Alectra's golden eyes locked on mine. Then, slowly, her smile returned, brighter this time, filled with pride and something almost childlike. She leaned in, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Incredible. Tell me, my little star, everything that happened?"
"Well, if you must know, then you'd better take a seat, because this is gonna be a long story."
She settled onto the bed, not bothering to hide the curiosity etched across her face.
"I was sleeping late like always, when I felt this chill and woke up. I opened my eyes, and there I was, floating five feet above the ground, black and green mana swirling around me like a damn storm. Most people would've screamed, maybe begged the gods for help."
I let a self-satisfied grin spread across my face, and I raised my hands wide for that extra dramatic effect.
"Not me, I knew exactly what was happening. It felt like the world itself was trying to force its way into me, because really, who else could it have been?"
I brushed a hand through my hair, as if even the memory demanded I look good, telling it. "That's when it appeared, my status screen. The universe itself putting my greatness into words."
Alectra's lips parted, her eyes still holding that curious gleam. "So... what was your affinity?"
I smirked. "Affinity? No, no, no. I think you meant to say affinities."
Her brows furrowed, voice rising slightly. "Affinities? You can't possibly mean you got two affinities."
I smirked. "Oh, but I mean exactly that."
Alectra slowly shook her head, her smile wavering between disbelief and awe. "Most people pray for years and still don't get one, and you're telling me you awakened two."
Awakening. For most people, it was simple, or at least, that's how the stories made it sound. You hit seventeen, and if you're one of the five percent of people who Lady Luck smiles upon, your soul finally resonates with mana. Why seventeen? Nobody knew. It just… was. Always had been.
The unlucky ninety-five percent? They stayed ordinary. Farmers, smiths, guards, people who had to rely on ascendents to keep the beasts and other races beyond the walls from tearing them apart.
But the chosen few, the ones whose souls lit up, they became something else. You didn't just get an affinity; it was like finding out who you really were. Fire, water, air, light, shadow, those were common enough. But rarities like dream, memory, even probability? Those were legendary, only whispered about in miracles. An affinity wasn't just power. It was destiny. It dictated the heights you could reach, the kind of legend you might become.
Most only awakened a single affinity. A rare few gained two. Those were the ones people called geniuses, the ones destined to carve their names into the world.
And then there was me.
I let the silence stretch, savoring the way her eyes clung to me. Then I leaned towards her ears, voice dropping to a whisper. "Three"
Alectra shot to her feet, her voice splitting the air. "THREE?!"
I didn't flinch. I only smiled, calm as a saint. "Death. Life. And Soulflames." I let the words linger, savoring how impossible they sounded. Then I tilted my head, grin widening. "Tell me that isn't the universe playing favorites."
"I know how insane it sounds," I said, letting the grin on my face widen, "but that's what makes it perfect. People pray their whole lives for a taste of what I have, and me? I didn't just awaken, I shattered the damn scale. Three affinities. Death. Life. Soulflames. Tell me I'm not amazing."
I spread my hands wide, like I was showing her the whole world. "Most would kill for this, hell, they'll probably try, but honestly? Let them. It just proves I'm worth killing for. Legends aren't born quietly; they're forged in envy, fear, and a lot of blood."
My eyes lingered on hers, daring her to look away. "I'm not just different now, Alectra. I'm inevitable. The world can love me or hate me, but it sure as hell won't be able to ignore me."
I leaned back, smug satisfaction dripping from every word. "And really… would you expect anything less from me?"
Alectra's stare lingered, sharp enough to cut through my bravado. Then, at last, a small smile curved her lips.
"You really do have big dreams, don't you?" she said softly, almost to herself. Her golden eyes gleamed, both proud and stern. "But dreams alone won't carry you there. This much power is a curse as much as a blessing if it's not guided properly. If you think you can learn to control it yourself, then you're still a child, Sebastian."
"I'm making a call," she said suddenly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Stay here. Don't move."
Before I could even ask who she was calling, she was already halfway to the door, her long black hair swaying behind her like a banner of midnight.
The door clicked shut. Silence.
{…Why did you do that?}
Bastard's voice oozed into my head, smug as always, but there was something else in it now, curiosity.
"Do what?" I muttered.
{Tell her. You could've hidden it. You should've hidden it. I thought you didn't trust anyone.}
I leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. "I know. I still don't"
{Then why?}
I exhaled slowly, letting the words sit in my chest before forcing them out. "Because… I've accepted it. This is my reality now. I can't run from it, and I can't pretend it's not happening. And if I'm going to live in this reality, then I need one thing."
{And that is?}
"Trust," I said simply. "She's my sister. Maybe not my sister, not really, but… she is Sebastian's sister. And the feelings I inherited from him are real, no matter how much I want to deny them. I can't carry this weight alone, Bastard. So I trusted her."
{Tch. Brave. Or foolish. Maybe both.}
A grin tugged at my lips. "Yeah, well… that's me." Just as I finished my talk with bastard, Alectra barged back into the room, a small smile on her face.