The day after the fight with the hunchbacked madman, Ben was still turning the situation over in his mind. What was he going to do with his powers? How could he hope to hide them when he couldn't even control them? Not to mention his power to take others' essence, an ability he didn't understand at all. Would a power so destructive ever be accepted?
He needed someone to talk to, someone to lean on; he felt utterly alone.
I wish you were here, Mom. His mind began to reminisce about all the happy times with his mother, her wise words. She always knew what to say and how to say it. "I miss you so much... Mother".
Ben climbed out of bed, his body still aching from the previous night's fights. Korin was right; he had pushed himself too hard. Even after a near-death experience, he hadn't stopped, training for hours nonstop until Korin finally forced him to rest. He just couldn't accept how weak he felt, haunted by the memory of freezing during another life-or-death situation. He needed to check on Hadrian. Even if the Captain hadn't woken up yet, Ben was determined to leave the short get-well card he'd written that morning before passing out from exhaustion.
After getting ready quickly, Ben headed to the academy's gate, caught a taxi, and arrived at the hospital where Captain Hadrian was being treated.
As he entered the hospital, a nurse recognized him and offered to take him to the Captain's room. The door was closed, and suddenly, a chill ran down Ben's spine. He couldn't bring himself to face Hadrian after the events of last night. Wild images of Hadrian in the worst possible condition flashed through his mind.
What if Hadrian was mad at him? Ben had disobeyed his request to stay in the car, and then, after his insubordination, he had frozen in the midst of danger. He had taken so long to stop the hunchbacked madman that it had almost cost Hadrian his life.
No, get yourself together, he scolded himself. You can't run away from a fearful situation again.
He knocked three times on the door.
A voice responded from the other side: "Come in."
Ben took a deep breath and entered.
The sight of Captain Hadrian hooked up to a collection of medical machinery came into view. Instant regret and sadness enveloped Ben, and a few tears began to form in his eyes.
"Don't look so sad to see me," Hadrian said, his voice weak but warm. "I might not be at my best right now, but I bet some bionic features will do the trick."
Ben's eyes fell on Hadrian's missing leg and the significant injury in his liver area. Despite the gravity of the wounds, a wave of relief washed over him, and he burst into laughter. He couldn't explain how happy he was to see Hadrian conscious and in good spirits. In his current mental state, all he needed was a friend, and Hadrian didn't need a bionic smile to lift Ben's mood.
"Come here, I won't bite you," Hadrian said in a playful tone.
"You're not mad at me?" Ben asked, the guilt still clinging to him.
"Are you crazy? What for...? You saved my life, Ben, and took down a criminal in the process. I'm more grateful than you can imagine, and I'm glad you didn't listen to me and stayed in the car, or I'd be a goner." Hadrian smiled from ear to ear.
A few seconds of comfortable silence filled the room.
"I guess the training with Aria really paid off," Hadrian said, as if he were taking full credit for the act.
"Wait, how do you know about that?" Ben asked with a nervous jolt, unaware of the conversations that had been going on behind his back for days. "No one is supposed to know about it since I'm not an official student yet."
Hadrian burst into laughter. "Yeah, and who do you think took care of that? Don't worry, me and old man Korin go way back. We actually went on a few missions together back in the day. If you want, I can tell you, but first, you need to grab a seat."
Unaware of his surroundings, Ben realized he had been standing for several minutes, talking to Hadrian from a distance. With a nod and a smile, he took a chair from the end of the room and sat at Hadrian's side. For the next few hours, they talked, laughing and smiling as Hadrian teased "little Benny" nonstop. For a while, it felt like everything was okay again.
But Ben knew it wasn't. After a few hours of hearing about hardcore missions and funny stories from Hadrian's old days in the Essence Academy and later in the Essence Association, Ben asked a question that suddenly made Hadrian serious.
"I heard from Korin why my mother decided to quit," Ben noted, with a noticeable pain in his eyes. "But if you guys were so strong, then why did you both stop as well?"
Ben's question struck a nerve, but it wasn't out of place; it was just the hard truth.
Hadrian had talked at length about his essence's power; the ability to turn any weapon he possessed into heavy machinery. He had even elaborated on one time he took a wooden stick and turned it into a massive tank as part of a wager against Korin. His essence had dried up that day, and he slept for three days straight, missing a briefing with the old president of the Essence Association. It was an awful story that only became funny in retrospect.
"Nothing lasts forever, Ben," Hadrian began, his tone thoughtful. "And even with great power, time will eventually catch up to you. As we get older, our essence weakens, and we can no longer achieve the same feats we did in our prime. New agents, new heroes, and new essence users always emerge; they grow stronger and stronger as we old dogs grow weaker. We can still fight, we can still stand our ground, but a new generation will always replace the old one. That's why the THOE academy was formed—to find those strong wilders and shape them into the new heroes, the next ones to lead our society toward a better future."
Hadrian looked at Ben intently. "Ben, I know you have a lot of doubts. They weigh on you, making it harder to move forward. Those doubts will make you stronger, but only if you decide to face them. Never run away from who you are. And never look back at what could have been."
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The academy loomed over Ben as he stood at its gates, the air buzzing with an electric energy he could almost taste. In a few days, Ben will enroll as a new student in the THOE Academy and start his new life. it felt as if every scar, every wound, and every lesson had carried him here. THOE Academy. A place where warriors were forged, and where heroes and monsters were born.
For a few weeks, Korin had shown him around the academy, and he had seen all sorts of powers and essence users of different strengths. He had heard a lot about everything, and now it was time to see for himself.
Ethan exhaled, steadying his mind. He had no illusions about why he was here. It wasn't for friendship. It wasn't for fame. It was for one reason and one reason only: to get stronger.
Korin led him through the academy halls, the silence between them thick but not uncomfortable. They hadn't spoken much since their last fight, since Korin had frozen everything in an instant, making Ethan realize just how far behind he was and how much more he had to learn.
"The academy runs on a ranking system," Korin explained as they walked. "Everyone starts as a recruit. How fast you rise depends on your performance in combat, mission assignments, and contribution points."
"Contribution points?" Ethan asked.
"They determine everything: privileges, access to restricted areas, advanced training, even your dorm conditions. You earn them through ranked matches, completing assignments, or excelling in special classes."
They passed through towering halls filled with students training in Essence mastery; blades materialized from thin air, lightning crackled between fingers, and illusions danced like living shadows.
"What are special classes?" Ben asked.
"They shape your future. Researchers, alchemists, medics, tactical analysts, field strategists, combat engineers… all according to your specific essence power." Korin's voice dipped slightly. "And like your parents, some can even become HEROES."
Ethan nodded, absorbing the weight of each word. Heroes. That's what his mother had been. That's what he had to become.
"The stronger you are," Korin continued, "the more options you'll have for special classes. Your performance in the first test will determine your path, so pay attention and do well."
A quiet certainty settled over him. His mind was made up. He wouldn't just get stronger; he would master the power his mother had given him with her last breath. He would forge her final gift into a power worthy of a hero.