"He's finally awake. Look at him. Couldn't even defeat a Grade Three Nihil. Is this supposed to be our Apex Sovereign?"
Zane gradually opened his eyes, squinting against the bright ceiling. His vision slowly cleared, revealing an old man seated calmly across the room, arms folded.
"Demon... where's the demon?" he asked faintly.
"Nihil," the old man corrected. "It's dead. My granddaughter took care of it. Apparently she's more competent than a Sovereign."
He chuckled to himself.
"Granddaughter... Nihil... Who are you?"
"Rest up. Old tales claimed Sovereigns possess extraordinary recovery. I didn't expect you to heal completely in just two days."
"Where am I?"
"My citadel."
Without another word, the old man rose and left the room.
"Citadel?" Zane muttered.
He looked around properly for the first time.
"Why in the heavens am I in a ward? This doesn't even look like a hospital."
Only then did he notice the restraints around his wrists and ankles.
"What the..."
He struggled violently, the chains rattling against the bedframe.
"Enough."
The soft, textured voice entered the room before its owner did.
He knew that voice.
The same one.
The one that had whispered Sleep before darkness claimed him during the tsunami.
She walked in.
Her entire body shimmered beneath a veil of brilliant white light, bright enough to resemble the midday sun. Seeing him squint, she lowered its intensity until the radiance merely cloaked her skin, hair and clothes.
She stopped beside the bed.
"Your teeth healed nicely."
"How..." Zane stared.
"...are you doing that?"
"The light?"
She smiled.
"Each Awakened has the ability to synchronize with the Eternal Force."
She lifted her hand.
A tiny sphere of white light bloomed above her palm.
"The Eternal Force is the foundation upon which reality exists. Matter. Energy. Space. Time. Every law that governs existence is anchored to it."
The sphere divided into several smaller ones.
"When someone awakens, they don't create power. They become synchronized with the Force. That synchronization allows them to manipulate parts of reality."
The little stars danced around her fingers.
"Each person has an affinity. An aspect of reality they resonate with more naturally than the others."
The lights shifted into streams before disappearing.
"A Water Awakened can learn to manipulate fire. A Fire Awakened can influence water. But they'll never do so as naturally as someone whose affinity is that element."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"My affinity is Light."
Zane frowned.
"So... from what you're saying... my affinity is Void?"
Her expression changed.
"No."
He blinked.
"No?"
"Void isn't an affinity."
She folded her arms.
"Every affinity originates from the Eternal Force. Light. Shadow. Motion. Water. Flame. Gravity. They all exist to sustain reality."
She took a slow step toward him.
"The Void exists to erase it."
Silence settled between them.
"The Eternal Force created the Void as its final contingency. A reset mechanism. Should reality ever become too unstable to preserve, the Void exists to unmake it."
She sighed.
"You're not synchronized with an affinity."
She paused.
"You're synchronized with the Principle the Eternal Force hoped no human would ever wield."
Zane stared at her.
"What I still don't understand," she continued, "is how someone like you exists seven hundred years early."
"The Apex Sovereign wasn't meant to awaken in this era."
His thoughts snapped elsewhere.
"My sister."
"She's safe."
He closed his eyes in relief.
"And..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
"My mom."
She remained silent.
His heart sank.
"She isn't dead," she finally said.
"Not in the way you're imagining."
"What does that even mean?"
"Your power didn't erase her."
"It stored her."
His breathing became uneven.
"Stored... where?"
"The Void."
She spoke gently.
"The Void isn't empty darkness. It's an abyss beyond reality. Living beings your current strength cannot erase are imprisoned there instead."
He clenched the sheets.
"And then what?"
"The Void feeds."
His eyes widened.
"It slowly corrodes anything trapped inside it, consuming the Eternal Force they've synchronized with. The stronger they are, the longer they survive."
"My mom..."
"She's extraordinarily powerful."
Though her face was veiled by light, he could tell she smiled.
"Far stronger than most Awakened."
"But even she has limits."
He lowered his head.
"So she's suffering because of me."
She didn't answer immediately.
"She's enduring."
"Can she come back?"
"Yes."
His head shot up.
"But not by the Zane sitting before me."
Silence.
His fists tightened.
"I'll become strong enough."
"You'll have to."
She nodded.
"Because no one else can enter the Void and return."
She straightened her posture.
"Without further ado."
"We of House Vael shall train you in the ways of the Awakened. I will personally oversee your training, as I am the Parody of this era."
Zane blinked.
"Parody?" Zane frowned. "You mean prodigy?"
She smiled.
"No. A prodigy is merely gifted. A Parody is someone whose talent mocks the limits of ordinary Awakened. We borrowed the word centuries ago because the strongest among us are seen as parodies of what humans should be."
"You're just throwing words together now."
He suddenly froze.
"Hold on."
"Did you just say... Vael?"
She smiled before allowing the light surrounding her to fade completely.
For the first time...
He saw her face clearly.
Silver hair.
Warm brown skin.
Deep amber eyes.
The same girl he'd spent years awkwardly avoiding.
"Yes."
She smiled.
"As in Yuki Vael."
"An Awakened of Light."
"Daughter of House Vael."
"And the Parody of this era."
She folded her arms.
"Hello, Zane."
"Holy shit."
She giggled.
"No way."
Just then, the door swung open.
"Surprise, bro!"
Lily skipped inside.
"I had that exact same reaction yesterday."
She laughed before suddenly remembering something.
"Oh... and by the way..."
"The police are looking for you."
"I have too many questions."
Zane rubbed his forehead.
"But what do you mean they're looking for me?"
"You've officially been declared missing," Yuki answered.
"Not to worry though."
"I used your student bus card to purchase a ticket to another town."
She smiled mischievously.
"My cousin is about your height."
"He boarded the bus wearing your jacket."
"Soon enough, the authorities will conclude you simply ran away."
Zane stared at her.
"...That's terrifyingly smart."
"I've been told."
He cleared his throat.
"Who exactly was the old man?"
"The Noble Caelum Vael."
She answered proudly.
"Known as the Lord of Light for the past two generations."
"If your family's affinity is Light..."
He scratched his head.
"...does that mean we're related somehow?"
"My mom's affinity was Light too."
Yuki shrugged.
"It's possible."
"Many Light bloodlines descend from common ancestors."
"But I'd need to check our lineage records before making that claim."
He nodded slowly.
Then another thought struck him.
"One thing though..."
He lifted both restrained hands.
"Why in the heavens am I chained?"
Yuki's eyes widened.
"Oh."
She rubbed the back of her neck.
"My bad."
"I completely forgot."
She walked over and placed a glowing hand on the restraints.
The chains dissolved into particles of light.
"They weren't meant to keep you in."
Zane flexed his wrists.
"Then who?"
She looked directly into his eyes.
"The Void."
His expression hardened.
"The Void?"
"When my grandfather and I found you..."
She hesitated.
"...your shadow wasn't following your body."
"It moved."
"On its own."
The room fell silent.
"The Void," Zane whispered.
Yuki slowly shook her head.
"No."
A chill crawled down his spine.
"The Void..."
"...was trying to answer you."