"This is for you," Dwayne says to Niel. It's a smartphone roughly the size of Niel's hand, encapsulated in a simple protective black case.

"Oh, he gets a phone as well?" Reed remarks.

"Of course. If some kind of emergency happens, he'd have no way to reach us," Dwayne explains. "Could you show him how to use it?"

"Leave it to me!" Reed turns to Niel with a beaming smile on his face. "Let's go to my room!"

The pair ascend the stairs of the home to Reed's orange bedroom. Within is a bed, a dresser, and a desk the size of Niel's, but there's also a large TV and several black box-like devices attached via cables. Reed plops down on his bed and yanks his phone from his pocket. Niel sits cautiously at the foot of the bed, his new phone in hand as well.

"So, let's see what's set up already..." Reed breathes. He takes control and flips around Niel's phone using his finger, taking in information Niel doesn't understand. Meanwhile, Niel's hand grips and crinkles the firmer-feeling bedcover.

"Your bed feels different from mine," Niel comments lethargically.

"Probably because my bed is fireproof. It would be bad if my Mute flared up in my sleep, 'cause then my bed would catch on fire, and then the house would burn down. So a fireproof bed is a necessity. My clothes are also fireproof."

"Huh... But what about you? Wouldn't you burn as well?"

"That's the cool thing about Mutes like mine: I'm immune to the dangers of it. Nothing can burn me—not my Mute, or any other sources of extreme heat. The toxicity of white phosphorus also doesn't affect me." Reed then turns his attention back to the phone.

"...Okay, I got it. They did this with Illia as well when she first got here," he says after looking at enough stuff. "They set up an email and an account for your phone for you. I'll run you through everything so you know what's up."

One by one, Reed explains and demonstrates each function the phone is equipped with, from emailing and calling to taking pictures. He gives extra attention to the home's special app: an interactive map of the city with the user and the home's locations, and an emergency button should the user need immediate help. Even after this showcase, Niel is still struggling to understand how it all works—like what the clouds have to do with storing information—but Reed assures him that he'll get it in time.

"Y'know, you and Illia are kinda alike," Reed states. Niel looks at him blankly, but his ears are wide open. "She also doesn't have much of a background, or at least one we weren't told of. She spent a few years bouncing around from home to home in different cities until she ended up here. Like you, she didn't even know when her birthday was—and she hadn't been given one before—so we made the day she got here her birthday: December 3rd."

"Did you give her a name, too?"

"No, she knew her name when she arrived. Or, a name, at least. She's a walking mystery in all honesty. She doesn't speak so she hasn't told us anything about herself; not even Medova was able to get her to open up. We don't even know if she remembers her past. She's also the only one out of us who hasn't awakened to her Mute yet, and Medova thinks it may have something to do with whatever she's hiding—if she's hiding anything, that is."

Reed stands up and stretches as his tangent peters out. "For now, though, we've been able to keep her comfortable and happy."

"What about you?" Niel questions.

"What about me?"

"Are you 'comfortable and happy?'"

"Uh, yeah, even though I can't play my games for another two weeks."

"Games?"

And with that one word, Niel has unknowingly opened Pandora's box as Reed erupts into a passionate spiel about his game consoles and the games he plays... whatever those are. Niel doesn't understand a single word. Thankfully, salvation comes in the form of Lydia checking on how things are going with the pair, and she skewers Reed's ravings by hauling Niel downstairs.

"Understand how to use your phone now?" Gabriel asks.

"I think. Reed says I'll understand it more over time."

"And now with that, you'll be able to get a girl's number, hahaha!" Dwayne jokes.

"Yes," Niel responds blandly, not understanding the implications in the slightest. Calling him innocent—whether in terms of sexual jokes, or even romance as a whole—would be a great understatement.

Suddenly, Mabel's voice echoes from the kitchen. "Niel? Can you come here?"

Niel says nothing as he leaves Dwayne, Gabriel and Lydia in the living room and makes his way to the kitchen. There, Mabel is washing dishes, and Illia is drying them with a white towel.

"Can you take over for Illia and help me dry the dishes?" Mabel asks.

"Is she inadequate for the job?" Niel questions, though he doesn't realize that what he said was quite rude.

