"Grandpa... are you sure he awakened recently?" Charles spoke for the first time ever since they left the site.

They were in the car, driving back home.

After everything that had happened, Christopher believed it would be best to get him checked first. The young man might have some experience, but he was still only a sixteen-year-old boy.

What had happened in that building... Christopher knew he would never forget it. Not anytime soon. Maybe not ever.

"Yes, he awakened recently," Christopher responded, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"But... what was that fearless approach? How was he tanking those attacks without a moment of hesitation?" Charles clutched his chest before adding, "I couldn’t even stand near that creature, and he just brutally punched the life out of it."

Christopher sighed. The young man had clearly been shaken by the incident, but he couldn’t call Charles weak for that.

During the battle, even Christopher couldn’t tell which of them was the bigger monster.

Putting Kyle’s abilities aside, his brutality and sheer confidence were staggering. Even more so considering he had barely over a month of experience. It wasn’t as if he had grown up in bloodshed or battle either.

He was just a normal student who lived alone and barely spent time around people. Forget about getting involved with combat, Christopher found out he didn’t even actively play any sport.

Back then, the moment he charged at the Ghoul, his Genesis completely vanished. It wasn’t as though he had lowered or regulated it better.

The raging storm of Genesis surrounding him until then had suddenly been snuffed out, like a bonfire extinguished by a passing breeze.

Even if Christopher assumed Kyle possessed a skill capable of suppressing his magical presence, it still made no sense. He could have used those barriers without erasing his presence at all.

Then... why?

’He is an anomalous being.’

He needed to make a few calls.

The faculty had to be informed about what they should expect.

Or rather...

A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.

Maybe it was finally time for them to understand what the word ’prodigy’ truly meant.

’It would be a refreshing change.’

The old man found himself looking forward to the day that storm would step into the academy.

....

Kyle remained silent.

His sleeves were torn, his pants marked with several cuts, and his hair was completely disheveled.

He sat inside the car beside the woman who, much like him, had not spoken a single word since then.

The CPB officers had arrived at the location, and after Veronica spoke with them for a while, they eventually left the site.

Now, Kyle was nervous.

What happened back there was truly something he had never expected from himself.

The floor had collapsed.

He had lost control once again.

Fortunately, the building had a strong foundation, and only that section of the second floor had been reduced to rubble.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that Kyle had gone overboard yet again.

He hadn’t even checked the rewards until now because of how worried he was.

Finally, gathering enough courage, he parted his lips and asked, "Are you upset?"

Veronica let out a long breath before suddenly turning on the left indicator.

Slowing the car, she parked a few meters past the bus stop.

Under the shade of a tree, the vehicle remained still while silence lingered between the two.

Veronica ran a hand through her hair before asking, "Kyle... can you tell me what you prioritize during your training these days?"

Kyle instantly understood what she was implying, so he quickly said, "I swear I practice self-control when channeling Genesis, but—"

"No, that’s not it. Kyle, I am not upset about that at all. Yes, I am worried that the level of destruction you usually cause could someday put you in danger, but to take down something that massive, you need overwhelming firepower. What concerns me is your approach."

Kyle frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Veronica turned to meet his eyes before quietly admitting, "Kyle... I noticed something strange. And it still doesn’t make any sense to me. I mean, how were you able to protect yourself with a barrier when you weren’t using Genesis at all? Not to mention... even your usual Genesis presence diminished in that moment."

Every person, regardless of whether they were awakened or not, possessed at least a fraction of Genesis.

Veronica had become exceptionally good at sensing it after years of sharpening her abilities. That was why she could clearly tell that when Kyle was being attacked, his Genesis had nearly vanished... as though his entire existence was on the verge of fading away.

"Kyle..." Her voice softened. "Tell me you aren’t risking your life in every battle."

Kyle instantly shook his head. "Not at all, Veronica. Haah... I guess I have to tell you this now." He had already told Amanda about it, but not Veronica. Right now, he regretted that decision.

"Actually, there is a dormant Genesis inside me that awakens whenever I stop actively using Genesis. That’s why I was protected even when I wasn’t using magic at all."

Veronica was caught completely off guard. "What... dormant energy? But... how is that even possible?"

As far as she knew, Genesis could only passively heal minor injuries unless it was actively controlled and forced into action.

What Kyle had just described sounded absurd.

Kyle let out a helpless sigh. "Is there actually anything normal about my powers or my awakening?"

Veronica parted her lips as if to answer, but in the end, she simply shook her head in silence.

Kyle leaned back against the seat and added. "Just add this to the list of things that shouldn’t make sense but somehow still exist."

Veronica let out a quiet sigh and nodded. "Alright. Got it."

She started the engine again, and soon the scenery outside began moving once more.

After a few moments of silence, Veronica quietly muttered, "Kyle... thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about this."

Kyle gave a faint smile. "I mean, there aren’t many people I talk to. And the ones I do talk to... I trust them a lot."

Veronica chuckled softly. "That personality of yours... I can somehow relate to it."

Kyle hummed. "Are you a loner too?"

A faint blush crossed Veronica’s face, but she answered without much hesitation. "Yeah. I couldn’t really make many friends. And the one girl who stayed by my side is currently too far away for me to even contact."

Kyle tilted his head slightly. "Someone from the academy?"

Veronica nodded. "Yes. And unlike me, she was granted special-rank immediately after graduation. That allowed the Central Authority to take her under their wing... until the World Government eventually set their eyes on her."

"W-World Government? You mean the union of the seven biggest countries in the world? They are... ah, well, of course they know about the Aether World." Kyle shook his head at his own question before adding, "But doesn’t that mean she’s in a far superior position than someone like Ava?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Veronica nodded once more. "She stands at the pinnacle, Kyle. Someone whose powers are reserved for the protection of the world."

Kyle’s brows slowly rose. "Damn... that sounds sick."

Then he suddenly remembered something.

"Wait... Veronica. Blake and the headmaster both mentioned that you were the highest-ranked student throughout all three years, so then...?"

Veronica smirked. "Of course. She never defeated me even once. And that’s exactly why she ended up befriending me."

Kyle simply stared at the woman beside him.

And in that moment, the respect he already held for her rose even higher.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please drop a comment.