Chapter 1: Mortal life ends in sadness
On Earth, January 1st, 2024 there was a family and other related figures that spent their time weeping rather than laughing and celebrating. Though it was the New Year this would be a morbid beginning to the end of the old and birth of the new.
Today on New Year's Day, the start of the new year, many people were mourning the loss of four beautiful lives. They were Mitchell Turner, Lin Beiya, Jonah Turner, and Lucy Turner; They were 4 family members who died tragically in an accident.
This accident happened on Christmas Eve as the family were flying to China for a business gathering held once a year, as well as to see Lin Beiya's side of the family. The Turner family was a Tech family that is worth hundreds of billions themselves, and they operate a trillion dollar Tech conglomerate that has invented or developed your daily use items, to police and military equipment.
The family's accident occurred in the himalayas when flying over in their private plane. The family ended up being hit by a once in a century ice storm that blocked their pilots vision, as well as the ice shredding through their engines and wings, making the family be carried thrashed by the hundred mile an hour winds into the side of a mountain and obliterating the plane into a fire of gas and oil. The family's bodies were all charred and burned almost beyond recognition, thankfully due to their own technology their company develops they could be identified. And barely identified at that as you had to trace their bodies hundreds of meters away from theirs heads. It was a truly horrible and tragic accident that shouldn't have happened to the family.
Now on this New Year's Day evening they are being mourned with only their pictures to show and no casket for any of them. Candles were lit up all around their photos with some incense as an offering for their souls to the afterlife, which was from Lin Beiya's side of the family.
Footsteps were heard from the entrance of the funeral hall, all the visitors and relatives looked at the figure walking in and towards the family photos and were shocked as well as some being happy and others holding anger in their eyes.
The person who came walking in was the 4th child and last surviving member of this branch of the Turner family, Obadiah Turner. This would be the only heir now to the Turner family's fortune that was built by his father Mitchel Turner and his Uncle Toby Turner. His uncle hadn't made any appearance ever since the news of his brother's and his family's death, speculated to have fallen in a depression of grief.
Obadiah Turner was a 16 year old boy and was lucky enough to not have been on that plane that day. He was a smart and intelligent boy and even athletic as well with a nice height and appearance, standing at nearly 6 ft and a solid 8/10. He however was someone stuck in his own world doing his own things, thinking his own things without seeming to be able to connect with reality. Though the not connecting with reality is highly due to his young age and the many sources of information online to drown your mind into.
He came in walking strong, upright, and slow. He put on a serious face and a straight gaze but it was obvious he hesitated to arrive at the photos of his family by his slow and hesitant pace.
On that day he didn't go with his family to China, as he was in trouble for arguing with his parents about going to China and talking to strangers in a language he barely understood, and not wanting to see his extended family for Christmas because he also sees them as strangers no matter if they're blood or not. Obadiah only believes in returning the things he owes and not creating a connection when there already isn't one. Him paying back his parents to him for his life and all the things he's been given is all that matters to him.
Now on this day he can no longer be said to be a naive young boy that's unable to connect with reality, as the reality that his entire family is gone has to hit him, and hit him hard.
The boy arrived at their photos, he dropped on his knees, and any strong act he held before was gone, as he weeped and weeped. His tears flowing nearly dowsing out the candles around him.
He would murmur things such as "Now I can never pay you all back for what I owe" and other words like "If only we weren't mortals whose only ends were death surrounded by sadness."
The boy kept crying with no one to come and comfort him, he was on his knees but it became more of a fetal position whilst bowing to the spirits of his family. His anguish showed his respect and sadness for his family, but his youth will be gone now as even when he weeps he's alone with no one to comfort him.
His screams for his family however did make some women and those soft hearted weep and tear up, but this room was full of business partners, investors, lawyers, and his mothers side of the family who seemed to be unbothered by everything. All of these people only came here for selfish purposes and even to gloat about the death of Turner Technology's main shareholder. They all came to acknowledge the fact they would be making a lot of money because of this event, and it proved that these people were all in all, scumbags.
