SYSTEM ASCENSION

The day had been exceptionally clear today, but Elias’ laziness kicked in. He decided to stay coped up all day. As a result, Quil’s siblings stared with him throughout the morning. When the sun began to rise, the girl, Cyya, suggested a sport.

”Let’s play tag!”

Dan’s eyes lit up. He sat up and tugged Elias’s arm.

”Tag! Let’s play tag!”

Elias frowned. ”What’s that?”

”It’s a game that...that...” She glanced at her brother for him to help her, but the boy just edged her on. ”...that you chase people! You just chase people.”

”Chase people?”

”Yes. You chase us.” Dan added.

Elias sat up. ”Chase you? I should...chase you.”

”Yes, you’ll close your eyes,” she ran to him and drew her hand over his brows. ”and count to...to...”

”Fifty!” Dan yelled.

”Yes. Fifty! Then you’ll search for us.”

”Wasn’t it chase? Now it’s a search?”

”It’s a search!” They chorused.

Before he could ask another question, they took off, shutting the door behind them.

”Should I have told them that I can see everyone in this manor right now?” He scratched his head.

”...one.”

He fell back on the bed and stared outside the window. With a moment of silence, his brain did something it rarely does.

Think.

”Right ...I was transported to that place for a trial.” He blinked.

’I met a lot of people too. I don’t remember their faces, but I’m less confused since Mona isn’t with me.’

He had left the egg with Keen before he came on the journey.

’Well I’m sure Mona’s fine, except Keen decides to eat egg rice for dinner.’

His hand subconsciously went to his head, feeling the soft curls of his hair.

”Someone died in that trial too...”

”Someone that belongs to me...”

”Who was it?”

”One or two...or three...”

A faint energy outside the door pulled his attention. He stood up and walked to the door, pulling it open before she could knock.

”Mrs Dashad,”

She gave a warm smile and curtsied.

”Master Elias.”

”To what do I owe this visit?”

”First, I’d thank you for making time to honour my son’s last wish.” She bowed again. ”At first, I thought he ran away from us, but I’m happy that he remembered us.”

”Hmm. Skip to the next part.” He glanced back at the room direction, like he was staring through the wall.

”...Then, second, if you’ll honour this small request of mine.”

”Take the children with me?”

She gasped. ”You...”

”You have a toxic relationship with your co wives. The children are getting in your way.”

She smiled slightly.

”They are not getting in my way. To be honest, it’s hard to part ways with them, but they’re too young for this household. Am afraid something —”

”Alright.”

His eyes drifted off into the distance.

”I can leave them to Rowen.”

She bowed again.

”Thank you, master Elias.”

”If you don’t mind,” he walked past her. ”I was playing tag.”

She wasn’t able to utter another word before he was gone. In a second, he vaulted down the half window and landed in the courtyard, thus drawing all attention.

Some strange new faces were there. Furthermore, Cyya was on her knees beside them in tears, while Dan was dangling from the hand of the oldest.

Elias simply walked to them.

”Fifty.”

They glanced at him.

There were five of them, three young men and two women, all dressed too finely to be ordinary guests, and from the resemblance they shared with the patriarch, Elias immediately understood that they were children of the Dashad patriarch.

The eldest still held Dan by the back of his shirt, leaving the boy’s feet dangling several inches above the ground, while Cyya knelt beside them with tears running down her cheeks.

Elias looked between the children.

”I found you.”

No one answered.

One of the women, a slender girl dressed in pale green, slowly examined him from head to toe before letting out a quiet laugh.

”So this is the outsider Father brought into the manor? I heard he came with the league.”

”He doesn’t look like much,” another said.

The eldest finally released Dan, although rather than setting him down, he tossed him carelessly toward the ground.

Elias moved in a blink and caught the boy by the back of his clothes before he struck the stone, placed him upright, and then stared at him for a moment.

”Were you hiding?”

Dan sniffled and nodded. ”Behind the flowers.”

”Then why are you here?”

The little boy looked toward the elder siblings but said nothing.

Cyya hurried to her brother’s side and grabbed his arm.

”They found us first.”

Elias raised his eyes.

The eldest brushed an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve. ”The brat ran into me.”

”He apologised,” Cyya said quietly.

The girl in green folded her arms. ”Did anyone give you permission to speak?”

Cyya immediately lowered her head.

Elias watched her reaction, then glanced at Dan, whose face had gone pale the moment the woman spoke.

”He apologised?” Elias asked.

”Several times,” the eldest replied. ”Unfortunately, apologies do not remove stains, nor do they teach worthless children where they belong.”

One of the others laughed.

”They take after their mother. She has never understood her position either. She should be grateful the patriarch allows her and those things to remain in the household.”

Elias stared at them. ”Isn’t their mother the first wife?”

The girl laughed. ”Worthless people don’t get to claim positions.”

”Hmm,” he mused. ”Quil certainly has trash trailing behind him as siblings.”

Her smile disappeared.

The eldest stepped forward. ”You may be Father’s guest, but you should understand that this is a family matter. Those two are barely recognised as members of this household, and their mother is nothing more than—”

A sharp crack interrupted him.

For several seconds, no one moved.

The eldest stared at Elias, then slowly looked down at the hand he had raised while speaking. His wrist was bent at an unnatural angle, his fingers trembling as the pain finally reached him.

His scream tore through the courtyard.

The others jumped back.

Elias stood exactly where he had been, his face carrying the same faintly distracted expression as before.

”Who gave you the permission to look me in the eye?”