(POV: Narrator in the Sky. (It’s third person omniscient.))

Despite the fact that humanity has spread out through the stars, Earth is still the center of their universe. All want to go there at some point, like a religious migration of sorts. The key word, though, is want.

It takes a special sort of person to be authorized a trip to the home-world. You can have to have personal power at a level where they have no choice but to allow you to visit or even live there. You could have political clout to the point where the same thing happens. If you have an exorbitant amount of money, they’ll also allow you in. Basically, any sort of prestige will give you the ability to walk on the soil humanity sprang from.

Now, you might be asking, who’s they?

Who are the people that let others onto Earth?

Well, they are the High-Families. Naturally, the High-Families reside on Earth for the most part, as befitting their power and ability. All of them live there—even those Families that fiercely hate each other, and have feuded for hundreds of years. When a Family falls, they are banished from Earth, and a fight ensues to determine who the new Family will be. Of course, there are levels of power even within the Families, with some of them occupying a higher position of power than others. But that’s not important right now.

What is important, is that a young man is walking through the immaculate halls of his Family’s mansion on the Earth’s surface. He’s quite a good-looking man, as he should be. After all, he’s the young master of the house, and seventh in line for the Family’s succession. As for the reason he’s walking through the halls with such a sour look scrunching up his aesthetically pleasing face—well, he just got summoned to his parent’s office.

His parents are unfortunately powerful people, and as such, rarely have time for their handsome, gifted, and genius son. They’re still proud of him, though, and tell him that every now and then. Unless he’s screwed something up, or done something bad. It happens every now and then, and most parents would simply let it go without much fuss. Not his, however. No, he’s the heir to their household, and as such, must be completely, absolutely, and immaculately perfect.

As he’s walking to the office jointly shared by both his parents, Joel wonders if he’s done something wrong. Ah, yes, his name is Joel. His given family name is Al’Verath. So, as a member of the Al’Verath Family, Joel wonders if he’s done something wrong. He can’t remember doing anything that would get him in trouble though, unless you count visiting one of Earth’s most elite courtesan houses—and that type of stuff is normally ignored quite tactfully. Hell, Joel once ran into his father there, and not a word was said afterwards.

Joel wonders what he parents want from him, if they’re not about to levy a punishment. Eventually, he decided that it would be better to not worry about it, and simply go into the office with an open mind, and a willingness to do anything—attitudes that take you far in the Al’Verath Family.

He pushed open the intricate wood-carved doors, and entered his parent’s office.

His mother—A beautiful but cold woman with black hair and blue eyes, was sitting behind her desk on the left side of the room. All around her, papers were piling up as she poured over various different research results, and experimental data. As beautiful as she is, her physical charm pales in comparison to the power of her mind. She’s often noted as one of the most forefront scientists of the times, and has contributed quite a bit to society as a whole. It’s because of these contributions that people ignore the darker experiments she runs in the background. Her name is Adrianna Al’Verath.

On the opposite end of the room, Joel’s father was reading a newspaper. Klein Al’Verath was named after the scientist who became the first to Awaken himself, in the hopes that he would become a renowned intellectual. Instead, he got involved in governance and politics, and ended up running most of the Al’Verath family’s land. He’s fourth in line for the Family’s head position, with his many brothers often in competition with him. He’s a tall man, with dark brown curls adorning his head, and moss green eyes.

In addition to their other achievements, both of Joel’s parents are extremely powerful combatants, with Klein in particular having nearly reached the 12th divide at an astoundingly young age of eighty-two. Adrianna follows not far behind him. Joel went through the Awakening at nine years old, and immediately gained an Awakened form at the 9th divide, displaying that his potential in no way falls short of his parents.

Anyway, Joel walked into their office. His father motioned for Joel to come over to his desk, where he had placed down a paper folder.

“Your mother and I need you to do something for us.” Said Klein, cutting straight for the point. He pushed the folder in front of Joel, and told him to open it up.

