The Bloodline System

Chapter 1595: A New Lead?

Authorʼs Note: Unedited Chapter

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Sersi grinned up at him, barely able to contain her excitement. ”Schoolʼs been fine, I guess. But itʼs Earth! I love it here! Though I missed you a lot. Youʼve been gone for so long!”

Gustav ruffled her hair playfully as his smile widened. ”I missed you too, kiddo. But itʼs good to see youʼre settling in.”

Aildris stepped forward, clasping Gustavʼs arm in a firm handshake. ”Itʼs been too long, Gus. Youʼve been busy saving our world as usual and we had to keep things locked down here.”

Gustav chuckled. ”Itʼs good to see you, Aildris. I heard youʼve reclaimed your title as family head”

Aildris nodded, his expression turning serious. ”Yes, Iʼve been busy too. One of our familyʼs energy fuel stations was affected by the catastrophe recently. I had to go there personally to oversee the rescue operations. Thatʼs why I couldnʼt visit sooner.”

”That makes sense,” Gustav replied. ”The fissures affected a lot of places. Iʼm glad you could handle it.”

Falco, who had been standing quietly until now, finally spoke, his voice calm but with a hint of weariness. ”Iʼve been spending time with my Earth father, trying to help people where I can. It feels… right, to help rebuild after everything.”

Gustav gave him a knowing look. ”And your other father? Nocturnis?”

Falcoʼs expression darkened slightly, and he looked away. ”I still hear his voice sometimes. In my head. Whispering. But I ignore him. I choose who I am, and Iʼve made my choice.”

Gustav placed a hand on Falcoʼs shoulder, offering a reassuring squeeze. ”Good. Itʼs great that youʼre on our side.”

Falco nodded, grateful for Gustavʼs support.

”So, whatʼs the plan, father? Are we going to take down more bad guys? Save the world again?” Sersi questioned with a hint of playfulness.

Gustav smirked while shaking his head. ”Youʼve got school, remember? Focus on that.”

Sersi puffed her chest out proudly. ”Just give me a few more years, and Iʼll be faster than Angy!”

The group laughed, the moment of lightness cutting through the otherwise serious atmosphere.

Endric leaned closer to Gustav while whispering. ”By the way, have you heard from E.E? He hasnʼt returned yet, even though youʼve already taken care of the fissures.”

Gustavʼs smile faded slightly, concern creeping back into his features. ”Iʼve been wondering the same thing. He went off-world to try and find help, but itʼs been a while.”

Aildris, overhearing, spoke up. ”Heʼll be back soon Iʼm sure. Itʼs E.E, he definitely has things figured out.”

Gustav nodded, though the concern still lingered. He could only hope that E.E was safe, wherever he was.

...

...

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the city below as Gustav made his way to the Independent Councilʼs headquarters.

This was a council he had personally formed to regulate the actions of the worldʼs leaders, to ensure that no power would go unchecked. It was meant to be a safeguard for earthings—a diverse body of individuals from different walks of life who would prioritize the well-being of the planet above all else.

E.E had been left in charge of the council during Gustavʼs absence. But now, with E.E off-world and still missing, Gustav felt a growing concern. He had come to ensure that everything was still running smoothly, but the nagging worry about E.Eʼs prolonged absence lingered in the back of his mind.

As Gustav stepped into the council chamber, the room buzzed with quiet professionalism. Around a large circular table sat a variety of people—doctors, lawyers, humanitarians, teachers, and engineers, all hand-picked by Gustav and E.E to serve the world without bias or political corruption.

They were from every corner of the globe, representing different cultures and experiences, united in their mission to regulate the decisions of the worldʼs governments.

The chairperson, a stern yet kind-eyed woman named Dr. Elena, stood as Gustav entered the room. ”Mr Gustav Crimson,” she said with a respectful nod. ”Welcome back.”

Gustav returned the gesture, a small smile tugging at his lips. ”Itʼs good to be back, Dr. Elena. Howʼs everything been?”

Dr. Elena gestured for him to take a seat, and Gustav settled into a chair as the rest of the council greeted him warmly. ”Weʼve been doing well,” she began. ”E.E left us in a strong position, and weʼve been able to maintain order during the chaos of the past few months. In fact, weʼve made significant progress in stabilizing the affected regions.”

