Chapter 209 | Serious Dexter!

Chapter 209: 209 | Serious Dexter!

Mira paused.

"But talent alone is not enough to break through from Ultra to Transcendent. "

She looked at him.

"So yes. Eventually, you will have to go. If you want to advance past Ultra, you will need access to something that exists beyond our dimension. That’s just reality."

Dexter blinked. He hadn’t expected this. He had expected Mira to list every reason why he couldn’t leave.

Instead, she was giving him permission.

"But," Mira continued, and her voice hardened, "you are not going with Aurora."

Dexter blinked again. "What?"

"You are not going with Aurora," Mira repeated. Each word was enunciated with the precision of a hammer driving nails.

"But it is Aurora who knows the location of the portal," Dexter said. "She has the map. She has the coordinates. She’s the one organizing the expedition."

Mira’s jaw tightened. Her crimson eyes flashed.

"I don’t care," she said. "You are not going with that woman."

Dexter stared at her. The pieces were falling into place. The jealousy from moments ago.

"Are you jealous?" he asked carefully. "Is there something between you and Aurora? A rivalry?"

Mira snorted coldly.

"Aurora," she said. The name left her lips like something distasteful. "That bitch."

Dexter raised both eyebrows.

"People try comparing her to us, to the three of us. They say she’s the youngest S-Rank. The most talented hero of her generation. The pride of Stargate City."

Her crimson eyes burned.

"That bitch took my place."

"I was the youngest hero in the city’s history," Mira said.

"Then the dungeon happened. And we were crippled. And suddenly, the spotlight needed somewhere else to shine. And there she was. Aurora."

"Nobody would even know her name if it wasn’t for the fact that the three of us were removed from the picture," Mira said. "She got her S-Rank because there was no one left to compete with. The youngest S-Rank? Please."

She glared at Dexter.

"And now she wants to take our husband."

The last sentence came out with a venom that made the air in the entryway feel several degrees warmer.

"Absolutely not," Mira said. "You are not going anywhere with that woman."

Dexter looked at her.

He could argue.

But he didn’t.

"All right, all right," Dexter said, holding up both hands. "I didn’t want to go in the first place. So I won’t go with her. If I ever want to get to the Fourth Dimension, I’ll find another way. Are you satisfied?"

Mira glanced at Dexter.

She blinked, Then she smirked a small, self-satisfied smirk.

But Dexter could see the smile she was trying to suppress.

She was pleased.

Dexter chuckled at her poorly concealed satisfaction. She eqs cute.

"Did you get to eat?" he asked.

Mira shrugged. "I wasn’t hungry."

Dexter’s brows furrowed.

The amusement drained from his face. What replaced it was a cold seriousness.

"You shouldn’t do that," he said.

Mira was a bit surprised by his tone. She looked at him. The playfulness in her expression faded when she saw his face.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Not eat the food I made for you," Dexter said in a calm but firm tone.

"Every meal I make for you girls is very important. Not to me. To you. Every dish is designed to accelerate your recovery."

He held her gaze.

"So you should not skip the food I make. You should always eat. Every time with no exceptions, alright?"

Mira’s brows furrowed at his commanding tone.

She opened her mouth and wanted to instinctively retort but she saw Dexter’s expression and knew he was dead serious.

She blinked and closed her mouth and then nodded her head

"All right," she said. "All right. I will eat the food you make."

"Always," Dexter added.

"Always," Mira repeated, her voice quieter than usual.

Dexter nodded. "Good."

He straightened up from his kneeling position.

"I’ll go set up the table. Come to the dining room in five minutes."

He turned and walked toward the corridor, leaving Mira sitting in her wheelchair with an expression that hovered between annoyed and something she would rather die than identify.

---

Dexter reached the corridor.

Lyra was gone.

She had been there minutes ago, but the hallway was now empty.

Dexter walked to the girls’ room and pushed the door open.

Lyra was sitting cross-legged on the bed. The Primordial Beast Egg rested in her lap, and her eyes were closed as she cultivated.

Or pretending to cultivate.

Dexter knew better but he didn’t call her out on it.

"I’m back," he said.

Lyra’s eyes remained closed. She nodded once.

Dexter frowned.

"Have you eaten?"

Lyra’s eyes stayed closed. She shook her head.

Dexter’s frown deepened. He projected his thoughts toward her through their telepathic connection, ensuring the message was unmissable.

"Food will be ready in five minutes. Come to the dining room. No room for negotiation."

He didn’t wait for a response and simply closed the door and walked to the backyard.

---

Selene was on the swing.

Even with the perpetual cold that lived inside her body, the frost that crept beneath her skin and seeped into her bones, she still preferred the outdoors. It was a contradiction that Dexter had noticed but never questioned.

Perhaps the open air helped. Perhaps the breeze carried away some of the cold energy that accumulated around her. Perhaps she simply liked the feeling of space around her, the absence of walls and ceilings, after years of being confined indoors.

She was cultivating. Her silver-white hair hung still around her shoulders. The swing moved gently in the breeze, giving her the appearance of a ghost suspended between earth and sky.

The moment his foot touched the backyard porch, Selene’s head turned toward him. Her Echolocation had detected his approach through the vibrations of his footsteps on the wooden boards.

"You’re back," she said. Her voice was soft and quiet. Aimed roughly in his direction.

Dexter smiled. "Yes. I’m back."

He paused. "Hope everything was all right while I was gone."

"Yes," she said. "Everything was fine."

Dexter nodded. Then asked the question he asked the other two girls.

"Have you eaten?"

Selene blinked. Her pale, sightless eyes widened slightly. Then she slowly shook her head.

Dexter frowned.

He knew she couldn’t see his expression. She was blind. His furrowed brow and tightened jaw were invisible to her. So he did something he rarely did. He let his voice carry the weight that his face couldn’t communicate to her.

"Do you girls only eat when I’m around?"

Selene was silent.

"Food will be ready in two minutes," Dexter continued. "Come and eat immediately. And next time, when I’m not here, you must eat the food I prepare. It’s not just food. It’s medicine. It helps your healing. Every meal is designed to push back the frost inside your body. Skipping them is not an option."

He paused.

"Please make sure to eat. Even when I’m not around."

Selene was slightly stunned by his tone. He didn’t usually speak like this. Not to her.

But tonight he was stern towards her.

She slowly nodded her head and said quietly.

Okay,"

Dexter held his position for a moment longer. Then he exhaled, nodded once, and turned back toward the house.

"Good. Two minutes."

---

He walked to the kitchen and began plating the food.

He placed the stew into four bowls. Positioned them on the wooden dining table. Placed a spoon beside each bowl. Poured four cups of warm Star-Shaped Leaf tea.

Then he waited.