Chapter 19: Uain Paths

  TheodoreThe four of us—Theodore, Akira, Maki, and Taki—sat in the dim light of our temporary refuge, our voices low as we debated the straure of Maki’s blessing. The air smelled of mildew and old wood, and the flickering ntern cast jagged shadows aaki’s face as she twirled a dagger absently. We struggled to piece together how her power worked. It had first revealed itself in a series of bewildering is. Through our discussion, we pieced together that Maki had used her ability twice. The first time, she unknowingly copied what she thought was Ray’s inal blessing, only to ter realize it was a stolen copy of an enha ability. And then, whehias capital was ravaged by a meteor shower, she mimicked my gravity blessing to protect herself—as if it were sed nature. Yet, even with these demonstrations, none of us could truly grasp the meics of her curse.

  Frustration bubbled in the room, and soon voices rose ied discussion. Akira, who had taken on the role of our relut leader, turo Maki with a sharp gaze.

  "You hid a royal blessing while we bled for you," Akira hissed, his voice trembling with barely tained rage. "Was that your ‘element of surprise’—letting us die clueless?"

  Maki’s eyes fshed with defiance. "Everyone ceals their true power," she snapped. "Ray did the same—and it gave him the element of surprise. Wheakes are this high, it’s only natural to hide your blessing."

  As the debate wore on, we grew restless. We had been waiting for what felt like ay, and it became clear that Lucky wasn’t going to be sent back. Boredom and ay mingled in the air. Maki was the first to break the monotony. "I ’t sit here forever," she decred, kig her chair back. "What if the Ravencrust have betrayed Ray? What if he needs our help right now?"

  Her words cut through our idle chatter, but before any a was taken, another surfaced—my own precarious position with the Elthias Kingdom. The group debated whether I could return and act as if nothing had happened, tinuing my role within their ranks. However, the risk was too great. Someone might have seeh Ray’s group, and if word spread, I could easily be beled as his ally. If that happehe kingdom wouldn’t hesitate to capture me—or worse, eliminate me ht.

  Days passed without resolution, and the tension in the house greable. We all began to fear that the universal curse might activate at any moment. None of us knew when—or if—we would start feeling the presence of others sharing our blessings. The uainty was maddening.

  Finally, we decided to leave in searore information. Sging through the old house, we found a set of worn, inspicuous clothes to disguise our identities. With heavy hearts and cautious hope, we split into two groups: Akira and Taki would form one, while Maki and I would ve together.

  Later that afternoon, in a quiet, nearly empty coffee shop, I found a moment to fide in Maki. I leaned forward, my fingers loosely csped together as I y words carefully.

  "You asked me why I follow Ray," I began. "The truth is simple—I'm not the smartest, and I know my decisions aren’t always the best. But with Ray, I don’t have to worry about that. He has a way of turning everything in his favor, of carving a path to greatness even through his fws. He sees things I don’t, makes decisions I wouldn’t, and somehow, they always work out. That’s why I trust him."

  I g Maki, gauging her rea before tinuing.

  "Ba our world, Ray built a pany that rose to domi wasn’t always at the top—he made it happen. He had no real petitors. That’s not luck, and it’s no ce. It’s him. That’s why I follow him—because with Ray leading, I knoon’t be lost."

  Maki’s gaze remaieady as she interjected, "I already know that about him. I admire him, truly. And I see a bit of you in him, Theodore."

  I managed a small, wistful smile. "Thank you, Maki. But tell me—how did you end up following his trail?"

  Her eyes grew distant as she reted her past. "I was a dancer and a martial arts coach. I o Ray at a petitioerly destroyed one of my students. That loss ignited something in me. I began gathering information about him, following his every move from afar. I never imagined I’d end up here, chasing him into the afterlife."

  Before I could probe further, she hesitated. A flicker of something unreadable crossed her face before she abruptly stood. "Excuse me," she murmured, slipping away to the restroom, leaving our versation hanging in the air.

  AkiraMeanwhile, Taki and I found ourselves wandering the quieter streets, far from the oppressive uainty of the house. The night’s chill seeped into my bones, a stark reminder of the past I’d tried so hard tet.

  Seated in a secluded er of a rundown park, Taki looked up at me with wide, curious eyes. "Akira," she begaantly, "you mentioned before that your father... that he killed you. What really happened?"

  I sighed, knowing it was time to let the truth out. "I’ll tell you," I said softly. "My father was a brilliant physicist—a man so ed by his work that he nearly lost himself. At first, he was a loving man, taking care of our family. But once he began w for the gover—and even beings beyond our uanding—everything ged."

  I paused, gathering the memories. "He became distant, swallowed by a darkness I couldn’t prehend. I remember finding him drunk, muttering about his research. Then, one day, everything snapped. My mother vanished without a trace, and when I reached out to him, he was gohat night, he returned home with a gun. I’ll never fet the terror as he poi at me."

  My voice wavered. "He said, 'My son, I will bless you with this.' Then he aimed at my leg and fired. I woke up in this world—reborn from the fire of that betrayal."

  Taki listened ily, her silence a f presen the dark. As I finished, a heavy pause settled between us—a shared uanding of pain and survival.

  After a moment, she hesitated before speaking. "Akira... there’s something I’ve been meaning to say." She fidgeted, gng away. "I think I figured something out about Maki’s blessing. It’s not stolen—she copies blessings, but the Elthias royal family steals them. The being that granted us powers told us that the nature of our blessing is shaped by both its name and our own imagination. That means... Maki’s blessing might be fually different from the Elthias family’s after all, right?"

  My eyes wide the realization. If she was right, it meant Maki wont have to fight for her life against the royals.

  Before we could fully process the implications, Theodore appeared, his expression troubled.

  "Akira, Taki," he announced, "Maki tricked me. She ran off to look for Ray."

  A cold weight settled in my chest. Damn it, Maki. What have you done?