Once upon a time, back on Earth, Dollar’s mother had been part of a prestigious family. His grandmother, Muriel Claudius, was a powerful woman, and Dollar’s mother had inherited that power and wealth through nothing else but her blood. Perhaps because of that, she never learned proper restraint, and abused her power wherever she could. As with most things involving his mother, it escalated until Muriel disowned her and barred her from accessing any of the wealth and connections she’d grown up with.

Dollar had suffered the consequences of that decision, growing up in a terrible home without love, but he had never blamed his grandmother for the actions of his mother. His mother had chosen to treat him as she had, and when given a chance to change, she had chosen to stay the same vindictive person she had always been.

Althea Tiberius was also his mother, but she was the opposite in every way to his old family. Despite being disowned by her family, and left with nothing, she had only ever treated him with care and love.

One mother, he knew, deserved to be disowned. The other, he couldn’t fathom being punished.

Blood should never determine the rewards kept in life.

Levia’s words hung in the air, and she watched Dollar with concern. He saw the sand dip underneath her soles as she ground her feet into it, and the waters stirred above her, light flicking down intermittently from between the looming towers of House Tiberius. Dollar knew the intensity of her revelations, and how deeply they would impact the course of his life.

More importantly, he knew how they had affected his mother’s life. She was surrounded by fire at all times, and on guard against attacks. Her child had been assassinated, and she was cursed to never grow close to others for fear of making them targets.

Now, he was being told to abandon her in return for a bloodline.

Power, or family. Dollar tapped his chin. Once upon a time, this was an easy decision. I suppose it still is.

Dollar had been content with convincing himself he was helping his parents as repayment for their help. He would take down House Tiberius, benefitting from it immensely himself, and then leave them behind. After that, they could do whatever they wanted.

But now, he wasn’t so content.

“Levia, my mum’s only ever been nice to me,” Dollar said. “I don’t think she deserves exile just for not fully unlocking her bloodline. Tell me, why?”

His tone left no room for argument.

“Because your mother is–”

Levia let out a gasp, and concern swept over Dollar’s heart.

“I…Can’t,” Levia said. “I want to tell you, but it’s impossible.”

Dollar’s eyebrows furrowed, and he shifted in the sand. Her body language told him that she wasn’t lying. Her arms quivered, and her shoulders trembled, and there was reluctance in her blue-eyed gaze. Something really was preventing her from telling him.

Either sharing the information was a taboo that she’d grown up with, or a rule that she refused to break.

That irked him.

“And if I unlock my bloodline?” Dollar crossed his arms. “What then?”

Levia breathed a sigh of relief, “yes, if you did, I would be able to tell you. These things can only be spoken of among family members.”

“More restrictions, just like this enemy you never told me about,” Dollar’s voice was laced with irritation. “Will I hear more about that sometime?”

Levia shook her head sadly. “Again, these are only things I can share with the family. You should not have been attacked, but once you unlock your bloodline, they will not be an issue.”

Annoying. Dollar frowned. I know I’m missing a piece of the puzzle. Something important. And negotiating while missing key information is never good.

There was a moment of silence and he saw Levia watching him carefully. To his side, Mitsy had taken a seat, her eyes boring into his own, trying to discern his thoughts. Her armbands glowed faint blue. A color he’d never seen before. It wasn’t as violent as orange and red, or as gentle as the soft yellow that often accompanied her, but he knew she was preparing for a fight, if it was needed.

Something bumped against Dollar’s elbow and he looked down to see Bill staring up at him with comforting opal eyes. He released his crossed arms, scratching the grec’s head as he processed the information given.

“Oink,” Bill said, rolling onto his belly for scratches.

Levia smiled slightly, and Mitsy’s lips curled upwards. Dollar chuckled, scratching the uni-pig’s fur and using the moment to ease the tension. In seconds, the tension had eased. Not thanks to Dollar, but as a result of the grec’s antics.

Perfect timing, Bill. Dollar glanced at the grec curiously. Did you know that?

He heard the uni-pig squeal happily and he dismissed his thought. Bill just couldn’t read the room.

So, there are missing pieces, but the opportunity is still valid. Dollar tapped his chin pensively. Before him lay the chance to obtain a power that could help him survive the machinations of House Tiberius, and beyond that, establish himself further in this world.