Inside, there was an image of a devastatingly cute girl with long black hair, and dull green eyes. There was also a wealth of information about the girl, including her age, and intended Awakening date. Joel was a bit surprised to see that the girl was older than him, and still not Awakened. For one, she was seventeen, compared to his fifteen.

To not have gone through Awakening at that point showed that people assessed her as having very little latent potential, and not being very important. So, why did his father give him this girl’s information, when there’s nothing special about her? At least, he thought that, until he saw the place of birth listed on the paper, as well as the seven-year gap in her records from the time she was born, until she landed in a normal commerce mega-city and enrolled in school there.

She was written off, forgotten, and stuck with the label of having little talent. So then, why was she born on Earth?

Joel looked up to his father questioningly. Klein caught the look, and explained what he wanted his son to do.

“We need you to go observe this girl’s Awakening. If anything abnormal happens during the ceremony, then come straight back here, and tell us about it. Even better, bring her with you. If not, then do nothing. I’ve chartered our yacht to take you there, under the guise of you meeting with the local city head and learning more about the cities under our supervision.”

Klein handed his son another bit of paper, with a schedule and itinerary on it, as well as details on what to do, where to stay, and how to act. Joel took the folder and the paper. He had already gone off world a few times, for much the same sort of thing—and knew what to expect. Though, he still felt the need to complain a little about this particular assignment.

After all, the girl was assessed to have latent talent much worse than average, as well as grades that were nothing special, and no other redeeming qualities. The only things that made her stand out were the fact that she was born on Earth, and that there’s a period of seven years where she essentially didn’t exist. Joel could, and did, draw his own conclusions from such information.

“Why do I have to see it myself? Such a thing shouldn’t be important enough for a member of the Al’Verath family to observe directly, right?—Even if she used to be from a High-Family” He asked. His mother piped up from across the office, agreeing with her son.

“I told you, we should have just sent a retainer! There’s no reason to send Joel for someone so…useless. There’s no way anything could happen.”

Klein shook his head slowly, thinking.

“No, it’s better to be safe. I want to know for sure that this girl isn’t anything special. I have to know that she has no power, else we need to take precautions.”

With that, nothing more was said. Klein Al’Verath was the possessor of a brilliant strategic mind, and handled all the decisions involving other people and organizations. Adrianna made the scientific choices.

Joel left the same day, flying in his father’s yacht. It could be considered one of the fastest ships in the galaxy, since his mother had also poured her scientific knowledge into its creation. The estimated travel time was only two weeks. Once he arrived, the city head would greet him, and give him a room to stay in. In a few days, he would go see this girl’s Awakening, before leaving again. He was thinking that this girl should be grateful that someone so important had personally come to see her Awakening ceremony. After all, it would likely be the highlight of her boring, everyday average and common life. A far cry from any sort of past status she might have had. Joel just knows that she had been from a High Family—He even knew of one that had fallen ten years ago. Obviously though, she wouldn’t be able to do anything about the fall of her family, with so little potential.

So, Joel was considering this little voyage a vacation, and contented himself to relaxing inside the yacht.

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 (POV Godard)

I guess you could say that we’ve started stalking Revy.

No, not in the bad sort of way, but for other reasons. Trust me when I say that none of us have any sort of hidden designs on her.

I just think of it as a secret security detail of sorts, to protect Revy. Well, we’ve only done it for a day so far.

It started on Monday, when Haven noticed Varner cornering Revy. She then discreetly followed Revy home, just to make sure that nothing bad happened to her. Varner has a bad reputation among those who really know him. Sure, he’s all smiles and kindness at school, but that’s just to maintain a thin veneer of civility to the public. In the higher circles of society, people recall that time he beat to death a servant employed by his family.

He has a wicked temper, and absolutely no patience. He also believes that those with power are mandated to lord over the masses, and that they are the highest beings. That’s why he’s upset about Revy taking the first rank on the recent exams. In his mind, she’s only a part of those masses, and cannot outshine members of the upper class. Unfortunately, his father, who’s an extremely wealthy merchant, only reinforces this sort of behavior by acting in the exact same way.

