A year had passed since Adonis's arrival at the mysterious facility. He sat comfortably in his chair, flipping through the pages of "The History of Man." The soft glow of the reading lamp cast a warm ambiance, illuminating the training room. Liam, now a towering figure at two meters tall, walked in, his bulky muscles and rough palms a testament to his intense training regimen.
"What are you reading today, Adonis?" Liam asked, his deep voice filling the room.
Adonis looked up, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Just reading about the history of mankind. Want to take a look?" He held out the book, but Liam declined, shaking his head.
Just then, an arrow whizzed past Liam's ear, heading straight for Adonis. The arrow halted mere inches from Adonis's face, as if suspended in mid-air. Adonis's gaze remained fixed on the training room entrance.
"It's been a while, Adonis," Ashburn said, strolling into the room with an air of nonchalance. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he took in the scene.
"Did you bring him here, or did he follow you?" Adonis asked Liam, his tone neutral.
Liam raised his arms in a defensive gesture. "Not me, I swear."
"Wade said I'd find you here," Ashburn explained, flashing his pearly whites in a charming smile.
Adonis's gaze narrowed. "What do you want, Ashburn?" He set his book aside, his movements economical.
Ashburn held up a bag. "I came here to drop off your uniform. School resumes in two weeks."
Adonis's eyebrows shot up. "Why do I have to go to school? I thought I was supposed to be some sort of lab rat for the human race, like Wade said."
Ashburn's smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. "That's what some people want you to be, but some of us want you to be the hero of humanity."
Adonis snorted, his eyes glinting with skepticism. "If I didn't have this ability inhibitor on my head, I might believe what you said was actually true."
Ashburn's expression turned serious, his aura becoming more oppressive. "How long have you been wearing it for?"
Adonis shrugged. "Over the past year now."
Ashburn's frown deepened. "Was it Wade who placed it on your head?"
Adonis raised an eyebrow. "Who else do you think would put this on my head?"
Ashburn's gaze turned somber. "Actually, I can count a few people who want to see you burned for what your race did to their families."
Adonis's eyes narrowed. "What exactly did the Aethonixs do that makes them so fearful and vengeful?"
Ashburn sighed, his expression heavy with the weight of unspoken secrets. "That isn't a story for today. Also, do you feel like you'll be able to control your powers if we were to remove the inhibitor from your head right now?"
Adonis shook his head. "Wade said it's to keep my powers in check until I have a body sturdy enough to handle my powers fully. But it appears my powers are being suppressed a lot, so they've been improving under the pressure. From what I see, it's improving faster than my body."
Ashburn's frown deepened, his eyes clouding with concern. "Why exactly are you here, Dad?" Liam asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. "You don't sigh this much, and you've never been this serious in front of anyone before."
Ashburn's gaze shifted to Liam, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Your perception abilities have improved, Liam."
Liam flashed him a smile, his eyes sparkling with pride.
Ashburn's expression turned somber once more. "I'm here to pass on a warning. If you remember, I told you that the school you're attending has students who are far more mature than your average students."
Adonis's eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter at all, right?"
Ashburn shook his head. "Some of the kids attending that school are children of those people who want you dead. Any power slip-ups would be noticed by them, and they'll either have you killed, dispose of your body, or kill you and then have some mad scientist use your body for experiments. So, let me inform you now: you are not to use even a tiny bit of your powers when in that school. Do you understand?"
Adonis nodded, his expression serious.
"It's not like I'll be able to use the powers anyway," Adonis said, tapping the inhibitor on his head.
"
Ashburn's eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement. "Actually, you will be able to use your powers, just that they will be limited by the limiter I will place on your body." He brought out a bangle from his pocket. "This will limit your powers, allowing you to use a single bolt of your full-powered lightning once a day, while also allowing you to manipulate flames as usual. This will help reduce the pressure placed on your powers, therefore reducing the pace at which it evolves."
Adonis calmly collected the bangle from Ashburn. "Thanks," he said, placing the bangle on his wrist.
"Now, let me help you take off the inhibitor," Ashburn said, his aura suddenly becoming oppressive as he placed his hand on the inhibitor. He began to drag it apart. As Ashburn's aura became more suppressive, the band began to crack, and some of it broke apart.
A lightning bolt as thick as a human hip suddenly shot out of Adonis's body. Due to the close space between Ashburn and Adonis, the lightning easily crashed into Ashburn's chest. Ashburn was thrown back by a few feet before he came to a stop.
"Your powers indeed increased," Ashburn said, looking down at his chest and finding a huge burnt mark on it. "Now I'm looking forward to the changes you're going to cause in this new school of yours." Ashburn smiled eerily.
Liam's eyes widened in shock. "Dad, are you okay?"
Ashburn waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine, Liam. Just a minor burn."
Adonis's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't have removed the inhibitor. Now my powers are going to be harder to control."
Ashburn's expression turned serious. "I know, Adonis. But it's necessary. You need to learn how to control your powers without the inhibitor. It's the only way you'll be able to survive in this world."
Adonis's gaze fell, his mind racing with the implications of Ashburn's words. He knew that he had a long and difficult road ahead of him, but he was determined to master his powers and uncover the secrets of his past.
The three of them stood there in silence for a moment, the tension between them palpable. Then, Ashburn spoke up, his voice breaking the silence.
"Let's get going, Adonis. We have a lot to do before you start school."
Adonis nodded, his eyes still fixed on the floor. He knew that he had a lot to learn, and he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
{A/N: I am so sorry for the late update just that I had a little problem with network and power but don't worry starting from next week Monday the update should be more frequent and faster and also I'm sorry if the pacing of the story seems rushed at the beginning, just that I wanted to let everyone have a basic knowledge about the world Khthonia, the real story is just about to begin, stay with me and leave a chapter comment and a review}