“Potential, life, and bonds,” Dollar tapped his fingers against Bill’s fur. “Tell me, am I in danger?”

“No power is without danger. Remember, you do not have to attempt this. You have a choice,” Levia’s tone was soft. “Attempting to unlock a bloodline isn’t an easy feat. It is a deadly affair. Fatal? No, not likely. But it could hurt you dearly.”

Dollar chuckled, the sound reverberating across his surroundings and surprising his grandmother. He glanced to the side and saw Mitsy leaning forward, not bothering to hide that she was eavesdropping intently. Even Bill’s ears curled lightly as he focused on Levia’s words, his symbols shimmering delicately as the grec focused.

He gestured at them and then at the waters outside the dome. “I meant from external threats. I don’t intend to stay in this lake forever, if I leave these waters am I going to find myself attacked by dozens of invisible creatures? Or, alternatively, is this bloodline going to make anybody above ground hate me or hunt me down?”

“Those creatures shouldn’t be here. They cannot be here,” Levia frowned, her wrinkles creasing. “I do not know how one arrived, but their domain is the sea. Above ground you’ll be safe to travel, should you wish,” Levia shifted, once again growing uncomfortable. “But most of our family spends a few years within the main…estate. That way we can protect you and teach you how to use your new abilities. You are intelligent. But you are also seven years old.”

Plus or minus a lifetime. Dollar thought dryly.

The mention of a family estate caught his attention. His grandmother had hesitated to use that word, so it was probably something different, but more important was the fact that it existed at all.

He’d never heard of his family having enough money to have an estate. Let alone one that could house them in their entirety.

“If I unlock my bloodline, will I have to spend years with this family I’ve never met? I should let you know now that I want to reject that offer out of principle. But if it proves to be beneficial, I can consider it.”

“It is heavily encouraged, but they will not force you to,” Levia said. “And the family will protect you from the likes of House Tiberius.”

“But they won’t protect my mother,” Dollar interjected. “Or my dad.”

Levia shook her head.

She was holding back, but Dollar was gaining a solid grasp on her emotions and tells.

“So, we’re rich,” Dollar tilted his head. “Curious."

I’ve been thinking of this in the wrong way. The revelation caused a smile to appear on Dollar’s lips. I’ve been thinking of Ioa as a magical place. But they’re just another powerhouse. Another business. Politics, emotions, and money. Now, they’re entering my territory.

“You know, mum didn’t really tell me about her family. And I didn’t ask. All she said was to find you, which means she trusts you. I wonder why that is? Despite your words, I think you fought for her.”

Dollar saw Levia flinch, and her reaction confirmed his suspicions.

“So, you say I’ll be heavily encouraged to join the family. Does that mean that some people want it to happen, and others don’t?” Dollar read between the lines. “In other words, will I offend anyone by not accepting?”

Dollar watched his grandmother carefully. She clearly hadn’t expected him to ask so many questions, but she didn’t look upset about it. On the contrary, she recovered from her shock and a smile illuminated her features as he added more queries onto his original ones.

“You will find the answer complex, and variable. It depends on what portion of your bloodline that you awaken, and how deeply it affects you.” Levia spoke the words slowly and firmly. “This is a serious matter, and you will have to know everything behind it to make your decision.”

“Good,” Dollar replied. “Because I intend to question everything.”

“Ask away, grandson,” Levia replied.

For his part, Dollar was content to question as much as he needed to and for as long as he wanted. His questions started as a stream, and turned into a waterfall as he examined every aspect of the other side of his family. He wanted to know who they were. How they gained their power. What they export and import. And who this progenitor person was.

Maybe this family won’t try to kill me. Dollar chuckled. As long as I don’t offend them first.

First, he discovered that there were three branch families in the family.

Potential.

Life.

Bonds.

“And these are our surnames?” I asked. “They’re very literal.”

“They are not official names. Bonds, life, and potential are the three aspects that compose the bloodline. And we give the titles to each member who has fully unlocked a bloodline aspect, which is also known as a partial unlocking,” Levia said.

The way the family sorts their members sounds more like a military unit than a family, Dollar thought.

Levia’s eyes rested on the mountain above them. “We are labelled and placed into the appropriate branch. Should you unlock even one of those aspects of the bloodline, you will be invited to take on the accompanying surname. I am Levia Potential. Your mother would have been Althea potential.”

