Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot-Chapter 374 - 373 - “You sound… happy, at least.”

Chapter 374: Chapter 373 - “You sound... happy, at least.”

The air around Raven trembled.

The golden haze in his eyes pulsed once, then settled—soft, steady, and impossibly warm.

For a while, he didn’t move.

He couldn’t move.

Because the woman before him—the one wearing his sister’s body—didn’t seem like a stranger anymore.

He didn’t know how he knew, but something deep within him whispered her name before his lips ever could.

"...Mother?"

The word came out hoarse and fragile, as if his throat had forgotten how to speak it.

The woman’s golden eyes widened, shimmering faintly.

Then she smiled—a trembling, aching smile that seemed to hold eighteen years of silence behind it.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice breaking like dawnlight through mist. "Yes, Raven. It’s me."

For a moment, neither of them breathed.

Then, Raven’s sword hand lowered slowly until Omni’s black edge touched the floor.

The glow around his eyes flickered. His chest felt too tight. "You’re... you’re really here."

He almost didn’t believe the words himself.

Her gaze softened. "I am. Or at least a part of me is."

Her hand rose—not Valeria’s, but hers—and gently brushed his cheek.

The touch felt real, even though he could sense the faint hum of soul energy beneath the skin.

It wasn’t warm, not fully—but it carried something even stronger: familiarity.

The kind of comfort you can’t explain, only remember.

Raven’s throat tightened as he stared at her face—at the golden eyes that mirrored his, the same eyes he’d seen once, blurry and distant, the day he was born.

Even if he had been reincarnated, all he could remember about her was her blurry silhouette as he was dragged away from her the moment he was born.

After all, he never got the chance to see her again.

Still, he could tell that she was her.

"...You disappeared," he whispered, his voice shaking. "For eighteen years, I had wondered where you could—"

"I know," she interrupted softly, her fingers trembling as she cupped his face. "I know, my child. I’m sorry."

Her voice broke—raw, shaking. "I wanted to hold you longer that day. I wanted to see you grow, hear you laugh, and be there for every wound and triumph. But I couldn’t. I wanted to, I really did, but..."

Raven’s chest ached as if someone had pressed fire into his ribs.

He wanted to ask a thousand questions—but all that came out was a whisper.

"Why...?"

Tears welled in her eyes—real, shimmering, golden tears that fell and vanished before touching the ground. "Because I had to keep you safe. Had I stayed here any longer than I did, not only would I have brought trouble for you—"

She stopped, biting her lip, and shook her head. "No. Not now. You don’t need to carry that weight yet."

Raven stared at her, unable to say anything.

He had so many questions he had prepared to ask her the day he found her, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask them right now.

Without thinking, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

For a second, she froze.

Then her hands rose shakily, clutching his back as though afraid he’d disappear too.

The room was quiet—only the slow pulse of the Dragon Heart and the soft, uneven breaths they shared.

No grand speeches. No divine light.

Just a mother and son, standing in the middle of a quiet room after eighteen years apart.

"I missed you," she whispered against his shoulder, voice shaking. "Every day, I missed you."

Raven shut his eyes, his voice cracking. "It’s okay."

He swallowed hard, tightening his arms around her. "It’s okay now."

Her throat trembled. "You’ve grown so much... My little Raven. Look at you—so tall, so strong. You feel like a grown man now."

Raven let out a short, broken laugh, the kind that hurt on its way out. "You have no idea how weird it feels to call you ’mother’ when you are literally using my sister’s body. It feels like I’m a kinky pervert."

That earned a small laugh from her, too—soft, trembling, but real. "I guess you pass the humor test."

He huffed faintly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips even as tears glimmered in his eyes. "Some things are genetic. You can’t wash it off."

For a long while, they just stood there. There was no magic, no gods, no threats, just warmth.

Just family.

Finally, after what seemed like a long time, she spoke.

"How have you been?" She asked quietly, her voice finally steadying.

Raven’s lips curved slightly. "Busy. You know—saving worlds, fighting monsters, getting traumatized, collecting girlfriends. The usual."

Her laugh was light and soft. "You sound... happy, at least."

"I am," he said after a pause. "Most days. The others make sure of it."

He glanced at her, the faintest smile touching his face. "What about you?"

She hesitated, her gaze drifting downward. "The usual. Watching, fighting, and waiting."

There was something heavy in those words, but she softened them with another smile. "But this moment—just being here—it makes all the waiting worth it."

Raven’s chest ached again, but this time it was different. Warmer. Lighter.

He looked at her one last time, memorizing her face—the glow in her eyes, the way her lips trembled every time she smiled, and the faint echo of soul power that shimmered through the illusion.

And quietly, almost reverently, he said, "Welcome back, Mother."

Her eyes widened, shimmering again.

Then she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his.

"I’m home, darling."

For that fleeting, golden moment, the world outside didn’t matter.

The collapsing barrier, the gods, the endless cycle of chaos—none of it reached them.

