Chương 3: Awakening

Kite looked confusedly at his auntie, who seemed to be waiting for a much more exuberant reaction to her statement. Her words had sent a myriad of thoughts and feelings through him, joining the jumble that the thought about his origins had given rise to within. He had long carried a child's dream about wielding awesome powers, like his aunties, Uncle Walker and Master Point who was the village's chief defender.

This dream had been tempered through the gradually increased understanding about the world that came with age, and while Kite still daydreamed about one day harnessing the same magic he knew that he needed a lot of work and luck to even get his hands on one essence, let alone three. He had even tried to start saving up parts of his allowance and the other small sums he'd gotten here and there by helping his aunties or doing odd jobs around the village.

Therefore, Kite tried to sound as mature as his seventeen years would allow as he answered her.

"While that sounds nice, Auntie, I think I will have to work a lot more before I get to that point. But I do appreciate your encouragement." She gave him a blank look before her eyes started panning between Kite and Crow. The latter smiled mischievously at Kite.

"About that…" A little while later, the small family sat gathered around the low, round table where they ate most of their meals. Auntie Dove was pouring tea, adding smaller stamina pills for an extra boost of refreshment, while Auntie Crow had just flipped open the lid of a small metal chest on the table before sliding it to rest before Kite. He sat dumbfounded, staring down at the chest of dark iron, its blue silk lining and most of all its content.

Resting in an orderly row were two cubes a bit larger than the size of his fist, with a row of three slightly smaller spheres below. WWJS (What would Jason see?): [Void essence] Unranked - Legendary An essence containing the concepts of nothingness and the beyond.

[Barrier essence] Unranked - Common An essence containing the power of interception and the blocking of paths [Awakening stone of Shards] Unranked - Uncommon An awakening stone containing the power of sundering [Awakening stone of Mana] Unranked - Rare An awakening stone containing the power of mana and renewal [Awakening stone of Karma] Unranked - Legendary An awakening stone containing the power of retribution and equalization The left cube was seemingly made of black crystal that seemed like it should have been transparent, but no matter how hard one looked there was nothing showing on the other side.

The other one was also transparent, but bright and clear. Its insides seemed to be segmented into a multitude of tiny sheaths, separating each distinct part from the others while still being part of the whole. After a full minute of staring, his brain trying to work through what he was seeing, Kite finally managed to speak.

"Are these what I think they are? Where did you get these? How…" he said, almost in awe, trailing off. He had seen drawings of essences and awakening stones in some books on magical theory his aunties had him read, which had also allowed him to belatedly understand the nature of the glimmering stone he had found when he was a child. They had shared a good laugh about him having something so valuable just laying there among the rest of the childhood treasures. Auntie Crow's answer brought him back to the present.

"They are. And yes, these were delivered together with you all those years ago. However, have mercy on your poor aunties for not showing them to you sooner," she said with a smirk, continuing.

"There was specific instructions not to tell you this before you were of age to actually absorb them. And I must admit that, while frustrating for us as well, probably was for a good reason. Can you imagine the impact on your personality if you grow up knowing that this kind of power is more or less guaranteed for you? That you almost inevitably will take a step above the absolute majority of people when it comes to personal might?" Kite reflected on her words for a while as her meaning sank in.

"I could see that leading to someone acting like they were better than others. Like the others mattered less," he answered with a sigh.

"A reasonable theory. And would such a person have an easy time making friends? True connections?" she asked.

"Probably not," Kite conceded.

"Oh they'd probably have lots of so-called friends, but I think calling them flunkies or minions would be a more apt description. And from their instructions, it would seem that your birth parents didn't want that for you. We felt that as well, so we chose to honor their wishes. And speaking of wishes, I believe that there is something more besides the shiny stones," Crow finished as she gestured toward an envelope bound to the lining in the lid of the chest.

Kite's head was swimming slightly as he reached for the envelope, his brain still having trouble coming to grips with the sudden change of his future's trajectory. The letter had no seal, just a simple string keeping the folded page shut, and he took a calming breath before reading. Child. As not all paths lead to the heaven and beyond, neither are all bonds meant to be. We are those who brought you into this world, and when we met, our hearts and minds sang as one. But our oaths and their keepers did not.