“But she isn’t,” Dollar interjected. “Which means there are levels of bloodline unlocking. Apparently, she was able to unlock enough to gain intelligence, but not enough to be considered successful. What makes her a failure, and others a success?”

Levia hesitated, and went quiet. This was one of the questions she couldn’t answer.

Dollar nodded, gathering all he needed to know from her response. People who were invited to the branch families had either unlocked one or more bloodline aspects fully, or still had the potential to unlock the other two aspects of the bloodlines. Unlike his mother, a person who fully unlocked their potential would still be able to bond with another being and also have extended life energy benefits.

His mother had unlocked her bloodline partially, but not enough to be invited into a branch family.

That’s not quite right. Dollar’s gaze rested on Levia, and he read her every movement and twitch. My mother should still have been able to unlock her bloodline in the future. To be considered a failure, she must have damaged her ability to unlock the aspects. But how?

Those were the branch families. Then, there was the matter of the main family.

Purity.

Mitsy gasped when she heard the name, and Bill stiffened underneath Dollar’s fingers, but Dollar ignored them both. His eyes rested solely on Levia, his grandmother’s every movement providing valuable information. In his eyes, the bloodline was a product. If he didn’t unlock it, then none of these details mattered. But if he did, then all of them would instantly become important. Family dynamics, potential strengths, weaknesses, and restrictions, he took them all in.

“Clan Purity. That is their official name. They are the ones that have unlocked all three of their bloodline aspects,” Levia said, her eyes filling with awe. “Only they can meet with the progenitor herself.”

“In other words, the strongest,” Dollar said.

“Yes,” Levia didn’t deny it. “Their authority is undeniable.”

Interesting. Dollar nodded.

“So, joining a branch family is fine, but joining the main family is best,” Dollar frowned. “Where are these families located?”

“In the western continent,” Levia said. “Though, as I said previously, we are not exclusively based on water. This is my domain due to my bond with Lotan.”

“Understood,” Dollar said.

Levia’s gaze continued to drift to the surface of the lake. “It is getting late, Dollar. I hope you’re satisfied with the answers to all of your questions?”

“You’re mistaken, Grandma Levia.”

Dollar’s eyes shone.

“We’re just getting started.”

****

The sun had fallen and risen three times. On the fourth day, Dollar finally found himself out of questions. He sat beside Bill, ruminating on the answers. The grec’s fur blew gently in a breeze conjured within the dome by magic, and the uni-pig’s tail thumped excitedly against the ground, sending sand flying in every direction.

“Purty, Bonds, Life, Potential,” Dollar murmured.

He could recite the names of his family members by heart, from all three branches and the main one.

I’ve seen some of these people in the book I bought at auction. They’ll be participating in the Tournament of Kings, Dollar thought. I should check those entries out, once I get time. But for now, I have more important tasks at hand.

Dollar now knew why his mother had been exiled. Apparently, not unlocking one of the three bloodline aspects on the first try made someone ‘incompatible’ with those that did. Further details were only available for family members, but he could glean some of the finer details from what wasn’t said.

“Levia sent my mother away to protect her,” Dollar said. “Is that right, Bill?”

The grec oinked, and Dollar glanced at his companion. Bill had started digging a hole using his horn, and a wave of sand washed over them both, sprinkling against shirt and fur like rain. In seconds, the grec’s snout had disappeared into the ground like an emu hiding its head, A chuckle escaped Dollar’s lips. Between questions, he was examining the necklace of water breathing, as well as the movement symbol on Bill’s fur.

The process involved a lot more playing around than he wanted, but he found that he didn’t mind the constant distractions his companion provided. Bill’s antics were soothing his emotions, and when he returned to his thinking, he found that his thoughts about his mother’s situation were clearer.

“My mum told me to go to Levia and ask her for help. And Levia came back to this dome when Althea was leaving it. She’d also still maintained contact with her daughter, even if it was sporadic,” Dollar told Bill. “That isn’t the sign of a bad relationship.”

Bill raised his head from the hole. “Oink.”

“But, in the end, I still feel that I’m missing something important. A piece of the puzzle that would make everything click together.”

Dollar brushed loose grains of sand off his pants and stood up. To his surprise he spotted Mitsy to his side, listening intently. She was firmly planted in the sand behind Dollar as she soaked in the information his grandmother gave him.

