SYSTEM ASCENSION

The next day came faster than expected. Grandmother Lan woke up and met all the children in a vulnerable state. They were all asleep with mud shoes and full clothing. She saw two new faces. Tiana and Tyler.

Only Haliad was standing by the open window. His expression said nothing. It was like watching the world without really interfering in its emotional frequency.

”Why are you here?” She asked. ”You didn’t want to show up. You said he was unworthy.”

Haliad’s eyes drifted towards the boy. Elias, asleep with Tiana on his chest, Mimi and Rolarza at both sides.

”Myai left him with me. Told me to protect him.”

Grandmother Lan grinned. ”Is that all?”

Haliad frowned. ”I’m only doing this because he’s a disciple’s child. No more, no less.”

”Whatever you say,” she grinned.

Silence settled for a moment before she spoke.

”You hate him right? He killed a disciple.”

”She’s his mother. I’m not in any place to hate him.” Haliad expression finally shifted into a narrowed irritation. ”But his single act ruined everything. We need all the disciples. All of them, or Clave will take over.”

”Myai is still alive.” Grandmother Lan said.

”I know. Her soul is in her son.”

”Yes. So now, we have to find a way to bring it—”

”We have to kill him.” Haliad cut her off. ”Let his mother’s soul inhabitate his body. Get rid of his soul.”

”She won’t take it.”

”She has no choice.”

The old woman sighed. ”Remember what she told us about him...”

”It’s bullshit.” He cut her off. ”As soon as Vanya awakens, we’ll wake Razar from eternal slumber and release Myai’s soul trapped in her son’s body.”

”That’s not a solution.”

”It’s something.”

”We cannot interfere directly.” She raised her hand and tapped his shoulder. ”You’re getting paranoid. Calm down.”

Just then, Mimi stirred away. She opened her eyes and saw them standing.

”You sure do get along with my grandmother, Haliad.”

His eyes twitched.

”I want to rip off her mouth.”

***

Hours later, the quiet house had settled into a playground. The whole neighbourhood realised that the old woman had visitors.

Turns out, Tiana and Tyler didn’t get along much. They argued about little things until they spit fire.

Quil and Claude settled for a game of chess, while the girls watched.

Elias on the other hand didn’t mind them. He just sat like a monk in meditation staring into nothing in particular.

Kael was the only one who wasn’t in a good mood. He had stayed quiet since morning, and avoided every conversation thrown his way.

He thought more about his worth, in the team, and realised that he wasn’t doing anything except ruining things with his mouth. Somehow, this broke him more than he had ever felt.

He spaced out while sitting until someone approached him.

”Let’s go out.” Haliad smiled.

He looked up at the taller male, then quietly stood up. They both left the house and walked down the stairs.

At first no one said a thing. They just walk side by side till they get to a hill side. The grass bed covered the entire landscape and a few people were hiking in different directions.

Haliad sat on a rock, and patted his side.

”Do you want to make it clear that my ability is useless?” He sat down.

”Your ability is almost the same as Ringoff. The owner of the academy.”

”Headmaster Rowen?” Kael’s interest was piqued.

”While he can teleport long distances, and to even places he can only imagine, you can only teleport short distances.”

”Is your speech supposed to help me?” He frowned.

”But you teleport on instinct,” Haliad continued. ”You don’t need to think about where you want to go. Your energy simply detects it and sends you there. Do you think such an ability is pathetic?”

”You already said it was pathetic! Why are you asking me?!” He sprang up.

”I’m asking for your opinion.” Haliad cut in. ”You judge yourself based on what people say, and that what led you into becoming an inconvenience,”

”That’s...”

”Then you talk about everything, so you won’t get forgotten.”

”Shut up!”

”Your ability isn’t pathetic, you’re the one who’s pathetic—”

”SHUT UP!”

For a second, the wind around the field rippled. His eyes glowed white for a second, and dimmed right after. During that short while, he could have sworn he visibly saw traces of vital energy in the air.

He staggered back and grabbed his head.

”Urgh!”

Haliad continued to stare at him, as he struggled to find his footing.

”What ...was that...?”

”Domain ability.”

”What?”

”Also known as bloodline ability.” Haliad shrugged. ”At least ninety percent of people in a family awaken it, alongside their actual ability. This is the Winger domain ability. Vital eyes.”

”Vital...eyes?”

Kael’s leg gave out beneath him, and he slumped down.

”I don’t... understand...”

”Let’s take Elias for example,” Haliad explained. ”He can create any weapon. That’s his ability. His role as an upholder gave him the void, and what he did last night was the domain ability. Vital curse.”

”Vital curse?”

”By extracting a person’s vital energy and sealing it, you can curse the person. Only the black empire can do that. That’s half the reason why they all wear sealing stones.”

Kael was speechless. The bombarding information was causing mental overload.

”Fayera registered wind,” Haliad has another example. ”She can gather any information due to the system, so the tentacles you saw last night would be a domain ability.”

”...”

Kael slowly looked down at his hands. ”I had no idea.”

”That’s because you never learn. You’re the curse of your problems.”

”I didn’t... It wasn’t me!”He snapped in frustration. ”I didn’t do it!”

”Do what?”

He gasped.

”Well...I...”

Haliad smirked. ”Killed your mother?”

Kael was temporarily struck with paralysis. He stared at the disciple who stared back at him with an infuriating grin.

”What did you...”

Haliad leaned closer to his face.

”You killed your mother. You blabbered it out. Brought her death to her. Took her ability afterwards and left without giving a proper explanation to your father who suddenly saw his son with his dead wife ability.”

”Stop it.”

”You ruined her perfect life. From the start, you have been nothing but a burden to her,”

”No...”

”She carried you longer than a normal child,”

”Wait...”

”Nurse you longer than a normal child. You have always been a pathetic weakling with no ability.”

”I didn’t...”

”That’s why you killed her, right? You killed her.”

”I didn’t...”

”You killed her.”

”I...I...I...”

The last of his composure finally cracked, revealing the raw broken boy underneath.

”I’m... sorry...”