Vale entered the hall and saw Aiden staring blankly at the television, lost in thought.

"What are you doing, Aiden?" Vale asked, walking up to him and sitting on the sofa.

"Nothing," Aiden replied, sounding disinterested. "Just passing my days like a normal person. I don’t know how much time I have left before I can waste time like this again. I… I failed. I don’t even know why I’m fighting anymore, but for some reason, my heart is getting angry with me, and my brain is fighting it."

"Aiden… I know this is complicated. My grandfather is partly to blame for it. Honestly, his selfishness caused many to suffer, but I can’t say I would’ve done anything differently." Vale’s tone grew serious. "But Aiden, you can’t keep sitting here like this. We need to leave. I have to train you for what’s coming. Remember 'Getting sad is not wrong but losing hope is not the right way' to deal with a situation. "

"I know… I was ready for this. The schools are closed because of the destruction." Aiden smiled faintly. "It was a childhood fantasy—wondering what would happen if aliens attacked my school. I don’t even know if my friends are alive. Oh… I just realized my friends, teachers, and many others I knew might have been affected by this attack."

"Aiden, do you really want to find out about them?"

"I… I don’t know if I have the courage."

"Alright," Vale said gently, "you can find out whenever you’re ready. But for now, get ready. We have to leave."

"Okay, I’ll get ready. But I have a question: If I’m not here, who will take care of my duties? And how long will I be gone?"

"Just get ready. I’ll answer that before we leave, along with some other important questions."

"Okay, I’ll pack my things. But what should I bring?"

Vale grew frustrated. "I’m not a babysitter, Aiden. You’re a man now—take responsibility for your actions. I’ll be blunt: if you set something in motion that can’t be undone, you need to face the consequences. Sometimes you’ll be a hero, but other times, you’ll be a villain—or worse. I won’t save anyone just because I’m ‘good.’ I’ll do what needs to be done."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Okay," Aiden replied, taken aback by Vale’s seriousness.

After their conversation, Aiden went upstairs to pack for the journey.

[Hours later]

Vale remained on the sofa, sipping his coffee. He noticed Aiden approaching.

"All ready?" Vale asked, putting down his coffee cup.

"Yeah, I’m ready. But how did you know I was here?" Aiden asked curiously.

"Sixth-dimensional sense. It’s a technique that lets me see, sense, and feel anything. But using it constantly puts a lot of strain on the eyes, so a normal person can't maintain it for long. However, thanks to our healing factor, we don’t feel that pressure as much."

"Oh, I see. You have to tell me these things, otherwise, how will I know?"

Finishing his coffee, Vale stood up and finally faced Aiden.

"Aiden, you’ll be using shadows to create a clone. A part of your shadow will stay here while the real you comes with me to the Time Dimension."

"Clones? Shadows? Time?" Aiden’s face twisted in confusion. "I’m completely lost."

"Alright, I guess I need to explain a lot of things," Vale said thoughtfully. "First, let’s start with the shadows. To use them, imagine yourself. Remember—you can give your shadow any shape. You can even change your appearance, clothes, or imagine another being entirely. But if you visualize a distorted image or miss any details, the shadow will be incomplete. The strength of the shadow depends on factors like your imagination and the initial power you give it."

"How do I actually do it?" Aiden asked.

"Imagine your soul is made up of countless tiny parts, each representing 1% of your total energy. These parts carry copies of all your techniques and powers, but at only 1% of their full strength. You can decide how many of these parts to dedicate to your clone. Never give more than 50% of your soul to a shadow, though, because if you do, it may develop its own will." Vale paused. "You’re probably wondering if you’ll lose that part of your soul while the clone is active, right?"

"Yeah, will I?" Aiden asked, concerned.

"It’s complicated, but the answer is no. Think of infinity: if you subtract infinity from infinity, you still have infinity. When the soul returns, it won’t be any weaker than before. But remember, if you give more than half your soul to a shadow, you might have to fight yourself."

Vale continued, "Another way is to share your soul with your shadows. In this case, you’re constantly connected to them and can provide energy if needed. They’ll reflect your personality, which is why I prefer this method. But the other way can be useful sometimes—you never know when. You can also summon many shadows at once—when I say many, I mean many. More than me. A normal user can only summon five to twenty clones, and not at full strength. But they’ll drain their energy quickly."

Vale’s tone grew serious. "On the other hand, Ravan can summon and control 1,000 clones at full power. You’re at the same level as him."

Aiden was fascinated. "Okay… I think it’s time you reveal something big, isn’t it?"

Author's Note:

In the next chapter, one of the biggest revelations is coming... the O.R.I.G.I.N!