“How long have you been there?” Dollar asked, not hiding his surprise.

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“Long enough to see you start digging a hole with Bill,” Mitsy grinned. “I came in silently, so that you wouldn’t notice."

Does she even need a silencing artifact? I know she wants me to make one for her, but I think she’s already terrifying enough, Dollar thought.

“Thank you,” Mitsy’s eyes twinkled. “No, I’m not reading your mind. But, you know, I can’t stop thinking about what your grandmother told us.”

Dollar shook his head. To his surprise, their family was well known, at least in the western continent, so Levia didn’t seem to mind Mitsy listening in on their question and answer sessions. Any restricted information wasn’t available to Dollar, so Mitsy could listen to her heart's content.

“What do you think?” Dollar asked her.

He’d gone over his grandmother’s words a dozen times in his mind. It seemed like there were restrictions, but overall, he couldn’t see any reason not to take the bloodline.

Or rather, it seems like I can only make a proper decision once I attempt to unlock the bloodline. Dollar frowned. Something is hidden there. But neither my Mum or Grandma could tell me what.

“Those branch families. I’ve heard of them, vaguely. Some of them used to attend the same parties as me. But I left my home pretty young,” Mitsy swayed from side to side, her cheeks puffing out as she remembered her childhood. “Purity is a big clan. A powerful one. There’s a few of them participating in the Tournament of Kings, both this one and the next one. I read it in that book we bought.”

Dollar nodded. “I saw that. But I haven’t had time to look at the entries.”

“Really?” Mitsy perked up. She took the book of tournament participants out of her choker, and they scoured it for information.

It didn’t take them long to find the page with his family’s information, and Dollar leaned in to read. He quickly felt a weight on his right side, and was blasted by a steaming hot breath as Bill joined him in reading the book. The grec was resting his head on Dollar’s shoulder.

“Get off,” Dollar said

“Oink,” Bill refused.

Clan Purity:

General information: Wielders of a powerful bloodline, clan Purity boasts the rare honor of being one of five clans in Valia, the western continent, to be granted two seeded slots in the Tournament of Kings.

History: Clan Purity is ancient, even by non-human standards, and was one of the original five clans to rise up against The Trinity of Peres, the former rulers of the western continent. It is rumored that they have not yet shown their true power.

Participants: Purity, Haelan (Platinum-ranked hunter). Purity, Garia (Gold-ranked adventurer).

Abilities: All members of clan Purity have established bonds with monsters and beasts. More information will be forthcoming on the specific beasts that this year’s participants have bonded with.

“Interesting.”

Dollar and Bill both examined the pages closely, their eyes roaming over the sentences in unison. Mitsy giggled, but Dollar was too entrenched in his thoughts to notice.

The Tournament of Kings only grants seeded slots to the powerful. House Tiberius has one, and it's considered one of the top seven households in the southern continent. To get two slots, Clan Purity must be stronger.

Dollar hadn’t expected his mother’s side of the family to be so strong. Though there was no mention of any of the branch families within the book.

The fact that they were not only strong enough to get into the Tournament of Kings but were guaranteed slots in it for their family members spoke of their abilities. And the power of the bloodline they wielded.

“Dollar, if you were anyone else, I’d say unlock the bloodline and never look back,” Mitsy said, her eyes glimmering in that strange way they did whenever she was on the hunt. Except this time, her hunt was for answers and not prey. “But I don’t think you have to.”

“Oh?” Dollar tilted his head, resting his gaze on her.

“Oink?” Bill tilted his head, continuing to rest his snout on Dollar’s shoulder.

“My grandmother said that a few times as well,” Dollar said, lightly pushing Bill off of him.

“Because it's true. Other people would be insane to not unlock their bloodline. Even the weakest of bloodlines would catapult them into a comfortable life in most cases. However, that power always comes with risks, and unlike normal people, you’re talented. You’re seven years old—”

“And two months or so,” Dollar interjected.

“—Seven. And you’ve already accomplished so much. I’ve seen your list of symbols. That’s insane. If you told me that you had two bloodlines already unlocked, I’d believe you,” Mitsy’s arms rose and fell in excitement as she tried to capture the image she was painting in her mind. “You’re going to grow, Dollar, and not in a normal way. If you were to hide here for years, you’d likely emerge an unstoppable force.”

