Adam. Eve. Aclima. Enoch.
I’ve never heard those names before.
Yet… they felt so damn familiar.
Zara crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. “Resistance, huh? What the hell y’all want with Mari? And all this ‘child’ and ‘bearer’ talk—what’s that about?”
Behind us, Droge let out a low whistle. “Ooooh. The Resistance.” He dragged a hand down his face, already turning away. “Yeah, that sounds like something I’m not supposed to hear. Sooo, I was never here.”
He shot me finger guns and disappeared into his shop.
Zara rolled her eyes. “Coward.”
The man took a deep breath, like he was finally resigned to his fate. Alright, look—we ain’t the bad guys here. We’re fighting against the Provenance. The ones controlling everything from the shadows.
The father—Adam.
The mother—Eve.
And Aclima…” He looked at me. “…that’s you, kid.”
My stomach knotted.
“What does that even mean?” I said quickly, the words escaping before I could stop them.
The man kept going. “You’ve got a destiny. Something prophesied by the Elders. You’re the bearer of a bloodline that foretells the rise of a dictator. A leader who’ll reshape the world according to their vision. The one who will control everything."
"Control—?” My breath hitched. "No. That’s—That’s stupid. I’m just a regular kid! And who the hell are Adam and Eve supposed to be? My parents are my only parents! And they’re not…”
A lump formed in my throat. “They’re not here.”
A tear ran down my cheek.
WHACK.
I yelped as Zara punched my arm. Not hard—but just enough.
“Hey, kid. Don’t show weakness to your enemy.” She smirked, nudging me with her elbow. “Especially your hostage.”
The man’s face drained of color.
“H-Hostage?!”
Before he could move, Zara grabbed his hands, tied them together, and threw him over her shoulder like a damn duffel bag.
“Yup,” she said cheerfully. “You’re leading us to your hideout or whatever. Guide us right, and maybe I’ll let you walk there. Guide us wrong?”
She grinned, leaning in close. “You’re about to have a face-to-face appointment with the pavement.”
The man paled further.
Zara turned to me, dusting off her hands. “Hehe. Get it? Face to face?”
I barely heard her.
My hands shook. My mind raced.
Adam. Eve. Aclima.
Me.
Zara extended her hand toward me.
I hesitated for a moment, glancing at the hostage slung over her shoulder. Then, I took a deep breath and placed my hand in hers.
“It’s okay, Zara.” I tightened my grip. “I want to try something.”
I opened the Form menu, the same three options flashing before me. This time, my focus locked onto Non-Lethal Mode.
A notification flickered in my vision.
"Gravitational Stabilizer Active."
A faint purple glow pulsed from my hand. Strange. Different. It didn’t burn or hum like before—this felt... weightless.
"Hey, Desire?" I murmured, flexing my fingers. "Does ‘Gravitational Stabilizer’ mean I can manipulate gravity?"
Desire floated over and perched on top of my head like some smug little bird. "In a sense!" His tail swished, his voice brimming with excitement. "The Gravitational Stabilizer creates a controlled distortion in gravity. You can use it to disorient targets, throwing them off balance. Additionally, that same gravitational distortion can be harnessed to repel objects. A force field per se."
I studied my hand, fascinated. "A force field..."
An idea struck me. I turned toward Zara, lifting my hand.
"Can I test this on you, Zara? It says Non-Lethal, so it might not be that dangerous."
Zara’s entire face dropped into a deadpan glare. "You want me to be your test subject, you little brat?"
My stomach flipped. I instantly retracted my hand, panic creeping into my voice. "I-I’m so sorry! I really didn’t think you would mind. I won’t do it! I’m sorry!"
Silence.
Then—she burst out laughing.
"Look at your face! That’s fucking priceless!" She wiped a tear, still wheezing. "You actually thought I was mad? Oh, kid, I should mess with you more often."
