Victor and his dad head towards their home in the forest at high speed. After a few minutes, they arrive, and his dad let's them in.
"I know it's been almost a year, but welcome home it's good to see you."
"Thanks, dad, but I would like to avoid small talk. I'm sure both of us know why you came to fetch me."
"Very well, son, let me make us something to drink."
Riventer disappears into the kitchen, leaving Victor to gaze at the drawings and carvings of his mom. He struggles to fight back tears as the memories come to the surface. His dad walks towards him with cups of water and a big book, which he places on the table. Victor lunges towards his dad, wraps his arms around him, and starts crying.
"I'm really sorry, dad. I just can't bear the thoughts of her not being here anymore. I've already accepted her death, so why? Why does it still hurt so much?"
"Unfortunately, that feeling will never dissappear for as long as you live. As time goes on, you learn to handle it better."
Tears run down his dad's cheek as he remembers the good times he had with Rebekah. He holds Victor for a while longer. After calming down, Victor sits back in the chair and drinks his water.
"So tell me how school life is treating you? Have you made any friends or perhaps a girlfriend or two?"
He playfully elbows Victor in his side, and Victor starts laughing.
"Unfortunately, life at the academy hasn't been normal for me. A lot has happened this year, and I can't make sense of it."
He proceeds to tell his dad about everything. When he arrives at the battle against Shadow and the outcome, his dad stops him immediately.
"Are you telling me that currently you have the Primordial, Shadow residing within you, and you fought him one on one nearly killing yourself?"
"That's about right."
An awkward silence falls as his dad tries to understand what has happened to his son.
"What tier of magic were you using that destroyed your body?"
Victor is silent, pondering whether he should tell his dad or not. Then Shadow begins talking to him.
"It would be in your best interest to tell him the truth."
After a few tense seconds of silence, Victor opens his mouth to speak.
"Divine tier magic."
His dad begins to smile and laugh, which surprises Victor, who is expecting something completely different.
"Well, you certainly wouldn't be our son if you couldn't use Divine tier magic. I think you are ready to know the truth about us and our past."
He opens the book he put on the table and begins telling Victor the whole story, but cleverly leaves out small details that would give away too much.
"Your mother was decended from a bloodline of Divine Mages who were the most powerful beings in existence, capable of wielding magic so vast it caused others to view them as threats so they began hunting them down and killing them over generations. Fortunately, your mom's family escaped to the safety of a trusted allies home where they hid until the persecution stopped. By the time it ended, there were only a few survivors who went into hiding. From there, they decided to blend into society, but their talents made that task impossible, causing others to enslave them and sell them off to the highest payer. Your mother was the luckiest one alive because she could use her special magic to heal the sick and provide backup as a mercenary. After watching her for a few years, people approached her and offered a scholarship to further increase her magic versatility so she'd be more sought after and command a higher price for her services."
"Hold on a second, so are you telling me the reason I have a high aptitude for magic is because of mom? Because she's one of the last surviving divine mages, and I have part of that blood within me? This is a lot to take in at once."
Riventer smiles and head rubs Victor.
"I don't expect you to understand what it all means right away, just so long that you are aware because it could help you later in life."
"Thanks, dad, that means a lot to me. Sooo what was it that made you fall head over heels for mom? I'm guessing you're going to say her charm and powers of seduction got you hooked faster than a Gilipsy fish."
"If that were the case, our relationship wouldn't have been what it was."
Riventer sits back and looks at the roof smiling.
"We met during an extermination request. There was no communication, and two parties were sent out. It was a blessing because the creatures we had to exterminate were Wyverns, and there was more than just a few. My party got there first and started battling them, we managed to take a few down, but I had already lost a few members. A Wyvern decides I'm it's lunch and attacks me, I close my eyes, expecting to be killed, but it never happened. When I opened my eyes, I saw this beautiful figure of a woman standing in front of me, her hair blowing from the wind her spell was generating. We quickly put an end to them, and that's the story of how we met."
"Wow, ok, so you were pretty weak compared to mom. I would've thought you would be the one to step in and save her. Hehe."
"Haha. That was before I became a renowned and powerful adventurer before I knew of my bloodline."
Riventer goes silent. Victor looks at his dad with concern.
"What other blood do I have running through my veins, dad?"
"The blood of the Soul Killer's."