Sibling Time

It was still early morning. I’d just come back from meeting my father, and now I was in the training hall. I didn’t really have anything better to do, so I figured I might as well spend the time before Kieran showed up testing out my abilities and in a way maybe finally getting an inkling on how they worked.
The training hall was a big, roomy place, built separate from the main mansion. The Frost estate itself was enormous, honestly closer to a fortress than a regular home. The whole northern part of the Elyria kingdom was covered by this massive district called Freden, known for its wood and mines, and the Frost house was in charge of all of it. The estate sat right at the northern edge of town, pretty far from the main village, almost at the border where civilization faded out.
The house itself had been the Frost family’s home for generations, ever since the kingdom was founded. There was no shortage of amenities including training halls, grounds, even a whole compound where the Frost knights lived and trained. Those knights were the private guard, loyal only to the Frost patriarch; in a way, the patriarch’s word meant more to them than even the king’s.
Right now, I was in one of the training rooms that Lyra and I could use any time we wanted. I sat cross-legged on the hard cement floor, just thinking things over. The hall was pretty spacious, with a sparring ring, dummies, all kinds of weapons, and even equipment to work on your body. But what mattered to me right now was the darkness inside me, and figuring out how to use it.
A few hours ago, I’d gone back into my Soul Forge to double-check my abilities, trying to understand what the words really meant. That’s the thing about nexus affinities, your Soul Forge tells you what you can do, but never how. You’re on your own for that part. It’s easier if you get an affinity similar to someone in your family, or if you pick up something common, because people can teach you the basics. But if you end up with something weird or rare, like darkness, you’re left guessing. I hadn’t even heard of it in Yun’s memories.
So, I was just experimenting, trying to find some way to control the darkness. I tried a bunch of things like focusing on the feeling, trying to direct it, even just sitting and doing nothing, hoping it would come to me. Nothing worked.
From what I could tell, my active ability, Darkness Cloak, was supposed to let me wrap parts of my body in darkness, maybe for defence or even attack. But first, I had to actually command the darkness to do something, and so far, it didn’t listen.
Same with my weapon art, Darkness Pierce. It was supposed to let me coat my sword in darkness, making it sharper and letting the wounds fester or something. Honestly, it sounded strong, but I couldn’t even figure out how to get started.
At first, I tried just feeling the darkness inside me, focusing on the way it sort of churned around my core, down near my abdomen. It was a weird sensation, almost like a liquid swirling in circles. It was subtle, but I could feel it. I tried to push it, to tell it to move, to come out, but it never listened. I tried for hours, getting more and more frustrated.
Then, suddenly, an idea hit me. I could ask Lyra for help.
She was tier 2, an Evolved, and just a step away from unlocking her next trial. She’d already finished her third year at the academy last year. If anyone could help, it was her. She was famous in the family for how well she could control frost, almost as good as some of the Shaped. The fact that she was about to saturate her second core in just three years showed just how talented she really was.
If anyone could point me in the right direction, or at least give me some tips so I could figure things out for myself, it was Lyra. So, I got up and went looking for her.
Back inside the mansion, I headed for where Norman always was. He was the main butler, and had been since before I was born. Somehow, he always knew what was going on, managing everything with his team of maids following his every word. He was thin and old, always perfectly dressed in a white frock shirt and black coat, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. People said he was an Ascendant too, but he’d never shown any powers, at least not that I remembered.
I found him by the main staircase, standing stiff as always, hands behind his back as he directed the maids. I remembered from Yun’s memories that Norman had practically raised him, more of a father figure than Eden ever was after their mother died and he had buried himself in his work. So, we were supposedly quite close.
“Good afternoon, Norman. How have you been?” I called out, putting on a cheerful voice as I walked up.
He turned with a start, surprise clear on his face. “Young Master, what a surprise. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Yes, I was looking for Lyra. I needed her help.”
He gave me a knowing look. “Let me guess, it’s about your Ascendence?”
“You got me,” I said, giving him a sheepish smile.
He actually smiled then, pride in his voice. “I knew you could do it, Young Master. Lady Lyra is currently out in town for some work. If you’d like, I can arrange a carriage for you.”
“Yes, please,” I answered, honestly grateful.
“Young master, you should also know that Sir Nathan would be happy to help. You know how much he enjoys teaching you.”
Nathan Hale. Norman was right. He’d taught me how to fight with a sword, he was the head of the Frost Knights, a tier 3, a Shaped. I’d actually thought about asking him first, but went to Lyra because she was just so good at pulse control.
“Thank you, Norman. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Anytime, Young Master.”
There was also the fact that, honestly, I wanted to get out and see the town. Being from Earth, all the sights and sounds of this place were fascinating. Seeing them in Yun’s memories was one thing, but standing here, experiencing them for real, was something else.
Norman didn’t waste time, before long, a carriage was ready. It was made of dark wood that glittered under the sun, with dark windows and red velvet curtains. The Frost crest sat by the dark timber, a stark contrast, its eight-pointed crystal of ice etched into the door, shining cold and clear.
