Dion gulped carefully because he could feel the dagger already made its way past his skin.
"W-What's the meaning of this?" Dion stuttered with his eyes focused on the rear mirror.
He eyed Ella with a side-eye. She was still smiling at him and expertly parked her car beside the road, right next to the edge of a forest.
"Where did you meet Karen? Answer everything, or else…" the person behind threatened Dion with a hoarse tone.
"I-I-I met Karen in a prison cave in Aeon. She said I should find Ella and she would explain everything about the Realm Wanderers to me," Dion said quickly.
"How many people know about that place?"
"Nobody," Dion said but the reply he got was the knife pressing harder against his skin.
"Are you sure?" She asked sternly.
"Y-yes."
Surprisingly, the person behind retracted her knife.
"He's clean and you can go ahead," a soft, feminine voice came from behind the mask.
"Elder sis, I told you Karen wouldn't set me up. It's just a new guy that needs help." Ella pouted at the girl in a fit of mock anger before turning to Dion. "Can't you see his face?"
However, Dion's eyes were wide open. Ella had only one sister — Vera.
She is his senior and one year higher than him in college.
"Congratulations! You just exposed my identity." Vera palmed her face in frustration before taking off her mask.
A beautiful face with long, wavy raven black hair and hazel eyes stared at Dion with a smile on her red lips.
Dion just kept looking at both sisters vigilantly and ignored the beautiful sight. His right hand held the door handle. His left hand clenched and ready to burst the window even though it had lost its previous super strength.
"Sorry about that. It's just to test you if you are an undercover agent for 'them'. My little sister is too gullible," she said to Dion.
Dion nodded but he was still ready for action. He couldn't lose guard because of one apology.
"Can you stop being tense? We are no predators. Let me explain about Realm Wanderers, Aeon, and all that boring stuff. But everybody says when I talk it's interesting that's why Karen referred you to me," Ella cheerfully said.
Dion nodded.
"Have you become mute? Did my elder sister cut your vocal cord?" Ella arched her eyebrow.
Dion shook his head. He was sweating even with the air conditioner on.
"Explain the damn thing. He can't wait to leave," Vera berated from the back.
Ella hurriedly waved her hands to surrender. "Okay. Let's start with us, Realm Wanderers. You should know about our ability to travel between realms when we sleep, right?"
Dion nodded, making Ella palm her face in frustration because he refused to talk.
"A cataclysmic war which spanned around different realms happened thousands of years ago. I don't know the exact year but that's not our business. So, the fight destroyed Earth's magical energy, leaving remnant energy that the supernatural on Earth used to transform their bodies. As for Aeon, the war corrupted their mana into something dark. So, bloodline and blood magic are the ways of using magic. There is also a bloodline element for mythical bloodline but that's not your current location."
Ella watched and saw that Dion was listening attentively albeit in his 'ready-to-escape' sitting style.
"When we clock eighteen, our dormant soul and Void Shuttle awaken. It creates another body of ourselves in another realm, Aeon to be precise. We shuttle at night through the realms."
"Realm Wanderers have a system — Void Shuttle. It helps us copy one realm power from a person. Almost all of us copy one bloodline into our veins since Earth's powers are not as powerful as Aeon's. To activate the Void Shuttle, you absorb about five pieces of red crystals. Then you copy a bloodline. That way, you can follow Aeon's realm of power progression."
"Your current location is… kind of unique. The mana in that location is all destructive and contaminated. You will find out what I mean," Ella said and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe Karen got her wish."
Ella whistled:
"Let's forget about that and talk about the bloodline in your location. There are many bloodlines — wolf, sanguine, cat, black fairy, elf, and many more. Each bloodline boosts one trait or another. Like the wolf bloodline, it boosts physical strength, while the cat bloodline amplifies stealth and speed. Take this book and study it. Once you are done, destroy it."
Ella passed him a flat, small book.
