He sat down on the tree trunk and thought.
Although he is irresponsible, there were times when Viktor gave his nephew good advice. Come on, he's a man in his forties. He clearly knows a thing or two about life. It's not for nothing that he is a nationally recognized First Level Empath.
Viktor is truly part of Nova's family. Only Adelaide and Viktor...
Nova looked at the small insects on the ground. They were like tiny white spiders, with two large black eyes and eight legs, moving from side to side following dozens of other small spiders.
At that, Nova reflected even more.
'Know… Understand...'
The more you think about it, the more complicated it gets.
What's the difference? I guess it doesn't matter. Someone interrupted the moment of calm with a cheerful voice that sounded beside him. Then, the log he was sitting on moved slightly as Miyu sat down.
"What did Viktor say to you, Nova?"
This pretty girl's beautiful smile is relaxing.
Nova appeared as usual, relaxed and fresh.
"He said that even though we can't go on the raid, we'll be able to watch the fights from here."
"Oh."
She was disappointed, but she kept smiling anyway. She gave Nova a little punch on the shoulder with her fist and said:
"At least we'll be able to see something, don't you think? All is not lost."
"Yeah. Sure..."
His gaze wandered to Elara, who was sitting nearby. The girl was resting with her back against the tree. She looked as defenseless as she was beautiful. The large box rested beside her, sheltering the large, heavy armor plates, shield, and sword.
Then he looked up at the sky as if waiting for something.
And so, thanks to that small gesture, silence filled the moment, creeping across the ground like an Aberration, creeping into both their ears, and desecrating the noise with its terrifying claws.
Miyu sighed. She understood that if she didn't say something, Nova would remain silent.
"Nova."
"Yes?" he replied, without taking his eyes off the silver clouds.
A deep calm emanated from his mere presence, which made the girl always feel confident when she was with him.
Neither of them looked into each other's eyes during this brief moment; a few seconds, really, but they were very close, sitting in the same place.
They looked at the blue sky just as they had done so many years ago on the day they met.
Then, in a soft but cheerful and hopeful voice, Miyu said:
"Have you ever wanted to go to the Eternal Islands?"
The boy was curious about that question.
'Why are you asking me that all of a sudden? It doesn't make sense. I don't know...'
He took his time to think. There are many places he wants to go. There are the great mountains of Kibo, in Yamara, home to the Supreme Masters of Spectral Art. There are also the Dark Islands, home to the most dangerous Aberrations, and an excellent place to train Empaths.
In a few moments, Nova found the Eternal Islands on his mental list.
He looked at Miyu before answering. She followed his gaze.
"Of course. Someday I'll take Mom there. We both need a vacation."
"I see. Mrs. Adelaide must be proud of her son. A son who isn't a pervert..."
"That was an accident, Miyu," he replied, exasperated.
Miyu laughed at the boy's reaction.
"There's that expression."
"Expression?"
'What kind of expression? I'm sure I don't make faces very often…'
She nodded.
"Yeah. It's always hard to get you to stop being so calm all the time. It's like one of those super impossible things. But sometimes it can be fun."
"Oh. I see."
That response had felt a little too personal.
'I'm always calm, but that's only on the outside, right?'
As far as Nova was concerned, being calm was one of his greatest strengths, but sometimes it became a curious weakness. There were times when others misunderstood him.
One example of this is Rober, because the day they met, the canine boy thought Nova was making fun of him.
Another example is during elementary school...
Thinking too much, Nova turned his gaze back to the little ants. He watched them intently and silently. His eyes reflected the small insects walking in an orderly fashion. That made Miyu stare at him with a soft, nostalgic smile.
While Nova only saw the little insects, Miyu saw the memory of a little Nova doing the same thing.
It seems that, after all—
"Some things just don't change."
"What?"
Nova looked back at her when he heard her, confused by those words that seemed to have nothing to do with the conversation. Miyu, however, rose from her seat.
With her fingers interlaced behind her back, she stepped forward and winked at him with a smile.
"I didn't say anything. I'll just go tell the others about the other Empaths' battles. You stay calm."
Always like a storm, Miyu vanished before his eyes.
He stared into space, where the girl had once been.
He touched his forehead wearily and closed his eyes.
'Lately, I've been feeling stranger than usual. Maybe that's why Miyu—'
He tried not to think about it. Until two days ago, he felt like the freshest and most relaxed guy in the world, but after the latest events, something just changed.
He got up from his seat, hoping to clear up his doubts. He walked around in circles repeatedly, attracting the attention of the two eccentric guys, who were whispering to each other.
He stopped short when he noticed this, looking at those two people.
'What are you looking at? Did you lose something?'
He remained silent for a second. Realizing that he had only thought it and not spoken it, he instantly gave up. It wasn't worth wasting his thoughts on people he didn't know.
'Huh. Another day.'