You were our final act of defiance, to leave something behind as our paths had to diverge. A symbol for us to carry with us in our hearts on the lonely way to the peak. As such, we send you the void to hide you and the wall to protect you against the world. The shards of a lost love and the magic of a life born of it. And lastly the severance of karma between us. We urge you to live your life free, never to put your path in another's grip. Foster your bonds and bind only those whom resonates with your heart.

Fight for those important to you, not to the world or themselves. We hope you can find peace with our selfishness. Kite absently handed the letter over to Auntie Crow, Auntie Dove reading over her shoulder. His thoughts had gone remarkably still, as a myriad of threads and thoughts carried his whole life were dispelled one by one. He had envisioned everything between being a lost prince to simply a discarded wretch, of backgrounds both fair and foul.

Turning his head, he took a long look at himself in a nearby mirror. There he saw a young man with dark hair which would reach his shoulders if it weren't gathered up in a small bun as it was right now. It was not the almost shimmering onyx hues of Auntie Crow, but rather leaned towards leaden gray if viewed in brighter light. His face still had a bit of the roundness of youth but hinted at a moderately strong jaw. He rarely had to shave, but that did not bother him.

And h is eyes were blue with small flecks of light brown giving them an almost golden corona near his pupils. The older ladies in the village always called him a handsome young man and Brook… Brook had always been fond of his eyes as she felt that they looked kind. He was well built after his years of frequent exercise and while not overly muscular he wouldn't be classified as lanky by any measure. A few more moments of contemplating himself led to him smiling.

The inner turmoil had gradually lessened, giving way to relief and a mote of surprise at said relief. He thought that it should have bothered him more, not gaining much from the letter other than proof that his birth-parents did exist and the apology they gave him. But it also told him that he didn't have any other purpose than to simply be, to exist. To live for himself and for the bonds he wanted to form and keep. It was somehow liberating.

So when Kite looked at himself, carrying the words of his birth parents, he felt free. He felt that he was simply Kite, no more and no less. And that the future that earlier seemed more like a vague dream suddenly became real and tangible. He turned to find Auntie Crow giving him a questioning look while Auntie Dove was flipping the letter around multiple times, scrutinizing every inch of it while mumbling"That's it?! No more? There's got to be more…" Crow gave her a quick glance before returning her gaze to his.

"So..." she asked.

"How do you feel?". Kite gave her a smile, crossed the room and wrapped the nowadays much shorter woman in a hug.

"Thankful," he said softly.

"And free." Said feeling of freedom, at least the physical part, was quickly whisked away into the arms of Auntie Dove, as she took the opportunity to join them in the hug. Enthusiastically. After the prolonged embrace, Auntie Dove seemed to be the first to recover.

"Who would like to go out into the garden and do an essence ritual?" Not long after, Kite sat on one of the smaller stone patios that were hidden away in their garden. Even after living his whole life in it, he could still appreciate his surroundings.

The part furthest from the house were dominated by the starberry bushels that gave the village its name; dark blue branches capped with darker leaves grew in conical shapes where the biggest could reach up to one and a half meters in height if the climate and environment allowed it. As the berries ripened, they would go from barely visible spots on the bush to silvery dots that actually glowed faintly in the dark, giving a bush full of ripe berries the look of a small night sky.

The rest of the garden was more cultivated, with a plethora of different plants following meandering stone paths which gave a very organic feel to it. Here and there were smaller patios, some which housed tables and chairs for relaxation while others had equipment to process the different plants. It felt smaller than he remembered from his childhood, but so did the village as a whole. He reflected that it too might be a part of growing up.

"Are you listening, little Kite?" came Auntie Crow's voice.

"It might be good for you to at least grasp the basics of the ritual of awakening so you can perform it yourself in the future. Your aunties might not always be here to help you, you know." She was busy drawing out the ritual pattern with chalk. On a nearby table, a magical paper lantern cast a faint glow. Auntie Dove had told him it was a special lantern which helped stabilize the ambient magic for the ritual. Kite blanched.

"Sorry, Auntie Crow," whereafter he did his best to memorize the pattern and her instructions. He quickly realized he would need more than one repetition of this one.

"Auntie Crow?".

"Yes dear?"

"I'm very thankful that you are doing this and all. But may I ask why outside? And why shouldn't I wear more clothes?" He was referring to his relative state of undress, only sitting on the cold stone in his underpants under a blanket to ward off the spring chill, a blanket that Auntie Dove had made very clear would be removed before the ritual began. His aunties gave each other a knowing look before Dove was the one who answered.