We all have no idea what Varner said to Revy, but I can think it’s anything good. And now we’re scared that Varner will take things to an extreme, and do something unforgivable. It wouldn’t be the first time that someone who opposed or annoyed him quietly disappeared, leaving behind no evidence that something had happened.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

So, that’s why we’re “stalking” Revy right now.

It’s the day after Varner had talked to her and all five of us were following her back to her house, where we’ll then keep watch. Ideally, we could get our families involved in this, but that’s a last resort in our opinions.

We got on the same train as Revy, after tailing her from school. It’s a little concerning how oblivious she normally is, since she doesn’t have a clue that we’re following her. We got off at the same stop as her, and waited five minutes before going after her again. Ussen stayed close to her, utilizing his wraith form to hide in the shadows and inform us of her situation, and current location. Using him, we arrived at her apartment building. Luckily, there’s a fast-food place across from her building, and we were able to sit down, and be there if we end up being needed.

We also had a good view of the building’s front, and could see everyone entering and leaving. Ussen attached himself to Revy’s shadow, and followed her into the apartment—just for that extra bit of security. His line went quiet for a while though, and we were concerned that something had happened. When he finally came back into contact, he explained that Revy decided to take a bath, and he had to find another hiding spot inside her apparently sparce apartment quickly, rather than staying in her shadow.

Kormic ended up ordering some fries, and started munching on them while we were keeping an eye out. Three hours passed by very slowly. Then another two hours.

By this point, the owner of the fast food place was getting annoyed, since one of his booths wasn’t turning a profit. Anticipating a bit of a squabble, I watched as he walked over, an annoyed look on his face. However, at that moment, Sabrina shook my shoulder, and pointed outside.

A group of mean looking men in black suits had shown up, and were being lead by none other than Varner. Damn it all, he means business, doesn’t he?

We all walked out of the food joint, and also contacted Ussen, telling him that something was going on. By the time we had crossed the street, Ussen had come down from the apartment, and stood in front of the building’s doors. Varner snarled upon seeing Ussen, since their fathers are both competing merchants kings.

“What are you doing here, Ussen?” Asked Varner.

“Preventing you from hurting a friend.” Replied Ussen calmly.

“Friend? She’s a common girl—someone with an upbringing as elite as yours shouldn’t be friends with one so…lowly. She’s just going to drag you down to her own level.”

“I don’t think so, Varner.” Called out Sabrina. Varner whipped his head around, and spotted us standing behind his little group. “She’s our friend, and has just as much to offer to the universe as you do. More, actually, considering your apparent lack of moral character.”

“Ridiculous. She’s only a commoner. She can’t do anything besides work, or become a good wife for some commoner husband. She doesn’t matter, and I can do whatever I want. I was thinking that she would be a fun toy.” Said Varner.

I think the last comment is what made Kormic snap, though, since he immediately triggered his Awakened form, and became a Giant. Varner and his goons were a little intimidated by the now four and a half meters tall and hairy Kormic.

Following his lead, almost all of us released our Awakened forms. Power seemed to roll off everybody, further cowing Varner into submission, and convincing him that this is a fight he won’t win.

“You guys don’t want to do this…Just give up on the girl. She’s not nearly worth all this, you know.” Said Varner, as he was leaving.

“On the contrary, she’s well worth it.” Said Haven, now in her Demoness form, with fiery red hair replacing her normally tame black hair, leathery wings, a long and flexible tail, and reptilian eyes like rubies.

After Varner left, everyone turned to me.

“Why the hell aren’t you in your Awakened form? I know that you don’t let anybody see it for some reason, but wouldn’t that have been a good time for it?” asked Sabrina.

I just shook my head. There’s no way I’ll letting someone see that.

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(POV Revy)

Sigh. Today was a pretty bad day of school.

There had been some sort of commotion in the streets outside my apartment last night as I was trying to sleep. And then, I started thinking about my Awakening after that, which kept me up pretty late with worry and anxiety. In the end, I just got back up, and did some work on my computer for a few hours.

