Inheritors are held as the beloved of ÆFLYM, or so the belief doth go. They are deemed folks of destiny, chosen to bear the legacies of the Ascendants of old and to restore their strength and glory. They are respected by their peers, some even to the point of veneration. Yet their kindred, the transmigrants, are despised, cast into chains, and cruelly dissected, that the mark upon their necks might be harvested from them. The reason is simple. Transmigrants are otherworlders, thieves in a sense, and if there is one thing the rulers of this world abhor, it is outsiders who have inherited powers that rightfully belong to their own kind.
Duke Arethia Corvius,
High Member of the Council of Lords,
Central Kingdom (Lutia).
----------------------------------------
The persecution of transmigrants was a great wickedness in Aodhán’s opinion, yet he had learned that it was most disturbingly lauded. It was a rare thing to find someone who didn’t want to put transmigrants in chains—Aodhán had done a subtle survey. Inheritors on the other hand were respected and considered people with bright destinies. Between being a transmigrant and an inheritor, Aodhán had obviously chosen to present himself as the latter.
It also helped that Inheritors came in different forms, some with bloodlines and some without. The vast majority did come with bloodlines, though, like Daruk, but not all of them. A bloodline impartation forged a deeper bond between an ascendant and inheritor, creating a more familial link between them compared to the disciple/legacy relationship most Inheritors and transmigrants had with their Patrons. That isn’t to say that Inheritors or transmigrants with bloodlines had a closer relationship with their Patrons than others, because, despite never granting him a bloodline, Aodhán still had a deeper connection with Az’marthon than Daruk did with his patron.
Unsurprisingly, Aodhán’s new status came with a few changes, one of which was the gazes of the other students. Aodhán was no stranger to their awed or envious looks, but now it was worse. People stared at him almost as if they could see the strings of fate tied to him and wanted to grab onto them. It was disturbing, and Aodhán got the sense that doing the impossible was now on par for him as if being an Inheritor explained every oddity that surrounded him.
Those who had hated him before now questioned their emotions, and some wondered if they’d been cheated by fate. It didn’t take away their hatred and even amplified the emotion for others, but it was the reaction of his friends that bothered Aodhán the most as he walked back to his seat.
Scarlett and Ankaz stared at him with a curious expression that carried a slight tinge of envy. Lupin looked shocked, but her thoughts were indecipherable, and Aodhán wondered what she was thinking. Andrew was shocked, and Aodhán sensed a bit of betrayal in his gaze. Daruk was, of course, looking as calm as ever, although Aodhán sensed that he was a little disturbed by the unplanned turn of events. Others like Eren and Alesh didn’t have much of a reaction, obviously not caring one way or the other, but Ayisha…Ayisha’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and her grip on the arena seat was so tight that her knuckles were white.
She stared at him with an uncomfortable mix of shock and veneration, and although her expression wasn’t exactly worshipping, it wasn’t too far from it either. Immediately, he reached his seat, and she got up and nearly kowtowed. “I’m sorry for all the times I’ve been so informal with you, fated. Forgive this one, for she knew not what she was doing.”
The instant switch in character was jarring, and Aodhán grimaced as his discomfort increased. He wasn’t exactly regretting his actions to deceive the arena and lie about his identity, but he hadn’t exactly planned ahead either, nor was he prepared to deal with all the intricacies that came with his status. He really needed to stop making impulsive decisions like this, although if he were being honest, could he truly say this was an impulsive decision?
Aodhán had fantasized about this before—countless times ever since he got Varéc and his tattoo, and although he hadn’t consciously made any plans to bring his thoughts to fruition, his subconscious seemed to have been working overtime, and he had seized the opportunity the moment it presented itself.
Frankly, Aodhán hadn’t exactly come out to say he was an inheritor, so technically he hadn’t lied, but he had created an avenue to foster that assumption, and regardless of the repercussions or consequences that may arise from it, Aodhán was more than ready to bear the weight of his new status. After all, it was far better than being a transmigrant.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t have his friends bowing and scraping before him like servants, so he placed a hand on Ayisha’s shoulders and said, “There is a reason why I kept my identity secret for so long, Ayisha; I’d rather you simply address me the way you did before.”
“Fated—
“Aodhán.” Aodhán insisted with a tight grimace. “Call me Aodhán, please. And that goes for the rest of you. None of this fated stuff.”