"These rituals might create a bit of a mess dear. Trust me, it is better to go into them clad as lightly as possible." Before Kite could ask for more clarification, Auntie Crow clapped her hands together.

"The diagram is done. Little Kite, are you ready to take your first step on the path of power?" As the ritual began, Kite quickly realized that this one was a lot more powerful than the small-scale magic he had been trained in so far, both from the materials consumed and when the magical tension in the air became more palpable causing the hairs on his neck stand on end. He sat cross legged, holding the clearer of the cubes which Auntie Crow had called a barrier essence.

Apparently it was a close relative to the shield essence, and was more common in this part of the world. Kite felt good about it being his first essence to absorb, as protection of himself and others felt like something worthwhile. The wind picked up around them as the magical circles and diagrams started glowing with a golden light, the air smelling like the calm after a thunderstorm.

The cube in his hands started dissolving into tiny motes of golden lights which in turn circled around him before entering his body. Kite was the center of a maelstrom of light which was gradually absorbed until, all at once, the lights died down and the air was once again still. His body felt energized and brimming with potential, a tingling feeling which was exhilarating while at the same being just on the edge of the uncomfortable.

At the same time, h is mind was awash with input as the power the essence provided was ingrained into his being, bringing instinctual knowledge of its use. It had barely settled as gray light started shining from within his body, bringing with it a second wave of changes. WWJS (What would Jason see?): Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Barrier essence] Barrier essence has bonded to the [Power] attribute, changing [Power] from Normal to Iron 0 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. You have awakened Barrier essence ability [Heaven-and-Void Warding].

[Ability] Heaven-and-Void Warding Spell Cost: Low to Moderate mana Cooldown: None Current rank: Iron 0 Effect: Form a temporary barrier around self or ally within 30 meters, absorbing damage for a medium duration or until released or shattered. Cost is increased to moderate mana if used on ally.. —------- Human racial ability [Essence gift] has evolved into [Warder]. [Racial ability] Warder Evolved from [Essence gift].

Effect: Spells, abilities and items that create barriers and shields have a shortened casting time and can absorb more damage. Kite sat there, staring at his hands where the last specks of the essence were dissolving into the afternoon air. Receiving this new ability felt like discovering a new arm that he didn't have before, while somehow still feeling that he knew how it worked and how to make it move.

As he and the aunties had talked at length about what to expect, he wasn't entirely surprised, but he also found that talking about and experiencing these sensations were worlds apart. After all, being a human meant that each essence absorbed did not only bring a single power but also evolved one of his essence gifts, the nascent power within the human race which only awoke when absorbing essences and adjusted itself to the essence and individual in question.

As Auntie Crow was going around the circle with a smoking stick of incense to calm down the ambient magic, he felt Auntie Dove's long locks tickle his back as she bent over him and held out the other essence.

"Are you alright, dear? I know I was plenty excited when I did mine all those years ago, but it is perfectly alright to have a rest too." He took the proffered cube with its seemingly infinite depth and nodded.

"I can definitely do one more. Thanks auntie". She gave him a smile which he recognized by experience meant that she was plotting something. He was about to ask when Auntie Crow interjected with a quiz on the construction of the new ritual diagram, and forgot the matter while scrambling to answer her questions. The ritual for his next essence, aptly named the void essence, came to pass in the same manner as the previous.

They had done a quick check through their reference material to find information on it, but could not find anything more than mentions as it seemed to be very rare. Kite had first been a bit apprehensive as void seemed quite an ominous concept, but a few minutes of debating it with Auntie Crow had enlightened him to other facets of it and that nothingness as a concept might be one of the most neutral concepts there was.

While there were essences that were generally shunned by society, such as death or corrupt, almost all other were accepted as the people wielding them were considered to be the responsible party, not the power itself. None of them knew what abilities might awaken from it, but Kite felt more excited than anything else after their discussion. The unknown future had always had the potential of adventure, and Kite liked to think that this was just another part of that. WWJS (What would Jason see?): Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Void essence] Void essence has bonded to the [Recovery] attribute, changing [Recovery] from Normal to Iron 0 You have awakened Void essence ability [Spirit Singularity]. [Ability] Spirit Singularity Special ability Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Create a small vortex hovering above your right shoulder, draining the mana of nearby hostile creatures. Gain a boost to mana regeneration depending on the number of creatures affected.