She dropped the tied-up man with a thud and stretched, rolling her shoulders. "Nah, go for it. You see these puppies?" She flexed her arms, grinning. "I can handle anything. Give it your best shot, kiddo."
Still hesitant, I slowly extended my hand, expecting something... extraordinary.
Nothing happened.
I frowned. "Uhm… Desire? Is it broken? Or am I doing it wrong?"
A sudden tap on my head. Then—a window popped into my vision.
"Welcome to Desire’s Lab of Possibilities!
Today, I will be showing you how to use your Electro-Magnetic Gravitational Stabilizer!"
A jingle played. The words sparkled obnoxiously.
"Desire’s Lab of Possibilities is not responsible for any side effects or accidents that may occur when using the Electro-Magnetic Gravitational Stabilizer. Side effects may include:
- Nausea
- Migraines
- Loss of Appetite
- Minor Radiation Poisoning
- And Death!
Alright! Now onto the lesson!"
I froze.
What.
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Did it just say ‘Death’ and ‘Radiation Poisoning’?!
I slowly turned my head toward Desire.
He just winked.
"So, here's Rule #1 for wielding the Non-Lethal option with your Gravity Augmented Utility and NanoTech Laser Edged Tool, or as we call it—G.A.U.N.T.L.E.T."
The Desire in the video grinned, spinning a miniature version of himself on one finger like a showman.
"Never point it at yourself unless you’re aiming for a spontaneous hand-body separation. And I doubt you are."
A quick edit cut to him holding up two fingers.
"Rule #2, keep the disorientation feature at a safe distance. That means at least two meters away from your target. Any closer, and well… let’s just say ‘incapacitated’ might not be the right word anymore."
The Desire in the video gave a playful wink.
"Now, to activate the disorientation feature, channel your inner cowboy, make a finger gun, and give it a good ‘Bang!’ Go ahead, give it a shot!"
I squinted at the screen. Seriously?
I hovered my focus over the pause button and froze the video.
A long, heavy sigh left my lips.
"...Alright."
Hesitantly, I raised my hand, forming a mock gun shape, and pointed it toward Zara.
"...Bang."
Zara cocked an eyebrow. "Well, kiddo? Did it work? Anything feel different?"
I shrugged. "I… I dunno. Do you feel disoriented?"
Zara spun in place a few times like an idiot before stopping with a dramatic wobble. "Nope. I'm good. But your cowboy skills need some work, partner." She tipped an imaginary hat.
I let out a breath, about to lower my hand—
Then the glow intensified.
A sudden jolt shot through my arm, my fingers spasming uncontrollably. My pulse hammered. My whole body locked up as a deep purple light swirled violently around my palm.
Oh. Shit.
A deafening BANG tore through the air as an invisible force slammed into Zara.
"AH FUCK! KID! MAKE IT STOP! FUCK—!"
Panic exploded in my chest. Zara’s body jerked backward as if gravity itself had turned against her. Her eyes rolled back. Blood trickled from her nose, her ears—
Then she collapsed.
I choked. My body moved before my mind could catch up, stumbling toward her. "Zara! I didn’t mean to— What happened?! Are you okay?!"
She wasn’t responding.
Guilt wrapped itself around my throat, strangling me.
"Desire! What the hell was that?! I thought it was Non-Lethal!"
Desire hopped off my head, completely unbothered. "It is Non-Lethal." He twirled his tail. "But that doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous. Used wrong, it can lead to some pretty dire consequences."
My heart slammed against my ribs. "You didn’t say anything about this!"
Desire hummed, tilting his head. "Actually, I did. In the tutorial. You know, the one you paused?"
I blinked. "I— what?"
"Didn’t I say not to use it on someone less than two meters away?"
My breath hitched. "I was more than two meters! I think—"
"You were." His glowing eyes flickered, scanning me. "But your hand wasn’t."
Oh.
I looked at my arm. The one I’d stretched out when I fired.
Oh, shit.
A weak groan from the ground snapped me back.
Zara.