The result of all this? I only got about three hours of sleep. Now, I don’t know about others, but I like my sleep. And the fact that I didn’t get much last night pisses me off.

This put me in a foul mood for the entire day, and other things kept stealing my focus away. I also couldn’t find my friends after lunch ended. It’s like they up and disappeared on me.

Thankfully, the day eventually ended, and I could go home. But, of course there would be a problem. Namely, I couldn’t find my backpack. I could have sworn that it had been hanging by the side of my desk, but it certainly wasn’t there now. Damn it—You leave to go to the bathroom for just a little while, and your backpack goes missing.

I sighed again, and went to go search for it. But not before checking the whole classroom, since I didn’t want to comb though the entire campus, only to find that it has only moved a few meters away from my desk. It wasn’t in the room though, which was just my luck.

I searched exhaustively for the next hour, but still couldn’t find it. By then, there were only a few lingering students at school, and even the sports clubs were wrapping up their activities. I felt pretty terrible at this point.

It’s not like there was anything significant in my backpack, but I would rather not have to get another one, since my budget is already running a bit thin. Enough money for twenty years, my ass.

I decided to simply leave, and go home. If my backpack turns up tomorrow, then all will be fine. If not, then I’ll have to get a new one.

Or, that’s what I intended. My plans were a little derailed when I turned a hallway corner, and found a rag over my mouth and nose all the sudden. The last thing I remember is smelling something sweet.

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When I woke up, I found my hands chained to the floor. I’m not an idiot—I knew exactly what had just happened, and who carried it out.

I’m still wearing cloths, but that particular relief faded when I realized that it’s just a thin cotton slip of a dress, rather than the school uniform I had been wearing. Oh boy— That creep better hope he didn’t do anything to me while I was still unconscious, else he’ll regret it for a good time yet.

Looking around, I immediately knew I was in a cell. I also got really, really fucking angry. It’s one thing to mess with me, but there are things you shouldn’t do.

The cell is simple cold concrete on three sides. The fourth is a clear window spanning the full length of the cell, with a door of the same material in the middle. Beyond this wall was a hallway, and on the other end of that, was another cell. Inside that cell were my five friends, obviously drugged into unconsciousness. They also had handcuffs of a bright white metal around their wrists, which infuriated me more than anything else. Luckily, I didn’t have that damned metal anywhere near me.

I didn’t try yelling out, since the cell was likely soundproofed, and I was probably too far from anyone willing to help. Hopefully, the families of my friends will realize that something’s wrong, and come get us soon. This cell is really damn cold, especially in such thin clothing. I’m not worried though. These idiots can’t hurt me, and if they hurt my friends, then they’ll have to deal with four of the most powerful families in the city.

No, I’m not worried. In fact, I’m kinda glad that dipshit Varner made his move so quickly and rashly. Saves me the trouble of having to endure his presence.

Ah, speak of the devil.

“Enjoying your stay, girl?” Said Varner, as he opened the cell door and entered along with three other men. It clicked shut behind him, automatically locking again.

“Cold.” I said, while giving Varner a glare.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m gracing your life with my presence, after all. A commoner like you would normally never get the chance to do all that I’ll let you do.”

“Let friends go.”

“Friends? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. You live in different worlds. I can’t hurt them at all, since they have power behind them—You, however, I can hurt. I think I will, too. Maybe it’ll convince the others that you aren’t anywhere near their station in life. I’ll show them just how weak and fragile normal people are compared to us higher beings.”

“Church of Divinity?” I asked curiously.

The smile that was on Varner’s face faded.

“Where oh where did you hear those words, little commoner? That’s supposed to be something only us chosen ones know about.” He said gravely.

I smiled coyly at him.

You want some backstory, right? In short, the Church of Divinity holds the ideals that certain people are born higher than others, and hold the ‘divine right’ over the lives of lesser beings. It’s basically a doctrine that says that you can do whatever you want to people less powerful than you. It’s a mostly outlawed group now.