He approached the girl resting in the shade of the tent. The sun was burning hot at this hour, so the girl had sought a way to protect her fair skin from the sun's rays.
"Heya. May I know your name?"
Appearing out of nowhere, he got straight to the point, as if it were a fight where you had to land a decisive blow to win.
The girl, however, screamed like an adorable animal. She almost fell off the box she was sitting on, as the sudden interaction with this strange guy scared her.
"What? How? Where?" she said, looking around in such a desperate and lost way that it was strangely pathetic.
'She seems to be in her own world.'
He had only asked for a name. Was the question really so terrifying that she reacted that way? There was no way to know. Obviously, not knowing someone means not knowing their reactions to interactions.
"My uncle Viktor told me that you can help us see the battles between the Empaths and the Aberrations."
The girl, who was about thirty years old, looked at the floor nervously. She was heard whispering Viktor's name with longing, but then regained her composure when she remembered the word "uncle."
Her long black hair, more specifically her emo bangs, moved slightly, revealing her blue and red heterochromatic eyes. She got up from her seat and grabbed Nova's shoulders tightly.
"Uncle? Are you Mr. Viktor's nephew?!"
Nova nodded.
"Yes, but—"
"Let me see you!"
"What?"
The girl grabbed Nova by the sides of his head. She looked him up and down with uncanny skill. Her intensity, and the intensity of her movements, made her large chest tremble like jelly.
Nova did his best not to look, as he felt a strange disturbance in the force behind his back, like eyes burning the back of his neck.
She opened Nova's eyelids with her fingers. That made the boy feel disturbed, but he couldn't move for a specific reason.
'What the hell?! This woman is too strong!'
He felt like he was going to sink into the ground at any moment. She was supposed to have a cane leaning against one of the boxes. That meant she was probably a support-type Empath, but this aberrant force was inexplicable.
"Your eyes... They're not like him!"
Please! Someone help the poor boy!
She pushed Nova, causing him to fall backwards. However, before he could touch the ground, a gentle breeze lifted him back up.
It seemed that this woman finally realized what she was doing, because instead of looking intense and creepy, she now looked shy and scared. She pointed her hand at Nova. That was the reason for the wind that lifted him up.
"Oh. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"
"Sure. No problem."
'There is a problem! There are many problems!'
Why is this woman so crazy?! Nova sensed something dangerous about her. Not only is her strength tremendous, but her control over energy is instantaneous, unlike other people. In any case, she must be a Third or Second Level Empath.
"I'm really sorry. I lose control when it comes to Mr. Viktor."
Those few words revealed a strange truth to Nova—
'I see what this is all about. She's like some kind of obsessive fan of my uncle.'
He shook his head, trying to be calm as always. Then, moving his hand expressively, a gesture Viktor often makes, he said:
"Okay... He told me that you can help us see other people's battles."
She nodded nervously.
"Yes. I can see through the eyes of animals. And I can also project my visions onto a wind screen..."
That's interesting. With the Empaths' varied abilities, she surely has Surveillance as her primary Spectrum. Empaths with this type of ability are highly sought after by the factions.
"I see. So, could you show me a little of what you can do?"
Nova needed to see some action. Having traveled so far to see nothing was not worth it. We have to make it worth it!
The woman nodded nervously. She picked up the staff that was leaning against one of the boxes and held it with both hands.
"Give me a moment."
She closed her eyes. Energy flowed through the air, like a stream of light blue wind, like an invisible gas present everywhere in the world. Her "eyes" traveled using the energy like train tracks, and in the next moment, she opened her eyes, revealing an orange glow.
"Ready. I found a Sword Beak flying near Mr. Viktor."
Sword Beak is a giant bird with a very long beak. It is one of the birds Nova saw when he arrived at Lightflower. Now she is using the bird's eyes to see.
"I can also control the animal's actions a little to make it easier to focus."
When it comes to surveillance, these kinds of abilities are perfect.
'I can't wait any longer…'
Impatient, Nova stared at the woman, waiting. She understood, of course.
"Now for the screen."
She extended her hand and the staff. In front of her, a spiral wind current formed, taking the shape of a round mirror. It was still wind, but now she could see a little of what was happening.
'The wind... is it recreating what her eyes see?'
The wind currents deformed and joined together to form figures. Those figures are what she is seeing. Likewise, the wind showed a miniature version of Viktor flying on Maia's back.
'Amazing... I wonder if Miyu will ever be able to do something like that.'
A girl with the Spectrum of Anticipation also has the potential to awaken a similar ability. But it's always about experience, because Spectrum skills always appear when you least expect them, using everything you've lived through to condense it into an skkill related to your experiences.
For example, when Nova was a child, he used his first Serenity skill on his mother. That was the day he was able to use Fluctuation of Serenity. What was the experience that led him to discover a Spectrum skill as a child?
Let's leave that question for later.
Rober was standing in a corner, a little disturbed by the woman from earlier. She was a total stalker psychopath.
