It was the next day, and Kaz had a lot on his mind. First off—his Commandment: Rest. That one was going to be a pain. Eight full hours of sleep, every single day. In the Rift, that was practically a death sentence. But there was a silver lining—he could stockpile hours, sleep more now to lower the risk of passing out later. Not ideal, but workable. That was problem one.
Problem two: how exactly did his Novice ability work? He still wasn't sure. It felt unpredictable, like a blade with no handle—sharp, but dangerous to wield.
Kaz was sitting in a small, bare-bones room. Comfy enough, but nothing special. His bed was pushed up against the left wall, right beneath a square window. A ceiling fan spun slowly overhead, humming like a tired machine. The room wasn't better than his old one—not by a long shot. You could feel the difference between the old homes and these new buildings. The dormitory was built for survival, not comfort. Safety came first, warmth came second. But for now, it worked.
Kaz was trying to focus on his Chaos Control, but it felt... strange. Controlling the ability wasn't like summoning a talisman — or at least, not exactly. He concentrated harder, hoping for some reaction, but nothing happened.
Frustration gnawed at him.
Then, by accident, he bumped into the small table by his bed. His family picture frame wobbled, teetering at the edge. Kaz's heart lurched.
"NO, no, no!" he cried, reaching out instinctively.
Before the frame could hit the ground, a sudden swirl of purple mist exploded from around him, catching it midair. The mist was thick, smoke-like, and cold to the touch — Kaz could feel its strange chill on his skin. His eyes widened in awe.
This... this was Chaos Control.
The mist felt haunting, almost the same chilling sensation he had when he first met his alter ego, Dareth, just a day ago. The thought of Dareth made Kaz's jaw tighten, anger bubbling under his skin — and, as if reacting to his emotions, the mist shifted.
It twisted and morphed, the once dark elegance sparking violently, becoming a crackling river of what looked like a liquid flame — beautiful, dangerous, and alive.
Kaz had to test his new ability can he pick up multiple things Kaz looked at a few government-issued uniforms that were the only thing Kaz had besides his t-shirt and the grey sweatpants he arrived with when Kaz tried to lift more than one item it felt like a small weight was on his back so he could only carry one thing at a slightly annoying time but that just means he would have to survive one of the regions of eden and anchor himself there and find his lineage stone to become an evolved sound easy enough
Of course, Kaz was just lying to himself. Deep down, he knew it was a complete coin flip. He could end up sent to one of the settlements in Eden... or worse, to some uncharted, lawless part of it. Either way, he'd be forced there, against his will, when summer came — whether he liked it or not.
But that was a problem for later.
For now, Kaz had to focus.He had to test his ability.
Kaz hesitated for a moment... then surrounded himself with the strange, swirling purple energy.
Something shifted.Something strange.
It wasn't what he expected. He couldn't lift himself off the ground like he'd hoped — but the bizarre thing was, it didn't feel like he was in his room anymore. Everything around him twisted, blurred, and changed.
The room looked... different.
There was a large mat spread across the floor, and a small crowd gathered around it. Among them stood an older man, clearly different from the rest — probably a professor. Kaz couldn't make out their words. It was like he could almost hear them, almost see them — like watching a memory through fogged glass.
He didn't know how to explain it.
But somehow, he understood what was happening.And instead of pulling back, Kaz made a decision.He stayed.
The professor stood at the front of the group, his voice steady as he addressed the students.
"Today, for your first day, I'll have you spar with each other."
"Spar?" Kaz thought, trying to make sense of it. Maybe this was some kind of hand-to-hand combat.
He glanced around and recognized a few of the students. Three guys were huddled in a group. Kaz only knew one of their names, and just the thought of him made his jaw tighten. That bastard Ryuma. All because Lloyd wanted to introduce himself like they were royalty. Seriously, we're way past the twenty-first century.
Thanks to them, Kaz had ended up in a tight spot. Now, people were starting to think he was Divine. Kaz hated that. He blamed them, even though they weren't to blame. It was Ryuma's fault. But those guys? They could've just left him alone.
Kaz's gaze shifted to the silver-haired boy standing in the corner. His attention was immediately drawn to Ryuma, who was walking toward him.
"Hey, Axion," Ryuma called out, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I found your name."
The silver-haired boy, Axion, didn't react visibly, but in Kaz's state, he could sense the irritation flickering in Axion's eyes at being called out so casually. Ryuma's eyes, however, glowed a deep crimson red as he drew closer, his presence growing more intimidating by the second.
"I've heard all about you," Ryuma continued, his voice laced with mockery. "And your dead clan's scars. It's funny, really. Cockroaches dying in a fire after their head leader fell. What's even funnier is that a strong roach like you managed to survive those assassination attempts by the big clans."
Ryuma's hand came down on Axion's shoulder with deliberate force. The gesture was clear: a threat, an assertion of dominance. Ryuma's grip tightened, but Axion remained as composed as ever, his expression blank. It was almost unnerving how unaffected he seemed, though Kaz could sense the tension beneath the surface.
"If you ever get in my way again," Ryuma whispered, his voice low and dangerous, "you'll be joining your family. And soon."