It was strange having a mother who was a Saint. She was powerful enough to level mountains, exterminate Corrupted and Great Nightmare Creatures, and enforce curfew with a mere hint of displeasure. Nothing escaped her all-encompassing ears. Her keen sight even seemed capable enough to spot him dozens of miles away.
Yet, most strangely, Transcendents were known far and wide across the world as champions of humanity. There were just about two dozen now, but out of almost five billion, that was enough that you could go an entire lifetime — multiple, even — without meeting one.
And she alone remained an elusive figure, unknown to the public eye.
Nico, of course, had figured out why. Rather, he had been told.
It was his father. Mother had talked with him after his thirteenth birthday. She said that he was out there, searching for the both of them, and even the mere mention of his name was forbidden; not that he knew it anyway.
The question always had been why it mattered, though.
She said he was dangerous. That he could track them down and had no good intentions ever since they separated.
But… his mother was unstoppable. His father, no matter how exceptional, surely didn't stand a chance against her might!
Just as he shook off the faint smile from his face and rolled to his side to continue sleeping, a commanding voice boomed from downstairs:
"Nic! Get up for school, darling!"
Grumbling slightly, he scratched the back of his head and dug into his pillow.
'Already…'
Sighing, he sat up, rubbing his eyes languidly.
The sheets fell around him. Light filtered in through the curtains, illuminating his bedroom. A comfy bed made from dark wood and pushed into the corner opposite the door was where he slept, his nightstand propped beside it with a couple items scattered atop. In the corner beside the door was a closet with his dresser, and on the wall hung two posters from a particular movie he had liked as a kid — a younger kid.
He was officially sixteen now.
Nico took a moment to consider the clothes scattered on the floor, then stood up and walked over to his dresser to get his new uniform. He didn't want to bother with it, but he'd have to do it anyway once he got home, so no point worrying now.
Running through the motions, he pulled on a pair of black dress pants, a white button-up long-sleeve, and a black coat, then ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.
He fiddled with the fancy tie his mother had forced him to wear throughout the years as he descended the stairs.
"Mornin' Mom," he greeted, pulling his chair out and taking a seat at the table.
Resting his chin lazily on a hand, he watched her cook.
In the kitchen, seasoning a flat pan of boiling marinara sauce and poached eggs, his mother turned to see him. She smiled.
Everything seemed to become more real, feasible, and material at that moment. Her lustrous black hair that hung in waves, her charming grin with perfectly aligned teeth, and even the morning chill and Nico's own tiredness. It was all there, stark as the sun, each individual piece highlighted without any other losing their own shine.
That was her Transcendent presence.
She grabbed the pan by the handle and rested it on her exposed palm, then opened the fridge and called backed to him.
"Good morning, dear! You got here right on time! It's just about ready."
Nico's eyes shimmered.
"What is?"
Pulling out a carton of orange juice and walking to the table, she lowered her hand to show him.
"Shakshuka!" she exclaimed, then tilted her head, confused by his unamused expression. "What's wrong? Does it look bad? Did I overcook it?"
He opened his mouth, then sighed. How was he supposed to tell her it wasn't normal for people to just put hot pans on their hands like it was a fruit platter? Even Awakened would be burned by that!
"No, not that. It looks great. Thank you. Where did you get the recipe?"
She grinned cheekily, using a spatula to split the pan into two equal portions.
"You're welcome! And I just used the first one I found online…"
Rolling his eyes, Nico dug in, quickly realizing once more that she truly knew how to cook. The sauce was rich and sweet, the egg cooked but slightly runny.
Honestly, it would be shocking if a Transcendent didn't know how to cook.
His fork was soon scrapping the plate.
Laughing slightly, his mother went back into the kitchen to clean up.
"Now that you're done why don't you get out of here. School starts in fifteen, so you better walk fast today. I don't want to get an email that you were late to the first day of high school!"
An exaggerated sigh escaped Nico's lips. He motioned for the foyer.
