How long was it….that I felt this feeling of emptiness.
I couldn't feel my hands or feet or the sound of my heart beating. 'Hah…this feeling…..I kind of miss how reassuring it feels…but soon….' A bright light shone on my face, and slowly, I could feel my body listening to me once again.
"Oh…your fate is unique…a person that has returned from the future….".
'How ?'. I turned around to find the source of the voice but like last time as well, they wouldn't reveal themselves first.
"Where are you looking ?"
I turned to my right immediately and my gaze was fixed on two individuals.
'That's weird…..why are there two of them ?'.
One was white, while the other, a more familiar figure, was black and had a white bandage wrapped around his eyes.
"He possesses strong eyes….he deserves to gain my trait".
"He's someone that can turn Destiny itself…..I'm interested in this one…"
"But..will he be able to pass our trials?"
"That, my friend, is all up to him". The one on white flipped his finger and the void space suddenly turned cold.
I felt a chill creep up my spine and my skin slowly crumbled to the cold. 'Where is it coming from ?'
I thought without realizing I was in the middle of a snowstorm. 'This wasn't the trial I went through last time'
"Young Jun….you must be one with the cold".
'One with the cold? How do you expect me to do that? Do I look like an ice cube or something?'
"Why does he resist ?" The other one said.
'Resist….me ?' I had not realized it this whole time but the body automatically reacts when a foreign entity causes harm to it. We cool ourselves when it's hot and we struggle to cluster warmth around us when it's cold.
If he wants me to be one with the cold….then does he insist…I die in it ?...'
I stared at my cold hands that had completely frozen up.
"No…not just be one with it….exist with it".
I stood still and let the cold pierce through my body. It was a cold and harsh feeling, and I felt like holding myself tight to resist the cold, but would something like that even be helpful?
My legs had completely turned to ice and then slowly, I felt it slowly creep up to me to my knees and then my lower abdomen. It wasn't long before it had reached my face.
I closed my eyes tight and hard as it surrounded me in its cold.
"You have done well….".
A white light pierced through the ice and it cracked open, shattering in pieces from my face down.
I breathed in heavily, falling to my knees.
'I could have…died ?'
"He has passed your test…..then….is it my turn ?".
'What another one ?'
He clicked his finger again and the icy storm turned into a grassy plain
'This…I am familiar with…the goal…'.
I slowly turned to my left where a target was laid over a kilometer away. '...to shoot down that single target'
"It seems like you get the gist of it….my test is simple…shoot down that human target from your current position".
'It may seem simple…but the distance was too abnormal before my regression but now….maybe…'
A bow and arrow appeared before me and I picked them up.
I stood at the position designated and aimed it at the object.
'As expected it's too far….though….'
I exuded aura from my body, leading them to my eyes.
"Kid! What are you doing ?"
Using aura on organs such as the eyes is usually dangerous since they have a 50% chance of damaging them if used wrongly, but the trait I SEE YOU is just that important.
The aura rushed through my eyes, sharpening my vision several levels higher but causing blood to drip down at the same time. A smile escaped my lips as I shot out the arrow.
It rushed through the plain field at an incredible speed and shot down the target in an instant.
Not just vision mattered in this trial, strength mattered as well. Without applying mana to fortify your aim…it would be impossible.
"It seems we have a genius even amongst our family…"
"Indeed…I'm curious as to what you will achieve in the future…"
"We approve of giving you our Traits….may you use it to bring honor to yourself and your family". They appeared again floating above me.
'Double traits…it seems like my future is even more certain now…' A smile escaped my lips as I slowly faded away from the void world.
Morganna POV.
It wasn't a simple process; that's what I've always been told about the rites, and it's not something that we all have to go through. It wasn't that I didn't want to partake in it, it was just I never wanted to learn any of them.
Just like Thalia, I had made up my mind to live without a mana circle or an aura star…but this kid.
I stared at Raffaelo's unconscious body on the ground. It was custom to leave them on the spot they fell unconscious if not, the rite could be altered.
"How long has it been now?"
My father asked Gloria who was in charge of keeping the time from the moment he fell to when he woke up.
It could take as long as a week for him to wake up, depending on the kind of trial he goes through, but it could also be as short as an hour.
"About 2 hours now…" she replied while checking her pocket watch.
I sighed as I gazed at the room to see their reactions. Just as I thought, Thalia seemed the most worried.
"Should we get something to eat in the meantime ?" I asked to try and change the atmosphere.
My dad stared at me and his lips curled into a smile.
"Maybe we should.." he said as he slowly got up from his chair.
"...you're going for a meal without me ?"
At that very moment, I was sure of the reactions I had seen on their faces….surprise, and relief as I slowly turned to find my younger brother getting up while holding his head.
"....wow….I see why you didn't want me to take it….my head hurts…is this mental fatigue or ?". He stood up straight and stared into my father's eyes with a smile.
"I'm back, father…"
"....that…was quick…" the words slowly slipped out of my mouth without me even realizing it.
"I guess so" he nonchalantly said, scratching the back of his head.
"...what trait do you possess ?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head in surprise. Well, I'm sure she would; she was a monster herself since it took her 5 hours to pass her trials.
I wouldn't deny I wasn't curious as well.
"Well…." He slowly raised his left hand. "I got the trait….".