Ayisha swallowed nervously but eventually nodded and sat back down. “I will try my best to treat you as normal.”
“I am normal.” Aodhán replied as he sat down, feeling the eyes of upon him, and surprisingly, Scarlett agreed, saying, “In Calodan, inheritors are just people who got lucky. They die just like normal people, and not all of them grow to become champions. Hell, I’m stronger than some of them and I’m an elite at best.”
Ankaz nodded in agreement, but Ayisha disagreed. “The fate—Inheritors bear the willpower of Ascendants. They may not all grow to be champions, but the fact that one is fated is a thing of honor.”
“No doubt about it.” Ankaz nodded. “But Scarlett’s point is that Inheritors are just as human as we are. I doubt Aodhán is the only inheritor in the entire academy, and perhaps, if we treated them more casually, maybe they would be more inclined to reveal themselves.”
Daruk grimaced subtly, but otherwise said nothing. While Scarlett, Ankaz, and Ayisha discussed his identity and its potential repercussions, Aodhán turned his gaze to Andrew and Daruk, but before he said anything, Andrew spoke. “I get it. Your identity isn’t something you have to share with everyone…”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Yet, you feel that I should have told you because of how close we are.” Aodhán finished quietly, ignoring the dozens of gazes still trained on him.
Daruk turned to stare at him, curious to know how he would deal with this situation, and Aodhán sighed. With the attention of several people on him at this moment, he couldn’t afford to mess up. After giving the matter a moment of thought, Aodhán managed to come up with a decent response.
“I’m sorry that you feel that way.” He said and leaned forward slightly. “But my identity is personal. A few people know of it, of course, but I just want to be treated like a normal person. I love our friendship, and I don’t ever want it to change.”
The words came out smoothly, but Aodhán couldn’t help but feel a pang of shame. Had he not been weary of lies and deception just a few weeks ago, yet here he was again, repeating the same cycle of lies and deception he so detested.
Andrew searched his eyes for a moment before glancing at Daruk. “You knew and yet you compared yourself to him?”
Daruk scrunched his nose and shrugged. “Inheritors aren’t special people, Andrew. They struggle just like we do, and the only thing they have more than us is willpower. There’s no reason a normal awakened can’t have more control than an inheritor. So yes, I did compare myself to my brother in the beginning, but not anymore. I’ve realized that he has his own story, and I’ve got mine.”
Aodhán nodded, knowing he couldn’t have said it better, although it was a little weird knowing that Daruk was speaking from experience here. Inheritors might be considered the beloved of the planet and children of fate, but really, they had no special abilities except the extra pool of willpower.
Daruk’s statement seemed to ease the mind of many who were listening, and although he didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic to be drawn into Aodhán’s web of lies and deception, he went along with it anyway, shooting Aodhán a look to indicate that they would be having a conversation on the matter as soon as they could.
Before long, the attention on Aodhán reduced as the novelty of the whole Inheritor thing faded. Many students still stared at him with awe and envy, but Aodhán imagined the whole thing would die down in a few more weeks. It always did.
His fake identity revelation wasn’t enough to stop the forge matches, which was a relief, to be honest, and after two more matches, Daruk was called for his match against Indiana Remus, one of the strongest air awakeneds within the first year. The match wasn’t as brutal as his and Isis's had been, but it was even more violent, and Daruk nearly lost.
While Daruk and Indiana fought, Aodhán finally considered the implications of his actions. Coming out to the world as an Inheritor was definitely better than being a transmigrant, but it also had its own struggles, which was the reason why both Inheritors and transmigrants preferred to keep their identities secret.
Aodhán was no time walker, but he could already foresee a lot of challenges down this road that he’d so spontaneously taken. That was the problem. Aodhán didn’t regret his actions, but he could at least admit that he hadn’t exactly thought it through. He had made the decision in a snap, and although it had seemed like he hadn’t really had much of a choice, Aodhán was certain there were easier paths he could have taken.
He wondered what would happen when Principal Zatya found out about this—if she hadn’t already—or how Unrid and Synové would deal with this whole thing. The thought of reporters harassing Unrid and Synové unlocked a new fear in him, and Aodhán quickly texted Rahim, asking to speak to his parents in person.