"No, no, I just want to teach you how to do chores."

"Okay."

Illia hands the dish towel to him, and Niel gets a good but fleeting look at her freckled face. She doesn't look any different, but after what Reed told him, she feels a bit different, as if he's now just noticing a faint fog around her. At Mabel's instruction, he grabs a plate and begins drying as Illia steps away.

"Like this?" Niel questions as he holds up the dried plate.

"Exactly. Now stack it off to the side, and I'll show you where it all goes when you're done."

Meanwhile, around the corner and just out of sight, Illia eavesdrops. Earlier, she and Lydia had a conversation in the latter's room about Niel...

"Niel kinda reminds me of you," Lydia admits to the quiet girl. In turn, Illia tilts her head, wanting to know more.

"You both showed up out of nowhere, knowing basically nothing about yourselves, and with nothing to your names. Could you be long-lost siblings or something?"

Illia glances away as she tilts her head in thought again, then slowly shakes her head.

"Have you seen him before?"

Illia shakes her head again.

"Are you sure?"

A head nod.

"Well, fate has a weird tendency to keep certain people together. Maybe if you keep an eye on him, something will come up?"

...so now she's observing him out of curiosity.

"What you said before was a tad rude," Mabel says to Niel. Illia's mind snaps to the conversation.

"It was?"

"Yes."

"Sorry, then," Niel apologizes.

"You should say that to Illia, rather than me," Mabel insists.

"I did."

"You... did?"

"Yes. Illia is listening to our conversation from around the corner, behind us."

Busted. Illia gives a tiny squeak in surprise and she runs off. Mabel flicks the water off of her hands and checks, and while she doesn't see the girl, she did hear footsteps on her approach.

"Did you see her with your Dark Dust?" Mabel asks as she returns to the sink.

"Yes."

It's almost scary how powerful his Dust is, even outside of combat.

>>>>>>

"Yes, and now with four groups of eight," Louise begins, drawing another group of eight dots encapsulated by a circle on a small whiteboard, "That would be...?"

"32," Niel answers. His timing is somewhat slow due to counting the dots, but he was able to answer within the second.

"Good. Let's move on from math, now," Louise says as she clears the whiteboard. She also checks on Illia's assignment progress.

It's almost noon the next day, and Niel is in the middle of his first day of classes. While his knowledge of basic subjects is lacking, he's not starting from zero, and he's already proven himself to be a fast learner. Louise had the tricky task of packing a little bit of everything for today, but now she's got a good grasp of where he is and can plan out better sessions.

"Are you curious about history, Niel?" Louise asks. "What came before our time, how humanity evolved to the place we're at now?"

"History was important at the lab. Data on what worked and what didn't was of highest value. There was a saying among the... staff, that said, 'Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it'. So, learning about history would be of great value to me," Niel responds, his voice and words resounding with old thoughts and bad memories.

"Mm, but what about you? Set aside the lab, and the value of learning about our past, is the idea of hearing stories and learning about historic events interesting to you?"

Such a question flits around in Niel's head, unable to find an answer. There have been several occasions over the last few days where he's been asked what he wants. He gave generic, general answers, but he was never able to properly respond. Can he?

"I... Yes," is all Niel can say.

"Then let's begin with the history of something that touches all of our lives: Mutes." Louise hands him a copy of a paper so he can read along.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

'Several centuries ago, the first humans were born with strange mutations that gave them unnatural power. This power led to them being feared and shunned by those without, labelling them as Mutes—short for mutants. However, more of these 'mutants' would be born from both the powered and de-powered, with the result being mutations bred into every bloodline across countless generations. With the abundance of mutations, the title of Mutes would be shifted from person to power.'

"In modern times, despite the significant progress and evolution in medical science, scientists and biologists are still unsure of how exactly Mutes function," Louise explains. "But what we do know is that Mutes come in three main archetypes. Do you know what these archetypes are?"

Niel doesn't know the answer to this, and it makes him nervous. Failing to answer a question with a topic as common as this would get him punished in the lab, but then again, this isn't the lab. With how nicely everyone has been treating him, perhaps not knowing isn't a bad thing anymore.

"No," he responds monotonously, but honestly.