It’s also fairly secret, for various reasons. The fact that I know about it troubles Varner, since it’s something no normal person would know.

“Spill it” Varner said, trying his best to look threatening. “Tell us how you know about the Church of Divinity. Who told you about it? Was it one of your friends?”

I shook my head, still smiling at Varner.

“Don’t force us to hurt you, girl.”

Oh, right. Like that wasn’t going to happen anyway, idiots. You don’t bring three other men into a cell holding a chained girl simply because you felt like it. I know exactly what you wanted to happen, especially since you put my friends into the cell opposite mine. Force them to watch, right?

I sighed for what felt like the millionth time today. It looks like I’ll be forced to take things into my own hands, since it doesn’t look like help’s coming in time for me to act innocent.

I shook my head briefly, clearing my thoughts, before looking Varner dead in his eyes.

“Didn’t use iridium. Mistake.” I said, deadly serious, before everything went to hell as the cell door opened.

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(POV Kormic)

Ugh, my head.

What the fucking hell happened? I remember leaving lunch for my next class, and then there was a…needle?

Oh damn it. I was fucking abducted, wasn’t I? Well, it’s good news that I’m still alive then…

Wait—what the…?

What’s going on in the other cell? That’s…Varner? He’s crying like a kid. Then, three men on the ground? Blood between their legs? I can see something white behind them, but their bodies are blocking the way right now. Then, there’s a shadowy figure standing over them. I assume he/she got in through the see-through door, since it’s wide open. But then, why isn’t Varner running? He’s just screaming and crying—something I’d never imagined him doing.

I can’t make out what that figure is, but it is humanoid in shape. There are shadows rolling off it though, making me think that I’m looking at someone in their Awakened form. It’s also tall, and incredibly skinny, with claws for hands, and glowing red eyes which are….looking straight at me.

I froze, feeling a bit of instinctual fear for this thing. It walked out of the other cell, stepping over the black-dressed men on the ground. As it got closer, the shadows seemed thicker, and I felt a cold sweat rising on me—telling me that whatever or whoever this thing is, they’re really powerful. More so than my grandfather, who’s the strongest man I know.

The thing simply touched the clear wall, and it shattered cleanly. As it got closer, I shut my eyes, not wanting to see anymore. I heard a few breaking sounds, like something was being sheared in two. I felt a weight fall off my arms, and my headache cleared up instantly.

I opened my eyes, stunned. Those were iridium handcuffs, weren’t they? That would be why I felt so bad—And this thing broke them off me. I looked at it, and could have sworn that it nodded at me, before vanishing down the hallway.

I could see that all my friends now have iridium handcuffs broken at their feet as well, though I’m the only one awake, it seems.

I walked over to the other cell, and punched Varner unconscious. When the see-through cell wall had broken, I could hear his desperate and frantic screams between the heavy sobbing. Now that he wasn’t awake, things were much quieter. I looked at the three men dressed in black, and took their pulse while checking the damage done to them.

All of them were dead, which didn’t surprise me given the aura that the figure had given off—like a god of death. The men all had broken necks, and were missing some bits.

I looked past them, and felt my fury rise to new levels.

Revy was chained to the floor, unconscious. She was wearing a thin cotton dress. I hurriedly broke the chains holding her down with a mana-infused strike, and picked her up—since the dress had begun soaking up a bit of the blood from the three dead men, staining it’s white surface red. I brought her back to the cell where everyone else was, before going back and moving the bodies. I didn’t want that to be the first thing everyone sees when they wake up, though I could do nothing about the blood.

As for Varner, I found an unused iridium handcuff, and restrained him. But not before giving him a good kick to the ribs.

Sabrina was the next one to wake up. I calmly explained the situation to her, and we agreed to wait for help to arrive. Our families certainly knew that we were missing by now, and would eventually find us.

Ussen woke up next, with Haven following closely behind. Only Godard and Revy were still out when help finally arrived.