Rahim’s reply was immediate. “Principal Zatya is already dealing with it.”
Aodhán was ashamed to say he felt relief in that moment. Principal Zatya had once more stepped in to save his ass, even though his new status probably caused more problems for her and her plans. She had thought ahead of him, and Aodhán imagined she was probably thinking up ways to shackle him tighter to herself.
He let out a deep sigh and applauded with the others when Daruk was proclaimed the winner of the match and the next match was called. The rest of the match passed by smoothly, and when it finally ended, Aodhán stood at the prestigious rank of 23, Daruk at 17, and Andrew at 41.
As the crowd exited the arena, Aodhán and his friends stayed back for a while, choosing to leave after the rush for the exit had reduced significantly. They said their goodbyes and headed to their individual destinations. Lupin’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before she turned away, and although Andrew nodded and patted him on the shoulder, he too left to do his own thing.
In the end, only two people remained with him, Daruk and Ayisha.
“Will you be fine on your own?” Ayisha asked, and Aodhán nodded.
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
She hesitated for a moment before leaving, looking back constantly as if to make sure nothing had happened to him in the few seconds since she left his side.
Aodhán wasn’t sure how to deal with Ayisha, but he hoped this veneration she felt towards him would fade quickly.
After she left, Daruk said. “Well, let’s hope that doesn’t continue for too long.
Aodhán sighed and shook his head. “I really hope so too.” In a tone barely above a whisper, he added. “I’m sorry for dragging you into all this.”
Daruk pursed his lips and sighed, emitting a puff of chill breeze from his nose. “It would have been better if I had at least gotten a heads up.”
Aodhán shook his head. “It was a spontaneous decision.”
“Of course it was.” Daruk shook his head. “Nearly every decision you make is impulsive, but this one, the least you could have done is to have given it a bit more thought.”
Silence descended between them, but after a while, Daruk asked. “Do you regret it?”
“No.” Aodhán’s response was immediate. “It’s still better than the alternative.”
Daruk nodded slowly and said, “It is, but there’s a reason inheritors keep to themselves despite being widely accepted, and that is to avoid this exact situation.”
“Technically, I never announced myself as anything.”
“You never disproved the assumption, though.”
“Yeah. That’s true.”
Aodhán nodded and stared at the golden clouds as they walked towards the residential area. It was evening already, and for the first time in a while, Aodhán craved the darkness of the real sky. He needed to think!
After a few minutes of silence, Daruk asked. “What do you know about the children of the watch?”
“Not much.” Aodhán admitted and quirked an eyebrow. “What is this about?”
Daruk frowned and reduced his tone to a whisper. “They are becoming very active lately; perhaps it’s because the year is slowly coming to an end.”
“The festivals?” Aodhán asked, already realizing what Daruk was trying to say.
Daruk nodded. “Exactly. Do you know what they do?”
Aodhán clenched his jaw as another worry was added to his list. When he didn’t respond, Daruk said. “They kidnap exceptional Awakened from all over the Kingdom in a bid to find their supposed ‘messiah,’ and if you had a target on your back before, it has just become a billboard.”
Aodhán fought the urge to massage his temples as it began to throb. “I didn’t think of that.”
“Of course. But I’ll dip myself into a volcano if they don’t already have their sights set on you, the first ever evolved awakened to bond with a familiar. An awakened who is also an inheritor with obvious potential. What could be more promising than that?
A shiver of nerves raced down Aodhán’s spine as the temperature in the arena suddenly dropped. Aodhán swallowed and said. “I’m safe in the academy.”
“Yeah.” Daruk looked up at him, his expression tinged with fear. “But for how long? People have been disappearing, Aodhán, and even with the protection of Ascendant candidate Lightus and the principal, I worry for your safety.”
Aodhán looked away, unable to help the thread of fear that was coiling in his gut. The children of the watch were well known, a force of cultists who managed to thrive despite being wiped out by the kingdom countless times.
Their mission wasn’t exactly clear, but Aodhán knew it had something to do with fulfilling a prophesy their maniac founder had made centuries ago. How they kept managing to survive and continue their dirty work after so many attacks was a mystery yet unraveled.
However, despite the fear curling in his gut, Aodhán’s heart was firm. He had chosen a new path, and he had no other choice but to see it through. A new chapter of his life had begun.