“Forget a few years, a few months of break is what I need. Give me time to study these symbols in peace and I’ll grow more powerful than my family can possibly imagine,” Dollar sighed. That wasn’t happening. Then he perked up. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m awesome enough not to need a bloodline,” Dollar summarized. “Thanks.”

“Now you’re talking like me,” Mitsy scrunched her nose. “Oh gods, I was just talking like you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dollar smiled. “Huh.”

Mitsy glanced at him and saw his eyes glazed over in thought, “what?”

“Nothing,” Dollar raised an eyebrow as a new possibility crossed his mind.

“Oink?” Bill nudged his side.

Why can’t I stay here for years? Dollar wondered. The gravity symbol will take a long time to learn, but it's not like I need to eat or drink. And this is a safe area. Not to mention the other symbol deep in the lake. If that symbol is as powerful as its advertising itself to be, then it’ll likely take years to memorize it. And I can’t enter the next Tournament of Kings, only the one after it, which is eight years from now.

Dollar waved his hand, dismissing the thoughts clouding his mind.

“No, just a thought for later,” Dollar focused on the task at hand. “As for my bloodline, I think the risk is worth it.”

“I’d say so, but power isn’t everything,” Mitsy pursed her lips. “Listen, Dollar, family is precious, I’m not denying that. I love that your grandmother is so warm and caring. She’s way better than mine. But…”

Mitsy’s voice trailed off and she paused as she tried to think of the least offensive way to say what she wanted to say.

“But I shouldn’t trust her just because she’s related to me,” Dollar finished Mitsy’s sentence for her.

Mitsy beamed, “exactly.”

Alright, I guess that’s my decision. Dollar smiled. Then he realized that among the flood of complex questions, he’d forgotten to ask a simple one.

“How long does a bloodline awakening take?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” Mitsy shrugged. “I thought people just woke up with it unlocked or something. We seem to have an expert here, though.”

She glanced to his side, and Dollar found himself looking into Bill’s opal eyes. Wide rows of teeth revealed themselves as Bill smiled widely, and Dollar could swear the grec was giving him a shit-eating grin.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Dollar said. “Are these symbols appearing because of a bloodline?”

“I can’t think of anything else they’d be. There are tens of thousands of grecs in a poppet, and this isn’t normal behavior for them,” Mitsy said. “I mean, wizard grecs? Sheesh, I’d hate to see an army of them.”

“Oink.” “Not wizards.”

Dollar and Bill spoke at the same time, then stared at each other. Bill grinned again, and Dollar sighed.

“That is not entirely inaccurate,” a voice spoke out. “A bloodline can be considered a form of magic. At least in some cases.”

Dollar, Bill, and Mitsy looked up to see Levia stepping through the dome, and Lotan’s gigantic form hovered in the waters above them. She’d left during the morning to explore nearby, trying to catch the creature that had attacked Mitsy and Dollar.

He could see that she hadn’t succeeded in finding it, but Levia was calmer than she had been when she’d left.

She was worried that if there was one of them, then there’d be more, but it seems that wasn’t the case, Dollar thought. Still, none of us know how that monster got in here. House Tiberius should have stopped anything from entering from the Grai Ocean. But I guess they didn’t stop Lotan, either.

“Hi Lotan!” Mitsy radiated joy, waving enthusiastically at Levia’s bonded companion.

The one-eyed titan wriggled her massive tentacles in greeting, sending fish scattering as they were picked up in the whirlpools created by her movements.

“What do you mean?” Dollar asked. “Am I supposed to sleep?”

Like Bill did? Dollar wondered.

He glanced at the grec and Bill oinked in indignation, leaping into the sand and spraying it over Dollar. Dollar groaned as Mitsy laughed, but Bill ignored his protests and gazed up at Lotan, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“Oink?” Bill asked.

Lotan’s tentacles shook, and Bill nodded.

“You will not fall asleep,” Levia drew their attention. “That only happens for the most powerful of bloodlines, or those ancient few that are hidden deep within a person’s core. Our bloodline is still fresh, and the awakening will happen in an instant. The hardest part is connecting to the bloodline. Most fail there, unable to sense it for their entire lives. As for the rest, well, you will see. Finding your bloodline is the easiest part. But being able to utilize it is a matter of more than talent, it requires strength of will.”