"Manip, Phase, and Conjure," Louise explains. "Manipulation, or Manip for short, is the ability to manipulate pre-existing elements in the world; this is the second most common archetype of Mute. Dwayne's Mute is one such example, allowing him to control the hydrogen and carbon in plant matter.

"Phase allows the wielder to convert their cells into that of their Mute, and is the rarest of the three. Phase is never seen with more than one element or with an element that isn't a gas; it is also uncommon to see Phase paired with either Manip or Conjure. An example of a Phase Mute is Mabel, who can turn into nitrogen and pass through gaps as easily as the gas itself.

"Lastly is Conjure, where one creates their Mutes from within their bodies. It is also the most common archetype of Mute, with a majority of the population wielding either it alone or with another archetype. Gabriel is an example, where he is able to create platinum from nothing."

"So mine would be all three?" Niel questions. "Or, can a Mute only be two of those three archetypes at most?"

"Mutes can be one or any combination of the three, including all three at once—though that is rare. As you said, your Dark Dust is likely all three, given the way you're able to freely control your Dust after manifesting it. Referring back to Gabriel, he's able to mould his platinum into whatever shape he wishes, but once the shape is finalized, he cannot change it without dispelling it."

"I've heard mention of Fire Mutes. Are Mutes grouped based on the element they are as well?"

"Yes, though more loosely. This is because there are a wide variety of elements, and some Mutes can fall into multiple groups. For example, Lydia controls hydrogen and oxygen, which fall into the Gas group, but hydrogen and oxygen combined make water, so it would also fall into the Water group. Hydrogen is also an alkali metal, while oxygen is a chalcogen."

"So, what would classify something as a Fire or Water-grouped Mute? Just controlling fire and water?"

"Fire isn't something that you can control, but is rather the result of a chemical reaction. Therefore, Fire Mutes are Mutes where the element being Conjured or Manipulated reacts exothermically with a common element, such as open air or water; or whose ignition temperature is less than that of room temperature. Reed's Mute of white phosphorus is the former, and will likely be the most 'fiery' Fire Mute you will come across.

"Water Mutes, on the other hand, are Mutes that either control or create water directly through hydrogen or oxygen molecules, or create water as a result from a common reaction between it and another element. It is also important to note that, while popular, terminology such as Fire and Water is unofficial. Official groupings are the ones found on the periodic table, such as the noble gasses or the previously mentioned alkali metals."

"What would mine fall into?"

"Well... Without a proper test to see what exactly your Dust is on a molecular level, it's impossible to say."

"I suppose that's fair."

"It's twelve o'clock! Time for lunch!" Gabriel calls from the kitchen.

"Time for a break, then. We'll continue afterwards," Louise says as she reorganizes the papers left out. She also checks on Illia's progress before joining everyone in the dining room.

"How's school going for you?" Gabriel asks Niel in the way a father would.

"Well, though I fail to see why the question is necessary since you've been listening in since it started," Niel responds with blunt honesty.

"Think of it as me checking in on how you're feeling," Gabriel rephrases, blatantly ignoring the fact that he was found out so effortlessly. He then shifts to a joke. "Did she give you 'the talk' yet?"

"If you really were listening, then you would know the answer to that," Louise retorts as she sips on her tea. "Besides, while I may provide sex ed., as the father figure, the responsibility of having the initial 'talk' falls to you."

"And you'll do it, won't you?" Mabel asks Gabriel in a half-teasing half-serious manner. He immediately regrets the decision of bringing any of this up as painful memories of having 'the talk' with Reed resurface.

"Yes..." Gabriel says dejectedly.

"Good answer," Mabel responds with a cruel smile. Niel doesn't understand any of this.

>>>>>>

"Home!" Reed calls as he and Lydia walk through the front door.

Illia greets them with a wave while Niel gives a simple "Hey."

Reed strips himself of his backpack, which lands on the floor of the porch with a light 'thud'. "How were your classes with Ms. Louise?" he asks Niel.

"They were fine," Niel responds. Spinning skillfully within his fingers is a wooden pencil, and his eyes remain glued to the TV screen. Some show Reed doesn't recognize is playing.

"What are you watching?" Lydia questions.