It was only my second day here since I woke up, but somehow, the memories of Yun’s life made it easy to fit in. It almost felt like a second home, even if I knew better.
Still, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that always lingered in the back of my mind. Everything was so strange, and I had so many questions. Was the real Yun dead? Who was that figure I met yesterday, claiming to be a part of me? Why did I wake up here, in a body that looked just like mine? Why did everything here come so naturally, as if it was always my home? I had no answers, and it kept me on edge, but for now, all I could do was take it one step at a time and hope I found answers eventually.
The ride to town was pleasant enough. As the carriage left the estate and rolled toward Freden, the scenery changed. The snow thinned out, replaced by more green as we got closer to the town. The estate was set pretty far out, so it was nearly an hour’s ride. Freden itself was huge, split into different districts, including commercial, industrial, residential, and the legislative district. Lyra was supposed to be currently in the legislative district, handling father’ matters in the town hall.
Since the Frost house was in charge of everything in Freden, Lyra had started helping Father with his work after she graduated the academy. It was not really like him, but I guess Father had finally started delegating her some responsibility.
Looking out the window, I watched the dirt roads change to smooth cobblestones. The pine trees gave way to neat brick houses, and the quiet was replaced by the noise of a busy town. People were everywhere, bundled up against the cold, but smiling, talking, going about their business. Kids played, couples argued, old people sat in the sun, merchants shouted about their wares. It was nothing like Seoul, just seeing it left me blank for a second. The black moon still hung over the world, rifts still poured monsters into the land, but here, people just lived their lives, caught up in small, human things.
The people of Freden seemed to really love the Frost House, more than they would ever love the royal family. Having the Frosts as their lords made them proud. The city was big and far from the capital, so the king let the Frosts handle things their own way, and that was probably why the place had prospered. Good trade, strong knights, and more Ascendants than anywhere else. The citizens gave the Frost family credit for all of it; they looked up to us with real respect.
“Master, we’re here,” the carriage driver said, as we stopped in front of a tall brick building that read ‘Freden’s town hall’. Lyra was supposed to be here, handling some work I had no clue about. The moment I stepped out, I felt everyone’s eyes on me, some respectful, some curious, some just plain proud.
Looks like rumours about me awakening have already made the rounds.
The town hall was right at the centre of the city, in the legislative district, the meeting place for all the administrative stuff. The building itself was three stories tall, filled with people working at long tables, scribbling on parchments or rushing around on errands.
People noticed me as soon as I walked in. Some stared, others bowed, and the closer ones even greeted me by name. I was led to the second floor, where I finally spotted Lyra. She was bent over a table, barking instructions at someone, finger pointed at a piece of parchment.
As soon as she noticed me, she did a double-take, then rushed over, arms out for a hug. I sidestepped her, dodging the embrace. She pouted, but caught herself, remembering where we were.
“What is it, brother? Did you come all the way here just to see me? I thought you didn’t love me anymore,” she teased, a big grin on her face.
Maybe I should have just waited for her to come home. Well, too late now.
“Ah, I just need your help, I guess,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head.
“My help? Oh, I see! Can’t figure things out on your own, so you had to come ask your genius sister for help, huh?” Her grin turned devilish as she folded her arms.
“Yes... something like that,” I muttered, trying not to sound too annoyed.
“Sure, I’ll help, but on one condition.” She held up a finger, wagging it in my face.
I raised an eyebrow. “And that is?”
“We’re going to have some sibling time, lunch together, I’m starving.”
I really should have just gone to Nathan.
Giving her a half-hearted nod, she hurried to finish her work, telling me to wait by the carriage.
Soon enough, she joined me. “Brother, I thought you didn’t like coming to the city?” she asked, sliding into the carriage beside me.
Hearing her, something clicked. The discomfort I’d felt with all those people staring at me, maybe it was the same for the previous Yun too.
“I don’t. I just got impatient, seeing no results,” I said, keeping my gaze out the window, watching the city pass by.
“Don’t worry, it’s always hard at the beginning, especially with a weird affinity like yours. Tell me, what did you try to do?” she asked, her tone growing more serious.
“Well, my ability is supposed to be about coating myself in darkness, so I tried focusing on drawing it out, focusing on the churning in my core.”
She shook her head. “A good first try, but you’ve got it all wrong. Your core doesn’t store darkness. It converts pulse around you into your nexus affinity. Yours is darkness, so your core turns pulse into darkness, not just stores it.”
I let her words sink in. It started to make sense.
“So, I don’t have to focus on what’s inside. I should focus on drawing in pulse first.”
“Exactly. Your core can only hold so much pulse at once. What you feel churning isn’t darkness, it’s just pure pulse energy, waiting to be converted. Instead of trying to pull it out, focus on turning it into darkness first.”
I nodded, feeling like I finally understood. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on the pulse inside me but before I could, I felt a shove on my shoulder. I looked over to see Lyra glaring at me.
“Don’t even think about it. Focus later, for now, it’s sibling time,” she said, looping her arm around mine and resting her head on my shoulder as the carriage continued to roll by.

Chapter end