Grace Ng stared sternly at her daughter sitting quietly on her bed.
She could not bear to scold her; Lys had not done anything wrong, she was just being curious and was just experimenting with her abilities.
It was not her fault that she was blessed (or cursed, depending on how one looked at it) with such an overpowered ability.
Explaining to Lys that her ability could lead her into great danger, Grace asked Lys to not experiment outside of the secured rooms at home.
Anywhere else could be observed or monitored and could lead to undesired attention.
They would send her for detailed testing as soon as it was arranged and get her a tutor to hone her abilities as soon as possible.
It was when she knew how to properly use and camouflage her abilities that she could display her ability outside.
People paid attention to anyone developing their abilities before the age of 18, not to mention Lys probably had one of the most desired abilities regardless of the industry.
As their family was already in the spotlight. Her developing her ability early would just, at most, earn her the 'genius' label. But if her ability was found out, she would earn her the 'weapon' label as well.
That would mean she may never find peace until she submits to a powerful enough faction.
While the Ngs were powerful in their own faction. They were not powerful enough to be able to prevent those with more clout than them from any nefarious intentions. Not to mention they had consolidated and stopped expanding their connections after the attack.
Lys listened carefully and nodded. She didn't want to be put in a jar to be studied or become a weapon for others, she just wanted to be able to live peacefully…
Dinner that day was a half solemn, half happy affair.
The Ngs were happy to know that Lys had developed her abilities, and that it was a powerful one.
But they were worried about her future.
They didn't need another General in family, they didn't want her to be placed in situations that she could get injured. They just wanted the girl that laid on the hospital bed for the past 30 years to be happy and healthy always.
###
Lys looked down the balcony at the people arriving.
The party was starting in 15 minutes and she was supposed to stay hidden till her parents called for her.
Having been cooped up at home for the past week, she didn't feel like staying in her room and stood on the balcony to watch the guest arrive.
'All these… Should be people I know right? Or at least, people this body would recognise?'
'Would they know I'm not Lys?'
'Will I be found out?'
'What will they expect out of me?'
'There's a lot of people below… Are they really here because I'm awake or are they here for my family?'
Lost in her inner monologue, she stared blankly at the gathering crowd below.
"There you are."
She turned and spotted Dean standing behind her.
"Why were you hiding, squirt?" He reached out and rubbed her hair. "I've been looking for you."
"Mom and Dad told me to stay upstairs, I didn't know you were coming"
Dean nodded, stepping forward to look down at the mass of guests arrive.
"Max invited me, he thought you'd like someone you knew around, other than your family." He gestured to all of the people milling about.
"All of them are here for you today, so why does the main character seem so sad?"
She shook her head.
"It's just that, I don't remember any of them... And they are all people I used to know…That I'm supposed to know…"
'And I'm hiding things that would get me placed in a psych ward if it's ever found out.'
"I'm sure they won't blame you for that," Dean reached out and gave her a quick hug. "The General should have informed them about your condition when the invitations were sent."
"Hopefully."
They both watched the guests arrive in silence.
In the study, Ian and Mat watched the interaction of the duo on the balcony.
"It was a good idea to invite him." Ian gestured to the man on the screen. "Your sister seems to have cheered up."
"That guy is standing too close to her." Mat complained as he switched the surveillance camera to one which overlooked the entrance.
"There are more people than expected… Did we invite that many?"
They quietly observed the footage of the guests entering the mansion.
"There must have been some people who brought plus ones." Ian was displeased. He did not want anyone who was unvetted near his daughter.
"Setup the facial recognition software and get Max to find out who brought those extras."
Mat nodded as he typed some commands into the console, which started identifying and pulling data on each of the guests in the grounds.
"Let's go grab Lys and introduce her to the guests."