Atticus's eyes wandered down his stats, only to freeze when he spotted something that hadn't been there before.
'Spirit element?'
For a moment, confusion filled his mind before his memory replayed a recent event. Back when the Obsidian Order's paragon, Blackgate, had arrived, Seraphina had enveloped him inside a protective construct. It had been strange, almost otherworldly.
'That must be it. Only the Starhavens deal with spirits.'
This was the first time Atticus had come across the term "spirit element." He had always assumed that the Starhaven bloodline simply formed an innate connection with spirits because of their unique bond with the planet. But now he realized there was more to it.
'I shouldn't waste time trying to understand this now. I'll leave it for later. I need to focus on something that can make a difference on the battlefield.'
He decided to set the spirit element aside for now. As powerful as its potential might be, potential wasn't what he needed. Immediate results were.
'Six days left.'
That was all the time he had before the Nexus began. Atticus couldn't afford to slack off now.
'If they're reincarnates, I can't take any chances.'
His own talent was thanks to the body and power he'd been born into in this life, as well as the fact that he was living a second one. But who's to say the other apexes weren't in the same situation?
What if they, too, had been reincarnated, gifted with talented bodies and the wisdom of past lives? The thought sent a chill through him. The fact that the first assumption had already been proven made it all worse.
He had fought Ae'ark, but Ae'ark wasn't even among the strongest.
'I need to be ready for the worst.'
Satisfied with his progress after reviewing his stats, Atticus took a deep breath and entered a state of meditation. He stayed in that deep meditative state, letting the events of the past days wash over him—the battle, the loss, and Freya's death.
After a few moments, Atticus stood up, his resolve firm. He left the room and made his way to the advanced training facilities. There, he instructed everyone not to disturb him and made them promise not to tell his mother, Anastasia, that he was training.
He settled down in the middle of the vast training room, sitting cross-legged. Atticus replayed the events of the past days in his mind, focusing particularly on Freya.
He saw her smile, remembered her loving gestures, and then the day Ariel died, the sorrow that followed, and all the bad that had come afterward.
A wave of emotions hit him, stronger than anything he had felt before.
Atticus knew what he had to do. His bond with the elements had always been linked to his emotions, and this was an opportunity. With a deep breath, he immersed himself in his feelings, letting them fuel his connection to the elements.
Minutes turned into hours as night fell.
---
"Young master! The lady is looking for you!"
Atticus's eyes snapped open, breaking him out of his intense meditation. He immediately stood up and opened the door to find Arya, nervously biting her fingers. Yotad appeared behind her, confused at her frantic behavior.
Atticus chuckled, though a bead of sweat formed on his brow. "Stop overreacting, Arya. We'll make sure she doesn't find out."
Arya looked at him with wide, panicked eyes. "But... I can't lie to her! You know how the lady is—she'll know I'm hiding something. She always knows!"
Atticus smiled, trying to calm her down, but the thought of Anastasia finding out sent a wave of nervousness through him. "Look, Arya, just relax. It's fine. I'll make it back to my room before she notices anything."
Arya's face paled, and she muttered under her breath, "I shouldn't have agreed..."
Seeing her in such a state made Atticus chuckle even more, though the tension in his own chest grew. 'If she catches me training...' He didn't dare finish the thought. Anastasia had strict rules about his recovery, and the consequences of breaking them weren't worth imagining.
He shot a quick glance down the hallway, ensuring no one was watching before bolting toward his room, moving swiftly and quietly as he darted through the shadows.
He slipped through the corridors like a thief, making sure no one saw him coming out of the training room.
As Atticus finally reached his door, he wiped the sweat from his brow and quietly slipped inside, letting out a sigh of relief. He made it just in time.
---
With a large sigh, Atticus sat back on his bed, catching his breath.
'That was way too close.'
Anastasia burst into his room the next instant, her gaze narrowing as she saw Atticus not resting.