"I don't know. It was playing when I turned the TV on."

"You can change the channel, you know..."

Reed takes hold of the remote and brings up the TV guide. "Uh... it's some kind of detective show. Is it interesting?"

"Seems to be." He spins the pencil faster in his fingers before bringing it to a complete stop with a clasping hand. Illia gives a slight nod.

"Heyo!" a familiar voice greets from the front door. It's Clara, followed by Mabel and Gabriel.

"Hey, Clara! And, since when were you two not here?" Reed says. He puts the remote down and walks over to the trio of adults, and the other three kids eventually follow in his wake.

"Since half an hour ago when Clara wanted to show us a place," Gabriel retorts.

"Oh, does that mean another big trip is coming?"

"If it was a big trip, we'd be gone for a lot longer than half an hour," Clara clarifies with a somewhat apologetic smirk. "It's just a little something for the weekend."

"Cool!"

"Where will we be going?" Lydia asks.

"You'll see in four days!" Clara declares.

"Aww..." Reed groans.

Illia taps Lydia on the shoulder to get her attention. Niel also takes notice, and his noticing makes everyone else look her way as well. Their attention makes her nervous, but she brings a hand up to her flattened arm and walks her fingers across it.

"You want to go for a walk?" Lydia interprets.

Illia nods, then points to each of the kids.

"With us?"

Illia nods again.

"Really? I'm kinda tired though..." Reed laments. Before he can protest any further, Lydia grabs him and hauls him over to the shoe rack.

"Here, Niel?" Gabriel says over the ensuing squabbling, handing the boy a twenty-dollar bill. "We don't have everything set up for you yet when it comes to an allowance, so here's something for you now in case you guys go to a store or something. Buy whatever you want."

"Whatever I want..." Niel mumbles under his breath. He pulls himself out of his head and shapes up a bit. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The four kids put their shoes on (or get their shoes put on them in the case of Reed) and button up their coats, and Mabel addresses them one more time before they leave.

"Be careful, okay? Please stick to the main roads and public places," she says worriedly.

"And be back before five," Gabriel adds.

"We will," Lydia responds respectfully.

"Alright, let's go!" Reed exclaims as he runs out the door. So much for being tired.

"Argh, Reed!" Lydia shouts after him. Niel and Illia are soon to follow.

Niel takes in the views of the neighbourhood as they all walk down the street together, unsure of their destination, or if they even have one. Though not of her own accord, Illia leads the pack while Reed, Lydia, and Niel follow closely behind, in that order. Cars occasionally pass them by, taking the chilly spring air with them. It's a sunny day with only a few clouds in the sky, though Niel heard that's due to change to rain for the latter half of this week.

"So, where are we going?" Reed questions.

"I assume we're just taking a short stroll, right?" Lydia questions Illia. The quiet girl shrugs shallowly.

"What does that mean?" Niel asks. Illia shrugs shallowly again.

"It means what it means," Reed remarks.

"Meaning?"

"Something meaningful."

Niel sighs at Reed's meaningless conjecture.

"Why don't we stop by the Heartstone Market?" Lydia suggests.

"The what?" Niel questions.

"You'll see when we get there," Lydia says, validating her prior suggestion.

"I guess that's where we're going now," Reed says with a shrug of his own. "Oh well, I'm game, even if I can't buy anything."

"Do you have your debit card, Illia?" Lydia asks.

Illia responds by holding up a small white wallet.

"What are you going to buy?"

Illia shrugs.

"Not gonna lie, I'm kinda glad you won't be buying anything, otherwise you'd be shopping for hours," Reed jabs at Lydia.

"And who was the cause of that?" Lydia jabs back with aggression.

"Yourself." Reed's voice is brought to similar aggression.

Niel shoves his way through both of them and walks next to Illia—a clear-cut message that both receive.

The further they walk into the city, the denser the cars and crowds become, so the group huddle a bit closer for protection and to not get separated. Skyscrapers and tall buildings on all sides come close to boxing them in. Every so often, Niel checks the map on the home's app, not only learning where they all are but also learning how the map works. Reed suggests entering a convenience store for snacks, but they pass it by when the only two people with money don't bother. Supper is close anyways.