"I've already had my 'first day' two times already."
Sliding into his proper shoes and slipping his arms through the straps of his backpack, he twisted the doorknob and cast a sideways glance back at his mother, still rinsing the dishes.
Before he could leave, she said happily over her shoulder:
"Have a good day, darling! Love you!"
Hiding a grin, he replied, half outside already:
"I will. Love you too, Mom."
***
'School is so boring.'
Nico slumped in his seat — the one that had to be in the very center of the first row, too. Two dozen other students were arranged in five rows behind him, a teacher at the front with a chalkboard and lectern.
Why was it always the front every year?
This was the fourth and final class of the day. Each were eighty minutes, and each went straight into work without a shred of introduction. Wasn't there supposed to be endless, annoying icebreakers? Where was the forty minutes of reading the syllabus for each class?
Not for the first time, he lamented his woes.
'Tch, why did mom have to put me into such a fancy and proper school. I wish I could just relax in an easy public one.'
He was a completely unremarkable kid anyway. Nobody much knew him here despite going to the same middle school, and he didn't have any real friends. His features weren't anything like his mom's, with brown hair and eyes that were blander than the color white. He was decently tall, sure, but not enough to be notable.
The new teacher in this block had already gotten a liking to calling on him.
Assigned seating was the worst.
Before he could get any more down, he rose his hand.
'I'll just go to the bathroom for a bit.'
Nico got permission from the teacher and ducked out the classroom. Making sure to walk as leisurely as possible, he meandered the second floor of the building, passing an occasional teacher or student on the way.
Everything was so stifling here. The sterile smell, the white tiles, and the noble atmosphere where everyone walked like they mattered; the sad part was that they did. Each student was either the child of a legacy or affluent member of society. Opulence was their birthright. To not flaunt that wealth was a cardinal sin.
He unbuttoned his coat and loosened his tie.
That was also why he didn't quite fit in. How could he exactly be someone important if no one knew his mother was a powerful Transcendent?
Although, contrary to popular belief, no one bullied him for that. Rich kids cared too much for their image to potentially ruin it putting others down. Rather, they simply opted to ignore him completely.
Everyone did.
So… why care? He didn't need their approval. His mother was worth more than the lot of them combined. She fought for days at a time in the Dream Realm sometimes. To make her proud he'd get through this stupid school and then move onto better things with his life.
Who knows, he might just get picked by the Nightmare Spell and become an Awakened like her!
He was just now within its age group, too.
'That would be awesome…'
Nico began to loop his way around the building back to his class. However, he made sure to stop at once specific hall before that.
When he rounded the corner and reached it, bright rays of sunlight graced his eyes. An open window let in a delicate breeze that played with his hair. It smelled… sweet.
His lips curled up, and he glanced out at the vast city of SQSC, taking in the electric lights and sprawling buildings. This was a rich district, so it was tamer than most in terms of cramped architecture, but the school sat on one of the highest hills, so he still got a good view of the city proper miles off in the distance.
Neon lights, towering skyscrapers, and human hives hidden from sight underground. Swarms of sleek trains, crowds of streets, cars, and buses, and millions upon millions of walking pedestrians. Everything was so modern and… real.
It was only a week or so from the long night that lasted in the south, so the sun's scarlet light was dragged across the sky, refracting in a spectrum of colors and clouds.
His mood improved.
Despite the irritability of school and how much he liked to complain, it really wasn't all that bad. His goal was to become an Awakened like his mother. No public education would ever be able to teach those skills as well as this one.
So, well and truly, he was happy.
As his eyes raptly scanned the landscape, he finally reached the end of the hall. But, just before he turned away, something caught his eye.
It was a billboard.
There was nothing remarkable about it. The sign was just an advertisement for a company selling different types of soda, juice, and sports drinks.
Yet… something about its name caught his attention.
It was unmistakably catchy, repeating in his mind like an earworm.
He mumbled to himself:
"Asterion, huh. I'll have to check it out."