Viktor ate greedily from the back seat of the van. He devoured the food as if he had never eaten in his life. Even the sounds he made while chewing were desperately greedy.
"Oh, man. This is so much better than what we have at camp."
The three young people stared at him blankly. No one knew where to look. It was a little unpleasant to see someone eat like that.
Chewing on a piece of meat, tender, juicy, and salty, Viktor looked at the driver's seat, where Nova was sitting.
"You could have told Ada to make the stew. Her food is the best."
"Why don't you ask her yourself? She's been waiting for you to visit for a week."
Viktor stopped short, looking guilty.
The boy wasn't lying about that. Viktor is the kind of man who doesn't usually keep his promises, let alone fulfill his own responsibilities. First of all, he doesn't make promises to anyone.
"Sure. You're right," Viktor said, almost in a whisper.
Then, without giving the matter any further thought, he continued eating until the small wooden box was empty, with a pair of silver cutlery inside.
The man wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and sighed contentedly.
'I guess it's time to change plans…'
Nova's gaze became calculating. As he watched the two girls in the rearview mirror, he nodded, hoping they would understand. First of all, Nova had only told Viktor that they would be on the outskirts of the city, not that they would be participating in the raid.
To watch the battles of other Empaths against the Aberrations, it was necessary to access the depths of the city near the mountain range. But Nova didn't trust Viktor to allow that.
Sure, the man was a little irresponsible, but he wasn't going to let his recruits die in an impossible battle. Not to mention that defending them would become impossible in the middle of a battle.
Understanding the leader's hint, Miyu decided to take the first step.
"Hey, Viktor, how many Empaths of your level are in the raid?"
Nova smiled calmly, knowing that the feline girl had asked an accurate question.
Viktor thought it was an obvious question.
"Only four came: Arthur, Bella, Skyla, and Magnus. The others are still busy defending their cities. Since I'm the only one without a large faction, I thought it would be a good idea to come."
A logical thought, really.
'I see... It seems that Dimension and Atom just didn't feel like coming.'
Being the largest factions in the country, their egos could be considered just as large. Nova was a little annoyed by the other factions' way of thinking.
It was like, "If it's not really important, I don't care."
If you have the power to help others, do it, damn it! Put your stupid ego aside! It's obvious why only Nova answered Dimension's call that night.
Besides, it's because of things like that that New Europe is the way it is. Arrogant and selfish people, even in this day and age, are extremely unpleasant.
But Nova doesn't feel any particular repugnance toward such people, as he is incapable of truly hating others. Those emotions diluted in Serenity are a complex subject to deal with.
"You know how it is. When someone needs help, I'll be there to help. That way I can prevent more people from dying because of the Aberrations."
'Yes. I guess that's a good way of thinking.'
He looked out at the city looming before him. All those buildings are empty because of the threat of the Aberrations.
A beautiful city threatened by a danger that came from outer space.
"Don't you think that's a dangerous way of thinking?" Elara asked.
Although she agreed with what the Master said, she always made a point of questioning both her own thoughts and those of the people close to her.
Viktor laughed. As he put away the leftovers, he said with a soft laugh:
"Yes. It is, but isn't being an Empath even more dangerous?"
It was worth the risk to prevent the world from suffering more. However, to achieve that, it is the Empaths who have to suffer for those people.
Nova thought it was funny. He smiled with his hands on the steering wheel.
'It seems more profitable to have an Aberration kick your ass than to let other people die. I approve of that way of thinking.'
At least, it's not the boring idea of leaving everything to others.
"Hey, Uncle, Maia looks worried. You left it alone on top of the statue."
"Ah! That's right. Start the car and follow me. I'll take you to the camp."
Viktor immediately left the vehicle and jumped up to the statue. Jumping twenty meters high like it's nothing is also cool!
The girls looked at Nova. He thought the same thing. It's amazing what a quick conversation can accomplish. They distracted Viktor from the danger of being in this place, and that allowed them to access the camp.
The three of them gave each other a thumbs up, victorious in their master plan.
It was just luck...
What they didn't know was that Viktor, as he climbed onto Maia's back, smiled with satisfaction because he had everything calculated. Right now, there is no safer place than the camp full of Elite Empaths.
Maia spread her wings and rose into the air. Nova started the car and together they drove towards the camp.