"I just went over to ask for food..."
But instead of giving him food, the woman started talking about Viktor like a crazy obsessive. That scared Rober, who had to pretend he was going to the bathroom. Now he's sitting behind a tree waiting for Nova to finish talking to that woman.
And how fortunate that Nova appeared. He is always good at saving his friends, even though he is not as strong as they are.
Elara and Miyu watched from afar what Nova was seeing on the wind screen.
Viktor suddenly jumped off Maia's back and landed in front of a gigantic portal.
The man stared as he took out the plate to close the portal, but he was surprised when a female-looking being appeared, walking calmly out of the portal.
Her curvaceous body would make anyone forget that this being is an Aberration. However, her pale pink skin, the triple green spikes on her elbows and knees, and her hairless head accompanied by a pair of crimson eyes are the perfect definition of a "being from another world."
Viktor, however, smiled, putting away the badge.
"Never underestimate a woman," he said, quite relaxed for the battle ahead.
Taking a step toward the Aberration, he continued.
"For it is they who cause the most damage."
The man vanished. The Aberration opened her crimson eyes with black sclera, surprised, and covered her face with her thin forearms as she sensed the imminent danger approaching her at a completely ridiculous speed.
Just then, Viktor reappeared with his leg raised, striking the spot where the Aberration had covered herself.
"Excellent coverage. Let's see if you can handle this!"
Then, the man smiled madly. Beneath that madness, there was a slight flash of resentment. Resentment not only for this monster seeking to destroy the city, but for everything that is considered an Aberration.
In a very strange way, the wind figures portraying Viktor's fight stopped, remaining static.
The woman looked at Nova, and he did the same.
"He just used—," he whispered, dismayed.
"Yes. He used Memento."
An extraordinary ability of the Spectrum of Anticipation. The reason the image has frozen has a lot to do with the effects of that ability.
Miyu, who was watching from afar, also sensed what it was. In fact, she knew. Everyone knew.
She looked at Elara, who nodded in response.
"He's already using all his power, huh... It's incredible."
Her eyes sparkled with hope. She clenched her fist and looked at Nova with determination.
She continued.
"Someday I'll become as strong as the Master..."
Just imagining Viktor's power is chilling. That's why he's a nationally recognized First Level Empath. He even has a nickname that people gave him years ago.
They called him "The Madman."
Elara nodded.
"I know. Someday you will be. Me too—."
As she looked at Miyu, Elara stopped short. Something happened to the girl in an instant.
Miyu stared silently into space, her lips trembling. Something spilled from the corners of her eyes, slowly sliding down her cheeks until it fell to the floor.
It was red, thick, and strange...
She's crying blood...
She's frozen, staring in horror at nothing.
"Miyu, you—!"
One of Miyu's skills had suddenly activated.
At that moment, a deep sense of danger invaded everyone's hearts. Elara, before she could help Miyu, felt something squeeze her heart, accompanied by a deep lump in her throat.
Nova frowned, confused. He looked around, expecting something, but there was nothing. Only a cold sensation ran down his spine, creeping up to his head.
The woman beside her put on a stern expression and gripped her staff tightly. The flamboyant men, who had been laughing and chatting calmly, looked at the woman with the staff seriously. She nodded at their gaze.
Behind the tree, Rober growled, standing up immediately. His crimson aura covered him, as he sensed that something bad was happening.
This feeling made his blood run cold.
Then, when everyone stood still, waiting for whatever was going to happen, Miyu broke the silence, saying, no, shouting:
"NOVA RUN!"
Instantly, an explosion of ethereal rays formed behind them. A portal opened with a crash, and in that split second when the portal opened, Nova heard a voice.
It was the voice of a crying child. He said:
"I'm sorry... Forgive me..."
He looked back immediately, feeling that voice whispering in his ear with immense sadness and loneliness, but it was too late.
The next moment, an invisible force kicked him toward the portal. He was thrown with such ridiculous force that it broke a couple of his ribs and left him breathless.
He opened his mouth, spitting saliva, his eyes wide with sudden pain.
"NOVA!"
Miyu didn't hesitate and ran towards him, but she only managed to take one step as Nova was just inches away from crossing the portal.
Then, for some reason, Nova felt as if the world was in slow motion.
He saw Miyu. He saw Elara. He saw Rober. He saw the other Empaths. But he also saw someone else who shouldn't have been there.
It was a translucent being that blended in with nature. It was as if it were invisible, wearing large tactical goggles with different attachments.
He thought he saw the red light of a camera in those goggles, but in the end, he couldn't see anything anymore.
He only heard Miyu's desperate scream until, finally, everything went dark.
On the other side, when the Empaths were able to react, they immediately rushed toward the portal, but it expelled a large amount of energy that pushed them all away, sending them flying in every possible direction into the trees.
When they were able to recover...
The portal had closed.