Chapter 6, Part 1: The Rules of Insanity
Finally, sleep. Blessed, uninterrupted, well-deserved sleep.
Not because I was exhausted. Not because my body needed it. But because I wanted to. After everything, my body needed time to process whatever the hell I had absorbed.
And, more importantly, I needed time away from the lunatics in my head.
Unfortunately, peace was a temporary privilege.
The moment I woke up, they were at it again.
Voices overlapping, arguing, debating—something about "who had the best plan" or "who was the superior aspect of my psyche." I groaned, rubbing my eyes.
"Are you guys done arguing?" I muttered.
Asher, ever the responsible one, sighed. "Oh, good. You're awake." He didn't sound thrilled about it, which was fair. Neither was I. "Now it's time for training."
Training? Already? I had just woken up.
"What kind of training?" I asked, suspicious.
Solace took the lead. "First, get fresh."
A simple enough request.
With an exaggerated sigh, I dragged myself to the bathroom. A hot shower later, I emerged looking and feeling significantly more human. Or whatever it was I had become.
Now nice and tidy, I plopped onto the floor. "Alright. Hit me with it. What am I learning?"
"Get into a meditation position," Solace instructed.
Oh. Meditation. That didn't sound too bad.
I adjusted myself, sitting cross-legged, and smirked. "Ohhh, is this it? Am I finally going to start gathering energy from the air? Is this where my hidden talent finally kicks in?"
Solace, bless his patience, immediately shot me down. "No, dumbass."
Ouch.
"You're just going to focus and listen to what I'm about to tell you."
I sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. Enlighten me, oh wise mentor."
Solace ignored my sarcasm and continued.
"First, let's go over the rules."
The Rules of Survival (According to Solace, the Supreme Know-It-All)
Rule #1: Survive.
Rule #2: Don't die.
I stared at him, unimpressed. "Are you kidding me?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding?"
"Yes."
"Too bad. Moving on."
Let's pause for a second.
You've been following along, haven't you? Watching me stumble through this madness, listening to the voices in my head, witnessing me drain a whole city's power supply like some kind of electrical vampire.
But you never once stopped to ask—who the hell am I?
It's funny, really. You've been so caught up in my story, so entertained by my suffering, that you never even questioned the name of the poor bastard living through all this.
Arthur. Arthur Cain.
Arthur, because that's what my brother decided to call me. Cain, because that's his name—the only real thing I ever had from him.
And now that we've got that out of the way, let's get back to the part where I question my life choices.
Solace sighed, clearly unamused. "Now that the 'honorable mentions' are out of the way, let's continue."
Rule #1: "You don't need to eat food anymore. But you can if you want to."
Oh. That was... unsettling.
"But I can still taste food, right?"
Solace rolled his eyes. "Yes, Arthur. You can still taste food."
"Okay, good. Because I am not giving up on eating just because my biology decided to go full sci-fi on me."
Rule #2: "Your food source is energy now."
I nodded. "Right, I already figured that much out."
Solace continued. "Energy can come from anywhere—electricity, emotions, kinetic force. And in six months, once the limit fully breaks, even the air will be enough to sustain you."
…Huh. That was kind of terrifying.
"Wait. Hold on." I narrowed my eyes. "So, in six months, people are just gonna start passively absorbing energy? Like some sort of cosmic photosynthesis?"
Solace smirked. "More or less."
I blinked. "That sounds… both awesome and disastrous. What's stopping people from accidentally draining entire atmosphere?"
"As evolution progresses, things will adapt. Right now, energy flows inefficiently. But once the limit is gone, everything capable of holding energy will do so naturally. You won't need to drain a entire atmosphere just to stay standing—energy will just… exist, all around you."
I took a moment to process that.
"So… reality's about to get a massive software update."
"Essentially."
I exhaled. "Right. Because rewriting the laws of existence always goes smoothly."
Rule #3: "The more energy you absorb, the stronger you and we become."
Ah. The classic power-scaling system.
"So… I'm basically a walking battery," I muttered.
"More like a bottomless pit that can be trained to become an infinite power source," Solace corrected.
Riven snickered. "Or a parasite that feeds on everything around him."
I shot him a glare. "Gee, thanks for that image."
Rule #4: "Overconsumption has side effects."
I frowned. "Side effects?"
Solace's tone darkened slightly. "You'll learn them automatically if you get too greedy."
Oh, fantastic. So, no clear explanation—just 'figure it out the hard way.'
I crossed my arms. "You guys love being cryptic for no reason."
Solace smirked. "It's more fun this way."
I hated that he was enjoying this.
The Last Warning
Before I could process any further existential horror, Riven spoke up.
"One last thing," he said. "You aren't the only one with an early awakening."
That got my attention.
I sat up straighter. "Wait, what?"
"If someone experienced a life-changing event around the time you were born—or more specifically, around the time the limit started breaking—they could already be using their abilities. Even if they don't understand what they are."
I blinked.
"…So you're telling me there are other people like me out there?"
"Yes," Riven confirmed. "Though most won't know it yet."
Well. That changed things.
Because if there were others out there—people unknowingly developing powers, going through changes like I was—then that meant I wasn't just dealing with my transformation anymore.
