Aleck stared at the small vial in his hand, swirling the dark liquid inside. "What is this Titan Serum exactly?" he asked, suspicion etched into his voice.
The Saintess gave him a patient smile. "Ah, yes. The Titan Serum. It's better to experience it than to have me explain, but if you insist—this Serum awakens your power, your true self."
Aleck frowned, his grip tightening around the vial. "That's vague. I'm not taking this unless you tell me exactly what it does."
The Saintess's expression softened. "We're short on time, but I'll explain as best I can. The Serum unlocks your latent power based on your life's experiences. It draws on the most pivotal, defining moments of your existence and creates a skill from them. This skill will be unique to you, shaped by the essence of who you are."
Around the hall, the other summoned individuals began taking the Serum, one by one. Curiosity overcame hesitation, and each person drank, eager to uncover the mysterious powers they would gain. Aleck, however, hesitated. He watched carefully as the others experienced the effects, noting their reactions.
Some groaned in discomfort, while others seemed overwhelmed by a surge of energy. Yet none collapsed or showed signs of danger. Satisfied it was safe, Aleck finally brought the vial to his lips and swallowed the bitter liquid.
A surge of heat exploded in his chest, radiating outward through his veins. His vision blurred, his mind going blank for a moment as his body convulsed. It was pain and euphoria all at once, a sensation that overwhelmed his senses. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the feeling subsided, leaving him gasping for air.
He blinked, disoriented, as a system message appeared before his eyes:
[Congratulations! You have obtained the skill: "FORGET"]
[Forget – Innate Skill]
[Description: Allows you to forget any aspect of your life]
Aleck's heart sank. Forget? The word echoed in his mind, heavy with meaning. Of all the skills he could have received, why this?
His thoughts swirled, memories bubbling to the surface—moments he had buried deep. Decisions he had made. Sacrifices. Choices that had cost him dearly, and yet had shaped the man he was. He had spent years trying to move on from certain parts of his past, doing it for Rebecca, for Alexa. For them, he had learned to forget, to push those memories into the shadows where they couldn't hurt him anymore.
Now, this skill… it was almost mocking him. Forget? What kind of power was that? Of all the skills he could have gained, why something so useless?
"No, no…" Aleck muttered under his breath. "Why this?" He clenched his fists, staring at the message in disbelief. He had been willing to risk everything for his loved ones, to endure the pain of the past for them. And now, he had a skill that seemed to disregard all of that.
In the background, he could hear hushed voices—murmurs of confusion from the others who had also taken the Serum. Some were amazed by their newfound abilities, while others appeared as disappointed as Aleck felt.
A faint conversation caught his attention, barely audible over the noise.
"What? We've lost one already?" a voice whispered.
"…Only fifteen now…"
"Are you sure?"
Aleck's pulse quickened as he discreetly counted the people in the hall. Sixteen. There were sixteen of them. His eyes darted around the room, noting that everyone seemed engrossed in discussing their skills, oblivious to the conversation happening in the shadows. The hooded figures near the back of the hall exchanged tense glances. Something was off. Were they talking about him? Aleck's mind raced. Could they somehow know about his skill already? The thought made his chest tighten with paranoia.
Before Aleck could dwell on it, Ben approached him, a broad grin on his face. "Hey, Aleck. What skill did you get?"
Aleck hesitated. "It's… complicated. I'd rather not say."
Ben chuckled. "A secret, huh? Alright, keep your mysteries for now."
Aleck watched as Ben turned to leave, "Wait," Aleck called out. "How do you know my name? I never introduced myself."
Ben paused, flashing a sheepish grin. "Ah, that's my skill. It lets me know certain things about people. Names, mostly. Comes in handy when trying to make friends right?"
Aleck raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Just that, huh?"
"Yep!" Ben replied. "Nothing to worry about, I swear." With that, he gave a casual wave and walked away.
The Saintess stepped forward, her serene voice cutting through the chatter. "Attention, everyone! Now that you've all taken the Serum, let's go through your skills one by one. It's important that we understand each ability to see how best to use them in our world."
One by one, the group began introducing their skills. Some had abilities related to combat, others to survival or exploration. Each new skill sparked discussion among the group, as they theorized how it could be used in battle or to navigate this unfamiliar world.
Jackie, a lean woman with short-cropped hair, stepped forward confidently. "My skill is called 'Adventure.' It increases my stats, including luck, whenever I take on risky or unconventional challenges."
The group buzzed with excitement.
"That's a great skill if used correctly" someone commented.
"Yeah, especially in battle," another added. "If she takes big risks during battle, her luck might boost the buffs cast on her so high making her incredibly powerful—maybe even let her ignore debuffs."
"It would be amazing if it boosted the whole team's stats" someone else mused. "Imagine the synergy."
"Who knows, maybe the skill can evolve later and do just that."
Jackie grinned, clearly pleased with the positive reception.
The discussions continued as each skill was introduced, dissected, and analyzed. Some had decent offensive capabilities, while others seemed more niche or situational. Yet, with every new revelation, Aleck couldn't help but feel more and more detached from the group.
He stared at the message still lingering in his field of vision. Forget. It was such an absurd, ironic skill. As if the system itself was playing a cruel joke on him. His past had already taken so much, and now it wanted him to erase even more?