AN: Welcome, welcome to the new circus. Step right in and do let this ringmaster know how you like the show... Seriously, let me know. It still feel awkward starting something new. Happy reading.
Jian Ci was tall, taller than both his brothers. His frame cast a long shadow across the garden pavement. Though the youngest, his height and presence made him seem older, more imposing. Especially beside Jian Wei, whose smaller stature and quiet intensity gave him the air of a scholar rather than a prince.
Jian Wei was not an Esper or a Guide. But what he was was a genius.
There was no field he couldn't master. Mech technology, Bioengineering, Quantum Theory, you name it. Yet for Jian Ci's sake, he had devoted himself to medicine, narrowing his focus to Esper genomics. It was the only path that might save his brother.
Jian Ci carried a rare and catastrophic psychic affliction, a mutation born from the serum their father had injected into Lady Seraphyne the day of his conception. It twisted his aura into something volatile, unstable. They had tried everything. They had hired high-ranking Guides, used experimental stabilizers, but Jian Ci's aura rejected all contact. Guides were repelled, some injured, others physically infected.
Still, Jian Wei persisted.
He had made it his life's work to find a cure, even though he and Jian Ci argued constantly like a pair of cubs going at it.
Jian Rui stood nearby, arms folded, watching them with a soft chuckle. The tension between them was familiar, almost comforting.
Jian Ci's eyes lit up the moment he spotted Jian Rui stepping into the garden. His face beamed with joy, and he broke into a grin so wide it nearly split his cheeks.
"Brother!" he shouted, voice echoing across the courtyard. "Do you want to race?"
Jian Rui chuckled, his steps slow and relaxed as he approached. Jian Wei, already standing beside Jian Ci, glanced at their older brother with a knowing smirk and beckoned him over.
"What sort of mess are you two getting into now?" Jian Rui asked, his tone playful.
"I perfected my exosuit," Jian Wei said proudly. "It's less bulky than before. I wanted to test it out."
Jian Ci bounced on his heels, practically vibrating with excitement. "How about running with us? It's been a while!"
Jian Rui, infamous for doting on his younger brothers, rolled his eyes fondly and began removing his coat. "Sure," he said, grinning. "Just be ready to weep."
Jian Wei scoffed. "Both of you will weep," he muttered, glancing at Jian Rui, then he froze.
A faint discoloration peeked out from Jian Rui's tightly wrapped neck. It was burned skin with psychic residue. Their eyes met. Jian Rui gave a small, unreadable smile and looked ahead.
They both knew Jian Ci's temper. If he saw the injury, he would lose control. So they never spoke of their father in front of him.
Unaware of the silent exchange, Jian Ci stretched, jumping up and down, warming up like a child preparing to win.
Jian Wei tapped the crystalline amulet embedded on his chest. A soft chime rang out, and the Mnemonic Core responded instantly. The suit bloomed from the device like a living memory, obsidian mesh unfurling across his limbs, silver filament weaving through the joints with elegant precision. In seconds, he was encased in a sleek exosuit, its surface pulsing faintly with neural light.
Jian Rui grinned. "Get set—" he said, but before the word go could leave his lips, he bolted forward, a streak of violet flame trailing behind him.
"You—!" Jian Wei shouted, launching after him, his boots barely touching the ground.
Jian Ci laughed, eyes gleaming. "I am telling Mum!" he yelled, and then he too was off, a blur of motion, his aura crackling.
Three figures tore across the grounds, their velocity so intense the world seemed to blur around them. Their forms became indistinct, swallowed by speed and psychic resonance. Grass flattened in waves beneath their feet. Branches twisted violently, some snapping mid-air as if struck by invisible blades.
Jian Rui moved like a wildfire, his violet aura shimmering and warping the air. Jian Ci followed, his trail of psychic traces. Their auras clashed and danced, sending ripples through the garden's protective shield, which pulsed in warning but held firm.
Jian Wei was no less formidable. His suit read his breath and resolve, and responded with perfect calibration. It redirected force, amplified momentum, and adjusted with each stride. He ran not with raw power, but with purpose.
They wove through the garden like ghosts.
Starshade vines recoiled at their passing, their moonlit leaves curling inward. Petals scattered in their wake, torn from Whisperlilies and Ashroses, drifting like embers in a storm.
The swimming pool rippled violently, its surface catching only the faintest blur of their speed, three shadows racing underneath the bright sun.
On the tenth lap, Jian Ci surged ahead, his aura slicing through the air. Jian Rui trailed just behind, violet flame flickering at his heels. Jian Wei, guided by precision and tech, was a half-second behind, his exosuit adjusting with every stride.
When they stopped, Jian Ci and Jian Rui stood motionless, breathing steady, skin untouched by sweat or strain. Their auras had dimmed, no longer flaring with velocity, but still present, quiet, coiled and waiting.
Jian Wei lay on his back in the grass, the Mnemonic Core at his chest pulsing with a soft, exhausted glow. He panted, not heavily, but enough to betray the effort it had taken to keep pace. His fingers curled into the soil, grounding himself, eyes half-closed against the sky.
Jian Ci stepped forward and nudged his leg. "You alright?"
Jian Wei cracked one eye open. "You little shit. How disrespectful."
"How is that disrespectful? You are too sensitive."
"Kick me again and I will saw off your foot."
Jian Ci paused, calculating the probability of him following through with his threat and then he shrugged. What's life without taking some risks?
He kicked him again. "You brat!" Jian Wei shouted, eyes narrowing with mock fury.
Jian Ci grinned, spun on his heel, and bolted across the garden.
Jian Wei gave chase, his exosuit still humming with residual energy. Jian Rui, watching the chaos unfold, chuckled and turned back toward the house, his steps slow and amused.
Jian Ci was like a Siberian Husky; if he didn't burn through his energy during the day, he would be a whirlwind of mischief by night. He had learned long ago that it was better to let him run wild now than deal with an overly energetic Ah-Ci later.
After several laps and a few near-collisions with garden statues, the brothers finally slowed. Jian Ci entered the house first, his breath steady, his aura calm. "You kept up. Your adjustments on the suit are good," he said, voice low, almost surprised.
Jian Wei stumbled in behind him, wiping a smear of dirt from his cheek. "Barely," he panted.