I dropped to my knees. "Zara, I’m so sorry," I stammered, voice trembling. "I didn’t mean to hurt you— I should’ve been more careful—"
She winced but managed a weak, lopsided grin. "Kid, it’s alright. Just a little too much excitement, that’s all. I’ll survive a cowboy’s misfire."
I swallowed, still shaken. "Are… are you sure you’re okay?"
Zara groaned, forcing herself up. She wobbled, nearly falling over, before shaking her head like a wet dog. "Goddamn, that messed my head up. It felt like I had a really bad concussion, man."
Then she smirked. "But I’m good now. Alright, kid, what else you got?"
I just stared.
What.
She almost fucking died, and she wants to go again?
I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples.
This woman was insane.
I unpaused the video.
"Amazing work there, cowboy! Now, let’s move on to the next trick in your gravity-slinging arsenal."
Desire’s little holographic self spun dramatically in the tutorial window, throwing an exaggerated high five toward the screen.
"To activate the repulsive force field, extend your hand toward the target, just like you’re about to give ‘em a good ol’ high five. When you’re ready, clench your hand into a fist and—bam—give ‘em a fistful of gravity!"
He waggled his nonexistent eyebrows. "Now, you give it a shot!"
I hesitated. Then, glancing around, I locked onto a nearby trash can. This time, not Zara.
Slowly, I lifted my hand, fingers splayed wide.
Nothing happened at first.
Then—a deep vibration rippled through my arm.
I clenched my fist.
BOOM.
A shockwave detonated from my palm, launching the trash can like it had been hit by a freight train. It crashed into the wall behind it with a metallic shriek, denting on impact.
I took a step forward.
The trash can shuddered—stuck—pinned to the wall by an invisible force.
Another step.
It crunched, warping further, compacting in on itself like an invisible hand was squeezing the life out of it.
I opened my hand.
The force released. The crumpled mess of metal dropped onto the pavement with a dull thud.
I stared at my hands. My breath was uneven. The rush in my veins thrummed. This… this was incredible.
A thought struck me.
I turned my palm toward the ground. Slowly, I spread my fingers, then clenched them.
The world lurched. My feet left the pavement.
I gasped. A rush of wind tore past me as my body lifted into the air. I was flying.
I twisted my hand slightly—my entire body shifted midair.
Holy shit. I could control it.
Experimenting further, I adjusted my fingers, testing how much control I had over my movement. First, a slow, steady drift.
Then—I tried a sharp turn.
Bad idea.
I overcorrected. Too much force.
The sudden shift sent me spinning sideways, completely out of control. The world blurred—wall incoming.
SHIT—
Instinct kicked in. I threw my hands open—the field released.
My body dropped like a rock, and I landed with a not-so-graceful thud onto the pavement.
A beat of silence.
Then—laughter.
"WOAH, KID! THAT’S ACTUALLY SICK!" Zara whistled, crossing her arms with an impressed grin. "Does that mean I don’t have to carry you like a goddamn sack of luggage anymore?"
I shot her a glare but grinned.
Let’s try that again.
I pressed both hands to the ground and clenched them.
BOOM.
I launched into the sky. Higher. Faster. Stronger.
The wind roared past me as I adjusted my hand positioning, experimenting with quick maneuvers. This time, I was in control. I cut through the air, shifting directions with ease.
Zara burst into flames, hoisting the tied-up man over her shoulder. With a fiery explosion, she shot into the air beside me.
She smirked. "Alright, kid. Let's get moving. This idiot's leading the way."
She turned her burning gaze toward the man. "You’re taking us to your people, right?"
Her flames flared.
"Y-Yes! Yes! Damn! You two are some impatient motherfuckers!" he stammered.
Zara paused.
Her flames burned hotter.
"What was that?"
He paled. "No-Nothing! Just—just head towards the Pyramid! I'll show you the way!"
Zara grinned. "That’s what I thought."
And with that, we took off into the night.