Dollar heard clinking as Levia raised her hand, a cheap wooden circle laying within it. It was a necklace of some sort, and the sound he’d heard had come from a thin chain attached to the circle.

“This is a life essence amulet. It will make it easier to hear the call of your own being, and thus provide you a greater chance of attempting an awakening. Awakening your bloodline is simple in theory, but hard in execution. You must resonate and communicate with yourself in a way that transcends the physical. Listen for the call of the bloodline within you, and should you hear that call, you will then be able to sense your bloodline. If you do not, you will never awaken it.”

Huh. That sounds like how I connected to symbols the first time. Dollar thought. Almost identical, actually. Except this time, I’m trying to talk to myself, and not symbols.

“Extend your senses. Feel what isn’t there,” Levia finished. “Only then will you have a chance. That is, if you wish to. I am happy to take it back if you do not wish to attempt the unlocking of your bloodline.”

“I want to unlock the bloodline,” Dollar said. “Do I need to do any special preparation?”

Bill let out a loud squeal and Levia glanced at the grec and then back at the house.

“A quiet room.”

****

Dollar brought out the glowing stone he’d bought in the City of Tiber, placing it gently on the bed in front of him. Its gentle light gave the room a peaceful atmosphere, and he drew comfort from the symbol within it. He’d set up the bedroom to be as tranquil as possible, with several sound symbols set up to block out noise for the first few minutes.

The process of sensing and unlocking his bloodline was simple, all he had to do was close his eyes, focus on the amulet, and then himself. If he managed to establish a connection, then he would have a chance to unlock his bloodline.

However, His grandmother had warned him that sensing his bloodline could take days. Possibly even weeks. There were people who trained for it their whole lives without sensing a peep. Which was why she had brought him the amulet.

“I believe the preparations are sufficient,” Levia’s black hair glowed ocean blue in the light of the glowing stone. “This will be a private affair, but I wish you the best of luck, Dollar.”

“Dollar’s so formal, Grandson sounds better. It rolls off the tongue,” Dollar replied.

Levia’s posture shifted, and she beamed, her shoes gliding across the floor as she left the house. Dollar watched her leave with a calm gaze. Life was complicated. He knew that. So, he wouldn’t judge his grandmother too harshly.

He wanted to see what his bond was like before making any snap decisions.

The amulet rested against his chest, inert and lifeless. If he hadn’t had it handed to him by his grandmother, he’d have thought it was a useless trinket.

This is supposed to help me uncover my bloodline by connecting me to it. Dollar tapped it curiously. The amulet jingled lightly as its metal chain links glimmered in the light of the glowing stone. But what is a connection, exactly? I know what the word means, but the process itself is vague. Dollar frowned. I can only really think of one thing that’s similar.

A quick glance at the symbols all around him showed him the only type of connection he knew. It was esoteric, and metaphysical, but it was no less real than his emotional or physical connections. The symbols called to him, and he responded to their call, drawing forth their powers as concepts merged with reality, plunging the room into silence.

Dollar closed his eyes, focusing on the amulet, and himself.

Extend my senses. Feel what isn’t there. Dollar focused on the symbology lessons his father had taught him.

As a test, he threw out the same type of sense he used with his symbols toward the amulet. Like an invisible thread, it coiled around the amulet, examining it through perceptions transcending the physical, but still linked to it.

On Earth, they would have called it using his ‘mind’s eye’.

I never really thought about it too hard, but this is pretty cool. Dollar smiled, keeping his eyes shut tight. Wait. I think I see something.

To his surprise the amulet responded immediately to his probing, and a thin golden thread extended from it. He followed the thread with his mind’s eye watching it unspool further until he met a wall. This time, the wall was physical.

It was his body.

Okay, so, I’m there. How do I get past me? And into me? Dollar swayed gently, trying to see his body through this strange sense. Since he wasn’t a symbol, he didn’t light up in the dark like they did whenever he used this sense. Instead, he felt like he was a dark pit, devoid of any mass yet still in the way.

Dollar poked at his stomach with his mind’s eye, then jolted as his perception went straight through. With a gasp he opened his eyes, then he shook his head and laughed.

Nothing hurt, but he’d felt like he’d tried to fold into himself.

Okay. I can do this now. Easy as pie. Dollar shut his eyes, his lips curling upward.