There was only the soft heartbeat between them, the quiet sound of a long-lost love finding its way back.

.............................

A while later.

The faint hum of mana lamps filled the quiet room.

The air was calm, gentle, like the pause between heartbeats after a long storm.

Raven lay with his head resting on his mother’s lap, the golden-haired woman smiling softly as her fingers idly threaded through his dark hair.

Each stroke was slow and careful, as though she was memorizing the feeling of it—something she hadn’t had the chance to do eighteen years ago.

For a long while, neither spoke. There was no need to.

But eventually, Raven opened his eyes, staring lazily at the ceiling.

"...So," he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "How are you even in Valeria’s body?"

His mother, Catherine, smiled faintly, still tracing patterns through his hair. "I left a wisp of my soul inside her when I departed. It was small—just enough to observe things and keep a watch."

Raven blinked, lifting his head slightly. "You... left a part of your soul inside her?"

She nodded gently. "Yes. I wanted to know you were safe, even if I couldn’t be there myself. Valeria was the only one among your siblings who wasn’t trying to kill you, so I thought... if I could see the world through her eyes, I could at least watch over you from time to time."

He hummed softly, settling his head back down. "That sounds... like a lot. But wait—" He frowned slightly. "Wouldn’t that kind of connection mess with her mind a little?"

His mother paused, her fingers freezing mid-stroke. She tilted her head, thinking. "Hmm... I suppose it could. This is the first time I’ve ever tried it, but... yes, it could influence emotions. Not drastically—it can’t turn hatred into love—but it could deepen what’s already there. Make fondness stronger. Like into love."

Raven’s lips quirked upward slightly, eyes half-closed. "Ah. So that explains her obsession with me."

She chuckled, brushing his hair aside to look at his face. "It isn’t a bad thing, is it?"

"I guess so," Raven muttered. "Having a sibling who isn’t after my blood is quite the feeling, I must say."

Her laughter was soft—the kind that filled the room without ever breaking its calm.

Then silence fell again—a comfortable one.

Raven shifted a little, looking up at her glowing eyes. "So... you know everything, huh? About me. About what I’ve done."

She smiled—proud, loving, and radiant. "Yes, Raven. I’ve seen everything. And I couldn’t be prouder of how much you’ve grown."

That made his chest tighten in a way no monster’s strike ever could. He smiled faintly, turning his face into her lap, almost like a child again. "You’re not supposed to say things that make me emotional, you know."

Her fingers brushed over his cheek. "Then stop growing into someone worth being proud of."

He huffed a laugh. "No promises."

Another stretch of silence passed, warm and still.

Then Raven exhaled. "You know... You don’t have to worry about me blaming you if you vanish again."

Her fingers stopped. "Raven—"

He sat up slowly, cutting her off. "I mean it. I’m already at the fifth level of soul power. I understand what it means to bear a burden like that—"

She froze, her eyes widening. "Wait. You’ve reached which level?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He blinked, momentarily thrown off by her tone. "Uh... fifth?"

Her eyes shimmered with astonishment. "Raven, that’s—"

Before she could finish, he puffed his chest with mock pride, holding up a hand.

From his palm, a blade of pure soul energy shimmered into being—translucent, glowing faintly with deep golden veins that thrummed with power.

Her breath caught as, unlike others, she could see it.

Yes, the blade was crude, and she could point out many mistakes in the whole conjuration, but he had reached this level without any guidance, and that was... not normal.

She looked back at him, her voice trembling. "With your help, I might—"

But she stopped herself abruptly.

Raven frowned. "You might what?"

Instead of answering, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him—holding him tight, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"I’m just... proud," she murmured. "So very proud of you."

Raven blinked, caught off guard—then grinned smugly, leaning back into her embrace. "You’re just realizing that now?"

She laughed softly into his shoulder. "You really are my son, huh?"

They stayed like that for a while—the quiet filling every space words couldn’t reach.

Finally, she pulled back slightly, brushing his hair once more. "So, what were you saying before I interrupted?"

Raven coughed lightly, trying to recall. "Ah, right. I was saying that since I’m at this level now, I already know how hard soul possession must be. Even for you, it’s probably taking a toll."

She opened her mouth, but he raised a hand. "Let me finish. You don’t need to push yourself to stay here longer. Just tell me what you came to say, and go. I’ll be fine. Now that I know you’re alive, I’m not worried anymore."

His voice softened, earnest and steady. "And yeah, I know I’m not strong enough yet. But I will be. I’ll find you myself next time."

Her lips parted—then curved into the gentlest smile he had ever seen. "You really are impossible."

Raven shrugged lightly. "At least now I know that I get it from you."

She looked at him for a long time—eyes full of warmth, pride, and something more fragile. Then she exhaled softly, her expression turning serious.

"Alright," she said quietly. "Then listen carefully."

Raven sat up straight, facing her fully now. His eyes met hers—calm, unflinching, and full of trust.