A cluster of snowflakes began to form on top of his palm and it slowly solidified into a snowball. "THE KING OF SNOW"
".....isn't that trait…." My mother muttered with amazement in her eyes as she turned to my father.
He slowly chuckled before laughing out loud.
'What's so funny you old man?' I thought, feeling uncomfortable with his sudden weird reaction.
"As expected…your destiny is fraught with danger…." He said slowly.
'What? Danger ?'
"...but the power you possess is strong enough to protect you…I hope you make it yours completely as time goes by.." he smiled. That smile I only see when he feels satisfied with his children's growth.
'Such a power-lover'. I turned my head and sighed. "That's… not all".
His sudden statement got all of our attention, especially Rebecca.
"What do you mean ?" She asked.
Raffaelo smiled at her as he placed one hand over his left eye.
"I possess a dual trait….my second trait is I SEE YOU".
His right eye suddenly glowed bright white…a feeling I hadn't felt before. It was like someone was searching through my very being.
"...another unique trait from our ancestors…your destiny doesn't seem to be that different from your sister's, Rebecca".
I could see Rebecca's expression. She didn't seem fine with the situation.
'Probably because her destiny is a dangerous one as well'
"You may be dismissed". My father announced and fell back to his chair.
We all bowed and slowly headed for the door, Gloria being the first to open it.
"Rebecca…Fiona and Gloria…do ensure your brother doesn't misuse his traits and inform him about our sword techniques"
"...as you wish…father" Gloria nodded before shutting the door behind her after we all left the room.
NORMAL POV.
"So….?" Rachael stared at her husband.
"Hah…..this kid is such a handful…how talented do you have to be"
"THE KING OF SNOW….do you think he'll be able to withstand the cold ?"
"The trait doesn't affect the wielder….it's a common perk that comes with our traits…"
"...they could also obtain more traits along the way…."
"Yes…now that they've alleged contact with their ancestors…I'm sure a new trait will be applied each time their destiny changes".
Rachael sighed. "Should we start our preparations for the Demon subjugation.."
"...yes we should….I'll have to summon my younger brother to look after them".
"...he's a 10-star knight of the Imperial Family now, isn't he…."
Rachael sighed as she rested her body on his desk. " you guys are so talented…."
"Oh shush wife…." Michaelo held her hands. "You're just as powerful…and you will continue to grow…I will be sure of that".
Rachael chuckled at his words. "I know you will…you're a stubborn man"
Michaelo chuckled as well.
"Did the King at least tell you where the demons appeared from ?"
"Not at all….as if he expected us to find it ourselves…"
"..well it shouldn't be hard since I possess the Search skill"
"..skills…"
Michaelo placed his chin on his small beard while pondering over the name.
"They are more than one way of obtaining power, Michaelo"
"...yes….the system….we still don't know where that thing came from so we ought to be careful"
"...well..it still comes in handy"
"It does…"
"..I hope this demon subjugation goes as planned….I don't want to leave my babies with someone from the imperial palace…"
"It's alright dear…" Michaelo said with a smirk on his face. "I sent aid to the north…I'm sure you remember him…The King of the Human-giant race"
"King Hercules"
"Yes….he agreed to send a knight of his as well….though this is just insurance….his knights are at the 10th star as well but their unique blessing from the giant god should more than make them strong enough to face even me".
".....the powers that exist in this world…"
"..we're nearly getting to the peak of it all….we ought to refine ourselves"
Rachael nodded her head in agreement as they continued their conversation about their son.
****
Raffaelo stepped on the snowy field of the training yard as he heard his sister's footsteps
He turned around and his five sisters were presently watching him in earnest.
"Do I look like an alien or something ?"
"Well….you are something not human" Morganna said with a chuckle.
I laughed as I grabbed a wooden sword from the bundle placed in the corner of the training yard.
"You said you had something to show us…". Gloria said, staring at him with keen interest.
"...." Raffaelo tapped the sword on his shoulder rhythmically while glancing at his sister.
"...wh..what ?" She stammered.
"Why aren't you putting on female clothing? Even if it's cold….you should"
"What is this nonsense !" Gloria cut him off and turned her face away blushing.
"Ye…yeah..you tell him, sis !" Rebecca nodded.
Morganna and Thalia chuckled.
"It's their preference…I couldn't even do anything about them," Fiona sighed, shaking her head.
"Stop this pestering and show us".
"Okay...Okay," Rafaelo chuckled as he pointed his sword forward. "I realized something from the trial…..a way to make our abilities ours and make them blossom".
The snowflakes that fell slowly began to gather around the tip of his sword.
His sisters gasped at the reaction.
"You just obtained it though!" Rebecca muttered.
"Yes….but…making it ours and growing with it…isn't that one of our goals as a Jun…to continue growing stronger to protect what is ours".
The snow formed into a ball and it solidified into an ice ball. He shot it out, and it flew to the other side of the court, striking the ground with a small, snowy explosion.
"Let's work hard sisters….I might surpass the whole lot of you at this rate". He smirked at them as he dropped the sword and walked back to the castle.
Gloria smiled. 'That's seriously not something a 10-year-old should be saying…'.
I'm sure they all had the same thoughts as they stared at their brother's back while he skipped his way back to the mansion.