My name is Stivastin Avesta. I turned fifteen three months ago, and lately, the nights are proving too long. I'd just woken from the same elusive nightmare that has plagued me for months—a frustrating cycle where the danger is palpable but the details dissolve into vapor. Damn nightmares, why can't I ever make out any of it?
I was aboard the family's private jet, cutting through the clouds en route to Japan. Our destination: Moira, a town made infamous by ASUNA, one of the five Super Massive Purple Portals that scarred the globe.
The flight was long but pleasant. Across from me, my designated shadow stirred.
"More dreams, Young Master?" The voice was a soft intrusion, yet I hadn't heard a whisper.
"Remy," I said, without moving my head. "I'm sitting three feet away. Telepathy is not needed."
He didn't offer an apology, only a placid, faintly amused smile.
Remy Bennet was my father's confidant of twenty years and, as of yesterday, my new guardian. His formidable telepathy perfectly synchronized with my father's own ability, Foresight. One man could read your soul like a book; the other could see the upcoming chapters. It was a potent pairing that had forged the Avesta family's golden age.
"How long until we land?" I asked, watching the cloud banks glide past.
"Approximately twenty minutes, Young Lord."
Looking out the window, I remembered yesterday's unsettling conversation. My father had summoned me to his study, speaking with a seriousness he rarely deployed.
"I need to talk to you, Stivastin. You are a man now, and I will speak to you as such. Listen well: in two days, you will be sent to mainland Japan, our ancestral home, to attend school there. Remy will accompany you as your official guardian."
I kept my expression neutral, hiding the surprise. I see...
"What did you see?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
My father's Foresight was the engine of our rise. Rumors in the Imperial Capital suggested his wealth and influence now eclipsed the Emperor's. He acted with merciless speed whenever his gift showed him a profitable or dangerous future. He had used it on me only once—the day he adopted me—and still refused to share the vision. Now, something involving me had spurred him into action.
"All I can tell you," he said, looking away, "is that you are needed there."
His gaze was shadowed, almost sorrowful. It made me nervous, though I permitted only a whisper of anxiety to surface.
"They are good people, in need of strong Evolved. Like yourself, son." The glint in his eyes was pure Avesta ambition.
Needed? At ASUNA? The possibility, however remote, was startling. His Foresight had always failed him when it came to the Portal Rips—the temporal chaos surrounding them was too much. It had to be something else.
With questions swirling, I chose the easiest, most irreverent one.
"Are you divorcing Remy? Mother will be thrilled." I leaned back, observing his reaction.
He gave a sharp, dry laugh. "You smart ass. And to think I almost shared the details." He pulled a crystal decanter from a drawer. Liquid fire. Whiskey. I'd never had it, though I knew the capital's nobility drank it like water. Despite his mock offense, he produced two glasses and filled them.
"Is there anything you can tell me?" I asked.
"Let's see..." He slid a glass across the desk, then took his own. "You leave tomorrow night—flying economy." He grinned, a predator's smile. "Once landed, it's a mere six-hour drive to your new residence. You won't be attending Selection Day with the others; you start right after."
"Have you talked to Mother yet?" I picked up the glass and cautiously smelled the contents. The strong, acrid aroma made my nose wrinkle.
"Of course. She took it well, gave her blessing, and will likely join you in a few weeks' time." He raised his glass. "To you, son."
He downed the whiskey like sweet tea, his expression unchanging.
"Thanks." As a newly declared man, I felt the requisite need to match him. I tossed back the glass in one go.
It didn't work. The liquid instantly atomized in my throat, splashing out in a choking, disgusting spray that almost sent me staggering.
I coughed, my eyes watering, and decided to postpone any further thought on the matter. I stood up, feeling a pleasant, unexpected warmth spreading through my chest. Perhaps it was the whiskey, after all.
"Very well then. I'm going to make a few farewells. I'll arrange travel for tonight."
There was no need for saccharine words. We weren't a tactile family, and I appreciated the directness.
"No, no, no... I already made all the travel arrang—"
"Yeah. No. You'll cancel that. I'll have Mother arrange them for me," I interjected, steadying myself. "Six hours, he says. Home sweet home, my ass."
~
Walking around the mansion always felt vaguely illicit. Who genuinely needs this much space? We evolved from caves, yet now we inhabit monuments built for a thousand, occupied by thirty. It was a structural waste.
My older brothers and sisters were all deployed: Sistin and Sicily were on a diplomatic mission in the Americas. Finton led his own Evolved battalion observing old Australia from Antarctica. Sol, the other one, worked directly for my grandfather, aiming to become the Emperor's next advisor.
The halls, the damn paintings—what was with the capital's recent "clown craze"? And why had Mother indulged it? These creepy, grotesque portraits were inexplicably considered high art.
A raven-haired maid, who looked like she was searching for a specific shadow, hurried into the living room.
"Young Master, if you please, Lady Yolanda is waiting for you outside in the gardens," she rushed out.
What the hell is her name? Was it Hana, Hilda? I gave up trying to recall.
"Thanks, love," I said, using a term of endearment to sidestep the name issue. "Please, if you could pack some of my clothes, I would be very grateful."
She went instantly scarlet at the casual address and hurried off. Hana, I think. Made a mental note.
I headed straight to the gardens. Mother was seated under the shade, chatting with her friend, whom I recalled as Bianca—Bianca Something-or-other, mother of Henry, the little weasel my brothers and I used to delight in tormenting.
"Mother, you called?" I gave her a quick, formal kiss on the cheek and offered a polite bow to Bianca, whose eyes widened in bewildered excitement.
"Hmm. Did your father speak to you?" she asked.