—------- Human racial ability [Essence gift] has evolved into [Void sheath]. [Racial ability] Void Sheath Evolved from [Essence gift]. Effect: Gain a pocket dimension capable of storing weapons. When drawn from the void, the first attack with a weapon will deal additional damage of the weapon's type as well as increasing any added from special attacks or abilities.

As he came to from his second reverie, he looked up to find Auntie Dove crouching in front of him, Auntie Crow standing behind her and resting a hand on Dove's shoulder. Auntie Dove looked like she could barely restrain an even wider smile as she held her hands behind her back, but Crow spoke up first.

"Little Kite, did we ever tell you what we did with the compensation we got for taking you in?" As he looked at her with a blank expression she continued.

"A lot of it went to expanding our businesses as you might expect, but don't you go thinking that your most noble and caring aunties didn't think ahead properly regarding you either." She nudged Auntie Dove whose facade cracked, smiling even wider as she produced what she had been hiding. Kite still couldn't believe that most of this day had even happened, and it took another step towards wildest-dream-territory as he gazed at the cube resting in Auntie Dove's hand.

It was metallic and slightly scratched, but still gave the impression that the indentations would never be more than just that; scratches. Superficial and without real danger. WWJS (What would Jason see?): [Resolute essence] Unranked - Rare An essence containing the power of determination and unyielding aspiration"This one is called the resolute essence, dearie," Auntie Dove said softly.

"You are still young, but we've always seen that you've wanted to be more than you were before. From now on, that path will only become more challenging. But true willpower is forged in the fires of life, and your auntie and I hope that this will make all those upcoming trials and tribulations just a little more bearable." As Kite, overwhelmed by a day of revelations and new experiences, felt his eyes beginning to mist over, Auntie Crow continued.

"Besides, there has been a lot of time, care, quarreling, fretting and love involved in raising you, little Kite. Surely you won't begrudge your aunties this extra step as we look out for our interests in the long term?" Her tone and the wetness in the corners of her eyes gave away the already obvious paraphrasing, and Kite leaned into them both. Even with an alchemist and an array-master as his aunties, the best cure for feeling overwhelmed still remained a hug.

As emotions settled and most of the inner turmoil along with it, Kite's earlier excitement were back in force. The surprising addition of the last gift from his aunties suddenly had him right on the edge of what, after being born and taken in by his aunties, would probably be the biggest precipice of his life. Each essence absorbed was a permanent addition to one's soul, and absorbing three of them meant to literally start transcending mortality in the long term.

All the abilities he awakened here would be with him the rest of his days, growing along with him, but he knew that they were also his responsibility to nurture as well. Therefore he tried to balance out his giddy excitement with a sober sense of seriousness, albeit with only moderate success. It didn't help that his aunties, each in their own way, generally seemed only excited for his steps forward, both now and in the hours leading up to this moment.

He supposed that they'd had to curtail their curiosity for a lot longer than him though. The last essence ritual went smoothly, as the solid cube of the resolute essence was dissolved and absorbed, seemingly phasing into his chest while retaining its form and integrity. WWJS (What would Jason see?): Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Resolute essence] Resolute essence has bonded to the [Speed] attribute, changing [Speed] from Normal to Iron 0 You have awakened Resolute essence ability [Implacable motion]. [Ability] Implacable motion Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Increased resistance to effects that hinder or impair movement. Effects that take hold will have significantly decreased duration, depending on the rank of the effect.

—------- Human racial ability [Essence gift] has evolved into [Steadfast channeler]. [Racial ability] Steadfast channeler Evolved from [Essence gift]. Effect: Gain the ability to continuously channel mana into one nearby active ongoing spell to lengthen its duration. Mana cost varies with the spell in question. Kite had just a moment to get a feel for his new ability before the last and final essence started manifesting. As the translucent cubes manifested from him and overlapped, they converged into another.

This one looked like a semi-clear blue cube filled with small lights that seemed to be forcibly dispersed as quickly as they formed. After absorbing three essences, another would take form as a result. This fourth and final essence was called the confluence essence, generally seen as an expression of the combined concepts of those essences which came before. Kite reached out and touched it as he had been instructed, and it seemed to simply wink out of existence as its power entered him. WWJS (What would Jason see?): Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed the [Negation confluence essence] Negation confluence essence has bonded to the [Spirit] attribute, changing [Spirit] from Normal to Iron 0 You have awakened Negation essence ability [Disrupting strike]. [Ability] Disrupting strike Special attack Cost: Low mana Cooldown: 2s Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent to attempt to cancel an ongoing magical effect and deal disruptive force damage.