The world was about to get a lot more complicated.
And something told me…
This was just the beginning.
Chapter 6, Part 2: Learning to Not Die Horribly
"Hey, stupid. Start focusing now."
Now, normally, I'd be offended at this kind of greeting, but given that Solace was the one speaking, this was actually one of his more affectionate introductions.
"Let me tell you how to get stronger," Solace continued, his tone carrying the weight of an impending lecture.
Ah, yes. The grand tutorial moment. The moment where everything clicks, and I unlock my hidden potential. The moment where—
"First of all," he cut in, interrupting my internal monologue, "depending on your Compatibility, you can learn different Links from us."
I blinked. "I'm going to need you to explain that like I'm five."
"Basically, we pass over mastery of what we are proficient in to you."
There was a beat of silence as I processed that.
"Wait… is that my overpowered ability?" I asked, the grin already forming. "I knew it. How could I not be extraordinary? Haha!"
Solace sighed the sigh of a tired parent dealing with a child who just discovered sugar. "There are two major flaws."
Oh. Here comes the fine print.
"First," he said, "if you lean too heavily toward one side, you inherit their weaknesses, too. And by weaknesses, I don't mean minor inconveniences. I mean crippling flaws that can and will get you killed."
Okay, that sounded less fun.
"So leaning too much is a taboo," I summarized. "Got it. Don't become a one-trick pony."
"Second," he continued, "your physique needs to be able to handle the mastery. If your body isn't conditioned for it, the Link will backfire."
"…Backfire how?"
"Imagine trying to carry a mountain with twigs for arms," Solace deadpanned.
"Ah," I said wisely. "So, instant and very painful failure. Fantastic."
"That's why the first Link you should learn is Fang's."
I hesitated. "Are we sure that's a good idea?"
Fang growled, clearly insulted.
"Don't tell me you're scared," Solace taunted.
"Of course not!" I scoffed. "I just—uh—logically have concerns about trusting my well-being to a guy whose solution to most problems is 'bite harder.'"
Fang let out a low, irritated growl.
I sighed. "Fine, explain more."
"Learn it yourself," Fang snapped.
I groaned. "Why do I even ask?"
Still, curiosity won over. "Alright, what's the first skill?"
"Recovery," Fang said.
I stared at him. "Wait. Recovery? As in, healing? Isn't that, like, a mid-to-late game skill?"
Solace sighed again, and I could feel the disappointment. "Get a grip, boy. This isn't some story you're reading. This is reality."
Harsh. But fair.
"Okay, okay," I muttered. "So how do I learn it?"
Fang's answer was immediate.
"Get up."
I got up.
"Go to the kitchen."
I went to the kitchen.
"Grab a knife."
I grabbed a knife.
"Now stab yourself."
I froze. "Wait. What?"
"You heard him," Solace said, utterly unhelpful.
I laughed nervously. "Haha. Okay. Funny joke, guys. Real hilarious. Now, what am I actually supposed to do?"
"Stab yourself."
Oh, they were serious.
"You see," I said slowly, "I knew you were all insane, but this is really cementing it for me."
"Question nothing," Solace ordered. "There is a possibility of reviving your brother—but only if you're strong enough."
My mind blanked.
My brother.
If there was even a chance of bringing him back…
I set my jaw. I tightened my grip on the knife.
And yet.
My hands wouldn't move.
Because despite everything, I was still a child. A child with survival instincts. A child who knew that stabbing oneself wasn't typically a good idea.
The room fell silent.
And then I understood.
I took a breath.
Then—
A sharp pain shot through me as the blade punctured skin.
The sound of tearing flesh filled my ears.
Blood welled up, spilling over my fingers.
Fang's voice cut through the haze of pain.
"Quickly. Position."
I collapsed onto the floor, my breathing ragged. Blood seeped out, hot and relentless.
"Now," Fang said. "Imagine your blood forming a wall, not a river."
My mind scrambled for an image.
Stopping a pierced water tank with duct tape?
"Whatever works," Solace said. "Do it. Fast."
I pushed the image into my mind.
The bleeding… slowed.
But not fast enough.
Dizziness hit me. Nausea churned in my stomach. My vision blurred.
Blood loss was not a fun experience.
"W-what's the next st—"
"Imagine the tissue reconstructing," Fang ordered.
I gritted my teeth. I focused.
At first, nothing happened. My mind screamed in protest. This wasn't how bodies worked.
But then…
Tiny sparks of sensation flickered beneath my skin.
Something was knitting itself back together.
The voices murmured in approval.
"Now," Fang said, "breathe. But not from your lungs—from your stomach. Imagine air moving through you."
I sucked in a breath.
Slow. Deep.
The pain dulled.
The nausea faded.
I blinked in awe.
"Wow, thi—"
And then I collapsed.
I wasn't unconscious, not fully. But I couldn't move.
I could still hear them, though.
"How is this even believable to you guys?"
"Yup. Definitely surprising."
Then a low, monstrous voice spoke.
"He's awake."
The chatter stopped.
I groaned. "Fang, you are such a great teacher."
Fang grunted.
"Seriously," I continued, "thanks. Without you, I never would've done that."
Solace sighed, bitter as ever.
"I doubt that."