"Peculiar?" Asphalt echoed. "Everything about that kid is obscured and peculiar. Ever heard the story of the fallen Super-family... the Bloodgales?"
Zane shook his head. "Nah. First time hearing it."
Asphalt exhaled slowly. Then he began.
"There were once seven great Super-families—each dominating the awakening era. The Bloodgales were the most brutal among them. Berserker bloodline. They drank the blood of corrupted beasts to gain strength. Madness was part of their power."
Zane nodded slowly.
"Howard Bloodgale," Asphalt continued, "was a genius of the clan. When he was barely thirty, the academy sent him alone to the Mariana Trench—a forbidden mission. He was ordered to eliminate a sea monster that had awakened from the abyss."
"He succeeded. But something changed. He drank the monster's blood to gain the upper hand… and survived. For a week after his return, everything seemed normal. Then... Henry was conceived."
Zane's eyes narrowed. He said nothing.