Another council member, Akira Tanaka, a well-respected engineer, leaned forward to speak. ”While you were away, there was a moment when the world governments proposed a plan to destroy some of the cities that were heavily affected by the dark mist. They claimed it was the only way to stop the spread.”

Gustavʼs expression hardened. ”They wanted to destroy the cities?”

Akira nodded. ”Yes, but we ruled against it. We used our influence to veto the decision, arguing that it would only cause more destruction and suffering. Instead, we organized a global effort to quarantine the areas and slowly purify them.”

Dr. Elena chimed in. ”It wasnʼt easy, but we were able to save thousands of lives by preventing those cities from being wiped off the map. We had to push back hard, but the council stood united.”

Gustavʼs shoulders relaxed slightly as a sense of pride welled up within him. ”You made the right call. Iʼm glad to see the council functioning as it should, even in my absence.”

A teacher, a soft-spoken woman named Lucia Mendes, smiled warmly. ”Weʼre just doing what we promised, Gustav. You built this council with the right intentions, and weʼve been doing our best to uphold that vision.”

Gustav nodded, his mind briefly flashing to E.E. ʼGood job, buddy,ʼ he thought even though he was still worried about E.Eʼs absence.

”Youʼve all done amazing work,” Gustav said sincerely. ”Keep it up. Weʼre facing tough times, but I trust this council to make the right decisions when it matters.”

Dr. Elena gave him a reassuring look. ”Weʼll continue to do everything we can. You can count on us.”

With a final round of handshakes and a few more briefings on current events, Gustav left the council chambers feeling reassured, though the lingering worry about E.Eʼs absence remained.

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Later that evening, Gustav sat in the living room of his residence, surrounded by his close friends. Aildris, Falco, Ria, and Angy were all there, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. The air was light with conversation and laughter, a brief respite from the ongoing chaos of their world.

”Remember when Falco tried to explain his dual bloodlines to that old scholar in the Archives?” Ria teased, a grin on his face.

Falco rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. ”Hey, itʼs not my fault the guy couldnʼt wrap his head around it. Not everyone has the privilege of understanding two opposing bloodlines at once.”

Aildris chuckled while sipping from his drink. ”The look on his face was priceless, though. I thought he was going to faint.”

Aildris seemed much more vocal and happier now.

Angy, sitting beside Gustav, laughed along with them, her hand playfully nudging Gustavʼs arm. ”Donʼt act like youʼre not the most confusing of us all, Gustav. How many abilities do you even have now?”

Gustav smirked while shaking his head. ”Too many to keep track of, apparently.”

The groupʼs laughter filled the room, and for a moment, it felt like old times—before the dark fissures, before the looming threat of Nocturnis. It felt like when they were still back at the MBO camp years ago.

But the mood was soon interrupted by the arrival of Endric, who stepped into the room with an urgent expression.

”Gustav,” Endric voice cut through the laughter. ”Weʼve found something. The MBO just uncovered a lead on Calden Reist.”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Gustav. His posture straightened, and his expression shifted from relaxed to focused in an instant. ”Where?” he asked while already preparing himself to move.

Before Endric could respond, a soft beep sounded from the center of the room. A holographic display flickered to life, and the image of E.E. appeared, sitting casually within a spacecraft. His face seemed calm and composed as always in a nearly hilarious way.

”Yo Gus, guys.” E.Eʼs voice echoed through the room, and the sight of him immediately brought a mix of relief and curiosity to the group.

”E.E.!” Angy exclaimed while sitting up straight. ”Where have you been?”

Gustavʼs eyes narrowed, his concern for his friend finally finding an outlet. ”Youʼve been gone for a while, E.E. Whatʼs going on?”

E.Eʼs chuckled while speaking before his expression turned serious. ”Nothing too crazy guys, no need to be worried. I was on my way back to Earth, but I found out Elevora was in trouble.”

The mention of Elevora immediately caught Gustavʼs attention. ”What happened?”

E.E sighed whiile leaning forward in his holographic seat. ”You know how Elevora infiltrated the Gustavo Alliance, right? That terrorist organization that believes youʼre their god?”

Gustav nodded. ”Yeah. I remember.”

”Well,” E.E continued, ”Sheʼs been sabotaging their operations from the inside and they found out.”