Through the shallow basin, Michael led the group, boots pushing past flattened tufts of grass. The path rerouted back the way they had come before cutting into a series of deliberate, sharp turns. Tobi followed without commenting, searching for a pattern in their journey. Then again, it wasn't as though Michael was just wandering. He was tracking.
Tobi adjusted his posture as the ground grew rougher, picking between grasses, roots, branches, and pebbles pressing into the bare soles of his feet with each step.
Conversations arose like embers in a cold ash, few, faint, and fading. Names, places, and unconfirmed disclosures were doing more to fill the silence than connect.
The red-haired teen introduced himself as Liam, a bright voice, claiming America to be his home. The young girl, Isla, followed suit, a quiet England being mentioned. Kwame, the youthful boy stumbling over roots that no one else did, happily mentioned South Africa with a sheepish smile. The last man refused any introduction. He was old, suited, and had blond, slicked-back hair, but no one seemed to particularly care.
The embers of the conversation became sparks of thoughts for Tobi. A mental note was drafted in his head of the different cultures each person came from.
After several minutes, the pace suddenly dropped. "Two," Michael said, gaze fixed ahead. "Close together. Almost overlapping." The words carried certainty without explanation. Tobi watched the tree line instead of Michael's face. Whatever Michael sensed, the forest refused to reveal, no movement, nor sound beyond wind and leaves. The clearing came into view first, then the figures.
Two young figures stood near the center, one male and the other female. They were identical in height and build, with wavy black hair falling in the same careless pattern. Both tilted their heads at the same angle as the group emerged, eyes flicking between faces with practiced calm. The stillness wasn't hesitation; it was identification. Just short of the clearing's edge, Tobi stopped.. Distance felt wise.
Neither timid nor aggressive, the two did not rush to speak. The silence dawned upon them heavy and purposeful. Tobi recognized this trick, forcing others to fill the gap. Stares were exchanged back and forth until Liam could no longer hold under the pressure, "Oh my god, are you two like us?" He spoke exasperatedly.
The twins looked at him, synchronized, "Transmigrators, you mean?"
Somehow, such simple words landed heavily despite the clarity they should have brought.
The two then began to face each other, the girl's words came out first, "Oh my god, stop copying me."
"We literally said it at the same time, stupid."
"I literally told you I'd say that part."
"Well, I thought it'd be cooler to you know, be twins!"
The argument flared like they'd had this exact conversation before, each word spoken with haste. Volume rising just loud enough to command attention, but not so loud as to be a major distraction. Whatever pressure and dominance the two youths had created immediately disarmed itself. Tobi, on the otherhand, focused on how neither twin lost focus on the group despite their drama.
Without warning, the girl raised a six-fingered hand, palm open directly towards the boy's face
Light flared. No heat, no sound, no force, just a sudden bloom of brilliant light. Bright enough to sting the eyes and make the clearing feel like it was illuminated by white light. Tobi turned away instinctively, and more than a couple of others took in a breath of cold air.
"Hey..!" The boy staggered, "What was that for!"
"Stop being dramatic," The girl lowered her hand as the light faded, "You're fine."
She ignored the boy, rubbing his eyes as fragments of his vision returned.
"As you can probably tell by now," The girl spoke plainly, "We know a bit more than you guys about what a transmigration is. But first."
She pointed to herself, "I'm Kiki..." Her voice lost excitement, "And this is my brother, I guess, Kian."
Kian scowled at her, "You didn't have to do that!"
"You were annoying, so... not my problem."
Silence intruded into the clearing again. No one really wanted to get in between this when there's no knowing how that light came to be.
Liam, however, started to get a little jumpy before blurting, "This world has magic! How do you use it!"
Kian composed himself and replied, "Not exactly magic, not yet at least." He paused and turned to Michael, "How about you ask your friend who so cleanly tracked us?"
Eyes turned.
"I swear... I didn't hide anything." Michael spoke slowly, unwilling to lose his reputation right here, "I just have a feeling leading me to other creatures... people... just a direction in my head."
Kiki laughed, "You didn't think to check, you guys must not read very often."
"Check your status," Kian explained.
The words hung there for a moment before Michael, with a frown, muttered, "Status... open?"
Michael's eyes lost focus as he mumbled words he read.
A second later, the others followed with murmurs, Tobi too.
"Status open."
The spectral blue overlays returned, thin and seemingly incomplete.
[Transmigrator System]
[Name: Tobias Santos]
[Condition:
Vessel: UNSTABLE
Focus: LOW
Intent: PRESENT]
[Abilities:
— Transparent Quests (S)
— Authority of Exception (Unconfirmed)]
[Note:
Requires more data.]
The overlay lingered for a moment before slowly fading from view.
'Its real!' Tobi thought for a moment, 'It's so vague, too, apparently.'
Around the time Tobi finished reading, Liam sucked in an audible sharp breath, "I got an S rank..!" His eyes darted around, "Isn't that... isn't that supposed to be..!"
"Baseline." Kiki cut in dramatically.
The word was spoken so casually, yet landed with more weight than the status reveal.
Liam blinked, opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, "What?"
Kian crossed his arms, unimpressed, "Let's just say every transmigrator has at least an S rank ability. Anyone who didn't would likely die before getting anywhere far."
The excitement drained out of the teen's face as if his dreams were all crushed in seconds, "So S rank isn't special..."
"Not even close." Kiki said and laughed, "But that still makes you better than most non-transmigrators."
Tobi absorbed the entire dialogue. S rank used to mean the top, the strongest, back in the games he used to play. 'The fact she said at least S rank means there's definitely higher ranks... Is unconfirmed a rank itself?' His hands shook at the possibility and the fear of asking about this unconfirmed ability.
No one really moved right away. This information made the clearing feel different now. Not safer, but sharper, as if every sound and breath carried meaning. People stood where they were, glancing at the treeline, at each other, at nothing at all. Names had been given to abilities, but no guidance followed. No instructions. No reassurance. Nothing felt settled.
Liam shifted from foot to foot, almost bouncing, restlessly. He couldn't help but look down, as if he was measuring some distance, then back up.
"Flash step..." The name slipped out as he moved around.
The people who heard looked over, but no one responded. Kiki and Kian watched openly with interest.
Liam swallowed his saliva and pride to say it louder, more confidently, "Flash Step..!"
Kiki and Kian nodded with a smile, noticing the difference in Liam. The tension in the muscles of his calves intensified, and his breathing became hushed and steadied.
Liam took a step forward. And vanished. Almost completely, becoming only a blur.
Air snapped where he was originally standing, and in a sudden burst, Liam reappeared several meters ahead, his boots skidded deep into the dirt. He stumbled, arms swinging back as he barely managed to not fall face-first.
Everyone held their breath.
"I..." Liam laughed, sharp and disbelieving. "I did it. I actually... did you all see that?"
His excitement was infectious. Relief bled through the group in quiet ways. Shoulders eased, shaky breaths escaped, and smiles appeared.
Kiki tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "You pushed too hard," she said.
"But it worked," Liam retorted, grinning.
Tobi said nothing.
He watched the disturbed grass. The way Liam's hands trembled now that the moment had passed. Replaying the moment in his head where a name had been enough to move almost instantly.
'How dangerous would it be to see an offensive ability of a higher rank?' Tobi thought, 'People would die...'
As the group began talking all at once, Tobi stayed quiet, firmly refusing to mention his abilities as his hands shook. If merely saying two words could unlock something that volatile, which Liam didn't even understand, what about an unconfirmed ability?
And Tobi had no intention of being the first to test the unknown.
To him some truths were safer left unnamed.