From inside the trunk, which was open this time, Rober let the air ruffle his hair.
"Great... This is the real thing."
The boy was calmer and more relaxed than anyone else here. That's a very good thing because Rober gets angry very easily and becomes unbearable when that happens.
***
They crossed the city in a few hours. When they left the road toward the mountain range, the mountains began to rise from the ground to the clouds. Everything was green and full of trees, but the flowers disappeared as they got closer to the camp.
The tires scraped the cobblestone road, making a soft noise that mixed with the sound of the leaves being caressed by the wind.
This had become a short path through the forest, but...
Nova narrowed his eyes, feeling a deep, dense energy that crushed everything around him with a suffocating sensation that "smelled" of danger.
Miyu and Elara looked overwhelmed. The feline girl had the feeling that she had already felt something similar. Then she remembered what Viktor said about energy.
"Viktor said the energy was already running out, right?"
Clenching her fist with a look of discomfort, Elara said:
"That's supposed to be the case, but..."
The Calem energy emanating from the mountain range is immense. Does Viktor think it's insignificant because he's already too strong? Probably, but there was something more sinister in the depths.
Something similar happened with Nova, only he wasn't intimidated. Instead, he felt a strange familiarity with the energy. However, that's something that happens to most Empaths, as they are sensitive to energy signatures on the planet.
'This is more than I expected. If we manage to see something, I don't think it will be that exciting…'
What if instead of seeing an epic battle, they saw a massacre? They would be part of that massacre!
From the trunk, Rober growled, frowning. The fluffy hair on his canine tail bristled, and a heavy feeling squeezed his heart.
"I'm not going to chicken out now. I'm already here!"
He slammed his fist against his palm. Small flames burst forth, extinguished by the wind from the moving vehicle.
If he looked down, he could see the road marks rushing beneath the wheels.
Back with Nova, the boy looked up. Maia and Viktor were still there. The shadow of the great reptile faded beneath the white clouds.
'I feel like something bad is happening.'
He looked in the rearview mirror. Apparently, he wasn't the only one with that bad feeling.
The girls were slowly raising their guard. In fact, Elara had her hand on the back seat, where there was a button that opened the trunk from the inside. She was ready to put on her armor.
On the other hand, Miyu's eyes glowed orange with Anticipation. Future Vision did its job, showing a quick glimpse of the distant future within three seconds.
She saw:
"A portal is about to open!"
Suddenly, flying above the van, Maia spat out a large amount of purple steam and roared at the sky with all the power of its lungs. The dragoness was angry, and with good reason.
As Miyu had seen, black lightning flashed across the asphalt. A ghostly moan echoed, and with a purple, ethereal, and eerie flash, the portal opened in the middle of the road, spreading out like a two-dimensional entity.
'This is not good,' Nova thought.
If what Viktor said was true, and there were Category 5 or higher Aberrations coming out of the portals, the entire team was in danger.
But with Viktor here, there was nothing to worry about. The man jumped off Maia's back and landed in front of the portal.
Nova stopped just a few meters behind and waited. The team was ready to join the fight, but that wasn't necessary.
The portal shook, and then a hand reached through the ethereal space—a giant, bony, charcoal-colored hand, as big as an entire human body.
Viktor laughed, of course. This is ridiculous!
The Aberration poked its skeletal head out, its eyes burning with white flames. Its skull was oval-shaped and elongated backward from the parietal and occipital bones, as if it were a bag hanging from the top of its head.
The nose area was elongated, shaped like a cone rounded at the tip, and it had dry, yellowish fangs in its jaw.
"Why don't you go back home?!"
Just a second later, Viktor kicked the skeleton in the face, and it was sent flying back to where it came from by the force of the kick.
For a moment, you could see Aberration's skull shatter into pieces as it returned to the portal.
Viktor wiped his hands with a satisfied smile. He took his time pulling a plaque out of his pocket, then threw it under the portal.
The plaque transformed and did its job of absorbing the energy until the portal finally closed.
From the car, everyone witnessed Viktor's power.
Although it was not the power of his Spectrums, much less the power of energy manipulation, it was still surprising that one person could defeat an Aberration, surely a Category 5, with a single blow.
Miyu sighed. She had used her Future Sight to see different endings to the fight, but they all showed the same scene. Viktor kicked the Aberration, and it returned inside the portal.