"I just wanted to take a walk," Atticus immediately lied before Anastasia could speak.
She narrowed her eyes, her motherly instincts flaring up as though she was trying to catch him in the lie.
She soon decided to let it go. "Hmm, I don't trust you, but I'll let it go. We're having dinner with the whole family today. Let's go."
"The whole family?" Atticus was a bit surprised. He honestly hadn't expected any family meetings so soon.
After changing into something more appropriate, Atticus followed Anastasia toward the dining room.
Upon entering, Atticus could feel the tension in the air. 'What an unusual gathering.'
Everyone was surprisingly present—from his maternal grandparents to Avalon, and most surprisingly, Magnus.
'His eyes have changed,' Atticus thought as he gazed at Magnus sitting down calmly. As he turned toward Avalon, he noticed the same thing. The guilt and anger that had filled Avalon's eyes had simmered.
It was clear he had come to some sort of realization, a good one. Atticus was glad for both of them.
It went without saying that the dining room was filled with unspoken tension. Magnus sat at the head of the table, with Avalon sitting on the opposite end.
The rest of the family—Ember, Caldor, Zelda, and Ethan—all sat on the sides.
All eyes turned toward Anastasia and Atticus as they entered the room. After briefly greeting Magnus, they both quickly sat down.
Atticus couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as he saw the desperate look on Caldor's face. Not just him, even the others sitting at the table. The room was utterly silent, and although Magnus simply sat down without saying anything, the weight of his presence was undeniable.
Avalon was the most shocked among those present. He couldn't remember the last time Magnus had ever attended dinner with the family, while Zelda and Ethan were completely overwhelmed by Magnus's presence.
Compared to the others in the room, even though they were in-laws, Magnus was still a paragon—a being their small tier-three family had never dreamt of meeting, let alone sitting and eating with at the same table.
The servants soon came in and brought food for them to eat. In the next moment, the table was filled with all sorts of mouth-watering dishes and assortments. However, no one reached out to eat anything.
Everyone was simply staring at the food, none making the first move. Magnus soon did, grabbing a spoonful and eating.
The others gave it a few seconds before they followed, the sound of utensils hitting the plates echoing through the room. Other than that, it was painfully silent.
At this point, all of them were practically begging for anyone—anyone—to say something. To bring up a topic, any topic. The occasional awkward clearing of throats filled the room.
However, this soon changed as Caldor suddenly broke the silence, uttering a few words that made the sound of utensils clanging stop.
"So, Atticus, I heard you got a girlfriend at the academy."
Atticus immediately spit out the food in his mouth, coughing a few times as though he were choking. He grabbed a drink from the side and quickly downed it.
As he set the cup on the table, he suddenly felt all eyes on him.
'What the hell...'
Atticus immediately shot Caldor a death stare. 'I swear I'll make you pay for this,' his eyes silently promised, but Caldor simply shrugged with a smile.
"A girlfriend?" Magnus's deep voice broke the quiet, and all eyes turned toward the paragon at the head of the table.
His eyebrow raised slightly, and although his tone was calm, there was an unmistakable hint of curiosity. It was rare that Magnus was even interested in this, making the moment all the more intense.
But soon enough, their gazes shifted back toward Atticus, each one eager to hear his response.
Atticus felt heat rise in his face. "We're not official," he muttered, trying to downplay the situation. He could feel his mother's eyes practically drilling holes into him.
"What are you talking about? I heard you two were practically inseparable at the academy. How the hell aren't you official yet?" Caldor added with a grin.
Anastasia, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "Atticus, who is this girl?"
Atticus groaned inwardly. "It's not like that," he said, trying to regain control of the conversation.
"Not like what?" Anastasia pressed, her curiosity piqued.
Before Atticus could respond, Caldor chimed in again, clearly enjoying his cousin's discomfort. "Come on, Atticus, you can't be shy now. What's her name? We're family, after all. You can't keep secrets from us."