The scent of antiseptic clung to Kaelan even after he was released, a sterile starkness that couldn't erase the memory of his past life's final, bloody alleyway. His mother, Mrs. Han, clutched his hand, her grip warm and tight, as they navigated the familiar path home. Her face, usually so composed, was etched with a fragile relief he hadn't truly appreciated before.
Back in their small apartment, the air still faintly smelled of ozone from his outburst, a phantom of the raw power he'd unleashed just hours ago—or rather, years from now. Mrs. Han busied herself in the kitchen, humming a nervous little tune. Soon, the familiar earthy aroma of her special tea filled the air. She set the steaming mug before him, her hand trembling slightly as she offered it.
"Here, Kaelan. Drink this. It will help you calm down," she murmured, her eyes searching his face, full of an apology he was only now truly understanding.
In his previous life, he would have taken it, gulped it down, and buried the unsettling sparks deep inside, just like she wanted. But not this time. He kept his hands firmly on his lap, watching the steam curl from the mug.
He could feel the familiar, almost electric hum beneath his skin, a ghost of the immense power he now knew he possessed. He looked at his mother, really looked at her, seeing the fear and the desperate hope in her eyes.
"Mom," he said, his voice steadier than he expected, "why am I like this?"
Her hand, which had been reaching for the teapot, froze mid-air. Her shoulders stiffened. "Like what, dear? You just had a big scare at school. You're fine now, just a little shaken." Her voice was too bright, too quick.
He reached across the table, gently taking her arm, his fingers surprisingly firm on her wrist. "No, Mom. Not the fall. Why do sparks come from my hand when I get upset? Why did that boy get so hurt?" He pressed on, not letting her retreat, watching the careful facade on her face begin to crack. "Why did you cry? And why have I been kept inside all this time?"
She pulled her arm back, her gaze dropping to the floor. A sigh, heavy with years of unspoken burdens, escaped her lips. "Kaelan, please. It's... it's complicated. Some things are best left... undisturbed."
"I deserve to know," he insisted, his voice gentle but unwavering. He saw the flicker of defiance, then resignation in her eyes.
She finally looked at him, her gaze clouded with unshed tears. "You're... you're special, Kaelan. More than most people can imagine." Her voice was a bare whisper. "You have an attribute. It's awakened inside you. A very powerful one."
He nodded slowly, as if processing new information. "Like the people in that book?" he said, gesturing vaguely. "The Awakened?"
Her head snapped up, eyes wide with alarm. "What book? What are you talking about?" Her gaze darted around the room, searching, alarmed.
Kaelan quickly improvised, choosing the safest lie. "The one... the old leather one. I found it in the cabinet, tucked behind some old photo albums, when I was cleaning before... before school." He paused, letting the lie settle. "I started reading it. It talks about attributes, and clans, and... a gang called the Heukma Gang."
A fresh wave of sorrow washed over her, mixed with dawning understanding and a renewed, gut-wrenching fear. Her face paled. "Oh, Kaelan..." she whispered, tears finally tracing paths down her cheeks. "Yes. The Awakened. It's... it's all true."
"And the sparks are... lightning?" he prompted, pushing her gently.
She nodded, tears flowing freely now. "Yes. The Electric attribute. It's incredibly rare... incredibly powerful." Her voice cracked. "Your father... he had it too."
Kaelan's heart ached for her. This was the conversation she'd avoided for years, the truth she'd buried to protect him. He saw the raw grief for his father, for their lost life, bubbling to the surface. "Mom, the book also mentioned that the Heukma Gang... they're the ones who destroyed the Geom Clan, aren't they? My father's clan."
She covered her face with her hands, sobbing silently. "Yes," she choked out. "They were... they were monsters. They wanted everything. They wanted to erase the Geom Clan from existence."
Kaelan reached across the table again, this time taking both her hands, squeezing them gently. "Mom, if they could wipe out a powerful clan like that... then just us, hidden away, won't be enough. We won't be safe for long. They'll come back."
She shook her head frantically, pulling her hands free to wring them together. "No, Kaelan, no! We'll move! We'll go somewhere else, far away! We've always been safe here. I can keep you safe!" Her voice rose in a panicked crescendo, the raw fear of losing him, just as she'd lost his father and her lover, making her desperate. "I can't lose you too! I can't!"
"And what happens when I get angry again? What happens when another 'spark' tears through the roof and gives us away?" Kaelan countered, his voice steady, rational. He saw her flinch. "We can't hide forever, Mom. Hiding didn't work last time. It won't work now." He paused, letting his words sink in.
"We need help. Real help. Family help."
He saw the realization dawn in her eyes, mixed with a deep, weary reluctance. "My family... the Bing Clan..." she whispered, her voice laced with bitterness. "They barely acknowledged my existence. They have no love for the Geom."
"But they're family, right?" Kaelan pressed, remembering the book's details about the dwindling Bing Clan lineage. "They're Awakened. They'll know what to do. At least they'll know about this world. We can't fight the Heukma Gang alone, Mom. But maybe... maybe we don't have to."
She stared at him, a young boy who suddenly seemed older, wiser, more determined than she'd ever seen him. The fear in her eyes slowly gave way to a sliver of hope, then a fierce resolve. It was a terrifying thought, reaching out to the family she'd shunned for fifteen years, the family she'd kept her secret from. But Kaelan was right. Hiding hadn't saved them.
With a deep, shuddering breath, Mrs. Han nodded. "Okay, Kaelan. Okay. I'll make the call." Her fingers trembled, but this time, it was with a different kind of fear, and a new kind of resolve.