The light of the early sun crept through the window, reflecting on a boy with long red hair. His rich brown skin shimmered beneath the golden light of morning, further sharpening his already striking features.
The boy was none other than Kaios. He had severely underestimated the exhaustion from yesterday's events. The combination of physical fatigue and mental strain had kept him asleep for nearly seventeen hours.
Kaios stirred awake, stretching his arms lazily. He yawned groggily and glanced at the clock — its hour hand pointed toward seven. Only then did he realize he had slept almost seventeen hours straight, even skipping last night's dinner. Strangely, he did not feel hungry, likely because of the awakening, as well as a merit of Psion flowing in his body.
As sloppiness faded slowly, he rose from the bed and went about his morning routine. After finishing, he went down to the dining hall on the ground floor, with his room being on the first.
There, Lyra was waiting for him, with breakfast prepared. "Good morning, Mom," Kaios greeted as he took the seat across from her.
Lyra returned the greeting warmly. "Are you alright, Kai? You didn't come down for dinner last night." Her voice laced with concern about him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Yesterday was just a bit hectic, and I was completely exhausted," Kaios replied while beginning his breakfast.
The meal consisted of boiled eggs, toasted bread with avocado paste, and a glass of orange juice.
Lyra nodded affectionately. "Take care of your health from now on, Kai." Then, as though remembering something, she added suddenly, "Oh, I spoke with your father last night — he's coming back tonight."
Shock flashed across Kaios's face. "Wait… Dad is coming back!?"
"Yes," Lyra confirmed with a small smile. "He heard about your situation and decided to come home to discuss it."
"But.... that's fine, Mom. I don't want to stress him. He'll already be busy with Guild matters," Kaios urged.
Lyra shook her head firmly. "He's your father first. You come before the Guild. Besides, he's been working too much — he needs the break from all that."
"Ah… also, meet me at the training hall at ten. I want to test your body's condition after the Psion overflow," Lyra instructed as she finished her breakfast.
Kaios nodded, setting down his glass. "I'll be ready. And… thanks for worrying about me, Mom."
Lyra's lips softened into a smile. "It's fine, Kai. That's my job as your mother." Rising from her seat, she added, "Okay, I'll be going now. Be ready for training." She left to attend her work.
Some time later, Kaios too left the dining room and returned to his room. As he was free for some time, to cut some of his boredom, he started playing a few rounds of video games.
10 a.m. — Training Hall
The training hall stood to the left of their villa, equipped with advanced technology. From weight machines to reaction testers to weapon rigs — everything necessary for testing and training the body was there.
Lyra crossed her arms, studying him. "Alright, let's test what your body can handle."
Kaios nodded and began with weight training. After completing it, he shifted to stamina drills, followed by a series of other exercises. Lyra observed closely, recording everything on her holo-screen.
After nearly two hours, Kaios's training finally concluded. His clothes were drenched in sweat, but surprisingly, he did not look as tired as expected even doing all these workouts.
"Okay, I've gathered enough data on your condition," Lyra said, eyes scanning the display in her hand.
"So… how did I do, Mom?" Kaios asked, eager.
"Your agility and reaction speed match those of other Initiators — peak human level," Lyra explained. "But your strength, stamina, and recovery speed far surpass them." She looked up at him seriously. "The excess Psion in your body has significantly boosted your strength. But the greatest change lies in stamina and recovery — your cells are supercharged by Psion. These traits are already at the level of a Peak Tier 9."
Kaios's eyes widened in disbelief. "Peak… Tier 9?" he muttered under his breath.
Lyra smirked at his expression. Then, switching off the display, she said, "But as Karl warned, the Psion overflow does have side effects. You'll need to push your body to its absolute limit to mitigate the pain. That's why…" Her gaze sharpened knowingly. "From tomorrow onwards, your father will personally train you."
Kaios's shock turned to excitement. "Dad will train me? Will he also teach me weapon combat?"
"Yes," Lyra replied with certainty. "He'll also assign you a new training regimen tailored to your condition. So be prepared." With that, she left the hall.
The training session ended around noon. Kaios returned to his room, bathed, and asked a maid to bring lunch to him. After finishing his meal, he settled into a meditative posture on his bed.
He was attempting to re-enter the Garden of End. From the information he received yesterday through the Crown, he had learned how to enter and exit at will.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the Crown's image, shaping it clearly in his mind.
Suddenly, he found himself back in the infinite void, standing once more upon the colossal corpse. The Gem beside him now glowed with steady ethereal light, no longer flickering as before.
Something else was different too. Among the countless hexagonal patterns on the Gem's surface, some now shone with a silvery-blue glow.
Kaios narrowed his eyes. His earlier theory seemed partially correct — the Crown's Gems were derivative energies of Lumina. But this revelation suggested something deeper: one Gem contained multiple energies.
Doubts still lingered in his mind about the other Gems, and how to access them.
But for now, he focused on his own issue — the Psion overflow.
According to the knowledge he received, Resonance is merely a bridge. It connects Lumina, altering it into Psion. This was why Psion appeared volatile, manifesting in different forms depending on the type of Resonance.
The Psion overflowing within him carried traces of Lumina itself, making it far different from normal.
Which led Kaios to a bold conclusion: Dr. Karl's theory was wrong.
He could not use Resonance the same way as others. His path had to be different. He would need to resolve this problem on his own — in his own way.
Kaios whispered to himself, voice calm yet resolute.