"We just finished, actually. I'm leaving tonight for Sydney." I took a seat, facing her directly, and ignored Bianca's starstruck stare.
"You jest, but it is true that you are leaving. I might never see you again." She offered a sad, dramatic smile.
How melodramatic.
"I am starting school, Mother. There is no need for tragedy."
"When you have children of your own, you will understand. But I agreed with your father, so it is what it is. Have you spoken to your sisters yet?"
"I just learned about this myself. No need to interrupt their mission. I'll call them once I land in Moira. That reminds me, I need your help with the arrangements. I'm leaving tonight."
"Tonight? Why so fast? I was planning a farewell party, wanted to invite all your little friends." She truly looked crestfallen.
My mother, Yolanda Avesta, was the ultimate manipulator. She presented as a well-behaved woman who married into nobility, but she was a masterful trainer and puppet master behind the scenes.
"I anticipated something like that. You know very well, Mother, none of those monkeys are what I call friends. Pets might be more accurate." I gave a sharp, deliberate nod toward Bianca. "Except for Henry, of course."
"I see..." She sighed. "I don't know if this is the right choice anymore, but I trust your father. And, as much as I hate to admit it, you're an adult now. I will tell Hana to take care of your flight arrangements and landing logistics."
"Black hair? Beauty mark under her lip?" I asked.
"Yes. Oh my, are you interested in her?" She fanned herself with a fluttery hand.
So her name was Hana.
"Sure. Anyways, I'm going to eat something. Hopefully, I'll be ready to leave soon. I love you, Mother, and I'll see you soon." I got up and hugged her, a genuine gesture. Adult or not, I would miss her.
"Call me once you land, and make absolutely sure to talk to your sisters. They will be furious if they hear about this from anyone else. Be safe. I love you."
I had a feeling they'd be furious regardless of the messenger.
~
Back on the plane, we soon landed. We were greeted by fifty of Japan's finest Evolved soldiers, or so Remy informed me. We exchanged formal courtesies and were quickly ushered into a car. The time difference, combined with the earlier whiskey and the residual shock of the journey, was catching up to me.
"You know, I'm genuinely surprised you agreed to this." I turned my head toward my new guardian.
Remy never left my father's side. They were a fixture, inseparable since their teens. My father must have forced this arrangement.
"The order actually came from your grandfather, Young Lord. I had no right to refuse."
"I see..." That was a critical omission from my father. The whole arrangement was growing more suspicious. Moira was the ancestral birthplace of the Avesta clan. Did my father's vision involve the town? Was it truly ASUNA? If so, why send me alone?
"Father said I'm 'needed here,' but nothing more. Are you willing to trade some information for money or favors?"
The question was rhetorical. He knew everything my father knew, but extracting answers from Remy was harder than domesticating a Mimik.
He said nothing, maintaining that infuriating, knowing grin.
I stared out the window. The scenery was peaceful, almost pastoral. I was born in this country, yet I felt no real patriotism. Still, it was beautiful.
Unless you looked up.
The sight of ASUNA never ceased to inspire generational dread. It hung in the sky like a purple, silent monstrosity, a physical manifestation of fear, just like its counterparts in California, Bolivia, and Hungary. Seventy-five years, and not a single Rip.
Japan was also home to fifty-two Anniversary Portals, thirteen Black ones, and three Yellow ones that had remained Grey since their rip in 2098.
"You should open your heart to this land, Young Lord. It is the birthplace of your ancestors, after all. Your warrior spirit came from here."
"Remy, my ancestors were most likely rice farmers who lived and died by the whims of their supposed betters. Also, it's rude to read someone's mind—almost as rude as turning them into space dust. Please don't force my eyes."
"You are nervous," he observed, his smile widening.
I was. I'd spent the last six years enduring the noble kids—arrogant, entitled brats who made my eyes twitch. For the family name, I had been forced to endure them. Now, that foolishness was behind me. The only silver lining was that I'd be surrounded by normal kids again.
I was anxious about the next four years alone. Would I be feared, or just surrounded by those ordered by their families to 'befriend' me for my name? How would the girls be? Would they throw themselves at me like the desperate ladies of the capital, or could I actually find something—someone—real?
Despite all my cynical fears, I found myself looking forward to starting in a few days.
"Young Lord, if I may. Please call your sisters. I cannot keep telling them you are still asleep and expect to get away with it."
I'd rather not. It wasn't laziness. My sisters were intensely, embarrassingly overprotective. To be fair, I was also obsessed with both of them, in an obviously healthy way. Telling them I'd moved three thousand miles overnight? I lacked the mental strength to deal with that Shakespearean rage.
Why not let the old man deal with it in a few days?
"Block them," I said after a moment of consideration.
"Excuse me?"
"Block. Both. Their. Numbers. Do it now." I broke it down for him.
He looked profoundly displeased, but he was my guardian, bound by oath to follow. That bought me a few days, at least until their return from the East Coast. I needed rest and training.
"I hate to say this, but you have several meetings scheduled for the next two days. Various meetings with the mayor, military figures, local merchants, and famous Evolved."
"Jesus Christ. Why merchants?" I asked, incredulous.
"Some have been in business with your family for generations. They simply wish to see you in the flesh, show their appreciation, and, possibly, offer gifts."
Rest and training replaced with pointless snakes whispering about my family's greatness—transparent maneuvering meant only for my grandfather's ears.
"Consolidate them all. I'm not running around town. Invite everyone for a small get-together on Sunday night. Two hours. Call Mother for help with the planning."
Remy looked positively ill, but I didn't care. He was my guardian and bound to help, even with party planning.
As the car rolled up the driveway, we were both already exhausted. I'd only entered the mainland an hour ago.