The golden line appeared, once against going through the amulet and into his body.

This time he followed the golden line closely, and he saw that it led straight through his flesh into his heart. With a cautious approach he pushed his senses through his skin, encountering little resistance as he did so. It felt a little strange, and his stomach churned with unease, but that was a result of seeing the world in a way he hadn’t before. There was no pain, which was a good sign.

Extending his senses within himself was strange, but not difficult. It was essentially the same process as connecting with symbols, except instead of connecting with the existence of something else, he was connecting with his own. He pushed the connection forward, eager to see where it led him, and he felt a soft click as he became aware of the weight of his own existence.

The moment he established the connection, his body lit up within his mind’s eye. A smooth and detailed silver light illuminated his mind, and every inch of his body was covered in it. The lines of the light shimmered, forming a figure that overlapped perfectly with Dollar’s own.

It's me. Dollar examined the shimmering silver light inside him. This light is forming into a version of myself. But…That’s not my current body.

The silver light quickly revealed itself under his examination, and he spotted muscular arms, pronounced shoulders, and a chin that could cut steel. A full set of perfect hair sat on the top of the figure, composed entirely of silver light, but even without color he’d recognise this person anywhere.

He was staring at a direct copy of his old body from Earth, without its wounds from death.

Woah. This is strange. There’s a body inside my body. Dollar peered at the silver light. It’s like I’m looking at myself from a distance. Except with my mind. Why am I glowing?

Just the thought of it was giving him a headache.

Dollar had seen his old body a couple of times since reincarnating. The first time was when his soul, or something similar, had been ripped out of his body as a child and placed into Ength’s realm. The second time, he’d seen his willpower solidified during his [class] selection.

This time was reminiscent of the first.

This is the body that I saw when Ength pulled me into its realm. Except without the bullet wound. Dollar tilted his head curiously. I see the light. Dollar joked. He immediately regretted that nobody was there to hear it. Alright, I’m pretty sure this is a good sign that I’m succeeding. It’s time to find the bloodline inside me. Grandma said it should be obvious.

His old body was metaphysical, not physical, and it transposed over his own form almost perfectly. It had a heart where his heart was, and other internal organs as well, though they were all made of faint silver lights.

Pushing past the silver figure, he was immediately exposed to a golden light. He winced, almost fleeing at the sight, but then he stilled, and focused on the source. It didn’t take him long to find an obstruction within his being.

Three golden rings of power surrounded his heart.

Dollar could feel them blocking his senses, preventing them from seeing what lay beyond. And preventing what lay beyond from reaching him.

There’s one for each aspect. Potential. Life. Bonds. Represented by three rings. Dollar gazed at the restrictions with curiosity. Wait. Are these rings locking away my bloodline? When people said I’d have to unlock my bloodline, I didn’t think they were being so literal.

Curiously, he poked one of the rings with his senses. Unlike a symbol, the ring didn’t have a will or call of its own. It was a solid block of golden light that was designed to keep him away from whatever was inside his heart. Which he assumed was his bloodline.

Dollar’s cursory poke didn’t budge the ring, so he tried poking it harder.

The ring didn’t budge.

“Hmm,” Dollar grumbled. “Annoying.”

He continued to examine and prod at the rings, but a quick exploration revealed that they would take a lot of work to pass by them, or even destroy them. Each of them was the metaphysical equivalent of solid steel.

“Normally, I’d have to chip away at this with my mind, or maybe push it all in one go and hope for the best. The first would take months, the other could damage me.” Dollar frowned. “No. I don’t think I will.”

Dollar retracted his mind from the rings and retreated until he was on the edges of the silver outline. He had a way around the two options he’d been given. One that he hoped would solve all his problems in one go.

“Grandma said it was all about willpower,” Dollar murmured. “[A Will Eternal].”

The moment he spoke a breeze laced across his body, and the floorboards underneath him creaked warily. His old body, molded by silver light, froze. It was as though both physical and soul could sense a change about him, and Dollar felt it as well. Grasping at his insides was an ethereal sensation of fulfillment and, for the first time, he could see how it affected his inner being.

It was the sensation of feeling his soul.

“Now, we can begin,” Dollar’s words echoed across the room.

The rings trembled as a smile crossed Dollar’s lips, and he focused on the first golden ring.

He struck down at it without mercy.

“Break.”

