“Fuck”

“34”

“35”

“can’t do it anymore” Aeron gasped for breath. He clenched his muscles and tried another push-up.

But failed as his biceps felt numb.

Switching his hand’s position, he took a stance for plank.

After about 30 sec, his body shook like a smartphone, and his stomach burned. He rolled over and gasped for air.

‘This body is too unathletic.’

‘Should have taken part in more physical contests’

Aeron was a competitive child, but in a world where wits and knowledge arose above all, his primary focus also became a mental one rather than a physical one.

Closing his eyes, he arranged his thoughts.

‘Using weights would be too much for this fragile body.’

‘also need to manage my diet.’

‘Pushing myself without know limiting would just cause long-term damage,’

‘Damn it, need to find a fitness trainer soon.’

After exercising for a while, Aeron showered and got dressed.

He wore a green hoodie with black pants.

The building he stayed on was enterprise-owned. The floor he was currently on was the one where his family lived.

The rest of the floors were working sectors categorized into diverse fields.

The Elevator lay few steps away from his room.

Using the Elevator, he reached his father’s office floor.

Few steps for there, he stood in front of the door.

Grabbing his face with his hands, he whispered, “Clam down, Aeron. Just think of this as a floor boss challenge.”

The door opened on its own. It was an automated electrical door.

He stepped inside. There were three individuals. At one end, his father was at his office desk. Beside him stood his secretary. She was in her early 30s.

At the other end was his brother. His brother stood there holding a tablet. Adrian was amid reporting until Aeron’s presence interrupted them. Everyone’s gaze suddenly fell on Aeron.

‘Shit’

Aeron’s hand got sweaty,

‘I felt less pressure surrounded by monsters,’ he realized, as he quietly sought to hide behind his brother’s back.

Aeron’s father sighed as he said, “So, did not you have something to tell me?”

“Yes! Father,” He cried in nervousness. “Did not my brother already tell already?”

His heart was pounding.

Aeron was in total about 100 years old. But coming back to the past reminded him of the nostalgic moments. Being moody, brooding, getting nervous, one may regard these emotions as childish, but Aeron delighted in these emotions. It reminded him of his joyful life as a kid. Getting nervous, making plans, arguing with family, he felt as if he was reliving his memories. These childish emotions were like little rays of light, slowly entering the hole in his heart created by the towers.

Aeron’s remarks met back with a fierce gaze, “So? I wish to hear it from your mouth,” His father urged.

His dad was a man in his 50s. His hair had turned white, but his body was not feeble. In fact, a bit traces of youthful, muscular body could still be seen."

“oh… I… that.. drop..” His words stumbled.

Adrain was holding himself from laughing out loud.

Aeron clenched his fists, ‘I have given a bloody speech in front of the Demi-gods! This is nothing!’ He thought.

He took a long breath, “Father! I want to drop out!” He shouted with all his might.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Everyone in the room flinched seeing his confidence,

“Ho, and why do you want to drop that?”

Aeron’s father asked.

“I believe school is nothing but a useless facade!” He said, brimming with confidence. “In the age where practical skills are placed above all, what use is there sitting in one place for 8 hours?”

His father’s face turned pale,

“That’s just a childish point of view,” His father continued, “Your point might have worked in the previous century, but now school prioritizes practical classes. It’s a heaven filled with knowledge. They teach you about life and its goals, create an environment for competition, and you say you want to abandon it all.”

He sharply gazed at Aeron, who still stood there adamant, “Those who do not utilize the privileges given to them and hide behind useless excuses are nothing but morons.”

“Yes, you are exactly right, father,” Aeron continued, “For an average person, it’s a wonderful place to learn. But I’m not average”.

A light smile brew on his face.

“I am the heir of a rich family, I access have to privilege other kids cannot even dream about. If I want to learn something, I can just hire someone to teach. In a school, the teachers have to focus on the entire class. Hence individual care is lacking. And finally, I am confident if I learn on my own, I will learn way quicker than when I go to school.”