The latter is increased if an ability or effect was affected. Some ongoing or very powerful effects might not be able to be negated entirely, and will instead be suppressed or reduced for a short duration. —------- Human racial ability [Essence gift] has evolved into [Nothing before Nothingness]. [Racial ability] Nothing before Nothingness Evolved from [Essence gift]. Effect: Your spells and effects that cancel magical effects or drain mana ignores resistance from rank disparity.

The power that flowed through him, which had felt plenty rich and intoxicating before, now rose to new heights. Kite felt fast, strong and in tune with the world. Every fresh scent of Auntie Dove's garden in the spring afternoon had gained a whole new palette of variety, as had the feeling of the chill breeze on his skin as he could feel it brush against every exposed centimeter of his body. He turned towards his aunties, his jubilant expression turning confused. Why were they slowly backing away?

"I'll go get water," Auntie Crow said while turning for the pump next to the tool shed.

"Don't forget the brush. Take the old one so we can burn it afterwards!" Auntie Dove called after her. As the words sank in, Kite got a distinct and sinking feeling that there was something they hadn't told him about this process. His eyes widened suddenly, as that sinking feeling left the realm of emotion and barreled far into the physical.

"I must admit that I'm impressed, little Kite. You took this better than expected," Auntie Crow mused with an amused smile. The pile of gunk and misery named Kite was currently sprawled on the very same patio, as Crow's animated strands of hair were dumping pail after pail of water over him while more of the strands deftly scrubbed his skin raw with a rough brush.

From his aunties' assurances during the nauseating, body-wrenching process when it had felt like every impurity of his body has forcefully been ejected, this was only a completely natural step when ascending from normal rank to the first of the magical ones; iron. A completely natural step that they had both somehow failed to mention.

"The first step on the path of iron rank is somewhat of a rite of passage, you see," Crow continued as she saw Kite's best attempt at an accusatory glare.

"That's why we didn't tell you beforehand. Or perhaps misery just loves company. There is a certain satisfaction in seeing someone go through this tribulation the same way we did. An integral part of the psyche perhaps?" she mused, the smile never leaving. Kite tried to muster an even more withering look, but yet another pail of very cold water put a stop to the attempt. A little while later, the newly minted iron ranker looked and felt a lot better.

Now sitting fully dressed on the thoroughly scrubbed stone patio, Auntie Dove led him through some meditation which mostly felt familiar, but with new additions to encompass his new step on the path to power. The process left Kite with a new appreciation for what he had been taught earlier as the meditative techniques that he had once thought of as boring were now clearly showing their true purpose.

His newly awakened powers were there, and Crow's guidance helped him get a better feel for them as he explored them with his mind. While his perceptions had increased across the board, the addition of the aura sense was new. The new metaphorical limbs of his yet untested powers were foreign enough, and the combination with a whole new sense made for a challenge that should give pause to even the most arrogant teenage bravado.

Suddenly feeling the auras that his aunties had always spoken of was like suddenly being able to see a new color and instantly knowing that it had always existed. Those sober thoughts put a slight damper on Kite's excitement since he knew it would be a while yet before he could leap about and fling abilities left and right.

"Why don't we bring this little process to a close with the awakening stones, dear? I believe it is soon dinner time, and we have some celebrating to get to!" chimed Auntie Dove.

"I promise that the stones will come without nasty surprises," she finished with a sly wink. Compared to the essence ritual, the ritual of awakening was a much simpler affair. Each essence awakened a magical ability upon absorption, but had the potential for another four abilities to be linked to them via the use of said awakening stones. This meant that Kite might possess twenty magical abilities in the future, each one brimming with power and potential.

Auntie Crow repeated the process for all the three awakening stones gifted to Kite by his birth-parents, and then finalized it all with the stone Kite found himself. As promised, the ritual was both quicker and did not cause any more unpleasant gunk to stark spewing from any orifices. Instead, it was almost as if he had suddenly become a vessel, albeit one only partially filled, and each stone absorbed took him just a little bit closer to completion.