Obadiah spent an hour crying on the floor, and all the way to the end of the venue when most of the people left. Obadiah came to his senses once he felt a hand on his shoulder that urged him to stand up, which Obi did stand up and face the owner of this hand.
He saw an old Chinese man in all white robes that had intricate patterns of dragons, mountains, wind and rain, as well as pagodas and springs. The old man had a smile on his face as he said something before Obadiah could react.
"I'm your great-great grandfather on your mothers side, what do you think about coming to China to get to know your family and let us help you in these hard times, I also have a few stories I can tell you, if my age shows you they will be quiet old but true and magical nonetheless."
"Y-you're my great-great grandfather? I find it hard to believe because you shouldn't even have the ability to stand at your age, yet you're standing in front of me yet look like the oldest person i've seen."
"Hahaha, Me being the oldest person you've seen may be right but yes I'm your great-great grandfather and I'm 109 this year! But what do you think about what I said Obadiah? Do you want to be acknowledged as a member of the clan?" The old man had a serious look on his face.
"1-109? That's insane, you look super good for 109! And about what you said I will think about it but where I stand, my most important family just died and the other one who's most important to me is pissing me off because he's been hiding and hasn't even come to their funerals! And I'm sorry grandpa but I only care about those I owe something to, not those connected to me just because of blood. Because if I was so important to those who are connected to me by blood then they would try to consciously make an effort to have a relationship with me, but they haven't." Obadiah is an easy to get along with person as he likes to make light of a situation, however at this moment he had to make his point clear.
"I understand Obadiah, don't worry our family also only cares about the benefits one brings and not raising a dog just for it to run away. However you are blood and still are family, in times like these we still help our family, but will expect to see contributions from them in the future. Though you don't owe us anything so don't worry, and I'm very sorry for your loss." The old man had a look of pity in his eyes for Obadiah.
"Well what is your name grandpa and what should I call you? Also how will I get in contact with you if I want to come to China and join the clan, also what is our clan?"
"You can just call me ancestor Lin. Our clan is the Lin clan and is a several hundred year old clan in the mountains of china, to summarize hat we specialize in, it is martial arts, and not any martial arts, it's the martial arts that allow you to be a better and stronger human!" Ancestor Lin smiled and had a bright light in his eyes as he spoke of the Lin clan.
"Wait, what do you mean martial arts that make you a better human? Like genetic mutation or evolution?" Obadiah was jumping at the bit to know.
"Well Obadiah, you will have to come to China and see for yourself. Anyway my time here is running short and I should get back to the clan, I hope to see you in the future. Also you can get your clan's information from your mothers belongings and such, she should have the location of where the clan is located."
Ancestor Lin turned around and began leaving the funeral home with the other Lin family members. At that point the only person left in the funeral home was Obadiah, and after everyone left he heard someone walk through the door again.
This figure had similar features to Obadiah, with the height, build, face, and eyes. This person was the next most important to Obadiah and the other person he owed the most to in the world, his uncle Toby Turner.
"Obi I'm very sorry, I couldn't come because I was working on something extremely important." Toby only had shame written on his face.
Obadiah's face dropped into a frown and visible anger could be seen. Obadiah began to walk over towards his missing uncle, both his fists tightened and staying by his sides as he strode over. Toby saw this but didn't say or do anything as he expected what to come was deserved.
Obi closed the distance in an instant, began lifting his arms and fists up, squaring his shoulders, and lunging towards Toby with his arms forward. Toby imagined a heavy blow was about to hit his money maker but it didn't, all he felt was pressure around his body and opened his closed eyes to see Obi hugging him, while once again tearing up and crying.
Toby embraced him and started crying, saying how he was sorry for not showing up sooner. Obi didn't say much, all he said was that he only has his uncle now and it would just be them.