His father’s pupils widened, “Ho, your bother told me you want to research in the weapons field, but what guarantee is there that you will keep your word? Who can say you won’t get bored and quit?”

Aeron gulped, “Four years if by the time, I cannot come up with an original weapons design that matches my sister, I will join high school and stay at the hostel.”

“Those are quite bold words, but still, I am not quite convinced,” His words sounded resolute.

“But sister dropped out, did not she?” Aeron’s brows tightened, “Why is she allowed, but I’m not?”

His father crossed his arms over the chest. “She’s 14, you’re 10, and she proved herself after winning the Science fair held last year? Tell me, what have you accomplished?”

“I…-” Aeron’s words stumbled.

Adrian interrupted, “Actually, he also submitted a project last in the fair.”

“What?” Aeron and his father both said in unison.

“Of course, they rejected it since the competition was for high schoolers, but I read his paper. It was not groundbreaking like Iona’s. It would not even have been selected for the top 100. But he’s 10, and she’s 14. He reverse-engineered A-R 13 laser gun. I would say it's pretty impressive”.

His father narrowed his eyes, “So, Adrian, you support your brother?”

Adrain hesitated for a moment, then replied, “I do.”

Aeron looked at his bother with bright eyes.

“Nowadays it's not rare finding gifted people, anyone can have gifts, what I believe in is the amount of effort, one dedicates for his creed. I feel Aeron will do well learning on his own”

Aeron's father trusted his eldest son's word. He knew Adrian's words would never be biased.

“Yes! I can,” Aeron exclaimed while gazing at his father with bright eyes.

His father sighed,

“Very Well then.”

“Yes!!” Aeron threw his arms in the air

“I, hereby, assign you under the ‘Thermic Core Research Facility’ as an intern directly under your brother.”

Aeron grew a broad smile as he knew his brother was working on the causal effect produced on the places where the two towers would appear.

“Wha………………. Why me?!” Adrain took a long sigh, running his hands through his hair as he realized he had become a babysitter.

“You recommended him, now you take care of him.”

The secretary bowed and whispered in Aeron’s father’s ear.

“I see, Adrain. Return to your lab now,” His father ordered with a sharp gaze, “And take Aeron with you. This will be a valuable experience for him”

“But I still have not agreed-” His father interrupted Adrain, “Leave now.”

Adrain rubbed his head, “Ok, ok.”

Both of them left, “Bother, brother, I heard you are researching abnormalities found in the hill area.”

Aeron asked as they left the room and entered the lift.

Both talked as the Elevator went down.

“So?”

“I wanna join too.”

Adrain shrugged, “ha, keep dreaming.”

His face turned pale as he asked, “Still, why weapons sector’s?”

“Huh, what do you mean?”

“The last monster in this world was killed 5 years ago. Since then, there has been no war. The uses of weapons have died down. Even then, why did you choose this field?”

Aeron wanted to learn about weapons to build them himself inside the tower, but he could not tell him that. So he made an excuse that would sound totally normal coming from 10 years old kid.

“Simple, Weapons are cool, that’s why of course,” Aeron said with a bright smile.

Adrain’s furrowed his brow.

“Even though you cannot use them?”

“Yes, still, I find them cool”

“Was that it? You grand reason?”

“Yes”

“oh god, I should have supported Iona instead,” Adrain Sighed.

“But now that father agreed, will you hire a fitness trainer?” Aeron exclaimed, shaking his hands.

Adrain rumbled through his coat pocket and took out a small box.

“Here” He passed it on to Aeron.

“What’s this?”

Opening the box, he saw a pair of eyes lens.

“It’s a lens integrated with a fitness AI.”

“Whoooa, so cool” Aeron’s eye shone as he looked at them.

“That’s the ground-breaking invention with which your sister won the science fair.”

“Wha..” His face turned pale after hearing his sister made it

“She gifted it to me. I have no use for it, so you can take it.”

Click!

The elevator door opened.

They had reached their destination.