As Aunt Elena closed the creaking door behind Maxim, he found himself standing there, frozen in disbelief. The weight of Aunt Elena's revelation settled heavily upon him, rendering him speechless. Thoughts swirled in his mind, colliding and intertwining like a chaotic dance. Could it be that Aunt Elena had left in his previous life to return to his true family? Was it possible that he had a family—a family of Enlightened Ones, no less? The notion seemed both fantastical and bewildering.
Lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts, Maxim whispered to himself, his voice barely audible in the stillness of the room. "Is my reasoning sound, or am I merely a misguided soul in the throes of delusion? Am I right to ponder such matters? Comrades, is this for real? Just what kind of drama will happen after now?"
Meanwhile, the man with whom Aunt Elena had been conversing observed Maxim's stunned state with a mixture of curiosity and pity. Sensing the young man's bewilderment, he extended his right hand and gently touched Maxim's forehead. "Fear not, young lad," he reassured, his voice soothing yet tinged with an air of superiority. "You will soon forget about her. After all, you are just a normal human..."
Pausing momentarily, the man cleared his throat, correcting himself. "I mean, we are the true humans, the Enlightened ones, while you and others like you are simply rejects. But I will allow you to continue living your life as a normal reject, a mere human."
For them, normal humans were considered a lower class of species, lacking the awakened Enlightened force that defined their kind. The invisible tendrils of power began to emanate from the man, spreading throughout Maxim's entire being. It was the manifestation of the enlightened force—a force that held the ability to manipulate memories.
"This," the man explained, his voice carrying an air of authority, "is what we call an enlightened force. With it, I can erase every trace of Elena from your mind. Even if her image is captured in phones, cameras, or pictures, it will fade away from your memory. Her videos and images will still exist, but the moment you avert your gaze or lack any reminder of her, she will slip away from your consciousness, forgotten."
Having delivered his proclamation, the man turned his attention away from the still-stunned Maxim, dismissing him as though he were inconsequential. He proceeded to open the door behind Maxim, disappearing into the unknown with an air of indifference.
Maxim slowly emerged from his stupor, his mind awakening from the haze that had clouded his senses. With a groggy blink, he brought a trembling hand to his face, his fingertips grazing his skin in an attempt to confirm the reality of what had transpired moments ago. The lingering sensation of the enlightened force still danced upon his features, a subtle tingling that sent shivers down his spine. It was undeniable, then, that what he had experienced was not a mere hallucination or a figment of his imagination.
A mixture of awe and confusion washed over Maxim's face as he pieced together the fragments of his shattered reality. The power he had witnessed, the ethereal display of force, was not a mere illusion conjured by his own mind. It was a truth he could not ignore, a truth that demanded his acknowledgement. With a decisive swipe of his hand, he banished the remnants of the enlightened force, dissipating it into the air like smoke carried away by a gentle breeze.
His gaze, once clouded and distant, turned towards the door that stood before him. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, a newfound confidence beginning to take root within his being. "Interesting," he mused, his voice filled with a mixture of intrigue and newfound determination. "It seems that my true path lies not with that Polina girl, but with my own family. They possess a power that surpasses all else."
The reason why he had let Polina noticed him in the Vovovich Carousel Cafe was because she knew she was in a family of Enlightened ones, or one of the true nobles or humans. With her, Maxim could enter the elites or the enlightened ones. However, now, it seems he is also connected to one.
With his resolve solidified, Maxim reached out to grasp the doorknob, his fingers poised to turn it and venture forth into a future he had only just begun to comprehend. However, instinct compelled him to take a step back, a split-second decision that saved him from the impending destruction that awaited on the other side.
And then, with a thunderous explosion of sound and fury, the door was obliterated in a shower of splintered wood and debris. The force of the blast sent shards flying in every direction, filling the air with a cacophony of cracking and splintering. Maxim shielded his face instinctively, his heart pounding in his chest as the chaos unfolded before him.
In the aftermath, as the dust settled and the echoes of the blast faded into silence, Maxim stood amidst the wreckage of what was once a sturdy barrier. The door, once a symbol of safety and separation, now lay in ruins at his feet.
As Maxim stood on the other side of the destroyed door, his ears were suddenly filled with a chilling voice that seemed to echo through the air. "Brat, it's time to clean you up," the voice declared, its tone laced with a sinister edge. The words sent shivers down Maxim's spine, his heart quickening in response.
And then, with a thunderous thud, a pair of massive feet entered the room, causing the ground to tremble beneath them. Maxim's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. There stood a hulking figure, a fat man with a menacing presence. His hands were muscular, the veins bulging beneath the surface, and his feet were like two boulders, ready to crush anything in their path. Despite his intimidating appearance, the man wore a twisted smile on his face as he clenched his fist, a clear sign that he was prepared to unleash his wrath upon Maxim.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you right now," the massive man spoke, his voice dripping with malice. "I have to wait until the ceremony ends. However, that doesn't mean I can't beat you up, right?" His words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the imminent danger Maxim found himself in.
As fear coursed through his veins, Maxim couldn't help but question everything that was happening. His mind raced with thoughts, desperately seeking answers. "What is this family Romanov I know?" he pondered. "I didn't seem to see them in the apocalypse or hear any news of them. Who are they? Why do they want to let me live but then plan to kill me after some sort of ceremony? What kind of family drama is this?"
Caught in the turmoil of his thoughts, Maxim's musings were abruptly interrupted. "Hey brat, what are you staring at?" the massive man in the black suit barked, his voice sharp and commanding. He stood there, fully prepared to unleash his fury upon Maxim, his fists clenched and his eyes filled with a menacing fire.
Maxim's mind spun with possibilities. Could he find a way to escape this dire situation? Should he take matters into his own hands and try to fix the twisted family drama that had ensnared him? Or perhaps, in a bid for power, he could use his own family to rise as a supreme leader of humanity.
But before he could settle on a course of action, the massive man's voice cut through the silence once again. "Is the enlightened force too strong for you?" he taunted, his words dripping with contempt. The threat hung in the air, a challenge that dared Maxim to defy him.
"F**k it," the massive, fat, muscular man muttered, frustration tainting his voice. "I won't be able to enjoy this if this brat doesn't even put up a fight or is incapable of resisting."
The tension in the room escalated, however, it looks like Maxim didn't knew that he had to act quickly if he wanted to survive the impending onslaught.