Disappointed, she sighed as she said:
"How I wish I could send Aberrations flying like that."
She wished she could be as strong as the Master.
Of course, Elara allowed herself to appreciate the clean and elegant kick Viktor executed against the Aberration. It was a smooth movement, as his leg whipped like a whip.
"It's incredible."
Of course it was. And the two of them weren't the only ones who thought so. It's just that Nova also had his own way of thinking.
'It's amazing how everything he does is always done in a show-off way…'
Anyway. The cockroach is no longer in the way.
So, they resumed their journey until they reached the camp. They parked near someone else's car, which was close to some stacked logs, and were finally able to stretch their legs as they got out of the vehicle.
'There aren't many people here.'
That was their first impression of the place.
There is a small tent with boxes full of survival food. There is also a girl dressed in a tight green robe and a large wooden staff waiting seated on one of the boxes.
Beyond that, there are four Council soldiers and two Empaths dressed in funny extravagance. One wore a pink trench coat and the other wore furry white and blue clothes.
It's like seeing some singers from the old era.
As is customary for Viktor, he appeared behind his recruits, walking relaxed. The man's intention was to talk to his nephew alone, which Miyu and Elara understood without hearing a single word.
They both stayed on the sidelines.
"You two are staying here. Since there is little energy in this place, it is less likely that a portal will open."
"I was hoping you would say that," Nova replied, walking behind Viktor.
"You shouldn't have come if you already knew I wouldn't let you be near the raid."
"It makes sense, yes. No one would allow a quartet of weaklings to be on the front lines alongside the Elites."
Viktor looked back; he looked at Nova.
"You won't be on the front lines, but you can watch from a distance."
"I was also expecting you to say that."
Let out a small laugh, Viktor turned his gaze back to the front.
"So, is that why you stayed?"
Nova sighed. She glanced back at Miyu and Elara, who were chatting animatedly. And Rober? He was talking to the girl in the supply tent. Apparently, the canine boy was asking for food.
He didn't waste any time, did he?
Then, he returned his gaze to the man's back.
"It's not just that. I want to learn a little more about the strongest Empaths. And I thought that if I brought my friends, they would learn too."
"Learning is a good excuse, but do you realize that you're dragging your team into danger?"
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Although he couldn't see the expression on his uncle's face, he could hear the change in his tone of voice.
The man is serious about this.
"Everyone agreed."
Viktor sighed.
"Listen to me. It's not about whether everyone agreed or not."
Stopping near a log lying on the ground, he looked at Nova seriously.
"A man must know when not to meddle in things that don't concern him. You're still too young to understand, but bad things happen when you make a bad decision that you can't remedy."
'Bad things, huh…'
Yes. Bad things happen when you make a bad decision. Nova already knew that, but he couldn't understand it. Viktor said that to him knowing that Nova knows the consequences of bad decisions.
So, Nova had no choice but to accept the truth.
"I see. I understand."
But Viktor put his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm not scolding you as such, so don't get upset. Besides, you're an expert at being relaxed, so I don't think that will be a problem for you. However, there is something I must remind you of because you seem to be forgetting it."
Nova nodded, waiting. Viktor continued.
"Remember what you promised your mother that day."
Once again, Nova became expressionless at the mere mention of that promise. He looked at the floor, as if he didn't want anyone to see the expression on his face. Then, in a flat voice, he replied, quoting his mother's words:
"If you don't know how to do something or how to understand it, always remember to try to feel like everyone else, even though you don't know what it means to 'feel' like everyone else."
Viktor nodded.
"If you can't feel like others, at least try. Imagine how your friends will feel if something bad happens. That's what I want you to understand."
Nova closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the relaxed expression returned to his face. He smiled calmly as always.
"I understand, Uncle. I'll keep that in mind."
"Excellent. That's all I wanted to tell you."
Viktor pointed to the tent. He continued.
"Now, do you see that girl over there? She'll help you watch our battles against the Aberrations. Don't hesitate to talk to her. In the meantime, I have to continue with the raid. Tell the others what I told you, okay?"
Nova nodded.
"Okay. See you later."
Viktor approached Maia and climbed onto its back. Nova watched him fly away on the reptilian beast. Then he looked at his hands, thinking deeply about something that always made him look so "emotionless."
'I know, but I don't understand.'
The difference between knowing and understanding is as big as this mountain range.