They eventually cross the river into the Heartstone Market, with colourful banners, flags, and street tiles glowing brightly in the sunlight. There's quite the crowd wandering about, and Niel and Illia notice the long, deep shadows being cast over the colour. Illia ends up unconsciously leading the group around, eventually entering a small store ripe with a colourful culture Niel doesn't recognize. She never asked if the others wanted to go in, but they follow her nonetheless.

Inside, Illia browses the shelves for anything that catches her eye, and Niel's gaze follows her's close. There are plenty of trinkets and such, but he doesn't know if it's something he should buy. Illia picks up an odd item to get a closer look at it. It's some kind of wooden handle with cupped sides, attached by a string to a wooden ball.

"Ooh, a kendama!" Reed points out.

"A what?" Lydia questions, stealing the words right out of Niel's mouth.

"It's a toy where you try to flick the ball up into one of the cups on the side," Reed explains. "You gonna buy it?"

Illia nods her head as she wraps the string around the handle and places the ball onto a spike at the top.

"Do you see anything interesting?" Lydia asks Niel.

Niel continues to look around without a sound, scanning the odd-looking wares with his eyes. Everything and nothing pops out at him—an awkward dance of indecisiveness coupled with a foreign question of 'what do I want'? Feeling the pressure of needing to choose something, he picks up a wooden stick about 20 centimetres long and two in diameter engraved with colourful lines.

"What is that?" Lydia questions.

"I don't know," Reed responds with similar confusion. "Some kind of tourist souvenir, I think."

Not knowing what it is either, Niel spins it around his fingers in a similar way to the pencil from earlier.

"You like spinning things, huh?" Reed observes.

Niel makes a quick scan of their surroundings to make sure no one will overhear what he's about to say. "It was the closest thing to playing at the lab, and all I could do in what little free time I had."

"Oh..."

Niel looks at the ornate baton in his hand and considers if he should buy it. Is it something he needs? Likely not, since nobody knows what it is. Is it something he wants? He... doesn't know how to answer that question.

What I want? Can I... really choose?

Niel puts the baton back where he found it, unable to make a choice.

"Let's check out some other stores. Maybe you'll find something interesting to you," Reed says, noticing Niel having a hard time.

Illia pays with Lydia's help, and the group visits more locations equally rich in culture. Despite the variations in wares, though, Niel can't make a decision. When he does consider buying something, he tries to get Reed's opinion, but the blonde boy is nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Reed?" Lydia asks Niel.

"I was wondering the same," Niel responds. He puts the object away without a word spoken.

"Illia? Have you seen him?"

Illia shrugs.

Niel scans around to find Reed, but all he finds are a few strangers, and one a little closer than he'd like. "Outside, maybe?"

The three leave the store to check, and sure enough, he's standing around outside.

"Why the hell did you leave?" Lydia questions, somewhat annoyed.

"Well..."

While Reed struggles to come up with a reason, Niel notices through his Dust that the close stranger has followed them over and is now watching them from cover.

"Let's just go back," Niel says to cover for Reed. "Supper's going to be ready soon anyway."

"I suppose that's true," Lydia admits. She checks the time on her phone, and while they still have time left to look around more, five o'clock is drawing near. "Are you sure you're done looking?"

Niel and Illia both nod, though the question was directed more towards the former.

"Alright, let's go back!" Reed says with false energy. Niel doesn't pick up on it, but Illia and Lydia do. The Dust informs Niel that the person watching them has disappeared back into the store.

As they walk back home, an atmosphere of melancholy wafts over them like city smog. A looming question hangs from around Niel's neck: what does he want? Or rather, how does he decide for himself? He looks to his right at Reed and notices that his brow is furrowed and his shadow holds his gaze. There's more to what happened at the store, Niel thinks. Though, does he have the right to ask? No answers, yet more questions arise. Niel looks behind him and notices a large hollow structure in the distance, standing next to a skeletal building.

"What's that?" Niel questions, motioning to the structure.

"That? It's a crane. They're making a new building there," Lydia explains.

"Do you know what it's for?"

"The building? No clue."

Niel grunts as he turns back around, their neighbourhood in the distance. Perhaps like that building, his future is also under construction—maybe even more.