"For the record, Aeon is bigger than Earth. At least eight times. Once you pick the bloodline way to increase your strength, you should know the levels. The first realm is Body Realm, while the next is the Runic Realm… or as most call it, Dark Magic Realm. The Body Realm is divided into three – intent or bloodline awakening, Runic body, and Aura Flare."
"Just explain the Body Realm. Let Karen do the rest or he should source for it himself. He's not a kid to be spoon-fed. I have lectures in ten minutes," Vera said impatiently.
Dion just gave her a sidelong glance.
'I already hate this one.'
"I have explained how to awaken the intent or bloodline — the five pieces of red stone. It's the same with the Void Shuttle awakening. The intent awakening improves your physical body prowess a little above humans and gives you an eye ability that attacks the mind."
'The jailer!' Those words resonate in Dion's head when Ella says the description.
"To progress to the Runic body level, you need to absorb one red core per day. Each red core makes a rune appear on your body. The more runes you have, the stronger the boosted physique. Like the wolf bloodline, the more runes you have, the higher your strength. Also, in the Blood Magic Realm, the number of runes determines your magical prowess."
Ella's eyes shone.
"There are 4 types of Runic body depending on the bloodline purity: 3-rune body, 6-rune body, 9-rune body, and 12-rune body. 12-rune bodies are special. They come with a special bloodline ability — Progenitor ability. That's why it's necessary to copy someone with high bloodline purity, or you might have a lower number of runes. Each body requires a different number of cores before awakening, depending on bloodline purity: three red cores for a 3-rune body, six red cores for a 6-rune body, and so forth."
Ella's face became stern. "Remember this. You must only absorb one red core per day. Red cores have another name — blood cores. From what I've heard, during the war, the blood of gods bathed the land. That blood sunk into the earth. That's how the red core mines came into existence. There's also another rumor that the blood contains all the negative feelings and dying sorrows of the gods."
Ella's cute face fell when she got to this part. "Absorbing more than one without digestion in the Body Realm will cause body and mind corruption. You will become a slave to their negative feelings: wrath, murder, lust, destruction… all of them. Many people in Aeon, including realm wanderers, have fallen victim to such a situation. Worst of all, there's no cure."
Dion's jaw dropped. 'I absorbed tons of those in that prison cell. Or is that one counterfeit?'
Ella burst into lively laughter after seeing Dion's reaction. "It wouldn't happen if you patiently absorb one red core per day. I have class in the next five minutes, so I wouldn't be able to explain the Aura Flare part."
Dion's face scrunched up into a nasty scowl. 'They are sisters indeed! What kind of blatant and brazen lie is that?!'
"Oops! I forgot we are in the same class and you know we have no lectures. Well, I need to lecture somebody."
However, Dion kept giving her 'only-your-sister-will-believe-you' eyes.
"I participate in a dancing club. We have practice."
Dion nodded but his look which remained unchanged was a betrayal of his disbelief.
"You have mentioned three different activities. I wouldn't say anything. But can you explain the Aura Flare along the way?" Dion asked.
Vera replied in a stern and warning tone, "Never make that mistake. Talking about the supernatural in public is a death wish. If you had gone to the hospital when you became a realm wanderer, those hunters would have gotten you. They have wide connections because of their large numbers. Maybe a camera might capture you. Keeping things secret is the way to survive. When you get stronger, we also have our group. But focus on getting stronger now."
Vera added, "They call us Hexz in both realms. A variable they can't control. They fear us, so they hunt us. There are two hunters on Earth — Shifters and Martial Knights. But don't worry, they won't know you unless you show yourself openly. Focus on getting stronger. Strength is important for many things including ignoring the involuntary shuttling at night."
Ella ignited the engine and drove towards school.
Dion was lost in thought. He couldn't imagine how scary these hunters they spoke of were.
But the part about ignoring traveling at night made Dion crave power. 'No wonder Karen could look after me and not fall asleep. She must have awakened her Void Shuttle.'