The room shuddered as he spoke, the light in the glowing stone artifact dimming, and the walls cracking. His command carried across the air and it fled under the door. The bedsheets bowed low by his side and the breeze picked up, passing across his clothes as gentle as a mother’s touch without a source in sight.

The golden ring stiffened.

Then, it shattered.

“Good,” Dollar said. Then he frowned. “What?”

In his mind’s eye, his inner body still glowed bright with the ring’s golden light. Instead of disappearing, the ring’s lights scattered above his heart, hovering still. A moment later they glowed bright, and swirled in joy, funneling through his body, and diving deeper into his heart. He lost sight of the lights as they passed by the remaining two rings.

Well, that’s not good. Dollar pursed his lips. Why didn’t they go away?

A series of blue boxes interrupted his thoughts before he could complete them.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the bloodline: Bonds of Life (partial - potential).]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill Aura Sense (Epic).]

[Elemental affinity unlocked: Spatial Affinity]

[Calculating: 42 intelligence stats detected.]

[Mana: 0 > 420.]

Dollar’s vision exploded into a cascade of lights so bright he had to shut his eyes. When he opened them again, the lights were gone.

He’d expected to feel magic, and mystical elements swirling across the world. Instead, a gentle sensation swept over his body and the air around him. It was the symbol whose call had plagued him as he swam across the outer layer of the dome.

Or rather, he was sensing the elemental affinity that accompanied it. It called to him in a primal fashion, its cry billowing out over his soul and singing with the newfound mana that he could feel flowing within his veins.

It’s a spatial symbol of some kind. Dollar smiled. No wonder its existence was so overwhelming. I’d wager that a spatial symbol is as complex as it is rare. Wait. What’s that?

The moment he connected with the symbol’ elemental affinity, he’d touched on the existence of something beyond it.

It felt like a connection of some kind.

No, it’s not a connection. Dollar realized. I’m feeling something’s life force.

The moment he spoke the words he knew them to be true. An aura of life enveloped the area around him, billowing over the dome and extending into the lake.

Dollar gazed curiously at the aura surrounding him.

It feels familiar. But it’s not grandma. Dollar glanced to the side, and four figures appeared in his mind’s eye.

All of them were familiar, but none had physical forms. Instead, they looked like different lights, each with their own unique flavors and shapes. What he was seeing was their auras, and their lifeforce. To him, the two were intermingling to become one and the same.

Bill was the easiest to see. His light shone bright silver, but several areas shone gold, their light enveloping him like a sun. Dollar realized they were probably leftovers of the Greil Petals the grec had been fed to cure the dragonsleep.

Levia and Lotan were both connected, their auras intermingling with each other even from a distance. They were as blue as the ocean, almost disappearing as they blended in with the light aura of the water around them.

Finally, there was…

Mitsy? Dollar paused, almost cutting off his senses in his surprise.

A figure that had to be Mitsy stepped freely within the waters, moving gracefully as she kicked rocks and shattered them with a single tap. She was training as Lotan watched from above.

Except, she didn’t look like the Mitsy he knew. Or expected.

Half of her aura was brilliant silver, just like Dollar’s and Bill’s, and she looked the same as she always did. But the other half was a mesh of colorless material, transparent and liquid. It melded into her aura, intrinsically linked with it, yet also distinctly different.

Dollar couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but he looked away quickly.

We all have our secrets. He pondered. So, this is [Aura Sense]. It’s amazing.

He checked his notifications once more and frowned.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the bloodline: Bonds of Life (partial - potential).]

Partial. Not full. I’m not done yet. Dollar vowed. I’ve only unlocked one aspect.

Before he focused on the final two rings within his body, he went back to the first aura he’d sensed. The one that enveloped the entire dome, and the lake around the dome.

It's huge. Dollar’s eyebrows furrowed. Bigger than Lotan. Bigger than the lake, even. But it’s not moving, or even active. It’s just sitting here like someone plopped it down and forgot about it. Oh, I get it, it’s a warning.

Its existence told him that this area was marked territory, though he couldn’t tell what had marked it, but the feeling the aura was emitting was eerily familiar. Too familiar, in fact. It was a life force that Dollar had encountered before. Even now, he used its power as his own, bringing its strength into him.

With a shiver he realized where he’d met the owner of the aura before.

“Is that you, Ength?”