had changed.
For starters, he now wore a thick, well-kept beard that framed his face in a clean square shape, as although he never allowed it to grow wild or unkempt, he kept it deliberately trimmed to give himself a more mature appearance.
Because having reached the peak of Monarch-Hood, Leo's natural features had long since stabilized, leaving him with the face of a twenty-five-year-old man regardless of how much time passed.
And with his children now grown to twenty and twenty-two, remaining clean-shaven had begun to create an almost absurd image, as he appeared less like their father and more like an older sibling standing beside them.
So, to maintain a sense of presence and authority within his own family, Leo had made a simple decision.
He grew the beard.