Later, as he sat on a plush pillow inside the house, smells of food wafting out from the kitchen, Kite was meditating yet again while trying to grasp the newly awakened abilities now added to his repertoire. WWJS (What would Jason see?): Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Awakening stone of Shards] You have awakened Negation essence ability [Pattern-Shattering counter] [Ability] Pattern-Shattering counter Special attack Cost: Varies Cooldown: 5s Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent's active attack or magical effects in an attempt to negate it and drain an additional amount of mana and/or stamina, depending on which energy that was fueling the attack.

Some ongoing or very powerful effects might not be able to be negated entirely, and will instead be suppressed or reduced for a short duration. Cost increases with the cost of negated attack.

—------- Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Awakening stone of Mana] You have awakened Void essence ability [Chakra Implosion] [Ability] Chakra Implosion Special attack (Combination) Cost: Low mana Cooldown: 2s Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent to implode part of their mana reserve in addition to the physical effect of the strike. Applies an instance of [Broken flow], a stackable affliction that reduces mana recovery.

—------- Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Awakening stone of Karma] You have awakened Barrier essence ability [Spiritual Reprisal] [Ability] Spiritual Reprisal Special ability Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Any creature striking you or one of your barriers will suffer one instance of [Unstable flow] - a stackable affliction which increases the effect of one of your special attacks, which consumes one instance of this affliction.

—------- Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune has absorbed [Awakening stone of Fortune] You have awakened Void essence ability [Something from Nothing] [Ability] Something from Nothing Special ability Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Iron 0 Effect - Iron: Every time you defeat an enemy, a fragment of their essence is kept in a personal metaphysical space. When enough fragments have been gathered, they will manifest into a semi-random item.

The item will be influenced by the fragments which have constituted it and the amount of fragments needed will vary. While the individual powers and their use felt clear to Kite, the practical realities of using them felt a bit more difficult to wrap his head around. He liked that he could protect both himself and others, and his racial gift that evolved along with the void essence gave him more reason to increase his martial practice.

But while i t felt useful to protect himself from and cancel an enemy's magic, none of the abilities felt like they had the scope to individually swing the initiative in a battle. Kite felt a bit worried that his impact might be negligible if he, for example, faced one of the plethora of monsters found in the region. As dinner was ready, those thoughts moved to the back of his mind. He'd taken the first steps on his path now, and he resolved to do his best with what he had been given.

And during his studies, he had been taught that sets of essence powers tended to start interlinking and balancing themselves out as he awakened more of them down the line. This knowledge gave him even more hope for the future. But there were a few questions that his mind couldn't shake, so he thought it best to at least give voice to them.

"Auntie Crow?"

"Yes, Kite?"

"Why do you think they sent me these two essences in particular? And why two?" he asked, before hurriedly adding; "I am in no means ungrateful, neither to my mysterious progenitors or you. It just struck me as a bit of an odd number, especially as the void essence seems very rare." Auntie Crow looked at him from where she sat opposite on a pillow of her own.

"From the rather vague letter, there seems to have been quite the amount of care given to symbolism in this act of giving, so I would imagine that there is purpose to both the nature and number of the essences and awakening stones. However, as we know little else I do not think we can deduce much more from it. But I would try not to worry about it, little Kite. It is at least clear that they wanted you to live your own life and do with it what you wished.

And if fate wishes for it, your paths might cross in the future." Kite nodded along with her words. While they couldn't provide clear answers, hearing her thoughts on the matter still helped ease his mind as he rose to follow her towards the kitchen.

"And another thing..." he ventured as he helped set the table, half distracted by the wonderful smells of his favorite dishes.

"While I know what my powers do, how do I talk about them? Do they have names?"

"Of course they do, sweetie," Auntie Dove said as she joined the rest of her little family at the table, bringing the last basket of steaming buns.

"The Magic Society handles such matters. While not everyone wants to share the specifics of their powers, enough do that there is a pretty hefty register. Walker should be arriving in but a few days, and if memory serves me right he has one of their active, living registries. We can take some time and look them up there."

"And for those we cannot find, you can just name them yourself, little chick," Auntie Crow added, strands of hair already at work in pouring drinks for them all.

"If you take it seriously and come up with a good name, the society might even accept it as the official one." His mind abuzz with all the new potential, pondering things like how many synonyms for void he could come up with, Kite couldn't help the smile which stayed plastered to his face throughout the whole evening. After all, he had an exciting future to grasp.